Adhd X 2

Hi S.,
I am a mom with a little boy who has ADHD. I didn't want to think about it like that, but as time went on, his issues got worse. There was depression, hyperactivity, anger control issues and learning disabilities. The pediatrician actually sent him to a developmental pediatrician who did the testing for ADHD. But, anyone can do this. That is what should be done first, then if they feel that your boys need the medication, so be it. Also, the kids can eventually come off of it. But, they can't decide after only one visit, or three. Also, get a second opinion if you need to. But, don't automatically start them on meds first. Tell the counselor you want them tested first. Good luck, and feel free to contact me anytime.... ____@____.com

H.

The doctors did the same thing to my brother and I when we were in middle school. Kids are hyper. Kids get upset and angry, its just life and at their age, they are starting to develops a "personality" by giving them meds, it will just delay that process and cause more problems. when I was on ridlyn my grades were OUTSTANDING and my room very clean, because it is speed. I couldn't sleep at night and i was always active. My brother however, who truly IS ADHD calmed down.
I don't know why it is but kids who GENUINELY have ADHD slow down when they drink high sugary sodas or candies and take Ridlyn (speed) etc.
its up to you but if you ask me, doctors are putting all kids on these meds and what they really need is discipline.
Depression is a very "adult" emotion so i dont see why the doctor would try to give ridlyn for something like that anyways. Good Luck, let us know how it turns out

I tried the meds for my daughter, and I did not like how her behavior changed so drastically. She went from this wild child who gave the best hugs and kisses to a moody little person who didn't want to be touched at all. She seemed depressed and kinda just whined alot on the meds. So I took her off the meds and tried other things like modifying her diet. Giving her peppermint instead of the candies with all the sugar. Nothing but 100% fruit juice or water to drink. Sugar free ice cream (Blue Bunny had the best at that time) :) Seven years later my daughter can still be wild sometimes, but she has done a complete 360. The diet alone did not do this, much prayer and fasting was involved. She also went to a child psychologist regularly and we used different discipline methods until we found the right ones. I look at my nephew today who is on the meds: without them, He is funny, caring, smart, and very intuitive. When he's on his meds, he could care less what is going on around him. It's a very tough decision to make. I offer my advice and I will definitely be praying for you.

Hi S.~
I'm Shellbie, Mom to two boys ages 11 and 5.
My oldest son is diagnosed ADHD among a list of other alphabetical disorders. He was first diagnosed ADHD at the age of 3 but I refused medication for him until he was 8. He now has a few prescriptions a month to handle the alphabetical list. My younger son is "normal"; no diagnosis of any learning/behavior disorders.
I am in agreement that ADHD is over-diagnosed and all any therapist/doctor wants to do is write out a prescription for some miracle pill. I have known children to be diagnosed as ADHD when they aren't simply because it's spring time and the child would rather be outside playing than finishing a timed test in a stuffy classroom.
You wanted to know when the behavior crossed the line of normal vs hardheaded. Hmmmm.....I guess maybe the differences of my two boys might help.
My oldest child HATED to be held or strapped into a car seat, he would scream the entire time. He was never able to stay on one activity for more than a minute. Life with my oldest was, and still sometimes is, like a whirlwind of activity and accidents. He understood that he was breaking rules, was always "sorry" after the fact but would do the same thing that got him into trouble over and over. He reacted on impulse alone without the thought of consequences. He was destructive, hence poor impulse control. He could not sit still, when we managed to get him seated he was still a bustle of movement in his chair. Slowing him down enough to make eye contact was a challenge. He talked constantly and quickly bouncing from one subject to another and then another before coming back to the first. It was difficult to settle him down in the evenings to sleep. When my 11 year entered school the poor impulse control continued. He never completed a lesson, was disruptive during silent times, required excessive one on one attention in an area where there were few distractions. We started herbal treatment when he was in kindergarten but had no choice but to start the prescription medications by the time he was in the 2nd grade.
My youngest son never complained about being held or being in a carseat. He would play with a toy without needing to have another for much much longer. He wasn't/isn't a whirlwind. He thinks before he acts, knows that doing something will have an effect and reacts accordingly. He learns from mistakes and usually will not repeat the behavior that got him in trouble. He doesn't speak as quickly, nor does he jump from one subject to another without using the flow of natural conversation. He is able to sit still when requested of him and doesn't require the excessive one on one attention.
I was a lot like my oldest child when I was younger. My Father used to call me "motor mouth" because I spoke constantly. It wasn't until my youngest son was born that I saw that there was HUGE difference.
I am not an advocate of prescription meds at all so we were "detoxing" my oldest for 2 months out of the year and using herbal methods instead. After the last time he begged us to leave the meds alone. He says that having ADHD is like having 10 TVs all tuned to different channels in his head. He simply cannot focus and is old enough now to notice the difference and tell us.
You know your children best. Making the decision to medicate is never an easy one.
I hope that I have helped some. You are welcome to email me privately if you want to know more.
Shellbie

