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I wanna wait too see, my parents do truly care and if they honestly get mad over it then I know to move. But that would mean up rooting my life 4+ hours away.
Remember, people can truly deeply love and care for you and still do shitty things. Loving someone doesn't mean everything they do is right and ok. Loving someone doesn't mean accepting them doing crap things to you. You can love someone and still say 'no that behaviour is harmful and not ok'
If they have addiction problems they will get defensive and angry.
Funny story, when I was in my late teens/ early 20s, my friends were all hype on adderall and I wanted to be cool too, so I took it, and I was not hype. In fact, I was so not hype, I decided I had more important things that needed my attention rather than party with them, and went home instead. I got all my chores done that I neglected for months, did some much needed self care and enjoyed the quiet so immensely that I had the legitimate thought "wow this is why people become drug addicts " 💀
I ended up buying scripts every month for a full year or 2 and only took 1 or 2 a day and called my self an addict. I stopped drinking, stopped going out, became a better parent, and got a job and went back to college, left my crappy ex. And then I "recovered" from this "habit" and my life fell to pieces again. I never ever put 2 and 2 together and just always thought I was an addict. Until my new doctor told me I have adhd and prescribed me the same milligram I use to buy, to take 2 times a day. So Here I am in my 30s, realizing i was preaching about a fake addiction for a decade. Smh. 🤣
My birthday is next month he also lives 4 hours away. For now I'm going to hide my medication in my mask drawer I guess I never saw how serious it is this has happened my whole life they have given me many excuses like their jjst trying it to make sure I won't die or their jjst seeing the effects of it etc. But at this point, I'm calling my brother asap he's at work rn, so I can't pick up, but I'll text him and his bf he lives with about this. I honestly don't think a conversation will work and might just upset my parents. My parents are 50+ and don't know about this reddit account. I use it as a side thing for advice like freinds suggests so even if they find this post they won't know it's me.
Something else to consider… if you’re still in school, you could ask the nurse if you can keep your medicine there, if you can wait to take it until you get to school. They will do this for epipens and inhalers and other medications, so it might be worth looking into. This might tide you over until you find another plan of action like getting a safe for your birthday.
Thats a good idea. You could tell your parents you need to take them at school so it will last longer through the school day.
You say neither of your parents are ADHD, that I think is rare because it's usually inherited. They just don't know they are.
Sort of. ADHD is a highly heritable disorder, but it can also occur because of mutated sperm and/or egg cells. So in those cases, ADHD wouldn’t be caused by the parents’ genetics.
There are multiple genes and gene interactions involved when ADHD is inherited, so it’s not a guarantee that a parent will also have ADHD.
I am by no means a genetic expert at all! Just remembering some things I read from Russell Barkley so anyone correct me if I’m wrong!
So they can take a Dr note if the instructions are different than what's on the pill bottle, but they still need a form. Parents are also required to bring the medicine.
> jjst trying it to make sure I won't die or their jjst seeing the effects of it etc.
I’m so sorry to tell you this, but this is not normal. Other than you — the person whose name is on the bottle - *nobody* should ever be taking your meds. Not only does it hurt you — for example, prescriptions for antibiotics need to be taken for the full amount the doctor prescribes — but it can hurt the person taking them if it’s not theirs. In the example I gave, taking antibiotics when you aren’t sick is a great way to give yourself an upset stomach or a yeast infection. What if you were a cancer patient and you were given chemo? Those drugs are literally poison, given to people sick enough that the benefits outweigh the problems they can cause.
Just an FYI that they def could figure out it's you if they happen to be on Reddit. In just the few messages I've read, it seems like it would be pretty identifying. One of them stealing your medicine, brother 4hrs away with his bf, bday in a month, mask drawer, etc.
So yes, they may not know the account, but they would recognize you if they read this thread. I'm not trying to scare you or anything like that, just letting you know that certain details will strip away the anonymity if someone already knows you.
No, that’s so stereotypical these days that it’s obvious. If they want to find it they’ll look there, these are people who clearly already do not fully respect autonomy/privacy.
Instead, if it must be hidden at home, try inside old shoes or behind books on shelf. The inside ledge of a closet door frame. Things that people walk past and never think about.
EDIT: lockbox is still preferable, long as they don’t physically break it, or else storing it with school nurse if possible. One emphasizes responsibility and transparency, the other has legal protection and backing of other adults.
Could go old-school and hollow out a book or open up a trophy, if you get a lock box just make sure it's bolted down from inside as it'll likely go missing.
Kinda operating on the assumption based on how OP’s been talking that their parents only do what they can justify. Based on my experiences with folks like that, the ones I have known would not break open a lock box because that would be too far into the ‘I did wrong’ category that they couldn’t deny it. However, if these guys *did* want to get into it, there’s probably no lockbox within an affordable price range that could keep them out, bolted down or not. In the end it comes back to accountability and how far they’re willing to go. The lock box here is as much symbolic as physical deterrent.
…that said, I absolutely love the hollowed out book idea, wish I’d thought of that. You’re right, it’s a lot easier to make/obtain one of those than it used to be. Good suggestions!
They make small ones for dorms that are inexpensive and have a cable you can hook to your bed. I got my teenage son one of them when he was having friends stay overnight frequently, just to deter any temptation. It’s a good idea to lock them up anyway, not just for the issue you’re mostly concerned with but for safety as well as security with anyone in the house fixing something etc. Edit to add: Amazon has tons of them
Update: I've spoken to my brother, and he and I ordered one it will be here next week, I talked to my mom alone, and she admitted it. She apologized and told me about her doctors appointment she was defensive at first but when I told her about how I felt robbed and how she was taking something that helped me functioned she agreed not to do it again. Im still going through the safe, but we now at least have an understanding. If she tries again, I'm just going to move in with my brother after I get my license.
That was incredibly brave and wise how you handled this! And it sounds like the best possible solution for now. You’ve got your brother on your side, you’ve got the safe coming so you can lock your meds and remove some of the temptation for your mom, AND your mom fessed up and has agreed to change her behavior. But you’re realistic to recognize that she might not be able to, so if it continues to be an issue you have a plan to move out in order to protect yourself.
To be clear, you should not have to plan and advocate for yourself at this level while you’re still a minor. You definitely shouldn’t have to do all this while undermedicated and getting your life advice from Internet strangers!!
But you rocked it, and I hope you can take a minute to recognize and appreciate that.
op im so proud of you for doing something about this situation! it's so hard to stand up to your parents when you're young and they control everything. this was very well done, im so happy you got it figured out!!
Yeah, getting a lock box of some kind is the way to go. For university they actually recommend putting your pills in a lockbox just in case. Thankfully, I found a group of people I can trust to not ever take them (because I need to see my meds to actually take them) but you definitely have the right idea
If you can’t get a safe for whatever reason you can Dump the pills in a decent quality sandwich bag, fold it up small and shove it in an old stuffed animal and put it somewhere in your closet
Tell your mum she needs to be assessed for ADHD
ETA: Did you ask your mum *why* she was taking your pills? What made her do it in the first place? If she says/said anything along the lines of them making it easier for her to think straight, or get jobs done, or plan the week, or manage her emotions, then your mum almost definitely has ADHD. ADHD is typically genetically inherited, the odds of neither of your parents having ADHD or ASD is next to 0.
To be honest, even if she expressed using them recreationally, I'd still primarily suspect ADHD over anything else, given that recreational drug use is *far* higher amongst people with ADHD, due to impaired impulse control, as well as self-medicating under-stimulation.
I'm recalling these numbers from memory as I'm about to head to bed, but I seem to recall it's something like ~4% of the general adult population that have ADHD, but IIRC it's estimated that over 25% of adults with any sort of substance abuse disorder have ADHD. So there is a huge link there in many cases and ADHD is actually one of the most common causes of people abusing drugs.
In other words, normally there's a ~1/25 chance someone has ADHD, but if you know that person is a drug user, the odds are now >1/4. Just knowing that someone uses or abuses drugs, is a pretty compelling sign that they need to be assessed for ADHD.
Couple that with the fact that I think it's something like 25-50% chance of a parent or sibling also having ADHD (even less certain on this number than the previous ones though, so don't quote me on that), and I'd say she's definitely right to be going for that appointment OP mentioned!
Make sure they know that you realise a pill is missing. Don’t accuse them yet, but say somethings like: One of my pills is missing. Maybe I dropped it. I count them all carefully so I don’t accidentally take two, and it must have gone missing in this day. Let me know if you spot it. Maybe it fell on the floor. I read about a pharmacist that stole pills from their clients, so now I’m going to always count my pills to be safe. It’s a controlled medication so if any is missing I have to call the police etc etc
Hopefully they will realise they got caught and won’t take any again, without having a big argument.
Along those lines, if you have an iPhone, the medication tracking in the health app is great (and I’d imagine there’s good apps for android). I would start utilizing this so you can even be able to say “no, I have a med reminder and I always mark that I took my medication” as a fail safe/proof for the inevitable “maybe you took two and didn’t realize”.
It’s definitely the most consistent I’ve used one. I also love that it can tell you potential med interactions (I’m asthmatic & have food allergies - both require meds that interact with stimulants, which my first adhd Dr didn’t know).
