Has anyone had child/ren with ADD/ADHD, and are grown up now? Are they better? Will it get easier with age?

Please tell me your short story. Maybe some advice. If you could go back and change anything what would it be? Im working on making a schedual for my child so things can be more normal for him. I heard it helps.

I'm a young adult that was diagnosed with ADHD, Inattentive Subtype relatively late (two years ago). What makes it easier is medication. Nothing else helps the way medication does -- not vitamins, herbs, therapy, calendars, quiet rooms, etc. They might have some benefit, but not much. If I could change anything, I would have started the medication much sooner. I have no regrets at all.

Good news about growing older, though. Firstly, the older he gets, the more likely he is to engage in tasks that truly interest him, like a job he enjoys or college courses he is actually interested in. People with ADHD experience what is called "hyperfocus." They can pay very close attention to things that interest them, but can pay very limited attention to things that don't interest them. In this way, people with ADHD have an attention span like a light switch -- on or off. Normal people have an attention span like a gas pedal -- really good, really bad and everywhere in between.

Also, ADHD disappears in about half of people when they reach their early 20s. Why? It appears that as the brain enters its final period of maturity, whatever is causing ADHD will be corrected.

I can't urge you enough to talk to your doctor or, preferably, a psychiatrist about your son's condition. Realize that the indirect side effects of ADHD can be serious. Teens with ADHD that are not being treated properly are more likely to report alcohol, illegal drug and tobacco use. Once they start driving, people with ADHD are four times more likely to cause car accidents and eight times more likely to have their driver's license suspended because of traffic violations.

When properly prescribed, medication therapy is safe, effective and lessens the likelihood of these adverse events happening to your son.

I am the mother of 4 daughters. Three have been diagnosed with ADHD. Two are taking medication. My husband has it as well but does not take any medication for it (he refused).

My oldest daughter is now 18. She still has the medication (Vyvanse), but only takes it when she needs to sustain mental effort. On the days she doesn't have classes, she doesn't take her medication. I'm not sure if I would say she's better, but as she grew she has figured out ways to deal with it. Like finding her best times of the day (early afternoon) and scheduling mental activities for that time or using the voice recorder on her cell phone to immediately record things she needs to remember.

If I could change anything, I would have demanded much earlier that my oldest be tested. She was not a hyperactive behavior problem, she was the quiet kid in the corner who daydreamed her day away. Teachers continually told me that she was fine, didn't have ADHD and would outgrow the spaciness. Fact was, they didn't have a clue what ADHD in girls sometimes showed up as. Because she was in 4th grade before I finally got their attention, she was passed over for the gifted program at school. They finally recognized gifted when she was in the 6th grade. Consequently, I had my 8 year old tested in 1st grade for ADHD. Decided not to medicate until it became a problem (and it hasn't yet...a hassle at times, but not a problem). And demanded that my 8 year old be tested for gifted program also (and she is gifted).

I tell my 18 year old that she was my guinea pig child. I knew nothing about being a parent, so she's the one we learned on.

Best of luck to you :)

I'm and adult with ADD. School was horrible and I wasn't diagnosed, I was called "flighty, a daydreamer" and just generally not a good student. I am a grad student and have learned to control my mind without medication. There are times I struggle to put a sentence together without jumping five conversations back or forward in the middle. Most people think I'm just energetic and have no clue I am ADD. I have also never declared myself ADD to my college because I don't like to think of myself as disadvantaged.

Schedules are great! My kids are up at 7:12 am. Breakfast. Dressing at 7:38 am, brushing teeth 5 minutes later. Shoes and coats on at 8am and walking out door at 8:10 am. Without a strict schedule they are lost and don't know what to do. We tried it about 6 mos ago and they thrive and love it.

Diet. NO sugars or caffeine. Sugar makes ADD/ADHD people off the walls, if not their body then their minds.

Email me if you want to

my husband has ADHD
for some it can get better with time
but others will always have it

it can usually be controlled with medication
of course my husband refuses to take his

sometimes its hard to keep his attention
and he gets bored and hyper quite often

but its nothing unbearable,
hes in the Marine Corps
and is an amazing husband and father.

good luck!

My brothers both were diagnosed when they were kids, my mom refused to drug them up so that teachers could "deal" with them better and taught them focusing techniques... They are both unaffected by it now, and are both successful