> A lot of comments here are warning about the addictive properties of stimulant medications.
Beyond everything else you've said which is all correct and reflects my experience, I want to point out something that doesn't seem well known in the general fabric of the ADHD topic:
Addiction and substance abuse are a common trait in adult undiagnosed/untreated cases. Alcohol abuse, amphetamine abuse, you name it. I can speak from personal experience here: before I understood I had a real chemical imbalance affecting my whole life, I had used and abused alcohol to the point it significantly damaged my life, and some important relationships. I can't say for sure that wouldn't have happened if I'd been diagnosed and treated earlier, but I can say the knee-jerk reaction about medically prescribed treatment that has very little risk of abuse/addiction is inappropriate given the outcome that's much more likely without treatment.
Beyond everything else you've said which is all correct and reflects my experience, I want to point out something that doesn't seem well known in the general fabric of the ADHD topic:
Addiction and substance abuse are a common trait in adult undiagnosed/untreated cases. Alcohol abuse, amphetamine abuse, you name it. I can speak from personal experience here: before I understood I had a real chemical imbalance affecting my whole life, I had used and abused alcohol to the point it significantly damaged my life, and some important relationships. I can't say for sure that wouldn't have happened if I'd been diagnosed and treated earlier, but I can say the knee-jerk reaction about medically prescribed treatment that has very little risk of abuse/addiction is inappropriate given the outcome that's much more likely without treatment.