Sep 3, 2008

How to Convince Your Parents That ADD Medication Is Affecting Your Concentration



from wikiHow - The How to Manual That You Can Edit

Your parents think your medication for ADD/ADHD is helping but you think it is making things worse. Unfortunately they have the last word, but good hard facts can change their minds.

Steps


  1. Make a plan. Create a chart with behaviors and attentional markers (i.e. write down how well you think you are paying attention, as well as behaviors that relate to attention). Put this down the left side and include time periods (30 min intervals) across the top.
  2. Set a time to sit down and talk to your parents. Do not spring it on them while they are busy or when you are trying to get out of taking your meds that day.
  3. Sit down with your parents and show them the chart. Say something like the following: "I understand you are concerned about my health and well being and that you only want the best for me. I also understand that you feel that this medication is effectively treating my problems with attention and/or hyperactivity. However, I feel that it is not helping me. I am therefore proposing that we do a quantitative experiment to demonstrate the effectiveness of this medication or the lack thereof. The research will be done like so: I will spend one week on my meds and I will mark my attention and behavioral markers on a scale of 1-10 for each 30 minute period of the day. I will then do the same thing for one week off the medication. We can then compare the outcomes and determine if the medication is indeed helping. If the chart demonstrates that the medication does not appear to be helping, I ask that you agree to consult with a doctor to change or eliminate my medication." Make an oath to be honest in your reporting.
  4. Accept their edits or input on what the behavioral markers should be. Re-make the chart.
  5. Follow through. At the end, insist on meeting with a doctor. You may wish to also ask for a second opinion and not rely on just one doctor's opinion.


Tips


  • Make sure you really care enough to follow through. This will not work if you are not committed.
  • The key is that you are showing some investment in the process (by making the chart ahead of time). This lets your parents know that you are not just complaining but that you are serious about the issue.
  • Be honest with yourself when you do the charts. You will learn a lot about yourself and your symptoms, no matter what the outcome.
  • Don't be argumentative, just bring the facts.


Warnings


  • Do not get on or off any medication without consulting a medical doctor or a psychiatrist. This may be unsafe and unwise.

  • Disrupting a longstanding usage of medication suddenly can cause serious and unwanted side effects- this is especially true when dealing with any psychotropic medications.


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