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KACE74
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Joined: 8/16/2006
Msg: 126 | |
| does my son have ADD or ADHD?
Posted: 9/29/2006 11:29:55 PM |
I do have training in dealing with children, FASD, Suicide Prevention and ADD/ADHD.
having schooling and living with it are two different things, if you dont realize that when youve been taught to know that you better go back to school.
when its your own child youre dealing with the world is a whole different place, and to have someone who "thinks" they know tell us that a child is just bad, is ignorant.
untill youve spent 5 minutes in my shoes, you know nothing | |
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| does my son have ADD or ADHD?
Posted: 9/30/2006 1:34:05 AM | Both my older sons were diagnosed adhd/add at a young age, both prescribed ritalin, they are now 15 and 18, the oldest now has a very good job, with good prospects, the 15 yr old at a grammar school currently sitting 11 gcse's..There were hard times when they were younger, and they were both extremely hard to handle, but as a mum you love them whatever their faults..
There is a very good website in the UK for sufferers of ADHD called Misunderstood.. www.misunderstood.org.uk... | |
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| does my son have ADD or ADHD?
Posted: 10/16/2006 7:38:08 AM | I would like to present here, a letter I wrote to Dr. Phil a few months back. May it provide insight and hope to parents who struggle to do the best they can:
Oh my heavens, where to begin? Are we being overmedicated? Yes, Yes, Yes! However, we, as individuals have to assume personal responsibility for that. In a society where total instant gratification reigns, we want quick fixes to problems that need more from us than simply taking a pill. We are too willing to allow advertising to play on our emotional wants for that quick fix. Am I against pharmaceutical help? No, No, No! I agree completely with Dr. Phil about getting a complete/differential diagnosis first, then one has to work with their Dr. to discover what med(s) and dosages work best for them. Counseling/therapy may be yet another important element to overcoming or at least, controlling a condition. There are so many factors involved such as being in tune with one's own body, an overall self-awareness, being willing to commit to the process, an ability and willingness to communicate honestly, finding the right mix of people to be the support network one needs to navigate through the process, work demands and time off available to make the commitments, insurance and out-of -pocket expenses, coping with the frustrations of the process and the opinions/attitudes of people who are ignorant about the condition/disorder/disease.
I have a son who was diagnosed ADHD when he was 7. I had an inkling that "something was different" about him when by age 2 he simply gave up naps, was up at 6am and asleep by maybe 9pm. Exhaustion became a normal state for me. Having an undergraduate degree with a major in psychology provided clues as to his disorder, but I was not so arrogant as to believe I had expertise in the area. It became increasingly apparent that Jake was going to be extraordinarily challenging when he started going to school. Behavior "problems" were the norm for us. Frequent calls from the principal, meetings with teachers, suspensions were our milieu. I seemed to be always questioning my own abilities to parent. As much as any parent resists agains holding their child back, we decided not to have Jake advance to 1st grade, but placed him in Jr. primary, which was subsequently slashed when the schools had to endure budget cuts. It was a middle ground between kindergarden and 1st grade, not because of academic difficulties, but behavioral ones. When asked what grade he was in, Jake could see that the person who asked was clueless and so added for clarification, "I'm too wiggly for first grade".
Finally, when he was 7, we worked with the school, his daycare provider and his pediatric specialist to do testing and observations which ultimately gave strong indicators of ADHD. I don't think brain scans were available or maybe more precisely, widely used at that time. Testing also revealed a high IQ--in the brilliant range. This wasn't terribly surprising to me as he would add two 3-digit numbers in his head correctly. I had to check him with pencil and paper. Numbers seem to "get wiggly" in my head...lol. His dad and I are both in the above normal on IQ scales as well, and in retrospect, we both believe that we may have endured ADD or ADHD as children too, but back in the dark ages, this was not widely recognized. Anyway, despite reservations about drugging him to be "normal", we also knew we had to do something and began the process of experimenting with meds and dosages, and as time went on also extended release versions of the most familiar drugs, and newcomers, concerta and adderall. It was a roller coaster ride. Although