As someone diagnosed with ADHD when I was younger, I really appreciate this exchange between Lionel Richie and Joe Rogan. It’s exactly what I wish I’d heard growing up. RICHIE: “I tell all the parents, leave them alone!” ADHD medication made me a better student, but it also jacked... up my heart rate and blood pressure and made me boring. Don’t rush to medicate kids. Find out what excites them and watch them thrive. ROGAN: “Everybody wants to diagnose everybody and medicate them. I had for sure ADHD when I was a kid. I think everybody that I know that’s talented and creative has ADHD, whatever that means.”show more

I speak more about ADHD and the "superpower" that comes with it here. I just wish I had known how to properly wield it sooner.

Medicating kids is not the answer.

I took ADHD medication for about four years. I don’t think they even know the long-term effects of what these drugs are doing to kids. Spiking their heart rate and blood pressure can’t be good for long-term health. My attention span is extraordinary for things that interest me. I just wasn’t interested in what I was forced to learn.

As a registered nurse observer, this is excellent advice.

What happened to his face? Geeez. Yeah don’t medicate kids. Don’t.

He looks like a cartoon.

Ummm... are they sure that's Lionel Richie?

Lionel Richie dropping truth bombs on 'The Joe Rogan Experience' like he's still performing at Live Aid! 🎤💥 He's saying, 'Hey parents, let's not turn our kids into zombies with meds. Let them find their groove, like I did with 'Hello' and 'Dancing on the Ceiling.' ADHD might just be the secret sauce for creativity, not a disorder to be medicated away. #JoeRogan #ADHD #ParentingWins

same. and just showed it to my kid who is diagnosed adhd and struggles in school. made his day. ❤️

That’s amazing, Valerie! ADHD isn’t a disability but a gift when nurtured the right way. I have no doubt you’ll do a great job guiding your son in the right direction!

@BurnsVburns1978 I'm not sure how I could "nurture" something that literally makes everything harder. If given the choice I'd say take it away and give me a "normal" brain.

God made us all unique. a "normal brain" is a social scale. not being able to conform to classroom norms doesn't mean your brain is broken. it means its meant to break the norms and go beyond the limits of what is accepted and look for new ways. adhd can sometimes look chaotic. and less functional when compared to the brains that are more " in line with traditional teaching methods" but when you find the thing that grasps your attention... nothing and Noone can break your attention. it's why so many creative minds are adhd. don't wish yours away. look for what grasps you. and what makes you want to learn about it and study it 24/7. and how that can serve your fellow man. you wont ever wish to be normal again. because your brain is the type to forge new paths. don't let society convince you other wise!!!! ❤️

Teachers demand children be medicated to make their jobs easier.

My son is autistic with ADHD and I have been offered medication for him every year since he was 6yrs old. By Doctors, teachers, educational psychologists, again and again, year after year. When refused it would be ‘offered’ more firmly, when refused again they’d roll their eyes at me and tell me things like how much easier life would be. He doesn’t need it. His mind is stunning, his strength is amazing, his imagination blows my mind, he’s funny, clever, interesting, sweet. He doesn’t need medicating, he needs a little extra effort put in to parenting. That’s all. 🤷‍♀️🥰

I have ADHD, but wasn't diagnosed until well into adult hood. I find the medication makes me extremely talkative, slightly more motivated, and even sleepy (Adderall), but I don't like how it is when it wears off, its worse than not taking it. ADHD is blessing and a curse. The curse is I'm on places like here wasting my time, the blessing is when I DO get motivated, I can do more in a day than most people can in a week. I also work in a job thats very multitasking, so that fits well.

@rtdawson65 What happened to Lionel's face? 😳

Uuuggghh…. Whyyyyyyyy do men have to put freakin filler in their freakin face!!!! He looks like a circus freak!

We need to change our approach to schooling/society before we medicate all the cool kids.

They wanted to test my son. I refused. I didn't want him to wear a label from those psychos for the rest of his life.

I hear a lot of people in their 30s and 40s say they have ADD or ADHD to explain why they can't focus. Of course they don't mean they actually have it, it's like saying they're depressed when they are sad. The problem is the docs do the same for kids and then medicate them.

what happened to that face

Notice when they cut back on gym class all the kids were diagnosed with ADHD... Exercise is the answer to almost everything. If you don't walk a puppy, they'll chew your shoes, should u give them a medication for that🤔..eff NO!

My oldest son was diagnosed with adhd. My youngest hasn't been yet but I'm pretty sure he will be. Decided against medication. Is it the harder way? Yes. Homework, with all the needed redirection and breaks etc takes at least 2x as long to do, but I don't want to risk the meds

This was me too if I had passion, I could lock in all day, learning every little detail till I became an expert But if I didn’t care? Forget it, I’d just check out, even when I needed the info. It was a struggle, but it made my music journey that much more satisfying in the end🥰

Does this dude age in reverse or what!

Healthy Diet, cutting out processed food and sugar, vitamins, essential oils and caffeine from green tea worked better for my child rather than all the horrible side effects of Ritalin.

Exactly! I worked for a number one growth companies in the country that focused on strengths not weaknesses! I was diagnosed with 1st ADD and ADHD 50+ years ago! I’m all over the place in convos but can track 10 conversations at once. Drives, engineers and academics crazy.

No such thing as "ADHD" It's made up.

I did, also - but I suffered severe anxiety because of it! Worried about failing a grade! No focus! NO DIAGNOSIS or MEDS back then! I had to figure it all out, myself! VERY lonely place to be! I think I would have done MUCH better, with just an acknowledgment!

I'm an "academic" with a "creative" kid. I strove to get, and achieved, all the academic honors. He is happy doing just enough schoolwork to get by. He also can play most musical instruments and knows about a dozen languages to a conversational level, and can fix most broken mechanical devices. He teaches like a professor, with much detail. Best of all, he doesn't let criticism concern him and is seldom unhappy. God bless the ADHD kids.

My dad told my 5th grade teacher he thinks she’s lazy when she said I might want to get checked for ADHD or ADD

I obviously have it. LOL. My younger son was diagnosed as well, instead of narcotics, my wife found a study in Italy where they were working on the problem not the symptom which is an imbalance in the brain. It took many months for it to finally start working, it was amino acid therapy. It leveled him off, it was not cheap, it took up a lot of time and I am grateful we had the money and time to invest into our son and help him along. As he hit HS we were able to wean him off it and he is normal now, not even a hint if it. A couple of his classmates had the patches, it changed those kids, turned them into zombies.

Let kids be kids.

My son’s 3rd grade teacher asked me if we had ever considered meds for him after one day in his class. No. We never did. He’s 16 now and just fine!

Lionel has had a lot of work done on his face. Looks like an alien.

and for those who do not know this medication is methamphetamine---which is why we have so many meth addicts out there ---also a few years ago they took approval of this drug from many established companies creating a shortage---then the let the generic ones be the market and it

👈👍👍👍

I was in my early twenties and trusted drs too much I wish I’d have never let them medicate my 6 year old he changed still a great kid but it changed him

I have ADHD, I do not like the idea of Medication, & no ADHD doesn't go away, you can be high functioning, but it's still there. ADHD is also related to stress and anxiety. They go hand in hand. Less anxious, fewer negative symptoms (still there but less). Hyperfocus rules BTW.