What 1 Daughter Wants to Say to Her Mom Who “Drugged” Her

Jessica McCabe was diagnosed with attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) when she was 12, and since then, has loved being able to understand the ways in which her brain is different from other people's. Following her diagnoses, Jessica was put on Ritalin by a doctor and watched as her GPA, mood, attention span, and organizational skills quickly improved. The now 34-year-old, who runs a YouTube channel called "How to ADHD," took to her page to say thank you to her mother, Rebecca, for "drugging" her as a child.

"I feel really lucky that my mom had me diagnosed when she did, that she got me treated right away, that she never made me feel wrong for being who I am," Jessica told Today. "All I know is she fought for us, and there was a lot of resistance at times. But I'm so grateful she did. It may have taken me awhile to find my path, but if she hadn't gotten me treatment when I was younger I can't say for sure I ever would have."

Although many parents and nonparents alike have opinions about medicating children diagnosed with attention disorders, Jessica's mom did what she thought was best for her child at the time, which proved to be the right thing for them. The mom offered advice to parents of children with ADD or ADHD who may be struggling with their own child's diagnosis: "Do not listen to the advice of parents who have 'normal' children. Your child is not abnormal — just different."

Jessica's video supporting the way her mom advocated for her as a kid was originally linked in a Facebook post containing the full thank you letter to Rebecca. "Thank you. Thank you for listening when I told you I was struggling . . . " Jessica wrote. "Because of you, I got the treatment I needed, I did better in school, I felt more confident and able to reach my potential. Because of you, I never had to self medicate like so many ADHDers I know. I never sank into depression. I never gave up on myself. I never felt misunderstood. You understood. You believed me. And when you did, when you took me to a doctor who could explain to me what was happening in my brain, you took away so much shame."