Hi all,
I have a 20 year old son who has ADHD that went undiagnosed until he was 17 because he really wasn't hyper active to the point where anyone saw the signs. By the time he was diagnosed he had fallen behind 2 years in high school and came to me crying because he felt like such a dummy and a failure.

Well, he decided he wanted his high school diploma no matter how long it took and he was doing pretty good for a while there. he has tried concerta, ritalin, and adderall. none of these helped him enough to live with the side effects of the meds so he went for a while without anything and of course he ended up struggling in school.

He fell behind again and chose to go back on ritalin so he could try and finish school but he couldn't catch up in time and with only 3 credits needed to graduate, he dropped out. He didn't have any hope. The teachers and officials at the school have been calling alot trying to talk him into coming back to finish it out but he is reluctant. He does not believe he is capable of getting his GED because he had to take algebra 6 times in high school just to barely pass it and its a requirement for a GED.

He is stuck in a rut. He doesn't have much to look forward to in his future without SOME proof of education and he is so burned out on high school that going back at his age even for half a semester is daunting to him. But he is considering it and I want to be able to do SOMETHING to help him reach his goal.

I tried herbal remedies but he couldn't remember to take it regularly. I know ADHD affects his mood, has changed his personality as he has gotten older and is causing him to have very low self esteem. My son is not only intelligent, he is a very talented artist. He prefers grafitti art and spent alot of money towards his artwork on our fine city buildings,( fines and such) but nonetheless, he is very talented and has much to offer the world.

How do I help him? What can I do? His father passed away 2 years ago so its just me and him.I would so appreciate any ideas and suggestions any of you may have.Thank you ahead of time.

Sunybear