& the fact is.. i have taken medications for a.d.d. i have taken medications for depression, i have taken antipsychotics. i am not on any right now & it is because of the negative image that is accosiated. With a.d.h.d. it would be an out of control kid who has a crappy mom or depression which would have you thinking of a moody teenager who wants attention. the medications once used for a.d.d. don't respond well once the child's hormones start going crazy in high school. at that time you give the child antidepressants which is fine if the kid is actually depressed...by this time the chances of the kid actually being depressed because of real life things like lets say being dumped are actually quite real & don't require antidepressants, but simply a good 2 weeks out of school. However we can';t do that in this day & age... the show must go on as they say even if that means forcing yourself to attend school even if your brain is not capable of remembering the information it is receiving because of the lack of space that it has now because your body has been drained of seratonin. my recommendation would be to switch over to a mood stablizer as soon as the child starts showing signs of depression & or hyper activity on ritilin. But of course if you are all concerned with what people think....FORGET it.. go ahead & have a miserable child