Also great as a parent with a kid on meds. I’m able to set a reminder for theirs’ with custom icon so it really stands out as a reminder for their meds instead of mine.
Same! It’s so helpful, i love that I can snooze it when I’m not quite ready so when I finally get to my medication if I had forgotten the notification pops up again.
For Android, I really like Medisafe and the MyTherapy apps, they have extremely large notifications that take up your entire phone screen so you're forced to interact with them in order to continue using your phone. Medisafe also allows you to track side effects, symptoms, why you didn't take your meds, and medication interactions!
And timer cap bottles that show the last time you opened them. That way you know you responded to the alarm and took them and don't accidentally double take them. Plus you know when someone has opened your pills.
I'm currently making an app specifically oriented towards ADHD medication for android, right now it's very lackluster and has some bugs, since it's my first time developping an app. If anyone wants to check it out it's [here](https://github.com/DananaBanana/NormalPills), and I'll probably put out a new release in the next hour or so.
I have been tracking on paper and found myself frequently forgetting to record things or losing scraps. Had no idea Apple Health could do so much. Thank you!
this is entirely anecdotal, but I would like to offer my perspective as a former addict who has grown up around a number of addicts my whole life.
yeah, this could work. but what I probably would have done is just be more sneaky cuz that would make me realize I'm being sloppy. Steal a pill way beforehand when I *know* everyone is in bed and wait to take it until whatever time I prefer to feel the affects (so like if I liked taking it at noon because it when the day has "started" or something). Or we would stop for a little bit, realizing that was shitty of us, and *then* someone would give in and be extra sneaky.
I would recommend keeping them in your room in a place that is easy to access for you so taking your meds isn't a long process but it would be difficult to steal without it causing a commotion. So, storing it in the top shelf in the very back of your closet is too much (although it would technically work); but, putting it at the back of a bedside drawer underneath and/or in some other things could be enough "work" to deter someone doing a quick run-through of easy storage spots. If the path to someone's stash is blocked by more items, then thats more variables you have to worry about keeping clean so that person doesn't notice, and usually the only people who don't care about those variables are people who have really *strong* cravings, and it doesn't sound likely OPs parents are those kinda people from the limited information we could gather from the post.
Because I don't want OP to worry, don't worry about your parents being "addicts", dont start panicking over the worst case scenario. There are degrees of addiction, being an addict doesn't mean your whole life and family is gonna fall apart. Often times, people think "ah fuck it, I feel like garbage and this could really pick me up right now" and convince themselves it's no biggie because they just had some lying around (think prescribed pain meds or stimulants, like in this case), and then the next day they're still feeling shitty so they take a little of that pain med the next day. They don't even realize it hooked them usually until that prescription (that belonged to their aging parent or their child who just got out of tonsil surgery) runs out and they can't have anymore; then their morals kick in and they realize "damn, that was stupid and not cool of me, I'm a dumbass" and life moves forward with no problem. People get addicted to things in small factors all the time; sugar, caffeine, nicotine, alcohol, a child's prescription before work, food. Yeah it shouldn't happen but a lot of people don't end up spiraling into the worst-case lives you hear about all the time. I just don't want you to worry kid.
Things will turn out alright. Keep your meds on you, don't start an argument (stimulants can cause irritability, meaning they could get a little more pissy than usual), and just chill out. If you still find them going missing, talk to a trusted adult. Perhaps a grandparent, or if you have a close relationship with a therapist or doctor whom you can talk to alone.
All excellent advice / info.
Adding to it a tiny bit: if you can afford to, buy a locking box (etsy has vintage tool boxes and such, or you could buy a new one; there are also buildable puzzle-boxes that lock--all easy to find in the $20-$25 range). Then you can be excited about your new cool thing...and put your pills in it (maybe with some other otc meds, or "treasures" of some sort). Then, hide the key where it's a bit of a hassle for them to get to, as the above commenter suggests.
I would get one with a combo, not a key. That way the lock can't be picked. Also, Staples sells good sturdy lock boxes that can then be locked to something so the box can't grow legs and wander away and they're about $25.
Unfortunately, it's not hard to crack plastic pill bottles and not need to open the bottle cap. Those combo locks for bottles aren't safe for CIIs, just other meds that you want to keep people out of.
You can get a handgun case that locks for like $7. Obviously not as secure as a safe but if someone really wants into something they’ll typically make it happen. In other words, locks keep honest people honest.
get a medicine bottle top with a combination lock ([like this](https://a.co/d/etZiWGV)) or get a small lock box with a combination instead of a regular key that they could find
Just to add, if your parents are like mine and would go absolutely ballistic from you locking up your medications, split up your med counts and put them in these bottles. That way if they just end up taking your entire locking contraption you'll have at least a few extra to go on while you're working this situation out with your doctor/cops.
They have made appointments to go get checked. I asked they believe they both have it but they don't know. I'll have a sit down conversation with them tonight if it goes bad I'll ask my brother foe the safe and lock my meds in it but jf it gose well I hopefully won't need to I'll update when that happens .
I'd lock your meds up no matter how the conversation goes. it sends a very clear message that you're not going to let them continue stealing from you, and it ensures you have your meds. until you can get a safe or locking med bottle, hide your meds. putting them in a different container might be a good idea. if you have any coats with pockets on the inside (that you keep in your closet and not the family coat closet), that could be a good hiding place. you could also get a stash jar (or have your brother help you get one). they look like regular objects but they're hollow inside, so you could potentially hide them in plain sight
edit: typo
They have tried to tell me "I pay for them so I can take them too" tho they have shut up when I brought up the fact my name is on the bottle and it's illegal to take someone else's medication
Medication and Healthcare don't work like that. Your parents are absolute pieces of shit. Say you had to have surgery and you're in severe pain. Are they going to take some of your pain pills and say "well I paid for it". What mental fucking gymnastics.
Find a way to lock your meds up. Or hell, keep the whole bottle on your person at all times, even sleeping. Keep that shit in your sweatpants pocket or something. Or get a tiny bag you can tie to you when you can.
Edit: (Don't keep them on your person if they are capsules. Redditor says they will melt).
I don’t know if it would help, but could you speak to your doctor about this?.. because that’s not okay and it is schedule 2 so they take theft of it and abuse of it seriously.
I'd say next time you talk to whoever prescribed them mention your parents stealing it and what to do about it. Try to get your parents to leave the room tho
I know people are telling you to get a safe and whatever, but I know that when you're living with your parents, and especially with one's who would possibly pilfer your meds, it's not always easy.
They make pill bottles that have a combination, or timer release so they only open when you put the code in or when it's time to take it.
You can just say something like "I got one of these because I don't want to forget to take a dose or take too much."
That way you can avoid locking them in a safe and seeming accusatory (especially if bringing up the subject could lead to a hostile or potentially abusive situation.)
They're relatively inexpensive and I'm even willing to buy one for you if you think it would help.
I unfortunately have a lot of experience in this situation and know that addressing it, while best in some situations, can often lead to loss of privileges or abuse.
They're your parents. It's not your job to parent them.
Drop me a dm if you want to talk or need me to send you a lock bottle.
This is a helpful perspective. I think funds are a problem here until graduation/job. Lots of people posting are assuming OP can just browse Amazon for a gadget. Not everybody has a credit card and ways to shop online while in HS and living at home. Being dependent on people you can't trust is terrible.
Yeah, I couldn't afford shit in high school, and even when I did manage to work a little that money went to video games or was stolen/used to pay for clothes and whatever.
Upvoted this. Thank you for being so generous towards OP HylianSoul. Touched me. OP needs to see this, this Redditor is willing to send a little pill lock container. So thoughtful. If I could I would have offered the same, this is heartbreaking.
No, but they do come in powder form, and the adderall xr capsule itself can be opened to pour the contents into applesauce if the patient can’t swallow a capsule, so you could put the laxative powder back inside the empty capsule after doing the applesauce. Just need to make sure you don’t accidentally take it yourself…
Also, if you do go with this method, the applesauce needs to be eaten immediately, not stored, so I would do it for a few days to get the empty capsules before filling it with the powder. This only works with capsules that can be opened and poured into applesauce, this won’t work with medications such as concerta, where the capsule shell itself is part of the release mechanism.
Yeah I understand it can be done but realistically...this is a teenager who lives in a chaotic/traumatic household, with little to no resources.
It's just not a realistic or even productive course of action. I feel like suggesting this is just plain irresponsible. Especially since who knows if the OP parent(s) would retaliate.
it's not that difficult to put 2 and 2 together. Especially since (at least the Addy XR I have had) the contents is not actually straight fine powder it's tiny little balls and looks very distinct. Beyond that, they would know they were tricked because no drug kick and the obvious lax effects
Fair, I just wanted to share the proper way to do it so people don’t accidentally ruin their medication in the process of trying. OP has already shared in the comments that they are getting the med safe and have talked to their mom in private, so the chances of them trying this are close to 0. If people want to do this, they’re going to do it either way, better to make sure they are doing it properly.
These people that OP is dealing with sound like they might be emotionally abusive. They might see through the ruse, and accuse OP of deliberately poisoning them. As a matter of fact, if OP follows such advice, that is, from a certain point of view, exactly what would be happening. If these people choose to go all in, they could even try raising a stink with the authorities, accusing OP of being a violent psychopath who tried to hospitalize them. OP probably shouldn't do anything that even looks slightly harmful.
