I’m going to a therapist/psychologist to have my ADHD diagnosed. Its pretty bad but haven’t been financially able in the past to go to a specialist. My family doctor told me she wanted me to get a second opinion or evaluation before prescribing meds b/c of the side effects. Since psychologists can’t write scripts will he have my family dr. do so? What steps will be taken?

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Usually what happens is the therapist provides the second opinion (and they usually give you some sort of assessment, using questionnaires, that sort of thing), and then your family doc will write the script.

Or should I take no meds at all. Any suggestions would be helpful.

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Forget meds, they don’t work. They just mask the symptoms. What you need to do is to change your diet. Try a Japanese diet, there is almost no ADHD in Japan. Eat lots of oily fish, the Omega 3 oil that they has been shown to help the brain. It improves concentration and helps to promote natural wellbeing. Also try increasing your intake of fresh fruit and vegetables. It might sound like hippie nonsense, but it really does work.
In Britain they conducted a trial in a prison where they changed the convicts diets and it reduced violence and bad behavior by between 50 and 75%. If it can help cons then it can help normal people, too.

My seven-year-old was diagnosed with ADHD but we have not had any luck with the prescription meds. He has been on a couple of meds that have either made him violent or have caused him to feel “like his heart is exploding.” We found out that 9 kids have died from heart attacks on this med we just stopped. I do not want to put him on any other prescription medication, but his doctors are not being helpful when it comes to alternative solutions. Is there some type of behavior-modification I can use or a natural remedy anyone has tried? My son is incredibly intelligent yet having trouble with his school work because he cannot focus at all. I love him and I hate seeing him suffer because he cannot focus his attention.
Just for additional information: I homeschool my son so he does not have to sit in a classroom for 7 hours a day. So, any suggestions will need to be directly related to how to deal with the ADHD at home.
Thank you!

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If there is a TV or computer in his bedroom, take it out. Recent sleep studies have shown that simply having a TV in a bedroom contributes to sleep deprivation. A number of subjects who had ADD/ADHD symptoms showed marked improvement when they slept well.
My little brother was diagnosed with ADHD and we noticed a big improvement in his behavior when we modified his diet. We took out all preservatives, refined sugars, and most processed food. Additionally, we replaced bleached flours with whole grains.
Pack-up the books and go for a walk. At first, try to keep sit-down periods short, with plenty of breaks for structured activity in between. When I’m feeling restless, I’ll put my books in a backpack and go to the park or forest preserve. You’ll get better at identifying learning opportunities and he’ll get better at sitting-down and focusing. Studying is a skill and there are several ways to learn the same information.