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AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

To worry about DH taking ADHD medication

101 replies

DogsRock100 · 23/11/2025 01:07

DH is in the process of being diagnosed with ADHD. I have always wondered if he has something like that, or straight forward anxiety/depression, OR just a bit of a questionable personality (really lovely a lot of the time, awful when his mood switches and he feels defensive). Anyway I think he’s keen to try ADHD meds and I’m keen to get him help to improve things for the sake of myself and the kids. AIBU to question whether the meds will help or make him worse? In terms of the negative things that affect us - moods, his inability to handle frustration, temper etc. Any advice at all would help! Thanks.

OP posts:
frogyoda · 23/11/2025 09:33

My son was diagnosed with autism about 10 years ago. I doubt he will every hold down a job. I am not anti - diagnosis but there was been an explosion in cases. I know a big factor is due to the fact that we recognise issues now whereas before the child was seen as badly behaved or went under the radar and suffered due to that.

However, the amount of people around me who say their child also has autism is surprising. On my small cul de sac- 5 children have autism, including my son. They are the ones i know of. There are not that many children on the road. I find this pattern repeated in other settings.

I think its good that children struggling get help but i’m not so sure about the rate of diagnosis.

Jollyjoy · 23/11/2025 09:33

A psychiatrist I know personally says they find treating ADHD very satisfying as it’s one of the few conditions where people come back and say the medication is life changing and completely changes their experience. Not always but this is a regular experience for them.

Barrenfieldoffucks · 23/11/2025 09:33

So what do you want? He is doing everything he can by the sounds of it, and you’re still ‘not sure’. It sounds a little like you think either that ADHD does not account for his symptoms, or that ADHD itself isn’t a thing and medication can’t help.

FWIW, my ADHD led to massive emotional dysregulation. It was like a physical pain, I likened it to feeling like I wanted to turn myself inside out, or rip my own skin off it felt so awful. And even when I knew that I was being ‘irrational’ or that it wasn’t real, there is nothing that could have stopped that feeling. If he is the same, then I feel for him. The desperate feeling of shame, or ‘otherness’. And I have a very understanding/patient husband! If he had been as ‘unsure’ as you sound it would have been a lot more challenging. Especially when you consider RSD…most ADHD people are hypersensitive to the slightest shift in tone or atmosphere, and the feeling is painful. He will be picking up on your attitude and it will be making it worse.

Anyway, I now take Lisdexamphetamine (Elvanse in the UK.) Of course it isn’t a magic bullet, but I feel far more in control of how I feel and react. I am more able to rationalise, to step back and consider whether whatever is happening is aimed at me etc. To slow my brain down enough to be able to verbalise an argument etc, instead of all the thoughts racing so fast that I just got frustrated instead.

soupyspoon · 23/11/2025 09:35

DogsRock100 · 23/11/2025 09:24

These are all really valid comments and I feel like it’s spot on that I’m worried his behaviour isn’t excusable because of his ADHD, and I’m not sure where the ADHD stops and the personality starts. He is basically really nice and lovely a large percentage of the time, and then when a situation gets the better of him when his mood is anxious/low, he reacts badly to everything, gets angry and says things that are below the belt.
So I guess my questions are, is this ever caused purely by the ADHD? And CAN medication side effects make that worse by causing a low and flat mood OR worst case increasing his defensive, angry reactions?
In terms of my children and the comment there, it’s interesting as I have seen neurodiversity signs in both. One doesn’t get angry and reacts well though, the other I am really trying to work with to help her not react in anger. So for me, it’s definitely the angry reactions (talking to people badly) I don’t think are ok even when ADHD COULD be causing it. Either way, I feel very differently about helping her mange that IF she can’t crack it whilst young - it’s just different, unconditional love.

There is so much interplay with the belief that because a parent has ND of some sort the children are 'highly likely' to have it as well, as other posters have phrased it

Imagine the attachment and brain synapse development of a child who is parented by someone with poor emotional regulation, a skewed view of the world and themselves and others around them and think how that impacts on the child's emotional development.

Its like the narrative that children of alcoholics are predisposed genetically to being alcoholics but ignores the huge role moddelling and blue print they had of chaos, fear, unpredictability and how to solve that.

The current working theory about ND is that it is genetic, that doesnt mean hereditary, although you are more likely to share genes with your parents of course. Theories and ideas change over time and in 10/20/50 years time the discussion will look very different.

So in essence, yes you are right to worry about he impact on your kids of being around someone like this. Doesnt matter why he is like it, the fact is, he is like it.