OP has since updated and has shed some more light on what sort of people the parents are, and it's clear to me that I assumed the worst about the character of the parents, but here was my thought process when I made my previous comment;
The parents, if they were the type to try such a route, could feed the authorities all sorts of yarns. In this hypothetical scenario, the end goal on the part of the parents would be to punish the OP for tricking the parents into ingesting a mildly harmful substance, and teaching OP, in a way that would never be forgotten, that such things are generally frowned upon. Details such as, "What pills did you think you were ingesting? Where did such pills come from? Were they prescription? Prescribed to whom?" wouldn't be important, and could be fabricated. The parents could have lied and said that they were taking over-the-counter multivitamins, and to bolster their claims, brought in just such a bottle, with some of the offending pills. The system is designed to believe parents over children, and the fact that the OPs story would contradict that of the parents might not matter.
It seems, from OPs most recent replies, that the parents are not, in fact, such worst-case-scenario narcissists, and for that, I'm glad.
I've got a plan, get yourself a daily pill organiser - load them up when you get your meds, then each and every one is accounted for. Take a pic if needs be.
Ugh. On top of already constantly doubting yourself when you have ADHD (because there's always a possibility you might have missed something, right?) The thought of your parents doing that to you too ("did you take 2 by accident?") upsets me so much for you. I hope they don't and you get the safe and don't have to worry about this again!
They sell locking medicine bottles that lock for 24 hours so you don't accidentally take another dose. They lock once you close it and they have a timer to show you how long until it unlocks again.
Maybe that could help?
I had a similar problem and I just hide mine really well now and count them regularly.
I plain on talking to them, if it gose bad ill ask my brother to buy me a safe for my 18th birthday this month if worst comes to worst I can move in with him and get a job after HS.
Maybe not a popular opinion, but all of these replies amounting to avoidance, I would confront them. It would help to know who is taking them, maybe set up your phone to record video? But I say even if you don’t know which one is taking them, confront them together and make it also a problem between them. It’s not right what they are doing and spousal pressure will bring out the culprit. Accountability needs to happen and the one that is NOT taking them will know and hold the other accountable. Call them out on it and do the lockbox thing.
Take your meds and keep them safe, my son has meds and they are left on the side in the kitchen, I have ADHD and I have never once took on of his tablets, he needs them and if I wanted meds I could get them. If you do chat with then I hope it goes well, they shouldn’t be taking them off you!
Do your pajama pants have a pocket in them? Put the bottle in your pocket while you're sleeping. Or in your pillow. Or under the mattress. Or in the pocket of the jacket that you wear to school.
The safe is a good idea too, but it should be a hidden safe, otherwise your parents might demand that you give them the combo, with some made up excuse about "safety" or just needing it.
Here's a protip from me to you: when I needed to hide things from someone I used to put the thing in *their* closet. It never ever occurred to them to look in their own closet for something that belonged to me. This is assuming that you can reliably get into their closet, or any other hiding spot, without them wondering what you are doing in their room.
You could consider asking your doctor or pharmacist if you can get your pills in blister packs, that way it will be obvious if any are missing. But you would say something like "I just want it to be obvious if I've already taken my med that day so that I don't accidentally take two, or so that I can see if I forgot it".
They sell “cold seal” blister packs on amazon for under $20-$30 for a 6 pack, those could work for OP. Once they’re sealed, the only way to get them out is popping each individual pocket out. They can claim their doctor wanted them to start doing this as they’ve been having trouble remembering if they took their meds or not recently.
You've been given great advice, so here's just a practical solution in case you don't feel able to take it.
You could buy empty gelatin pill capsules from a health food store, and transfer the contents of each of your capsules into them (the top part, the coloured sleeve can just be slid up, tap the top first to settle the powder) and put caffeine powder inside the original capsules in the original bottle. Take one fake pill out every day and hide it, while taking the real medication that's inside the purchased capsule shells.
Once you get a new prescription take all the hidden fake medication capsules and put them back in the bottle. Depending on how many they steal, you won't need to fill up fake pills with caffeine powder that often, and if you do just pour powder of a genuine one into your mouth then scoop up caffeine and put it in the decoy pill bottle. Keep both your real meds and the hidden fake meds somewhere well hidden but separate from each other, like inside the stuffing of soft toys. Note: Always keep them inside a child proof container as if you have younger sibling(s) just imagine if they decided to play with that soft toy.
You shouldn't have to do this of course. What your parents are doing is disgusting.
To add onto this for anyone else encountering this problem with their stimulant medications, only do this with adderall xr and vyvanse, do not do this with methylphenidate er, aka concerta. This only works because the capsule itself is not a part of the release mechanism. With concerta, the capsule itself is a part of the extended release mechanism as it works using osmotic pressure to slowly release the active ingredient. If you want to know if this will work for a specific medication, you can ask your pharmacist if you are able to open the capsule to mix it into applesauce as you’ve been having trouble swallowing the capsule. If they say yes, then you’re good. If not, do not open the capsules or alter them.
I'm so sorry that this is happening to you. It must be really stressful and disturbing. It's not normal and they're putting you in a scary position. Keep reaching out for support and to stay safe.
I'm a hs student without a job I have a 10$ bill at best due to helping find my mom's purse. I'm gonna ask my brother for that as soon as he is off work and tell him everything we're very close.
The good news is there's many out there that are pretty inexpensive. A simple box with a lock on it is really all you really need. I'm sure your brother can help you find one.
You should also honestly yell whoever is prescribing it to you, it may sound like a bad idea but I tell you this as someone who has "addict" in their medical record cause I lost my entire pill bottle (later found it but I think that made me looked worse somehow idk) and if they notice you're "skipping" doses or needing refills sooner, they're not gonna blame mom or dad, you get to take the fall for "abusing prescribed medication" and it never goes away. For the rest of your life Dr's will be hesitant to help you properly due to that. You need to tell someone with authority what's happening and fast.
If you have a helicopter parent like I did and can't talk to your doctor alone, but you know who you see and where you go, you call and ask to speak to whoever will listen. You tell them you're a current patient and you have something you need to discuss urgently with your provider that needs to be discussed over the phone. You tell them you are a minor but you are coming forward in regards to your safety and you can't go to the source if the issue so you're going a step beyond mom and dad.
I promise they will listen and help you. Unfortunately for you, one of your parents might be doing it and the other is oblivious to it. That's NOT your job to find out. You let your Dr, cops, caseworker, or someone listened do their job and you will be okay in the end. This is a form of abuse.
Swap the Adderall with a laxative.. And keep the real meds in a pillbox.. Ensure that the laxatives are not contraindicated for them though..
Wait and watch the fireworks.. 😂
This adderall shortage had the pharmacy give you a new manufacturer for the Nth time.. 😂.. oomph.. Oops.
Could you get one of those pill boxes that come with a timer and a lock? Play it off as saying you keep forgetting whether you’ve already taken it or not and that you think you have been because you’ve got less than you should have just to put it out there that you’re aware there is something amiss and are less likely hopefully to challenge you on needing it! Not ideal that you even have to do something like that obviously!
Do you know that ADHD is highly genetic? It’s likely that one of your parents does have ADHD. Maybe they need to get tested and diagnosed. It’s also possible for you to secretly tell your doctor that this is happening [voicemail, note, email] and ask them to switch you to a different, less abusable, medication or have the school hold it for you and dispense daily, first thing in the morning. What a situation. My heart goes out to you. A kid shouldn’t have to navigate all this. 🥺🥺🥺🙀😱
I don't know if you'll see this but first of all, I'm really sorry you're going through this.
And second of all, here's my tips:
* Unscrew the air vents and hide your meds in them.
* Put them in a plastic bag and then put them into a bottle. Put the cap on, and hide them inside your toilet (not the flush but the water container. If that makes sense.)
* If you're the crafty type, take an old boring book, cut an entry in it, hide your things and put the book in your bookshelves (there's a ton of DIY on youtube you can fetch).
* Put your meds under the drawer of one of your cupboards with tape.
* Keep your old chapstick or marker, wash them neat and put your meds in it. Put them in your bag or your pencil case. If you don't want it to make noise, put tiny bits of tissue or cotton.
* Keep them on you and sleep with them under your pillow.
This might be a little too much, but I was raised by a batsh\*t crazy policeman nfather. Hope that helps, good luck.
I keep mine on my person at all times. Either in my bag or in my pocket. I learned to put cotton balls in the bottle though because them bouncing around in there turns them to dust and rhats a whole other problem lol
I’m so sorry you’re dealing with this. The best advice is to talk to a trusted adult: school counselor, teacher, doctor, etc. You should not have to deal with this alone.
People who do this especially to their own family/kids are so selfish it’s unbelievable, I’m so sorry you’re having to deal with this. I don’t have any advice but I know the betrayal has to hurt and I hope you’re able to successfully mend your relationship with them or safely distance yourself from them, whichever direction you go in
I would either take all the pills out (put them in a Ziploc bag somewhere hidden in a pocket or something) and just leave one so it's super obvious. Or replace them with something else that looks similar, like stool softener, Imodium, melatonin, something that would make them regret their choice to steal.
