Cost of Delay

Hey there, it's me, when I think back to my own childhood, back when I was just seven years old, it's pretty eye-opening to remember that almost half of my classmates in Hong Kong were grappling with ADHD. I feel lucky that I received medical support before turning 11. But as time has gone by, I've come to see that many of my classmates with ADHD who haven't explored medication are now facing all sorts of mental and behavioral challenges.

 

Here's the deal: it's crucial to get the help your children need when they’re still a kid, ideally before they hit the big 1-0. The right age for this can vary, depending on how well you and your kids connect, their personality, and how stressful their surroundings are. Once they cross that age, the impact of parents’ advice might start fading away.

 

I understand, some parents try to avoid using medication, so they let their kids test out alternative treatments, and that can take a few years. But by the time they realize it's not working and opt for medication, the child might already be a teenager. This makes it much trickier to get them to stick to the treatment plan and pick up other necessary skills. They might even start struggling with things like self-esteem and mood swings.

 

Dealing with ADHD before or by the age of 9 is way simpler. But after that, things can get pretty rough. They might have trouble with their self-esteem, do badly in school, struggle to take care of themselves, and not get along with parents, teachers, or friends. They might even deal with anxiety, mild to moderate depression, and start messing around with substances. There's a risk of accidents and making snap decisions, like getting pregnant unexpectedly, and having conflicts with parents.

 

If they put off addressing ADHD until their late teens or adulthood, even more serious problems might crop up. Some of them might be impossible to fix, like divorce, money troubles, legal issues, and more.

 

That's why it's super important to treat ADHD as soon as possible.