BlueandWhitePorcelain · 23/11/2025 09:38

DD2 has ADHD, as do other members of the family. She took methylphenidate for years. It reduced her fidgeting, impulsivity and silly mistakes at work, and improved concentration and emotional regulation. It did ramp up anxiety though. They had to reduce the dose, and gave her beta blockers for exam nerves - otherwise she collapsed and couldn’t take the exam, but then she had considerable anxiety already!

We could tell in the evenings, as the morning dose wore off - she became emotionally more volatile.

DD2 did not like taking breaks from it - she felt strange. She was aware of her heart beating, coming off it and going back on it.

OP, you might find medication calms DH’s emotional volatility down.

Glyhlkh · 23/11/2025 09:39

frogyoda · 23/11/2025 09:33

My son was diagnosed with autism about 10 years ago. I doubt he will every hold down a job. I am not anti - diagnosis but there was been an explosion in cases. I know a big factor is due to the fact that we recognise issues now whereas before the child was seen as badly behaved or went under the radar and suffered due to that.

However, the amount of people around me who say their child also has autism is surprising. On my small cul de sac- 5 children have autism, including my son. They are the ones i know of. There are not that many children on the road. I find this pattern repeated in other settings.

I think its good that children struggling get help but i’m not so sure about the rate of diagnosis.

Autism is under diagnosed in this country with rates of 1% so no the pattern you allegedly see isn’t happening elsewhere. You don’t know the ins and outs of everybody in” your road” anyway-so intrusive.

Of course rates have increased as previously 50% of the population( women and girls ) were going undiagnosed. Sounds as if you think that should continue whilst clearly happy that your son got diagnosed though.🤔

WelcomeToMonkeyTown · 23/11/2025 09:47

The key thing here is understanding what is the ADHD and what is just him.

I have a very similar situation with my own DH. He was in anti-depressants for a very long time and the swap from one to the other was horrendous. That’s a long story with bad medication advice from a terrible doctor.

He is definitely better with the ADHD meds but is still extremely forgetful/disorganised and suffers a lot with RSD. He is hyper sensitive to criticism which is exhausting.

In terms of the comment about your children, I think I understand where you are coming from. My DD is autistic and very particular about things being done a certain way. DH regularly forgets her processes and triggers her massively. if he’s in a good place himself then he’ll apologise to her calmly and they’ll move on. But if he’s not feeling 100% then he can get very defensive and say it’s not his fault and he can’t be expected to remember everything. This then triggers DD further as she sees it as him not caring enough to remember.

The defensiveness and anger around kids is a concern in my opinion. It’s totally OK to get overwhelmed but I believe we need to be showing our kids that if we make mistakes we apologise. Otherwise what are we teaching them how they deal with problems in the future?

Your DH should be supported with his neurodiversity but not to the extent that your kids suffer

BlueandWhitePorcelain · 23/11/2025 09:47

soupyspoon · 23/11/2025 09:35

There is so much interplay with the belief that because a parent has ND of some sort the children are 'highly likely' to have it as well, as other posters have phrased it

Imagine the attachment and brain synapse development of a child who is parented by someone with poor emotional regulation, a skewed view of the world and themselves and others around them and think how that impacts on the child's emotional development.

Its like the narrative that children of alcoholics are predisposed genetically to being alcoholics but ignores the huge role moddelling and blue print they had of chaos, fear, unpredictability and how to solve that.

The current working theory about ND is that it is genetic, that doesnt mean hereditary, although you are more likely to share genes with your parents of course. Theories and ideas change over time and in 10/20/50 years time the discussion will look very different.

So in essence, yes you are right to worry about he impact on your kids of being around someone like this. Doesnt matter why he is like it, the fact is, he is like it.

The problem with the argument it’s social modelling is imo, that three members of my family have ADHD. If you didn’t know what ADHD is, you wouldn’t know that all of them have the same condition, just different subtypes - because their strengths and weaknesses are so different!

DH has hyperactive type and is he hyperactive? It’s exhausting just watching him! DD2 has inattentive type - apart from fidgeting, nobody could ever call her hyperactive! Her executive functioning problems though are far worse than DH’s! He has been very successful, despite struggling with executive functioning, because he has numerous strategies. DD2 cannot develop strategies, and simply cannot do, what many of us take for granted - like driving or cooking with several saucepans at once!

DGD is diagnosed with combined type - very hyperactive, but struggling way more at school than DH or DD2 did (who were both very successful academically at a cost).