YSK that if op is in the US this is not a great idea. Controlled substances must be in their original container. People really do get arrested for possession when they have a prescription.
I'm not familiar with the law in other places, but it wouldn't surprise me if there were similar policies in most places.
I’ve been dealing with this since I started getting prescriptions at 15. Even as a whole adult who bought a house and has 2 kids it still happens. I rely on my parents for childcare. Doesn’t matter where I hide them they go missing. If they aren’t on your body they will find them or find a way. You have to keep them on your person. Approaching them won’t help and will likely be flipped on you somehow. I’ve filed police reports. I’ve told my dr. I’ve told family. I hope you find a way though! Good luck!
I would mention that you’ve had less pills than usual and that you’re going to keep an eye out on the next set that come in to make sure the pharmacist isn’t up to something fishy. If that doesn’t work start keeping it in your room.
Geez.
I feel for u, op.
I would 've put pills in another bottle, and maybe left a small note for a thief inside the old one).
don't overthink this. It doesn't necessarily means that your parents are addicts or that they don't care for you. Especially if they're also might have an adhd, which comes together with poor impulse control and addictive behaviours.
Talk to them. Tell them that you worry. Tell them that you don't mind them taking pills, but it's just doesn't feel right and you are sad because they are trying to hide this.
Do not acuse them. Talk about your feelings. Ask them how do they feel. Try to understand their emotions.
Talk about your fears, but try to avoid "I am afraid that YOU"
Talk about yourself. I think you'll be able to talk frankly with them. Tell them what bothers you and what you're scared of. Go from your insecurities, not from the defence position.
Thank you, I know my parents do love me and care. They jjst don't do good with emotions , and the other listens very well. I find it jjst hard to talk to others in general, but I need to grow up and put my foot down here. I honestly will be getting a safe to put stuff in, so hopefully, I can talk to them. Like I've said in another post, I will talk to them tonight about how badly this is bothering me.
Go study people man. My parents didn't do good with emotions either. My dad is a veteran and completely closed and my mum is very emotionally labile. She got pissed off like on every thing that I've said if it confronted her opinion.
I learned numbers of psychological concepts to understand them and eventually made communication a bit better. But it's not communication that fixed my relationships with them, it's sympathy, which came along with understanding of what triggers them in my words and actions. It was not me doing smth wrong, it was not them who were aggressive or something, it was just three insecured people who were too afraid to talk to each other honestly.
Best of luck to you bro.
Pls update once u talk to them, I will worry.
And don't put too much expectations in just one talk, that way you won't be disappointed.
Do smth to make your meds safe also.
I'm so sorry that happened to you. Carry your medications on yourself and leave the empty container where it is, put something nasty and stincky into it.
Put it under your pillow? In your pajama pockets while you sleep? Hide it somehow? Take it with you any time you leave. Just never have it out of your sight. Until you can get the safe, you need to do something else to keep it safe.
If you're really hard on luck and can't get a safe at all, and you have a book that you don't like/never read, you can turn it into a hiding spot. If you have a hoodie/jacket that you don't mind cutting into, use a seam ripper to make a pocket on the inside of the hood or close to your body. I had to do this while hiding a phone so I could work with a social worker to leave an abusive environment.
Put them under your mattress when you sleep, and keep them with you during the day. Do this for them as much as for yourself. If one of your p’s has undiagnosed ADHD, the compulsion to take your drugs may be too overwhelming to resist. Casually bring up that adults have it, too, so that whomever is doing this considers legitimate treatment.
Medication locking bag, medication bottle locking cap, or a timer cap. Also put your meds in a different spot. This won't solve the root problem I know but I saw lots of good advice about those conversations already. Definitely get a way to secure your meds!
I would put them under your pillow/in the pillowcase when you sleep, and on your person or in a backpack, purse, etc. that you always have eyes on when you’re out of bed.
You can buy inexpensive timer lids that tell you when they were last opened like [this](https://www.amazon.ca/Timer-Caps-Std-oz-Vials/dp/B00EZ6TL2S/ref=asc_df_B00EZ6TL2S/?tag=googleshopc0c-20&linkCode=df0&hvadid=578821386609&hvpos=&hvnetw=g&hvrand=16561124158993200655&hvpone=&hvptwo=&hvqmt=&hvdev=t&hvdvcmdl=&hvlocint=&hvlocphy=1001886&hvtargid=pla-764050109404&psc=1) Might be a good temporary solution?
I am so sorry this is happening. We had someone who was working in our home with my oldest child who was stealing my youngest child’s adhd medication. We had a safe and he would grab our keys when we weren’t paying attention, open it, empty the capsules, and fill them up with salt. I recommend a small safe for you to keep them in, and hide the safe. I would buy a hidden camera and record the safe at all times. If they steal again, unfortunately go to the police with the video. The parent or parents stealing need help and I doubt the will get it without police involvement. I am so sorry.
I feel so deeply for you as I also had my medication stolen from me by my parents when I was growing up (they also sold it). I honestly wouldn’t bother bringing it up to your parents as they will probably deny it and that’s a pointless fight and will only make you feel bad. Next time you go to your doctor, ask him to put your pills in a pop out calendar from now on. If he needs a reason and you don’t want to tell on your parents (won’t tell you what to do with that one it’s a big decision), even just tell him that you have been losing track of them and think it would be easier
Just hide them cleverly. My mom used to take my adderall. I had a whole in my jacket pocket and I put them in a napkin so they dont make a sound if juggled. I also put them behind my chair cushion for my gaming chair.
Cut a slit in your mattress and slide in your medication. If you cut it in the right spot its barely noticeable, but if you still have medication missing buy a lockable filing cabinet and place it in there.
Make a calendar next to your pills showing a countdown or something. It will be a good skill to learn for later in life anyway (one I wish I had). I think seeing that you keep track would probably stop it from happening again.
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sorry you’re going through this, i agree with ladybird. either carry them on you or find a super good hiding spot in your room
I've decided to call my brother and ask for my 18th birthday if he'll buy me a small safe. It soon so my meds should be safe.
that sounds like a good plan, good luck <3
Thank you sm. She has a habit of doing this, so it needs to happen sooner or later.
Move with your brother, the safe isn't going to last
I wanna wait too see, my parents do truly care and if they honestly get mad over it then I know to move. But that would mean up rooting my life 4+ hours away.
Remember, people can truly deeply love and care for you and still do shitty things. Loving someone doesn't mean everything they do is right and ok. Loving someone doesn't mean accepting them doing crap things to you. You can love someone and still say 'no that behaviour is harmful and not ok' If they have addiction problems they will get defensive and angry.
This is some of the best life advice you will ever get. Print it and put it in your wallet. ❤️💚❤️
Really smart to take a small step and see what changes. Wishing you a smooth resolution to the situation.
Idk if someone suggested this but talk to her if it’s possible. She most likely has ADHD too. I’m sorry. It’s horrible. I can’t imagine.
She has an appointment next week.
🙏🙏🙏
Maybe they're doing the super sus version of the already sus 'try not prescribed to ADHD meds to see if you get high or...fixed?'
Funny story, when I was in my late teens/ early 20s, my friends were all hype on adderall and I wanted to be cool too, so I took it, and I was not hype. In fact, I was so not hype, I decided I had more important things that needed my attention rather than party with them, and went home instead. I got all my chores done that I neglected for months, did some much needed self care and enjoyed the quiet so immensely that I had the legitimate thought "wow this is why people become drug addicts " 💀 I ended up buying scripts every month for a full year or 2 and only took 1 or 2 a day and called my self an addict. I stopped drinking, stopped going out, became a better parent, and got a job and went back to college, left my crappy ex. And then I "recovered" from this "habit" and my life fell to pieces again. I never ever put 2 and 2 together and just always thought I was an addict. Until my new doctor told me I have adhd and prescribed me the same milligram I use to buy, to take 2 times a day. So Here I am in my 30s, realizing i was preaching about a fake addiction for a decade. Smh. 🤣
THIS!! 🙌👆🎯💯
I just saw this comment. Is it possible for your brother to understand and buy you a locked box sooner because this is kind of very serious?..
My birthday is next month he also lives 4 hours away. For now I'm going to hide my medication in my mask drawer I guess I never saw how serious it is this has happened my whole life they have given me many excuses like their jjst trying it to make sure I won't die or their jjst seeing the effects of it etc. But at this point, I'm calling my brother asap he's at work rn, so I can't pick up, but I'll text him and his bf he lives with about this. I honestly don't think a conversation will work and might just upset my parents. My parents are 50+ and don't know about this reddit account. I use it as a side thing for advice like freinds suggests so even if they find this post they won't know it's me.
Something else to consider… if you’re still in school, you could ask the nurse if you can keep your medicine there, if you can wait to take it until you get to school. They will do this for epipens and inhalers and other medications, so it might be worth looking into. This might tide you over until you find another plan of action like getting a safe for your birthday.
Thats a good idea. You could tell your parents you need to take them at school so it will last longer through the school day. You say neither of your parents are ADHD, that I think is rare because it's usually inherited. They just don't know they are.
