Ah yes, the never ending debate of medicating, over-medicating, under-medicating and misdiagnosing ADD/ADHD. For me, I'd have to say it was just right. I was on Concerta for a couple of years and benefited from being on it. However, the phrase "pills don't teach skills" is one of the most accurate and impactful statements I have heard during my period of work in dealing with ADD.
It took a while for me to understand and truly grasp the impact of this statement. I read it, I heard it from two doctors and my ADD coach. It is what inspired my blog and book Pills Don't Teach Skills.
Taking medication, that was the easy part. I did very well with that, the pill went in my mouth and down it went with a quick sip of water. No advanced skills or training required. Joking aside, that was just the beginning and the medication allowed my brain to be ready to learn and retain new skills. This is a simplified description of what occurred.
Once I started my Concerta, I began the hardest part of my learning. I became consumed by coaching, books, internet research, practicing new skills and dedicating myself to beating ADD. I opened up to as many possible ways to beat ADD as I could wrap my arms around. Unfortunately, many people will resist looking inward. I had to come up with the courage to look at myself on the inside, and improve how I reacted outside.
The benefits of medication cannot be argued, in my case. They were an important part of the puzzle in winning my battle against ADD. There also comes a certain point in time for some people - not necessarily all people, but in my case - to stop taking medication. The medication had done its job for me. (Let's be clear, I'm not a doctor and I'm not really in the mood for a lawsuit, so please seek professional medical advice regarding any decisions you make pertaining to the use of medication. My kids do call me Doctor Goofy sometimes, after I administer the tickle claw to induce a deep felt belly laugh, but that doesn't really qualify me as a medical doctor.)
As noted by Dr. Gabor Mate, a real doctor, when I originally started Concerta, there was and is no way to know how long I would be required to be on medication. There are people who have been on medication for years and years, some for a short period of time and some who will never be able to leave medication alone. For me and fortunately, I experienced success with medication and the time came for me to reevaluate its use. One of the experiences I went through on Concerta was an incredible awakening of self. As I progressed with learning and personal growth, it was very clear in my circumstance that the medication was an effective and useful tool in winning this challenge. During this process I always had that underlying thought of getting off the medication one day. When that day would be, I had no idea, but the idea was there. When I started the medication and continued with the personal work, I noticed there was a big difference in how I processed a situation, thought and reacted. The medication gave me that extra split second I needed to react properly.
