Would I Choose to Medicate My ADHD Child?

Parents always want to do what is best for their child, so if I had a child that was diagnosed with ADHD, I would want to make sure that I make the right choice when it comes to medication. Medicating an ADHD child can control impulses and hyperactivity, and improve the ability to concentrate and follow through with tasks. For some children this is the best choice because the medication will help them to do better in school, both academically and socially. For others, medication may not be the best choice because it can have alot of negative side effects such as headaches, depression, dizziness, loss of appetite and difficulty sleeping. Medication can also have some severe side effects such as cheast pain, shortness of breathe and even sudden death in children with heart problems. Any one of these is enough for a parent to make the desicion not to medicate their child. That is why it is important that I get all the facts about the medication and make sure that this is really the best choice for my
ADHD child.

There are many reasons why I wouldn't medicate my child. Many children with health problems such as high blood pressure, Hyperthyroidism, Glaucoma and any kind of heart problem cannot take ADHD medication. If my child were to have any of these conditions then
I definately would not medicate my child. If my child didn't have any of those problems, then I would have to look at all the side effects of ADHD medications. If the side effects are minor, then I might consider the medication. If my child were to experience some of the more severe side effects such as headaches, loss of appetite, depression, cheast pain, shortness of breathe or difficulty sleeping, I would choose not to medicate my child. I wouldn't want to medicate my child if it makes them uncomfortable and isn't right for them.

Even though there are so many reasons why I shouldn't medicate my child, I also have to look at the positive things about medicating someone with ADHD. If their hyperactivity and inattentiveness was a problem in school and affecting their learning, then the medication would help my child to do better in school and feel good about themselves. If a child feels better about themselves then they gain confidence and improve their social skills. So if medicating my child could mean that they can learn when they go to school and have fun playing and interacting with other children, then I might consider putting trying my child on medication. If my child's classification of ADHD was at a severe level, then medication might be a good choice.

Since I don't have a child with ADHD, I can't really make a decision whether or not I would medicate them. But with all the facts that I have collected during the process of writing this paper, I have come to the conclusion that maybe medication might be a good idea for a child with a severe classification of ADHD. I would not medicate my child if their symptoms could be managed without medication. In closing, I would like to say that if my child's symptoms could be controled and not have a major impact on thier education and social skills, then I would not choose to medicate them. The reason for this is that I don`t feel that my child should have to be on medication if it wasn`t necessary. However, if my child were to have a higher classification of ADHD, then I would choose to medicate so my child could have a better chance for an education and could improve their social skills.