by Michelle Stein posted in Parenting

My 5-year-old son was recently diagnosed with ADHD, and we chose to medicate him.
Although I'm confident in the decision to "drug" our child for his ADHD, part of me still wishes I could gaze into a crystal ball to see how this choice will affect him in the long run. Will he be resentful that we resorted to medication" Or will he be thankful that we gave him a fighting chance to function normally"
In a recent Facebook post, 34-year-old Jessica McCabe wrote an open letter to her mother about the decision to treat her ADHD with medication.
"What I want to say to my mom, who 'drugged' me," the letter begins."Thank you."
(Click here to read the entire letter, or press play to watch McCabe read it.) "Thank you for listening when I told you I was struggling."
"Thank you for taking me to get a proper evaluation so I understand my brain's differences and don't feel like it's just all my fault."
"Thank you for ignoring the people who judged you. I know there were many."
These lines all speak to me.
But it's McCabe's final paragraph that sums up how I hope my decision to medicate impacts my son.
"Because of you, I got the treatment I needed, I did better in school, I felt more confident and able to reach my potential. Because of you, I never had to self medicate like so many ADHDers I know. I never sank into depression. I never gave up on myself. I never felt misunders...