DuchessofStaffordshire · 23/11/2025 09:50

I have ASD and ADHD. I think it would be worth your husband exploring dietary changes first (alongside medication). I tried a ketogenic diet several years ago now and found it had a very calming and stabilising effect on my brain. I now eat some wholegrains but my diet is made up predominantly of quality protein, healthy fats and plenty of veg. There isn't currently any conclusive evidence but my psychiatrist seemed to agree that there was probably something in it. It'd be worth exploring at any rate and reading up on it.

Barrenfieldoffucks · 23/11/2025 10:55

I agree with regards to interplay with kids. Luckily I have always been very emotionally close with ours, when I did find things harder I could and did walk away for a few minutes an apologise, and my to older ones are teens now so I have been very open with them about the process of diagnosis, what it felt like and meant to me, what to look out for in themselves etc. I have never had an issue with apologising when required, and talking through things. In fact, I would say I historically would over apologise to DH in particular, just because the RSD feelings around a continued grievance were so painful…I would apologise just to clear the air even if I wasn’t actually wrong. This means that now, it can feel very frustrating that the default seems to be that I am wrong, or irrational, simply because I was so ready to say that back in the day so we could move on.

I do see some traits in all 3 of my kids in different ways which is sad…DD is 15 and classic over-achieving girl presentation, DS is 13 and classic underattentive.

honeylulu · 23/11/2025 11:14

If he gets a diagnosis it's definitely worth trying the meds and seeing what it helps with and what it doesn't. He may also need to try different doses. What it doesn't help with, he will have to commit to working at in other ways, if it is to change.

I was diagnosed with inattentive ADHD in my 40s after my eldest was diagnosed with hyperactive ADHD in his teens. The diagnosis itself was massively validating and explained so many aspects of my life. But it was only the start. Meds definitely did help, they sort if click my brain onto the right wavelength so i can focus on tasks and completingthem effectively. I was shocked to find my driving skills improved massively because all the different aspects of controlling the car, following directions and watching for hazards suddenly fitted together rather than being a huge multitasking effort. But I was disappointed to find the meds weren't a "magic bullet" in that they did not cure my time blindness or propensity to procrastinate. I think they had become so ingrained it takes a conscious effort to override them (but still better than before). If I'm not careful I can take my meds and sit around on my phone and find I've spent hours "focusing" on that rather than what I need to be doing. I have to take responsibility for myself.

Like other posters too high a dose can tip things the other way. After starting on a standard dose of 27mg concerta, this was doubled and was great for a while. But when I started getting peri anxiety the meds seemed to make it worse. I would get emotional and panicked about anything slightly unexpected. I had a break and went back to 27mg which feels just right for me now.

I do hate the comedown feeling as the dose wears off, I got into a bad habit of easing the feeling with an alcoholic drink and carby snack which really wasn't great as I piled on weight and would feel groggy in the morning. I've managed to knock that on the head but again it's taken conscious effort.

I think what I'm getting to say is that your husband may find that meds help with some things but he's still prone to bad temper, moods and longstanding bad habits. He may need to face up to that and find other ways of dealing with it. If he won't then you may need to decide what you're willing to put up with (or not).

Suednymph · 23/11/2025 11:22

ProfessorRizz · 23/11/2025 08:40

Many people with undiagnosed ADHD take anti-anxiety/depression meds every day for their entire lives. Surely it’s better to take ADHD meds as a preventative/protective measure?

Most anxiety meds are not wise to take if you have adhd and actually rather than decreasing the feelings they can make it worse. For adhd you really are better off taking what is prescribed to you once you have a diagnosis. I came off anxiety meds and bp meds once I went on adhd ones. I never was angry nor lost my temper easily to begin with though so cant advise the op at all on this as adhd meds are meant to help with focus.

ProfessorRizz · 23/11/2025 11:33

Suednymph · 23/11/2025 11:22

Most anxiety meds are not wise to take if you have adhd and actually rather than decreasing the feelings they can make it worse. For adhd you really are better off taking what is prescribed to you once you have a diagnosis. I came off anxiety meds and bp meds once I went on adhd ones. I never was angry nor lost my temper easily to begin with though so cant advise the op at all on this as adhd meds are meant to help with focus.

I reckon if there were a push to ‘diagnose’ people on SSRIs etc. with ADHD, the number of people taking them would drop dramatically, and ADHD medication uptake would increase.