normal size and weight at birth, Jake was small for his age and as skinny as a rail. He had problems with sleeping. The meds would wear off before lunch, the humiliation of having to be excused to get his meds, the subsequent unsettled stomach and lack of desire to eat (timing issues), behavioral issues borne, I believe from his frustrations (schools have round holes and try to force square pegs to fit), poor impulse control, socio-emotional immaturity coupled with a quick and bright mind, created a tempest. We were always concerned about his height/weight, about how the meds were going to affect him long term, and the list goes on. When a freshman in high school, Jake decided he didn't like how the meds made him feel and wanted off them. What to do? Couldn't hog tie him and force them down his throat. He was also steered into special ed for the behavioral issues--a very difficult decision to make, but if we hadn't done so, some of his actions could have landed him, expelled or in juvenile hall. As it was, we had had one instance of unintentional fire-setting that resulted in a juvenile court hearing. The problem with special ed was that he could not move at the quick pace that would have best suited him, the individual attention, and kinesthetic style of teaching that was lacking resulted, ultimately, in his dropping out of school. Not what a parent wants for their child. However, he did have a few teachers who were particularly understanding, creative, accomodating and adaptive to his needs within the restraints of budget, time, energy, available resources and school politics, that afforded him some positive experiences. To those educators I extend my eternal gratitude. I have read about and heard stories where parents were railroaded into the ADD/ADHD diagnosis by teachers. Teachers may have insight and observational experience but cannot be considered THE exclusive expert. Jake also had a mentor. When initially paired up, I think he was disappointed that it was an older woman, but she was an extraordinary gal. She was the first policewoman on the city's force, retired at the rank of detective, was highly intelligent, very physically active and fit. He did a stupid teenager thing, and blew her off when she had made extra afforts to host a dinner for all of us and the relationship ended (after the time commitment to the program had been met). He does, now, regret that. Jake did, as a condition for allowing him to quit high school, obtain his GED. Oh...it was a battle, but we stood our ground and made his life unhappy if he didn't follow through and uphold his end of the bargain. To nobody's surprise, he scored very high and was advised that he could attend most any college to which he applied. He also took the ASVAB for military entrance and was told that with his scores the military occupational specialty of his choice was a wide open door. Now, at 20, he has been attending Life U, allowing experience to be his teacher before he goes to college, which he has all intentions of doing. 12-16 were especially difficult years. At one point labeled as oppositional/defiant by one Master's level counselor, relatively new to the practice...uh, excuse me, but isn't that pretty much a category that MOST teenagers fit into? I was concerned about any and all labels given to him throughout the process--the possible unintended consequences of such. Will this label follow him forever? Would he resign himself to be whatever label they pinned on him? Many times my hopes for and faith in him were severely tested. Circumstances dictated a tough-love approach when he turned 18, and I had to boot him from the nest. I thought my heart would break. His emotions and thinking have matured greatly over the past 2 yrs. He has terrific insight, has gotten his impulses under control, has gotten beyond rebelling and resisting against the foundation of core values, moral compass that we worked diligently to instill. He is not one to hold grudges and has learned not to burn bridges. He now values wisdom borne of experience imparted to him by any source. It is now that I am seeing the garden that we planted, flourish. Oh...and he now stands 5'11", still very lean, but filling out and still growing. So to any parent who is undergoing a similar experience, I say: Stand fast, keep the faith, work with anybody who is involved in the process, steer away from those who have primarily negativity to offer, work hard to establish and maintain lines of communication with your kid(s), even if you feel as if you are talking to a wall. Choose your battles wisely, and search, every day for something positive, even if it is as seemingly inconsequential as them brushing their teeth without obstacle. You can only do the best you can do, don't whip yourself, because there are plenty of people around willing to do that for you. It is my hope that, my experience will foster some comfort, validation and renewed hope for those on that roller coaster, with heart, mind, and emotions a-swirl.