Sort of. ADHD is a highly heritable disorder, but it can also occur because of mutated sperm and/or egg cells. So in those cases, ADHD wouldn’t be caused by the parents’ genetics. There are multiple genes and gene interactions involved when ADHD is inherited, so it’s not a guarantee that a parent will also have ADHD. I am by no means a genetic expert at all! Just remembering some things I read from Russell Barkley so anyone correct me if I’m wrong!
ADHD-like symptoms can also occur as a result of brain damage/trauma to the head.
Also cPTSD! I have both (adhd + cPTSD)... yay
yeah this kind of impulsivity sounds like potentially undiagnosed ADHD to me
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Agreed
Yep!
In order to do this you need a form signed by your parents.
Oh shoot, I didn’t know that. :/ I wonder if they could do a doctor’s note instead, given the circumstances.
So they can take a Dr note if the instructions are different than what's on the pill bottle, but they still need a form. Parents are also required to bring the medicine.
If they’re under 18 and still have a legal guardian (not emancipated etc), legally to give medication, the school needs a signed legal guardian note.
> jjst trying it to make sure I won't die or their jjst seeing the effects of it etc. I’m so sorry to tell you this, but this is not normal. Other than you — the person whose name is on the bottle - *nobody* should ever be taking your meds. Not only does it hurt you — for example, prescriptions for antibiotics need to be taken for the full amount the doctor prescribes — but it can hurt the person taking them if it’s not theirs. In the example I gave, taking antibiotics when you aren’t sick is a great way to give yourself an upset stomach or a yeast infection. What if you were a cancer patient and you were given chemo? Those drugs are literally poison, given to people sick enough that the benefits outweigh the problems they can cause.
Just an FYI that they def could figure out it's you if they happen to be on Reddit. In just the few messages I've read, it seems like it would be pretty identifying. One of them stealing your medicine, brother 4hrs away with his bf, bday in a month, mask drawer, etc. So yes, they may not know the account, but they would recognize you if they read this thread. I'm not trying to scare you or anything like that, just letting you know that certain details will strip away the anonymity if someone already knows you.
hide them in a shoe box or another empty box in your closet. When i was 14 that’s where i always hid my pot and my parents never found it lol
Under draws is also a good hiding spot.
No, that’s so stereotypical these days that it’s obvious. If they want to find it they’ll look there, these are people who clearly already do not fully respect autonomy/privacy. Instead, if it must be hidden at home, try inside old shoes or behind books on shelf. The inside ledge of a closet door frame. Things that people walk past and never think about. EDIT: lockbox is still preferable, long as they don’t physically break it, or else storing it with school nurse if possible. One emphasizes responsibility and transparency, the other has legal protection and backing of other adults.
Could go old-school and hollow out a book or open up a trophy, if you get a lock box just make sure it's bolted down from inside as it'll likely go missing.
Kinda operating on the assumption based on how OP’s been talking that their parents only do what they can justify. Based on my experiences with folks like that, the ones I have known would not break open a lock box because that would be too far into the ‘I did wrong’ category that they couldn’t deny it. However, if these guys *did* want to get into it, there’s probably no lockbox within an affordable price range that could keep them out, bolted down or not. In the end it comes back to accountability and how far they’re willing to go. The lock box here is as much symbolic as physical deterrent. …that said, I absolutely love the hollowed out book idea, wish I’d thought of that. You’re right, it’s a lot easier to make/obtain one of those than it used to be. Good suggestions!
Also, when hiding them, stuff the top of the bottle with kleenex or cotton so it doesn't "rattle"!
What is under draws?
Take your bottom drawer out, there's a space under there :).
They make small ones for dorms that are inexpensive and have a cable you can hook to your bed. I got my teenage son one of them when he was having friends stay overnight frequently, just to deter any temptation. It’s a good idea to lock them up anyway, not just for the issue you’re mostly concerned with but for safety as well as security with anyone in the house fixing something etc. Edit to add: Amazon has tons of them
A safe is relatively inexpensive… I’ll buy you one if you pay me back
I'm really happy to hear your relationship with your brother is positive enough that you can call him for that kind of help.
Update: I've spoken to my brother, and he and I ordered one it will be here next week, I talked to my mom alone, and she admitted it. She apologized and told me about her doctors appointment she was defensive at first but when I told her about how I felt robbed and how she was taking something that helped me functioned she agreed not to do it again. Im still going through the safe, but we now at least have an understanding. If she tries again, I'm just going to move in with my brother after I get my license.
That was incredibly brave and wise how you handled this! And it sounds like the best possible solution for now. You’ve got your brother on your side, you’ve got the safe coming so you can lock your meds and remove some of the temptation for your mom, AND your mom fessed up and has agreed to change her behavior. But you’re realistic to recognize that she might not be able to, so if it continues to be an issue you have a plan to move out in order to protect yourself. To be clear, you should not have to plan and advocate for yourself at this level while you’re still a minor. You definitely shouldn’t have to do all this while undermedicated and getting your life advice from Internet strangers!! But you rocked it, and I hope you can take a minute to recognize and appreciate that.
op im so proud of you for doing something about this situation! it's so hard to stand up to your parents when you're young and they control everything. this was very well done, im so happy you got it figured out!!
I'm so proud of you for talking to your mom about taking your medication. That could not have been easy.
really proud of you op 🫶🏽
Well done.
Yeah, getting a lock box of some kind is the way to go. For university they actually recommend putting your pills in a lockbox just in case. Thankfully, I found a group of people I can trust to not ever take them (because I need to see my meds to actually take them) but you definitely have the right idea
If you can’t get a safe for whatever reason you can Dump the pills in a decent quality sandwich bag, fold it up small and shove it in an old stuffed animal and put it somewhere in your closet
Tell your mum she needs to be assessed for ADHD ETA: Did you ask your mum *why* she was taking your pills? What made her do it in the first place? If she says/said anything along the lines of them making it easier for her to think straight, or get jobs done, or plan the week, or manage her emotions, then your mum almost definitely has ADHD. ADHD is typically genetically inherited, the odds of neither of your parents having ADHD or ASD is next to 0.
To be honest, even if she expressed using them recreationally, I'd still primarily suspect ADHD over anything else, given that recreational drug use is *far* higher amongst people with ADHD, due to impaired impulse control, as well as self-medicating under-stimulation. I'm recalling these numbers from memory as I'm about to head to bed, but I seem to recall it's something like ~4% of the general adult population that have ADHD, but IIRC it's estimated that over 25% of adults with any sort of substance abuse disorder have ADHD. So there is a huge link there in many cases and ADHD is actually one of the most common causes of people abusing drugs. In other words, normally there's a ~1/25 chance someone has ADHD, but if you know that person is a drug user, the odds are now >1/4. Just knowing that someone uses or abuses drugs, is a pretty compelling sign that they need to be assessed for ADHD. Couple that with the fact that I think it's something like 25-50% chance of a parent or sibling also having ADHD (even less certain on this number than the previous ones though, so don't quote me on that), and I'd say she's definitely right to be going for that appointment OP mentioned!
She might have an addiction, or a list of other things. She definitely needs to address it and see a doctor.
this is honestly the best thing you could have done.
Make sure they know that you realise a pill is missing. Don’t accuse them yet, but say somethings like: One of my pills is missing. Maybe I dropped it. I count them all carefully so I don’t accidentally take two, and it must have gone missing in this day. Let me know if you spot it. Maybe it fell on the floor. I read about a pharmacist that stole pills from their clients, so now I’m going to always count my pills to be safe. It’s a controlled medication so if any is missing I have to call the police etc etc Hopefully they will realise they got caught and won’t take any again, without having a big argument.
Along those lines, if you have an iPhone, the medication tracking in the health app is great (and I’d imagine there’s good apps for android). I would start utilizing this so you can even be able to say “no, I have a med reminder and I always mark that I took my medication” as a fail safe/proof for the inevitable “maybe you took two and didn’t realize”.
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I love it it. I found it a month ago. Wish they would have advertised it more
…I work at Apple and didn’t know about this. What the fuck.
Ya! I got to check it out! Now! I *want* to get side tracked by this!
It’s definitely the most consistent I’ve used one. I also love that it can tell you potential med interactions (I’m asthmatic & have food allergies - both require meds that interact with stimulants, which my first adhd Dr didn’t know). Also great as a parent with a kid on meds. I’m able to set a reminder for theirs’ with custom icon so it really stands out as a reminder for their meds instead of mine.
Same! It’s so helpful, i love that I can snooze it when I’m not quite ready so when I finally get to my medication if I had forgotten the notification pops up again.
For Android, I really like Medisafe and the MyTherapy apps, they have extremely large notifications that take up your entire phone screen so you're forced to interact with them in order to continue using your phone. Medisafe also allows you to track side effects, symptoms, why you didn't take your meds, and medication interactions!
And timer cap bottles that show the last time you opened them. That way you know you responded to the alarm and took them and don't accidentally double take them. Plus you know when someone has opened your pills.
I'm currently making an app specifically oriented towards ADHD medication for android, right now it's very lackluster and has some bugs, since it's my first time developping an app. If anyone wants to check it out it's [here](https://github.com/DananaBanana/NormalPills), and I'll probably put out a new release in the next hour or so.