I can relate & understand how you are probably feeling right now. I would go with your gut instinct. It seems hard for me to believe that the counselor would know your child well enough after one visit to recommend meds. I am in a similar situation with my 7 yr. old, her old school pushed the meds too, and finally I reluctantly agreed (I have done TONS of research on it too), but I took her off b/c she wasn't herself anymore, was like a zombie even though she was much more laid back and compliant in school. My daughter has been through a LOT in her short life (some of which I attribute to causing her behavior, not ADHD causing it), and I have been trying other things and slowly with consistency she is improving. To me, it seems schools/counselors are too eager to push the meds as a quick-fix, and while I often wonder if I am doing the right thing by NOT having her on them- and wonder if she would do better with them, I wouldn't want her brain to stop producing the chemicals provided by them. In my opinion, there hasn't been enough long-term research for any short-term benefits of meds to be worth it in our case. I have found a new pediatrician that is extremely supportive of my decision and who herself is reluctant to prescribe the meds without THOROUGH research into the entire situation. (I am not trying to say that no children genuinely needs them, that's a personal decision that depends on the individual circumstances). My daughters teacher this year is also an ANGEL and very supportive. I wish you the best, if there are any other questions I could answer for you I would be glad to (although I am not an expert), or if you just need someone to vent to (I know I sure did & sometimes still do!).

I wouldn't say I know exactly what you're going through as my kids are still under the age of 3. I, on the other hand, was forced to take meds myself at 16. "depression" It eventually caused me to blackout. Several years later I blacked out due to another med which now has many lawsuits against the drug and ended up with staples in my head. Whether or not they've gained much knowledge on different kinds of meds, I wouldn't reccommend this kind of treatment for anyone under the age of 18. Once you're put on these things, you're pretty much doomed to take them for the rest of your life. Unless you go against a docs orders, of course. Kids are going to be kids, they're not all the same. I would just make sure they get the proper amount of active excersize and a decent diet. My sister, mind you, is taking meds for "ADHD". She's 8. I know for a fact that part of her issue is not getting enough excersize and so forth. For your childrens sake, seriously think about the matter, and do much research,it's not something to take lightly. Good luck! I wish you well.

well i have a 12 with adhd and odd.He has been treated for about 6 years now. adhd is over labeled alot but there are now tests they can do to determ if it is truely that.my son re does his every few years to make sure is meds are set right. there are also very good suport and info groups out there yahoo has one of the best.http://groups.yahoo.com/group/ADHD-ODD/

Questions to ask are: how did a "counselor" arrive at such a diagnosis after so few sessions? And what sort of credentials does he/she hold to make such a diagnosis? Before I had kids, I was a licensed social worker/family therapist. I worked for psychiatric hospital, on the adolescent and children's ward. Then I worked for DFACS. ANYTIME I suspected that a child might have had an attention disorder, I sent them to a licensed and experienced child psychologist and/or psychiatrist.

Also,if it were me, I would be wary of any pediatrician who so quickly dispenses such meds. A person on psychotropic medications, including Ritalin, is best served having them prescribed and monitored by a psychiatrist. You are wise to be concerned. Be aware that a lot other things can mimic the disorder, including anxiety disorders, early childhood trauma (i.e. divorce, etc.), passive discipline in early childhood, and the main one - diet. There are lots and lots of books and resources out there. You might want to read as many as possible, and seek out other opinions before just putting the boys on medication. And there is a stigma attached to the ADHD label. I did my first internship at a high school, and the teachers and staff felt very differently about the kids with diagnoses vs. the ones who did not.

Good luck to you and your children. Take care.

My son was diagnosed with ADHD, when he was six. It takes more than 2 or 3 counseling sessions, I think to recommend meds. My son was evaluated by a private pyschologist and the school psychologist over a series 3 months before they gave recommendations. Also, he doesn't have any issues with anger, its more about getting him to sit down for more than 2 minutes and to pay attention. I think some pratictioners make hasty decisions regarding labeling children. He is currently on meds and it makes a big difference in his hyperactivity, but these meds do have side effects like weight loss.