Out of five people in my family, three have been diagnosed with ADHD. My eldest son was diagnosed in college, and he still rebels against the diagnosis, refusing treatment just like his father. I am sad as I watch him struggle in areas that might be easier with help.
My 19 year old daughter who is much higher functioning than either her father or brother, was just diagnosed this summer, and sadly her doctor left the practice and neither she nor I liked the replacement. The new doctor recommended Vyvanse, but she hasn't started that yet. We were told that she would need a doctor in the state where she attends college if she starts on medication to be able to follow up with her through the year. Unfortunately, my husband has been out of work for over 5 years, and we have a high deductible insurance plan that is really only useful so that we don't lose everything due to catastrophic medical bills. It won't help my daughter to get the care I think she probably will need. I am going to find a way for her to be able to try the medication no matter what it takes. She is at school on a scholarship, and she barely was able to handle her heavy class load with tons of reading.
Until the academic meltdown, I didn't think she obviously had ADHD, because she has a lot of coping strategies in place. Her room can be chaos, but she actually eventually cleans it up, and she has no problem getting rid of her piles of stuff, and loves how she feels when she gets organized. She has trouble staying there, though.
I have read so much about ADHD, but I have yet to find a book or a resource that could actually help her. I think she will struggle to get through any of the books that I have read, and I'm wondering if anyone can recommend something less wordy that gets to the point, and that maybe even is specifically aimed at young adults who are newly diagnosed. In my daughter, I see all the best possibilities of an ADHD mind. I am envious of her ability to be creative in almost every aspect of her life, and people often comment what a positive and enthusiastic person she is. It breaks my heart that this year, after her biggest academic failures, she has struggled with the most negative feelings about herself, and I want to do anything I can to correct that before it gets worse. I would be so grateful for any input from anyone who has ideas about resources for this age group.