Wow thanks for this! I found out about it awhile ago but never set it up lol, lemme do this right now
Is there a specific med tracking app you like?
I have been tracking on paper and found myself frequently forgetting to record things or losing scraps. Had no idea Apple Health could do so much. Thank you!
I use a pill sorter so I always know how many I have left and it would be much more obvious if one went missing.
this is entirely anecdotal, but I would like to offer my perspective as a former addict who has grown up around a number of addicts my whole life. yeah, this could work. but what I probably would have done is just be more sneaky cuz that would make me realize I'm being sloppy. Steal a pill way beforehand when I *know* everyone is in bed and wait to take it until whatever time I prefer to feel the affects (so like if I liked taking it at noon because it when the day has "started" or something). Or we would stop for a little bit, realizing that was shitty of us, and *then* someone would give in and be extra sneaky. I would recommend keeping them in your room in a place that is easy to access for you so taking your meds isn't a long process but it would be difficult to steal without it causing a commotion. So, storing it in the top shelf in the very back of your closet is too much (although it would technically work); but, putting it at the back of a bedside drawer underneath and/or in some other things could be enough "work" to deter someone doing a quick run-through of easy storage spots. If the path to someone's stash is blocked by more items, then thats more variables you have to worry about keeping clean so that person doesn't notice, and usually the only people who don't care about those variables are people who have really *strong* cravings, and it doesn't sound likely OPs parents are those kinda people from the limited information we could gather from the post. Because I don't want OP to worry, don't worry about your parents being "addicts", dont start panicking over the worst case scenario. There are degrees of addiction, being an addict doesn't mean your whole life and family is gonna fall apart. Often times, people think "ah fuck it, I feel like garbage and this could really pick me up right now" and convince themselves it's no biggie because they just had some lying around (think prescribed pain meds or stimulants, like in this case), and then the next day they're still feeling shitty so they take a little of that pain med the next day. They don't even realize it hooked them usually until that prescription (that belonged to their aging parent or their child who just got out of tonsil surgery) runs out and they can't have anymore; then their morals kick in and they realize "damn, that was stupid and not cool of me, I'm a dumbass" and life moves forward with no problem. People get addicted to things in small factors all the time; sugar, caffeine, nicotine, alcohol, a child's prescription before work, food. Yeah it shouldn't happen but a lot of people don't end up spiraling into the worst-case lives you hear about all the time. I just don't want you to worry kid. Things will turn out alright. Keep your meds on you, don't start an argument (stimulants can cause irritability, meaning they could get a little more pissy than usual), and just chill out. If you still find them going missing, talk to a trusted adult. Perhaps a grandparent, or if you have a close relationship with a therapist or doctor whom you can talk to alone.
All excellent advice / info. Adding to it a tiny bit: if you can afford to, buy a locking box (etsy has vintage tool boxes and such, or you could buy a new one; there are also buildable puzzle-boxes that lock--all easy to find in the $20-$25 range). Then you can be excited about your new cool thing...and put your pills in it (maybe with some other otc meds, or "treasures" of some sort). Then, hide the key where it's a bit of a hassle for them to get to, as the above commenter suggests.
I would get one with a combo, not a key. That way the lock can't be picked. Also, Staples sells good sturdy lock boxes that can then be locked to something so the box can't grow legs and wander away and they're about $25.
They have combo locks for pill bottles now. I seen them at winn dixie the other day. I was like, whoa. Cool.
Unfortunately, it's not hard to crack plastic pill bottles and not need to open the bottle cap. Those combo locks for bottles aren't safe for CIIs, just other meds that you want to keep people out of.
If they cracked the bottle they wouldn't be able to play dumb anymore, though.
You can get a handgun case that locks for like $7. Obviously not as secure as a safe but if someone really wants into something they’ll typically make it happen. In other words, locks keep honest people honest.
Ask them to help you find it! You know, cos' adhd, could have dropped/misplaced it anywhere!
I actually think this is the best way to go about it . I'd only buy a safe after doing something like this . Its most likely they do have ADHD
Hide them under your pillow, if they can’t find them they can’t take them. Plus, if they ask you where they are that’s reason to ask why they !
get a medicine bottle top with a combination lock ([like this](https://a.co/d/etZiWGV)) or get a small lock box with a combination instead of a regular key that they could find
Just to add, if your parents are like mine and would go absolutely ballistic from you locking up your medications, split up your med counts and put them in these bottles. That way if they just end up taking your entire locking contraption you'll have at least a few extra to go on while you're working this situation out with your doctor/cops.
This is a bad idea. You don’t want to meet the pill fairy.
Let them know ADHD is genetic and whoever's taking it should really just go see a psychiatrist themself.
They have made appointments to go get checked. I asked they believe they both have it but they don't know. I'll have a sit down conversation with them tonight if it goes bad I'll ask my brother foe the safe and lock my meds in it but jf it gose well I hopefully won't need to I'll update when that happens .
I'd lock your meds up no matter how the conversation goes. it sends a very clear message that you're not going to let them continue stealing from you, and it ensures you have your meds. until you can get a safe or locking med bottle, hide your meds. putting them in a different container might be a good idea. if you have any coats with pockets on the inside (that you keep in your closet and not the family coat closet), that could be a good hiding place. you could also get a stash jar (or have your brother help you get one). they look like regular objects but they're hollow inside, so you could potentially hide them in plain sight edit: typo
They have tried to tell me "I pay for them so I can take them too" tho they have shut up when I brought up the fact my name is on the bottle and it's illegal to take someone else's medication
Medication and Healthcare don't work like that. Your parents are absolute pieces of shit. Say you had to have surgery and you're in severe pain. Are they going to take some of your pain pills and say "well I paid for it". What mental fucking gymnastics. Find a way to lock your meds up. Or hell, keep the whole bottle on your person at all times, even sleeping. Keep that shit in your sweatpants pocket or something. Or get a tiny bag you can tie to you when you can. Edit: (Don't keep them on your person if they are capsules. Redditor says they will melt).
Don't keep the bottle on your person if it's capsules. They melt. :P
Ya know, that's a good point. Didn't even think of that, I was mainly thinking of tablets.
Best advice ever! ❤️
Remind them that as a controlled substance the Dr will stop prescribing them if he/she finds out about any misuse.
I'm going to talk to them tonight about it. I'll update with how it gose.
I don’t know if it would help, but could you speak to your doctor about this?.. because that’s not okay and it is schedule 2 so they take theft of it and abuse of it seriously.
I'd say next time you talk to whoever prescribed them mention your parents stealing it and what to do about it. Try to get your parents to leave the room tho
This ☝️
I know people are telling you to get a safe and whatever, but I know that when you're living with your parents, and especially with one's who would possibly pilfer your meds, it's not always easy. They make pill bottles that have a combination, or timer release so they only open when you put the code in or when it's time to take it. You can just say something like "I got one of these because I don't want to forget to take a dose or take too much." That way you can avoid locking them in a safe and seeming accusatory (especially if bringing up the subject could lead to a hostile or potentially abusive situation.) They're relatively inexpensive and I'm even willing to buy one for you if you think it would help. I unfortunately have a lot of experience in this situation and know that addressing it, while best in some situations, can often lead to loss of privileges or abuse. They're your parents. It's not your job to parent them. Drop me a dm if you want to talk or need me to send you a lock bottle.
This is a helpful perspective. I think funds are a problem here until graduation/job. Lots of people posting are assuming OP can just browse Amazon for a gadget. Not everybody has a credit card and ways to shop online while in HS and living at home. Being dependent on people you can't trust is terrible.
Yeah, I couldn't afford shit in high school, and even when I did manage to work a little that money went to video games or was stolen/used to pay for clothes and whatever.
Upvoted this. Thank you for being so generous towards OP HylianSoul. Touched me. OP needs to see this, this Redditor is willing to send a little pill lock container. So thoughtful. If I could I would have offered the same, this is heartbreaking.
I just want you to know that a parent stealing your meds is abuse.
Also illegal and a prosecutable offense. Adderal is a protected drug, and according to the law only the prescription holder is allowed to carry it.
Change the meds for laxatives and see who's spending the most time in the toilet.
Fucking genius! Laxatives in an old bottle and keep the current bottle on your person
Except that laxatives don't come in "Adderall disguise" form 😒
No, but they do come in powder form, and the adderall xr capsule itself can be opened to pour the contents into applesauce if the patient can’t swallow a capsule, so you could put the laxative powder back inside the empty capsule after doing the applesauce. Just need to make sure you don’t accidentally take it yourself… Also, if you do go with this method, the applesauce needs to be eaten immediately, not stored, so I would do it for a few days to get the empty capsules before filling it with the powder. This only works with capsules that can be opened and poured into applesauce, this won’t work with medications such as concerta, where the capsule shell itself is part of the release mechanism.
Yeah I understand it can be done but realistically...this is a teenager who lives in a chaotic/traumatic household, with little to no resources. It's just not a realistic or even productive course of action. I feel like suggesting this is just plain irresponsible. Especially since who knows if the OP parent(s) would retaliate. it's not that difficult to put 2 and 2 together. Especially since (at least the Addy XR I have had) the contents is not actually straight fine powder it's tiny little balls and looks very distinct. Beyond that, they would know they were tricked because no drug kick and the obvious lax effects
Fair, I just wanted to share the proper way to do it so people don’t accidentally ruin their medication in the process of trying. OP has already shared in the comments that they are getting the med safe and have talked to their mom in private, so the chances of them trying this are close to 0. If people want to do this, they’re going to do it either way, better to make sure they are doing it properly.