DH is on mirtrazipine, I think he should get a diagnosis and take the ADHD meds instead (DS1 takes methylphenidate).

Glyhlkh · 23/11/2025 11:34

Suednymph · 23/11/2025 11:22

Most anxiety meds are not wise to take if you have adhd and actually rather than decreasing the feelings they can make it worse. For adhd you really are better off taking what is prescribed to you once you have a diagnosis. I came off anxiety meds and bp meds once I went on adhd ones. I never was angry nor lost my temper easily to begin with though so cant advise the op at all on this as adhd meds are meant to help with focus.

They aren’t just mention help with focus.

ADHD medication is designed to improve focus, reduce hyperactivity and impulsivity, and help with task management by regulating brain chemicals like dopamine and norepinephrine. It works by making it easier for the brain to ignore distractions and control behavior, allowing individuals to function more effectively in daily life. Medication does not cure ADHD but manages its symptoms while it is being taken.

What ADHD medication aims to do
Improve focus and attention: Helps individuals concentrate on tasks and ignore distractions.

Reduce hyperactivity and impulsivity: Decreases symptoms like fidgeting and impulsive behavior.

Aid in task management: Makes it easier to start and finish tasks and improve organization.

Increase awareness: Can help people be more aware of their surroundings and listen better.

Promote calmness: Some individuals report feeling calmer while taking the medication.

My kids have found it has helped everything and is the most helpful med they’ve been on. They also don’t self medicate with weed, caffeine,alcohol and EDs now. They are accessing education and have a future.

Smoothandsmooth · 23/11/2025 11:42

DogsRock100 · 23/11/2025 01:07

DH is in the process of being diagnosed with ADHD. I have always wondered if he has something like that, or straight forward anxiety/depression, OR just a bit of a questionable personality (really lovely a lot of the time, awful when his mood switches and he feels defensive). Anyway I think he’s keen to try ADHD meds and I’m keen to get him help to improve things for the sake of myself and the kids. AIBU to question whether the meds will help or make him worse? In terms of the negative things that affect us - moods, his inability to handle frustration, temper etc. Any advice at all would help! Thanks.

I am in the process of getting 2 of mine plus myself tested and trying to convince my brother to get tested. I strongly suspect - assuming I’m right - that it comes via my mother. It explains everything. Everything we’ve ever been through as a family, so much. It’s been a light bulb/mic drop/mind blown moment.

Give it a chance. If it doesn’t work for him he can alter the medication. If that doesn’t work he can stop. Keep an eye on your kids - I had very old fashioned views on it and didn’t recognise the signs in my high achievers.

BertieBotts · 23/11/2025 12:45

Emotional regulation is a skill, but it's very difficult to learn with unmedicated ADHD because the ADHD means that the "brakes" of the emotional regulation system are underpowered so the emotion tends to reach a point where it's actually pushed the person over into fight or flight (dysregulation) before they can even recognise what has happened. And because the "filter" bit that helps you work out what to pay attention to is also underpowered, it's difficult to notice the signs of emotional dysregulation before an emotion gets so strong, because they are lost in a sea of other noise of random thoughts, important thoughts/ideas, environmental stimulus etc. It can also be difficult to make and sustain progress on any goal because the cognitive centres are essentially cluttered with too much information and many people with ADHD struggle to prioritise, and therefore put effort into things in an inconsistent way which makes it difficult to maintain progress on anything.

And if the unmanaged ADHD is very bad and has knock on effects on the environment (e.g. messy house, or damaged relationships or bad habits) or things like self-care (nutrition, sleep, stress levels in general, any use of things like caffeine/nicotine/alcohol) then there is even more to compound the above issues. Particularly if there is generational trauma involved.

ADHD medication helps with things like the cognitive capacity, increasing it a bit so you can actually hold stuff in mind a bit more and it gives more power to the "brakes" and "filter" but - silly analogy, but if you think about when you get a new car, it takes you a bit to learn the sensitivity of the brakes, accelerator and clutch - it's not just automatic instantly. It's kind of like that with the ADHD medication. It makes the brakes more effective but you still have to learn how to use them smoothly. And a brain is more complicated than a car. And if you're not used to noticing the internal body sensations/signs of stress/dysregulation building up then you might not know what to look for. They are also different for different people so it's difficult to tell someone what to look out for - and dysregulation is rarely spoken about explicitly with ADHD patients so it's sort of if you either figure it out for yourself, or if you happen to come across it (I came across it in the context of children, but it's helped me hugely).