Additionally, I have also, experience as a foster care social counselor, basically a case manager, with a state human services agency. What haunts me most about that experience is the kids who were placed in a medical model setting who truly did not, in my opinion, belong there, but was at the time, the only available option/placement for them. They were given meds to make them more compliant. The state contracts services out and the kids have medicaid as insurance, and w/o going into a tirade about the "best interests of the child" vs political and economic realities, suffice it to say that I very much believe that in many cases children are indeed, unnecessarily, improperly and/or over medicated. One case in particular stands out in my recollection, a strapping 16 year old boy, placed in state custody on an unruly petition by his parents who had difficulties with his behavior following the birth of his sister. This boy never once spoke to me in any disrespectful manner, was never threatening to me and was, as I saw it, a diamond in the rough. He did have a problem adjusting immediately to his change of circumstances and custody, but this is certainly not surprising nor unexpected. He was placed in a medical model environment after his first two, less restrictive environments refused him. He was put on meds, counseling sessions were a component of treatment, and he quite literally, shuffled about, in a fog. He had to appear at a foster review board, a mandatory meeting attended by volunteers from the community, the assigned case worker and their superior. It is a board set up to essentially make sure the state follows and monitors the provision of services outlined in the individual child's foster care plan, which must be submitted to a juvenile judge for approval and signature w/in 30 days of the court order bringing them into state custody. In this instance, the comments made by the review board validated my feelings of concern regarding the meds given to him because of his obviously flat emotional affect and zombie-esque manner. Realize that not all stories have a happy ending, over the next 12 months he was reassigned to a group home where he and his parents got counseling. He was off the meds, he returned to his normal affect, articulated to me, a desire to become a police officer, his grades improved and he was ultimately released back to his parents' custody. But I still, to this day, believe in my heart of hearts, that the medical model and pharmaceuticals were an unnecessary and inappropriate intervention in this specific case. Another 16 yr old, tall, skinny, male teen came to my caseload, was sent to a 30-day assessment center. Again, never a rude or inappropriate encounter did I have with him. There was an incident whereby a situation escalated beyond the point it ever should have. I think it was a matter of posturing on the part of the assesment center staff...a powerplay, if you will. Instead of perhaps instituting a time-out temporarliy and contacting me with an an urgent request for my immediate appearance, I was summoned, instead, after they called the sheriff to have a deputy escort him to the psyche ward (secured unit) at the local hospital. This kid was obviously terrified. Those feelings were intensified when we entered the ward and the sound of the locks clicking behind us were undeniably audible and very real. It was part of my job, my training to observe, and what I witnessed will forever be, indelibly etched on my mind's eye. It seems nobody had the skills to de-escalate his increasing anxiety and terror. I watched, feeling so terribly helpless and could, at that point, only offer comforting words in the most soothing and assuring voice I could muster from deep within me to him as they summoned 5 orderlies to assist the other two unit personnel attending to him, to force and hold him down onto the cold, hard floor, while they gave him medication that within seconds had sedative effects. He was then immediately moved to a hospital bed and physically restrained by straps on his wrists and ankles. He said to me over and over before he was completely knocked out, his voice weakening and fading...I am so scared. I had children in my caseload that were diagnosed as having bi-polar disorder or schizophrenic, or other disorders/disturbances and proper meds, dosages were a vital part of allowing them to function on a more even keel, than without. Given the varied reasons that children become wards of the state I can only hope and pray that they were able to eventually lead some sense of a normal life...to think otherwise would leave me feeling hopeless about the fate of the majority of our children in foster care. Thank you for providing me a forum to voice something that I have held inside for so long and feel passionately about. Respectfully and humbley, I. | |
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| does my son have ADD or ADHD?
Posted: 10/16/2006 8:01:14 AM | Well let me give you advice i wish i had when my son was diagnosed with adhd....
First yes they give you pages of questions to fill in with answers that are of sometimes always or never. and they give you different situations but if you really think of all the questions the answer will most likely always be (SOMETIMES) because we ALL sometimes do what is on them questions. if they would put does once a week or every day or had done once stuff like that they might actually be able to diagnos better. MOst kids nowadays are diagnosed with ADHD but really they are just kids that might need better disapline. In my sons case he was diagnosed with this because he was very inattentive to things meaning he did this now and twenty minutes later wanted to do that. and he was put on different meds that reacted badly in some cases but always kept him thin not wanting to eat and feeling sick to the stomach.
I can tell you now he has a great therapist and a great Psychiatrist who took the time to read reports and asked the right questions and realized the kid had bi polar. he has mood swings not to the extrems but he can get angry at himself for not doing things well or right at times and he is on a med now that lets him eat know what is going on around him and is not in a zombie state of mind.
Read up on the 1 2 3 behavior disapline and see if that might help you in controling the kid. there are other ways and means. dont right away let people medicate your child i think in my case it was a big mistake and i am glad now that i know what is going on with my son. he is now 12 and doing great.
And please know if your child does have adhd or ADD there might be some O D D opisitional defiance disorder too and maybe your child has that maybe not. they are always usually related but methosd of disapline and constant ways and times of doing things will help. I feel for you and your seeking help. Just please seek the right help and get more than one opinion in the medical feild. And please please please make people diagnosing your child spend the time they need to diagnos. I wish you the best. | |
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| does my son have ADD or ADHD?