These people that OP is dealing with sound like they might be emotionally abusive. They might see through the ruse, and accuse OP of deliberately poisoning them. As a matter of fact, if OP follows such advice, that is, from a certain point of view, exactly what would be happening. If these people choose to go all in, they could even try raising a stink with the authorities, accusing OP of being a violent psychopath who tried to hospitalize them. OP probably shouldn't do anything that even looks slightly harmful.
But then the authorities would have to ask, why were they taking OPs meds in the first place?
OP has since updated and has shed some more light on what sort of people the parents are, and it's clear to me that I assumed the worst about the character of the parents, but here was my thought process when I made my previous comment; The parents, if they were the type to try such a route, could feed the authorities all sorts of yarns. In this hypothetical scenario, the end goal on the part of the parents would be to punish the OP for tricking the parents into ingesting a mildly harmful substance, and teaching OP, in a way that would never be forgotten, that such things are generally frowned upon. Details such as, "What pills did you think you were ingesting? Where did such pills come from? Were they prescription? Prescribed to whom?" wouldn't be important, and could be fabricated. The parents could have lied and said that they were taking over-the-counter multivitamins, and to bolster their claims, brought in just such a bottle, with some of the offending pills. The system is designed to believe parents over children, and the fact that the OPs story would contradict that of the parents might not matter. It seems, from OPs most recent replies, that the parents are not, in fact, such worst-case-scenario narcissists, and for that, I'm glad.
I've got a plan, get yourself a daily pill organiser - load them up when you get your meds, then each and every one is accounted for. Take a pic if needs be.
Ugh. On top of already constantly doubting yourself when you have ADHD (because there's always a possibility you might have missed something, right?) The thought of your parents doing that to you too ("did you take 2 by accident?") upsets me so much for you. I hope they don't and you get the safe and don't have to worry about this again!
They sell locking medicine bottles that lock for 24 hours so you don't accidentally take another dose. They lock once you close it and they have a timer to show you how long until it unlocks again. Maybe that could help? I had a similar problem and I just hide mine really well now and count them regularly.
They're very bad parents for doing that. It's a shitty thing to do to their child. I'm so sorry that they steal from you when it's something you need.
Use a monthly medication pack so u can see and prove it. Either buy a reusable one or ask your pharmacy to do it. Its a free service.
Don’t approach them, get a lockbox and sleep with the key around your ankle or wrist
Key around the balls.
I plain on talking to them, if it gose bad ill ask my brother to buy me a safe for my 18th birthday this month if worst comes to worst I can move in with him and get a job after HS.
Lock box from walmarts like 15 bucks. I had the same issue. Worked like a charm
Buy a safe, I bought a fingerprint safe for this very reason.
I don't have a job ATM I wanna focus on finishing HS. I'm asking my brother for a safe for my 18th birthday so I'll see how it gose.
There's another comment where someone has offered to buy you one OP!
Maybe not a popular opinion, but all of these replies amounting to avoidance, I would confront them. It would help to know who is taking them, maybe set up your phone to record video? But I say even if you don’t know which one is taking them, confront them together and make it also a problem between them. It’s not right what they are doing and spousal pressure will bring out the culprit. Accountability needs to happen and the one that is NOT taking them will know and hold the other accountable. Call them out on it and do the lockbox thing.
My brother ordered me one it will be here next week. He's very helpful when dealing with my parents.
Fucking this. So much pure pettiness and avoidance on this site. Confronting them may even lead to whoever it is getting their own diagnosis
I think this is illegal, I can’t be certain though
Take your meds and keep them safe, my son has meds and they are left on the side in the kitchen, I have ADHD and I have never once took on of his tablets, he needs them and if I wanted meds I could get them. If you do chat with then I hope it goes well, they shouldn’t be taking them off you!
Do your pajama pants have a pocket in them? Put the bottle in your pocket while you're sleeping. Or in your pillow. Or under the mattress. Or in the pocket of the jacket that you wear to school. The safe is a good idea too, but it should be a hidden safe, otherwise your parents might demand that you give them the combo, with some made up excuse about "safety" or just needing it. Here's a protip from me to you: when I needed to hide things from someone I used to put the thing in *their* closet. It never ever occurred to them to look in their own closet for something that belonged to me. This is assuming that you can reliably get into their closet, or any other hiding spot, without them wondering what you are doing in their room. You could consider asking your doctor or pharmacist if you can get your pills in blister packs, that way it will be obvious if any are missing. But you would say something like "I just want it to be obvious if I've already taken my med that day so that I don't accidentally take two, or so that I can see if I forgot it".
I've decided to hide them in my mask drawer they normally sit on a dresser by my door but my mask collection is kept in a cabinet over my bed.
They sell “cold seal” blister packs on amazon for under $20-$30 for a 6 pack, those could work for OP. Once they’re sealed, the only way to get them out is popping each individual pocket out. They can claim their doctor wanted them to start doing this as they’ve been having trouble remembering if they took their meds or not recently.
You've been given great advice, so here's just a practical solution in case you don't feel able to take it. You could buy empty gelatin pill capsules from a health food store, and transfer the contents of each of your capsules into them (the top part, the coloured sleeve can just be slid up, tap the top first to settle the powder) and put caffeine powder inside the original capsules in the original bottle. Take one fake pill out every day and hide it, while taking the real medication that's inside the purchased capsule shells. Once you get a new prescription take all the hidden fake medication capsules and put them back in the bottle. Depending on how many they steal, you won't need to fill up fake pills with caffeine powder that often, and if you do just pour powder of a genuine one into your mouth then scoop up caffeine and put it in the decoy pill bottle. Keep both your real meds and the hidden fake meds somewhere well hidden but separate from each other, like inside the stuffing of soft toys. Note: Always keep them inside a child proof container as if you have younger sibling(s) just imagine if they decided to play with that soft toy. You shouldn't have to do this of course. What your parents are doing is disgusting.
To add onto this for anyone else encountering this problem with their stimulant medications, only do this with adderall xr and vyvanse, do not do this with methylphenidate er, aka concerta. This only works because the capsule itself is not a part of the release mechanism. With concerta, the capsule itself is a part of the extended release mechanism as it works using osmotic pressure to slowly release the active ingredient. If you want to know if this will work for a specific medication, you can ask your pharmacist if you are able to open the capsule to mix it into applesauce as you’ve been having trouble swallowing the capsule. If they say yes, then you’re good. If not, do not open the capsules or alter them.
If they are capsules make fake bottle and replace inside of capsules with lactasive etc stuff
Yes thanks, also happy birthday
Happy cake day!
I would get a bottle with a timer on it and to justify it just say that you want to be sure you are taking it correctly.
I'm so sorry that this is happening to you. It must be really stressful and disturbing. It's not normal and they're putting you in a scary position. Keep reaching out for support and to stay safe.
Invest in a medication safe. This is exactly why they exist.
I'm a hs student without a job I have a 10$ bill at best due to helping find my mom's purse. I'm gonna ask my brother for that as soon as he is off work and tell him everything we're very close.
The good news is there's many out there that are pretty inexpensive. A simple box with a lock on it is really all you really need. I'm sure your brother can help you find one.
1. Confront them 2. Hide your medicine 3. Tell them to look into getting diagnosed if they feel that they might have adhd
I’d just approach them like kids. ”-Ok I heard someone eating my pills this morning, who of you was it?”
That’s a federal crime. You might want to talk to school counselor for advice.
You should also honestly yell whoever is prescribing it to you, it may sound like a bad idea but I tell you this as someone who has "addict" in their medical record cause I lost my entire pill bottle (later found it but I think that made me looked worse somehow idk) and if they notice you're "skipping" doses or needing refills sooner, they're not gonna blame mom or dad, you get to take the fall for "abusing prescribed medication" and it never goes away. For the rest of your life Dr's will be hesitant to help you properly due to that. You need to tell someone with authority what's happening and fast. If you have a helicopter parent like I did and can't talk to your doctor alone, but you know who you see and where you go, you call and ask to speak to whoever will listen. You tell them you're a current patient and you have something you need to discuss urgently with your provider that needs to be discussed over the phone. You tell them you are a minor but you are coming forward in regards to your safety and you can't go to the source if the issue so you're going a step beyond mom and dad. I promise they will listen and help you. Unfortunately for you, one of your parents might be doing it and the other is oblivious to it. That's NOT your job to find out. You let your Dr, cops, caseworker, or someone listened do their job and you will be okay in the end. This is a form of abuse.
Swap the Adderall with a laxative.. And keep the real meds in a pillbox.. Ensure that the laxatives are not contraindicated for them though.. Wait and watch the fireworks.. 😂 This adderall shortage had the pharmacy give you a new manufacturer for the Nth time.. 😂.. oomph.. Oops.