And the environmental aspects don't disappear overnight. Just like if you've built up a load of debt and then you start taking medication that lets you have more control over impulse spending, you're not going to take on more debt but you still have to pay off the debt you've already built up. And in the meantime that might lead to a situation where you NEED to spend money urgently that you don't have, resulting in needing to take on more debt, maybe at a high rate of interest if your credit score is bad. And if there is ingrained trauma or shame around this, it can trigger an emotional spiral even with the better emotional "brake".

So in terms of relationship patterns, someone with unmanaged ADHD and emotional reactivity is likely to be emotionally volatile towards both a supportive spouse or a spouse who is emotionally manipulative themselves. And if an initially supportive spouse has come to a point where they have sore points about the relationship and the person with ADHD has sore points too, then even with reduced emotional volatility, those sore points don't just disappear. They have to acknowledge them and this is using a skill which is new to them and they might have built up defensive walls around because that is a survival strategy of unmanaged ADHD. That might be more difficult to overcome and it might help to have some kind of therapy. But at least in theory with the medication it ought to be more accessible for them to learn better ways to communicate and manage their emotions.

Most people with ADHD who aren't diagnosed until adulthood have multiple issues like this, and it's not realistic to expect everything to become perfect overnight. I think though that the things you've read about emotional volatility becoming worse etc are short term, usually related to finding the right medication to settle on. Presumably he's titrating with a qualified mental health professional, in which case try to give the process time. Remember people who don't have problems tend not to post on the internet about it. The stats say something like 75% of people get on with the first ADHD medication they try. If that one isn't effective without side effects, then about 75% of them will find the other stimulant medication effective. There are two main stimulants used in the UK. This leaves about 5-10% of people who don't respond to the main two stimulant medications and then they tend to explore non stimulants which can help or it might be a combination of things helps or it might be that their diagnosis is more complex or something environmental needs to change before medication will be effective. Very few people are completely non responsive to medication, and while it might take a while to find the right thing, OTOH a lot of people do find the right thing fairly quickly.

But even after finding the right medication, he's still going to be using skills which are rusty to him and which he'll need to learn from the ground up. Some people are more aware and open to this than others. Some find it too painful to address that directly and tend to shut off to it, which probably unfortunately means they will make very little progress.

Jugendstiel · 23/11/2025 12:49

If he has ADHD he should almost immediately start to feel calmer and more clear-headed, less overwhelmed or frustrated.

I must admit I am a tiny bit grumpier - I might snap a little at Dh or swear if something isn't working. But that replaces meltdowns, overwhelm, tears, depression etc - all actually caused by ADHD.

Some people find a good balance is ADHD medication plus a low dose of sertraline to quell anxiety. If he is an anxious person, that might be a good balance.

The medication is worth a try. I am very grateful for it.

Toogood2betrueItisnt · 23/11/2025 12:52

Weeken · 23/11/2025 08:39

And I also really don’t want my children spending time with someone with poor emotional regulation.

They're his children. If he has ADHD, chances are they'll have poor emotional regulation and executive dysfunction. They'll need your help, not judgement and criticism.

Yes, ADHD is highly genetic. A lot of adults actually realise they have it when their dcs are diagnosed.

BertieBotts · 23/11/2025 12:53

When I say environmental stimulus BTW - even with medication, I can feel my clothes all day long. I can feel dirt under my fingernails, and wax in my ears. I rarely wear make up, or tie up my hair because the feeling of both bothers me. I hear things other people can't hear (not imaginary noises, just repetitive background noises most people can filter out). Things like the eye movement of people with ADHD is different (and being incorporated into some diagnostic testing) because we are constantly paying attention to random background details which most people don't notice. There is a lot going on and it uses up a lot of space which I then am less able to access for things like the current task I'm attending to or what my emotional barometer is telling me.

Jimmyneutronsforehead · 23/11/2025 13:52

DogsRock100 · 23/11/2025 09:24

These are all really valid comments and I feel like it’s spot on that I’m worried his behaviour isn’t excusable because of his ADHD, and I’m not sure where the ADHD stops and the personality starts. He is basically really nice and lovely a large percentage of the time, and then when a situation gets the better of him when his mood is anxious/low, he reacts badly to everything, gets angry and says things that are below the belt.
So I guess my questions are, is this ever caused purely by the ADHD? And CAN medication side effects make that worse by causing a low and flat mood OR worst case increasing his defensive, angry reactions?
In terms of my children and the comment there, it’s interesting as I have seen neurodiversity signs in both. One doesn’t get angry and reacts well though, the other I am really trying to work with to help her not react in anger. So for me, it’s definitely the angry reactions (talking to people badly) I don’t think are ok even when ADHD COULD be causing it. Either way, I feel very differently about helping her mange that IF she can’t crack it whilst young - it’s just different, unconditional love.

