‘You want a diagnosis so you can just shove pills in your kids’ faces’: Mother says her child’s new doctor wouldn’t give him his medication, sparking debate

A mother went viral on TikTok this week after alleging that her child’s new doctor stripped him of most of his medications, with another doctor denying he had the conditions diagnosed by a previous doctor. Her son’s conditions include autism and ADHD.

In a video posted by user Saira (@motherofdragons2.0.2.0), she explains that she switched doctors because her son’s previous doctor was nearly an hour and a half away. However, this new doctor was significantly different from the old one, immediately challenging the previous doctor’s diagnoses and encouraging Saira to stop giving her son his medication.

Saira’s video currently has over 190,000 views.

@motherofdragons2.0.2.0 What did you say to me?! He knows nothing about us or how hard I advocated for my son not to be medicated. But he struggled bad. #adhd #autism #drafts ♬ original sound – Saira M Willman

At first, the new doctor proposed stripping Saira’s son of medication for a week, seeing how he reacted, and reassessing his medications. The doctor allegedly told Saira to “call [her] and update [her] if there are any issues,” at which point the doctor would presumably reassess the situation.

“I did that, and they never called back,” Saira says.

Following this, she went to a second doctor in the same office.

“Within five minutes of being there, this man says, ‘your son is not autistic and he does not have ADHD,’” Saira claims.

She later adds, “Then he proceeds to go ahead and say that, ‘you know, most of you parents just come in here and you want a diagnosis so you can just shove pills in your kids’ faces and shut them up.’”

This was enough for Saira. She proceeded to report the doctor, and now, her child still visits his previous doctor.

When the video was posted to TikTok, an intense discussion ensued.

At first, Saira had a lot of support from commenters, with some sharing their own stories of disagreeable doctors.

“MAMAAAAA you did the right thing!” one user wrote. “Gosh some of YOU PEOPLE (doctors) need to quit if you don’t want [to] doc.”

“Yes, this happened to my dad, with diabetes and some dr changed his meds abruptly,” a commenter shared. “He landed in the hospital. I’m proud of and I don’t know u.”

“Oh hell no!!” a third stated. “When someone tells me my son doesn’t need all his meds I IMMEDIATELY offer for him to stay at their house for a week with NO meds.”

While attention deficit hyperactivity disorder is now a widely recognized diagnosis, the application of ADHD medication is still a controversial topic, per the Wall Street Journal. Doctors say that they are divided on the age a child should begin taking these medications, the appropriate dosage, and if families are better off trying alternative remedies before turning to medication.

This controversy is reflected in the comment section under Saira’s video, with some commenters sympathizing with her child’s doctor.

“I hate to say this but as a pharmacy tech… he isn’t wrong,” a commenter explained. “I saw several parents putting their adoptive kids on meds like this when not needed…I had a family come with the kids once and all the child was doing was asking me normal 5yro questions and mom said ‘you see why they need it.’”

“I do believe medication for adhd is a cop out,” shared another user. “They just need to learn ways to focus better and have avenues to release that energy.”

While she previously noted that medication was a last resort for her son (the original video’s caption read, in part, “…I advocated for my son not to be medicated. But he struggled bad”), in a follow up video, Saira says she understands the commenters’ concerns and that she used to be of the same opinion.

@motherofdragons2.0.2.0 Reply to @kristenmagee7 ♬ original sound – Saira M Willman

In this video, Saira notes that she “used to feel the same way,” but given that her child has both autism and ADHD, he suffers from “sensory issues” and violent episodes that subside dramatically with medication.

“Unfortunately, with his agitation, he became incredibly violent, and he was a threat to other children, and we got pretty close to expulsion—rightfully so, because he was really doing some damage,” Saira explains. “I used to agree with [the above statement] wholeheartedly, but now, I just can’t.”

Several commenters understood Saira’s struggle and noted that everyone’s approach to handling neurodivergent behavior is different.

“There’s different approaches bc it affects all of us differently,” observed a user. “I need medication or I can’t drive. My siblings don’t need medication. Sometimes ‘techniques’ aren’t enough. That’s okay.”

Update 2pm CT, June 27: When reached for comment, Saira provided the Daily Dot with an update.

“I took my son back to his old doctor and we got him squared away. We adjusted what needed to be adjusted, removed what we thought was appropriate and he is happy and healthy now. He’s functioning so well and able to communicate his needs,” she said via TikTok direct message. “His impulses are under control for the most part (he is still a kid).  He is sleeping, eating, thriving! And that’s all we can ask for our kids.”

She also commented on the response she received from TikTokers.

“I’ve had a ton of feedback, a lot positive, some, not so much,” she said. “But no one can know what it’s like to make calls like that unless they live a day in your shoes. When you have a [child] literally begging you for help and you’re given no options with a doctor leaving them to suffer, you will do whatever you have to do, even if that means driving them an hour and twenty minutes one way to get them the help that they deserve. Mental health is health. ADHD is not a diagnosis of a lack of will power or dedication, or even control. Our brains are wired differently. There is help, and people need to know that it’s okay to ask for help. Let’s break the stigma!”

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