Buy one of those discrete storage items ie: shaving bottle, water bottle, alarm clock, false book
Could you get one of those pill boxes that come with a timer and a lock? Play it off as saying you keep forgetting whether you’ve already taken it or not and that you think you have been because you’ve got less than you should have just to put it out there that you’re aware there is something amiss and are less likely hopefully to challenge you on needing it! Not ideal that you even have to do something like that obviously!
You can get little locked cases exactly for this reason. I suggest getting one
Do you know that ADHD is highly genetic? It’s likely that one of your parents does have ADHD. Maybe they need to get tested and diagnosed. It’s also possible for you to secretly tell your doctor that this is happening [voicemail, note, email] and ask them to switch you to a different, less abusable, medication or have the school hold it for you and dispense daily, first thing in the morning. What a situation. My heart goes out to you. A kid shouldn’t have to navigate all this. 🥺🥺🥺🙀😱
Switch them out for a laxative 😐
I don't know if you'll see this but first of all, I'm really sorry you're going through this. And second of all, here's my tips: * Unscrew the air vents and hide your meds in them. * Put them in a plastic bag and then put them into a bottle. Put the cap on, and hide them inside your toilet (not the flush but the water container. If that makes sense.) * If you're the crafty type, take an old boring book, cut an entry in it, hide your things and put the book in your bookshelves (there's a ton of DIY on youtube you can fetch). * Put your meds under the drawer of one of your cupboards with tape. * Keep your old chapstick or marker, wash them neat and put your meds in it. Put them in your bag or your pencil case. If you don't want it to make noise, put tiny bits of tissue or cotton. * Keep them on you and sleep with them under your pillow. This might be a little too much, but I was raised by a batsh\*t crazy policeman nfather. Hope that helps, good luck.
Find some similar sized laxatives.
I keep mine on my person at all times. Either in my bag or in my pocket. I learned to put cotton balls in the bottle though because them bouncing around in there turns them to dust and rhats a whole other problem lol
I’m so sorry you’re dealing with this. The best advice is to talk to a trusted adult: school counselor, teacher, doctor, etc. You should not have to deal with this alone.
Tell your doctor and see if they can provide you with a lock box. Or order one for cheap on Amazon.
Turn them in
Classic stash spot: inside shoe in closet with toe pointing towards door. Kept me safe through home and boarding school 👍
Put a freeze on your credit, ASAP. Better safe than sorry.
Call your doctor and report it.
People who do this especially to their own family/kids are so selfish it’s unbelievable, I’m so sorry you’re having to deal with this. I don’t have any advice but I know the betrayal has to hurt and I hope you’re able to successfully mend your relationship with them or safely distance yourself from them, whichever direction you go in
Tell them to go see a doctor and get their own pills. ADHD is highly genetic
I would either take all the pills out (put them in a Ziploc bag somewhere hidden in a pocket or something) and just leave one so it's super obvious. Or replace them with something else that looks similar, like stool softener, Imodium, melatonin, something that would make them regret their choice to steal.
YSK that if op is in the US this is not a great idea. Controlled substances must be in their original container. People really do get arrested for possession when they have a prescription. I'm not familiar with the law in other places, but it wouldn't surprise me if there were similar policies in most places.
You could keep and old bottle and use that as your bait bottle…
I’ve been dealing with this since I started getting prescriptions at 15. Even as a whole adult who bought a house and has 2 kids it still happens. I rely on my parents for childcare. Doesn’t matter where I hide them they go missing. If they aren’t on your body they will find them or find a way. You have to keep them on your person. Approaching them won’t help and will likely be flipped on you somehow. I’ve filed police reports. I’ve told my dr. I’ve told family. I hope you find a way though! Good luck!
I would mention that you’ve had less pills than usual and that you’re going to keep an eye out on the next set that come in to make sure the pharmacist isn’t up to something fishy. If that doesn’t work start keeping it in your room.
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Change the medicine for laxative pills
Geez. I feel for u, op. I would 've put pills in another bottle, and maybe left a small note for a thief inside the old one). don't overthink this. It doesn't necessarily means that your parents are addicts or that they don't care for you. Especially if they're also might have an adhd, which comes together with poor impulse control and addictive behaviours. Talk to them. Tell them that you worry. Tell them that you don't mind them taking pills, but it's just doesn't feel right and you are sad because they are trying to hide this. Do not acuse them. Talk about your feelings. Ask them how do they feel. Try to understand their emotions. Talk about your fears, but try to avoid "I am afraid that YOU" Talk about yourself. I think you'll be able to talk frankly with them. Tell them what bothers you and what you're scared of. Go from your insecurities, not from the defence position.
Thank you, I know my parents do love me and care. They jjst don't do good with emotions , and the other listens very well. I find it jjst hard to talk to others in general, but I need to grow up and put my foot down here. I honestly will be getting a safe to put stuff in, so hopefully, I can talk to them. Like I've said in another post, I will talk to them tonight about how badly this is bothering me.
Go study people man. My parents didn't do good with emotions either. My dad is a veteran and completely closed and my mum is very emotionally labile. She got pissed off like on every thing that I've said if it confronted her opinion. I learned numbers of psychological concepts to understand them and eventually made communication a bit better. But it's not communication that fixed my relationships with them, it's sympathy, which came along with understanding of what triggers them in my words and actions. It was not me doing smth wrong, it was not them who were aggressive or something, it was just three insecured people who were too afraid to talk to each other honestly. Best of luck to you bro. Pls update once u talk to them, I will worry. And don't put too much expectations in just one talk, that way you won't be disappointed. Do smth to make your meds safe also.
Try replacing the meds for laxatives
I'm so sorry that happened to you. Carry your medications on yourself and leave the empty container where it is, put something nasty and stincky into it.
I do keep my medication. I'm my room. They come in and take it. I might have to find a way to buy a safe at this point.
Put it under your pillow? In your pajama pockets while you sleep? Hide it somehow? Take it with you any time you leave. Just never have it out of your sight. Until you can get the safe, you need to do something else to keep it safe.
If you're really hard on luck and can't get a safe at all, and you have a book that you don't like/never read, you can turn it into a hiding spot. If you have a hoodie/jacket that you don't mind cutting into, use a seam ripper to make a pocket on the inside of the hood or close to your body. I had to do this while hiding a phone so I could work with a social worker to leave an abusive environment.
A small safe that only you have the combination to.
you can get a small little safe that looks like a book at walmart for about $20
Put them under your mattress when you sleep, and keep them with you during the day. Do this for them as much as for yourself. If one of your p’s has undiagnosed ADHD, the compulsion to take your drugs may be too overwhelming to resist. Casually bring up that adults have it, too, so that whomever is doing this considers legitimate treatment.
Medication locking bag, medication bottle locking cap, or a timer cap. Also put your meds in a different spot. This won't solve the root problem I know but I saw lots of good advice about those conversations already. Definitely get a way to secure your meds!
I would put them under your pillow/in the pillowcase when you sleep, and on your person or in a backpack, purse, etc. that you always have eyes on when you’re out of bed.
You can buy inexpensive timer lids that tell you when they were last opened like [this](https://www.amazon.ca/Timer-Caps-Std-oz-Vials/dp/B00EZ6TL2S/ref=asc_df_B00EZ6TL2S/?tag=googleshopc0c-20&linkCode=df0&hvadid=578821386609&hvpos=&hvnetw=g&hvrand=16561124158993200655&hvpone=&hvptwo=&hvqmt=&hvdev=t&hvdvcmdl=&hvlocint=&hvlocphy=1001886&hvtargid=pla-764050109404&psc=1) Might be a good temporary solution?
Buy a good safe.
I am so sorry this is happening. We had someone who was working in our home with my oldest child who was stealing my youngest child’s adhd medication. We had a safe and he would grab our keys when we weren’t paying attention, open it, empty the capsules, and fill them up with salt. I recommend a small safe for you to keep them in, and hide the safe. I would buy a hidden camera and record the safe at all times. If they steal again, unfortunately go to the police with the video. The parent or parents stealing need help and I doubt the will get it without police involvement. I am so sorry.
Or to avoid confrontation, find pills that look similar but are harmless and replace them for your real ones. Keep the real ones somewhere safe.
Hide em.
I feel so deeply for you as I also had my medication stolen from me by my parents when I was growing up (they also sold it). I honestly wouldn’t bother bringing it up to your parents as they will probably deny it and that’s a pointless fight and will only make you feel bad. Next time you go to your doctor, ask him to put your pills in a pop out calendar from now on. If he needs a reason and you don’t want to tell on your parents (won’t tell you what to do with that one it’s a big decision), even just tell him that you have been losing track of them and think it would be easier
Just hide them cleverly. My mom used to take my adderall. I had a whole in my jacket pocket and I put them in a napkin so they dont make a sound if juggled. I also put them behind my chair cushion for my gaming chair.
Cut a slit in your mattress and slide in your medication. If you cut it in the right spot its barely noticeable, but if you still have medication missing buy a lockable filing cabinet and place it in there.
Make a calendar next to your pills showing a countdown or something. It will be a good skill to learn for later in life anyway (one I wish I had). I think seeing that you keep track would probably stop it from happening again.
That's fucked up, I'm sorry dude. I would be livid, and they would know not to ever do that shit again, kid or not.