You might benefit from reading the explosive childby Ross W Greene and Why does he do that? Inside the minds of angry and controlling men by Lundy Bancroft.

Barrenfieldoffucks · 23/11/2025 15:38

BertieBotts · 23/11/2025 12:53

When I say environmental stimulus BTW - even with medication, I can feel my clothes all day long. I can feel dirt under my fingernails, and wax in my ears. I rarely wear make up, or tie up my hair because the feeling of both bothers me. I hear things other people can't hear (not imaginary noises, just repetitive background noises most people can filter out). Things like the eye movement of people with ADHD is different (and being incorporated into some diagnostic testing) because we are constantly paying attention to random background details which most people don't notice. There is a lot going on and it uses up a lot of space which I then am less able to access for things like the current task I'm attending to or what my emotional barometer is telling me.

This is very true as well. With an added layer of if I feel I have made the wrong choice of clothing for whatever reason that's all I can think about and feel until I can rectify it. I had a pixie cut for years because I couldn't stand the feeling of hair around my face, even if bits fell out of a ponytail. I can't leave the house without lip balm, because the worry my lips might feel dry is too great, and if they feel dry my whole body feels weird. Too many people talking at once (ie a couple of kids talking to each other, DH talking to me, maybe a radio in the background) and my brain is full to the brim because there was already so much noise in it so I have zero capacity for anything else.

Until I started my medication I would try so hard to overcompensate that if DH started asking me to do something (we work together as well) I would be focussing so hard on listening to him that my brain would actively be saying "come on, focus, you need to take this in so he doesn't think you're flaky and forgetful" that I actually wasn't listening, because I was telling myself to listen. So I meant well, but couldn't 'hear' him. A bit like when people try to meditate and tell themselves not to think anything but by doing that they're thinking about not thinking about anything.

Delatron · 23/11/2025 16:18

I hate this ‘overdiagnised’ bollocks. ADHD and autism is massively under diagnosed. It wasn’t that long ago that we thought girls couldn’t have ADHD…and nobody realised it presents differently in girls. So you have generation after generation that haven’t been diagnosed.

That’s a huge amount of women..

With regards to the meds. DS is definitely in a better mood on them. He’s more chatty and interested! He does have a bit of a crash in the eve when they wear off but he’s also on a very low dose.

ProfessorRizz · 23/11/2025 21:46

BertieBotts · 23/11/2025 12:53

When I say environmental stimulus BTW - even with medication, I can feel my clothes all day long. I can feel dirt under my fingernails, and wax in my ears. I rarely wear make up, or tie up my hair because the feeling of both bothers me. I hear things other people can't hear (not imaginary noises, just repetitive background noises most people can filter out). Things like the eye movement of people with ADHD is different (and being incorporated into some diagnostic testing) because we are constantly paying attention to random background details which most people don't notice. There is a lot going on and it uses up a lot of space which I then am less able to access for things like the current task I'm attending to or what my emotional barometer is telling me.

Omg this is me 😳 I’m always picking, biting and digging away at my scalp/nails/lashes and I get a headache if my hair is up. I was a terrified kid, always freaking out, loads of cortisol, totally disorganised. Even now, if something is in a cupboard or drawer, it doesn’t exist.

DS1 has ADHD (medicated), the meds make an enormous difference to his life. I just wish DH would go down the same path.

Simplelifeneeded · 23/11/2025 22:24

Medication for Adhd has help dd massively with her attention she couldn't stay in a seat for more than a few minutes a few years ago now she can.
The medication she takes only last around 6 hours though so by the evening she's back to her normal self not being able to stay still or attention.

DogsRock100 · 24/11/2025 19:14

I guess I just felt hopeful that a diagnosis and perhaps meds would lead to the changes needed, but I honestly don’t know if he’s got the - I don’t know, emotional intelligence maybe - to work on himself enough to manage to not act differently when in that mood. I’d say it’s about once a month at the moment, when he’ll have these episodes and seem so much more grumpy/aggressive/unkind and then it passes (within a day or a few days max) and he’s back to being nice. There are usually small triggers but at other times he’d react totally differently to these types of things. Is this ever ADHD or is there another personality issue going on?!

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