ADHD Women

Also you don’t seem to understand that ADHD is a mood altering disorder in itself. So in making the choice to give your kid a “mood altering drug”, which seems to be your particular axe to grind, you may in fact be helping them.

You should also consider the possibility that the medical professionals you have talked to have detected your strong opinions and have chosen the most effective strategy - to validate your thinking to the extent possible - because it is in the best interest of your child. They gave you options because informed consent is a thing.

There are in fact clinical guidelines for when treatment is recommended vs. not - a clinician can apply their opinion of course but there are evidence-based standards of care, derived from a huge amount of data and careful analysis over time. It sounds like you’re placing your individual judgment above the long history of the combined effort of some very smart people.

Listen, I don’t know what is going on in your case. Your younger kid might not have any disorder or need treatment, but this arrogant “As a parent…” framing doesn’t help. I just hope they don’t grow up performing below a level that they potentially could, or in some degree of emotional distress, because they couldn’t get the treatment they needed at the time they needed it.

Finally, please consider the known competing risks of treatment (including non-pharma) and lack of treatment.