How do I get help for my ADHD?

I'm pretty sure I have either ADD or ADHD or as I've heard is possible both? But anyways my mother won't take me to a doctor to get diagnosed because no matter what I've told her she believes we'll just end up paying for pills that wont help. But even if I don't get treated I just want to know if I have it, I think I have the right to.
Help?

Oh btw I'm 16.

It's not my behavior so much as many smaller things.

I havea VERY hard focusing in time in class unless i have something in my hands or am drawing and my teachers do not understand this and so they send me to the office. I constantly must be moving or my legs start jittering and I rock back and forth. Im disorganized to the point im failing class and Im extemely forgetful. When i find something i seem to lose three other things. I cannot be quite or do quiet activites without talking, or blurting out things and I cannot sit through assemblies. The multi tasking is nice but the sleep deprivation is very hard to deal with.

Bonnie, you don't know what you are talking about. I have ADHD and I have studied in depth. It's a real disorder. You are doing a real disservice to people with real dilemmas by spreading false information. Get a clue! I hate being so adamant and so blunt with you, but you are really harming people when you go on about medical issues that you know nothing about. It's like pretending you are an oncologist (a cancer doctor) when you know next to nothing about it. ADHD is real, whether you acknowledge it or not.

Anyway, back to you, dear questioner:

ADHD is real, and it sounds like you might have it. I say *might* because I don't know for sure.

Anyway, unfortunately, you probably would need medication to treat it. It's not the only treatment. But ADHD has to do with brain chemicals, so you need a medication in all likelihood.

I have ADHD, and I can personally testify that medication makes a world of difference. Your mother is wrong when she says it won't do any good. I'm tired of all of the misinformation and lies about ADHD. There seriously needs to be an education campaign about ADHD that sets the record straight. I can't think of a single disorder that is more misunderstood in the popular mind.

It's also thought of as a children's disorder, but this is clearly wrong. 70% of children who have ADHD still have it as adults. That doesn't sound like a children's disorder. Millions of adults have ADHD that is undiagnosed. They just suffer year after year, and they don't know why. They just blame it on circumstances.

Look, I understand your dilemma. Learn what you can about ADHD. There are several books out there that can help you even if you don't take medication. One I highly recommend is Driven to Distraction.

When you are an adult and you have your own insurance, you can get treated then. Until then, do your best to cope and try to learn what you can about helping yourself, even without medication.

Also, you may want to check with social service agencies and non-profits. Some of them do free counseling. It might not help, as ADHD is not well understood generally by people who do not specialize in it.

Whatever you do, don't give up!

Good luck to you!

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What makes you think you have ADHD?

Personally (and this is just my opinion) ADHD is a term that has been invented to excuse bad behaviour in kids. It also excuses bad parenting where the parents can't be bothered to discipline their kids properly.

When I was at school no-one had ADHD - there were just a few naughty kids who were disruptive, a good hiding when they were younger would have sorted them out.

You see nowadays you aren't allowed to smack your children but young children don't understand anything else. You can't negotiate with a 3 and 4 year-old, they don't have that negotiating capacity at that age.

When I was young I got a smacked bottom for being naughty - but I only ever did that naughty thing once because I didn't want to get smacked again. It didn't do me any harm, I am not mentally scarred for life or anything.

So this is why I think ADHD is a load of nonsense and I don't think you have it. You are in your teens, well, hopefully you have the brain capacity to think to yourself, "ok, I'm doing something wrong, what is it and how should I change my behaviour?" Take anger management classes or learn some relaxation techniques.