When “Waiting It Out” Isn’t Helping: Why Treating ADHD with Medication Can Be a Life-Changing Decision for Your Child
May 02, 2025
As both a physician and a parenting coach, I’ve sat across from countless families navigating the difficult decision of whether or not to start their child on ADHD medication. It’s a decision often loaded with emotion, concern, and fear—fueled by persistent myths about addiction, growth suppression, or “changing” a child’s personality.
But here’s the truth: untreated ADHD can have far-reaching and life-altering consequences. And when thoughtfully prescribed and carefully monitored, ADHD medication is one of the most evidence-based, effective tools we have to help children thrive—not just academically, but emotionally, socially, and neurologically.
This article is here to give you clarity, compassion, and science-backed guidance so you can make a decision that protects your child’s long-term well-being.
The Risks of Not Treating ADHD
Let’s begin where most conversations don’t: with what can happen when ADHD is left untreated.
Untreated ADHD doesn’t just mean trouble focusing or forgetting homework—it impacts nearly every area of life:
• Academic failure and low self-esteem
• Increased risk of anxiety, depression, and other mental health disorders
• Higher rates of accidental injuries, especially in children and teens
• Impaired social skills and peer rejection
• Delayed development of executive function skills, including organization, planning, and emotional regulation
• Higher risk of substance use disorders and impulsive behavior, including unsafe sex, reckless driving, and legal issues
In adolescence and beyond, untreated ADHD is associated with poorer educational attainment, increased unemployment, and lower lifetime earnings. Many children internalize years of struggle as personal failure, rather than recognizing the neurological reality of their challenges.
Dispelling the Myths: What the Science Actually Says
Myth #1: “ADHD meds are addictive.”
Truth: Stimulant medications—like methylphenidate (Ritalin, Concerta) and amphetamines (Adderall, Vyvanse)—are not addictive when taken as prescribed. In fact, research shows that appropriately treated children with ADHD are less likely to develop substance use disorders later in life.
Study highlight: A meta-analysis in JAMA Psychiatry (2017) found that adolescents with ADHD treated with stimulants had a significantly lower risk of developing substance abuse problems compared to untreated peers.
Myth #2: “They’ll keep needing higher doses forever.”
Truth: Tolerance to ADHD medication is not inevitable. Dose adjustments may occur during growth spurts or developmental changes, but this isn’t the same as “chasing” an effect like in addiction. Most children find a stable dose that works for years with only minor adjustments.
Myth #3: “It will stunt their growth.”
Truth: While early studies raised concerns about growth suppression, the effect is generally mild and temporary. Any differences in height tend to be less than one inch and often level out in adulthood.
Study highlight: The Multimodal Treatment of ADHD (MTA) Study found a small reduction in growth during the first 1–3 years of treatment, but it did not persist long-term or lead to significant adult height differences.
The Benefits of Treating ADHD with Medication
ADHD medications don’t “fix” the brain—they optimize how it functions by targeting underactive dopamine and norepinephrine pathways. This creates profound ripple effects across a child’s development.
Here’s what the research shows:
1. Improved Executive Function and Learning
Medication can improve working memory, impulse control, focus, and task initiation—helping children experience success in school and build confidence.
2. Reduced Risk-Taking and Injuries
Teens with untreated ADHD are more likely to engage in high-risk behaviors like speeding, substance use, and unprotected sex.
Study highlight: A 2019 study in JAMA Psychiatry found that stimulant medication reduced the risk of motor vehicle accidents by 38% in adolescents and young adults with ADHD.
3. Better Relationships and Social Functioning
Children with ADHD often experience peer rejection due to impulsivity and emotional dysregulation. Medication can help regulate behavior, allowing for more positive interactions and social learning.
4. Lower Risk of Substance Use
Contrary to myths, treating ADHD with stimulants lowers the likelihood of future substance abuse—especially when started in childhood.
5. Support for Brain Development
ADHD medication doesn’t just manage symptoms in the short term. Studies using MRI imaging show that treatment can help normalize brain structure and function over time—especially in regions responsible for executive function and attention.
Study highlight: Longitudinal imaging research (Shaw et al., J Clin Psychiatry, 2009) suggests that stimulant use may support the development of white matter pathways and delay cortical thinning often seen in ADHD brains.
This is about laying down better neurological roads—helping your child’s brain form stronger connections and patterns that support long-term regulation and resilience.
Medication Isn’t a Magic Wand—But It Can Open the Door
ADHD medication isn’t about turning your child into someone they’re not. It’s about helping them access the best version of who they already are.
It’s also not the only support your child needs. Medication works best when paired with:
• Executive function coaching
• Parent training and support
• Academic accommodations (504 Plans or IEPs)
• Emotional regulation strategies
• Consistent sleep, nutrition, and routines
But for many children, medication is the foundational support that makes everything else possible.
Final Thoughts for Parents
Deciding to medicate your child isn’t a moral or emotional failure. It’s a decision rooted in love, science, and a deep desire to help your child thrive.
Waiting, hoping they’ll “grow out of it,” or relying solely on behavioral strategies—while well-intentioned—can leave your child unnecessarily struggling during the most formative years of their life.
As a parent, your job isn’t to rescue your child from hard things—but to equip them with every tool possible to grow into a resilient, confident, and capable adult.
Medication may be one of the most powerful tools in that toolkit.
Resources for Parents
• CHADD: Children and Adults with ADHD – www.chadd.org
• The American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP): Guidelines on ADHD treatment – www.aap.org
• ADDitude Magazine: Parent-focused strategies and medication FAQs – www.additudemag.com
• Understood.org: Resources on ADHD, IEPs, 504s, and accommodations – www.understood.org
Bibliography
1. Molina, BSG, et al. (2009). The MTA at 8 Years: Prospective Follow-Up of Children Treated for Combined-Type ADHD. J Am Acad Child Adolesc Psychiatry, 48(5):484–500.
2. Schoenfelder, E.N., et al. (2017). Stimulant Treatment of ADHD Reduces Risk of Later Substance Use Disorders: A Meta-analysis and Narrative Review. JAMA Psychiatry, 74(6), 579–588.
3. Shaw, P., et al. (2009). Cortical Development in Children with ADHD and Response to Treatment. J Clin Psychiatry, 70(3): 414–421.
4. Chang, Z., et al. (2014). Stimulant ADHD medication and risk for substance abuse. New England Journal of Medicine, 370:2020–2028.
5. Chang, Z., et al. (2017). ADHD medication and risk of accidents. JAMA Psychiatry, 74(3): 239–246.
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