Posted: 11/26/2006 8:34:03 PM | | CATCH 22... YES I have delt with a child who was diagnosed with ADHD, bi-polar, multiple personalities, the list goes on and on. I found that CONSISTENCY is the key. My particular situation: the child is one of the smartest that I've come across, can size up ANY adult in a matter of minutes. Found your weakness and hit it full force at the first sign of not getting her way. Yes, "her way". As unusual as it is, my step-daughter has these issues. I found that neither her mother nor her father were capble of even beginning to address these issues. It was me and me alone who worked with her day and night, for months, then years. She is now 13 years old and she hated me, now she will tell anyone and everyone that I was the one that stuck it out with her. And today she can recognize her behaviors and is able to control her outbursts. She is on medication, but not until she reached 10 years old. I feel that a child has to be at least to the point that they can recognize the effects of the medications prescripted so that they can tell you "the adult" how it feels and make adjustments as necessary. Age 3... give me a break. I've been there and done that. Until you're life or your infants life is in danger... don't judge. I actually have quite a bit of experience and have been successful. IT IS HARD! The hardest thing that you'll have to deal with in your life. But that's what love makes you do. Give it everything you've got and then more before you attempt to medicate such a young child. They don't understand enough to deal with their situation in a healthy manner. | |
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| does my son have ADD or ADHD?
Posted: 11/26/2006 9:32:33 PM | | Whatever you do, don't let them put him on ritalin. It'll turn him into a zombie, and ruin him as a person forever. | |
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| does my son have ADD or ADHD?
Posted: 11/29/2006 10:10:47 PM | so many things on this thread ... 6 pages ..
so if i repeat anything ... please forgive ..
my son has ahdh
he is on Ritalin and Risperdal.
~ listens for the shocked gasps ~
people ... if a child had cancer, or a liver disease, or whatever ... would the parent so NO NO NO ... don't give my child something that might help them!!!!!
Ritalin does NOT suppress the child. trust me on this one ... it doesn't.
now, if the child isn't properly diagnosed, then yes, that's what happens. as has already been pointed out, adhd is basically a lack of adrenaline ... and something such as caffeine, or the stimulant in Ritalin, evens out the chemical imbalance. a psychiatrist must do the actual diagnosis. there are so many markers that one must also take into consideration. and it really isn't all that easy to diagnosed as the symptoms resemble so many different things. adhd can also be bipolar disorder, prader willis, a lack of the x chromosome ... just a regular hyper kid ...you name it...
so to give a child who does not have this diagnosis, then yes, they will become zombies. and trust me, i know that one too. there was a kid in justice's daycare that was not properly diagnosed. the poor kid dropped almost 12 pounds, couldn't eat...it was terrible. the mom couldn't figure out what to do. she took her son back to the doctors and guess what? the school had told her he had "attention problems" she thought the family doc would be fine. nope. her kid is fine now, off the Ritalin. luckily the little guy was only on it for six months. he's gained all of the weight back,(and then some) and they have put it behind them. mom feels kinda guilty for this, but you know what? she was working with what she had been told, and trusted that knowledge. i am just glad i was able to listen to her, and let her in on my experience. she didn't think what she was being told was the right way to go. but she followed along, as she thought the "professionals" new what they were doing.
with my son, even at 18 months, it was pretty dang obvious he presented a challenge, as he was quite distracted by everything. couldn't sit still, was ALWAYS presenting a safety issues he was VERY impulsive and FAST! it was like he was driven by an internal motor. we nicknamed him "rambo" ... as in "rambunctious." he was diagnosed at 4. he has had professionals work with him ever since. we see a psychiatrist 6 times a year for medicine reviews, to ensure what he is on, is indeed the right path.
if anyone suspects that their kid needs to see a doc, don't hesitate. how you act from that point is quite simple. Go on the Internet. There is more info out there than it had, even 7 years ago with justice. go into the online chat rooms with other mom's with special needs kids. post on message boards with threads that deal with these issues. then, trust your gut, it is telling you what to do.
good parenting to you all ... | |
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| does my son have ADD or ADHD?
Posted: 12/30/2006 6:13:07 PM | | The internet has a lot of great things to offer, but one of the worst things about it is the misinformation that is out there. Then of course there are forums like this where any idiot can post their opinions like they know what they're talking about. Unless you've been to medical school, had years of pharmacology and studied medicine, you have no clue what you're talking about. Parents who have to live every day with their kids whom have ADD and ADHD know the truth. You people who don't have children with ADD or ADHD, keep your opinions to yourself, because they do not matter and you have no clue what you're talking about. You're also on the edge of breaking the law by offering medical advice or diagnosis without a license to do so. This isn't child's play, even if you only have the mentality of children. | |
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| does my son have ADD or ADHD?
Posted: 12/30/2006 6:22:32 PM | With the symptoms your son has sounds like ADHD. My son was dignosed at the age of 7 and he is now 13. He is on the maximum strength of Concreta. He still has his bad days.
Dorothea | |
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| does my son have ADD or ADHD?
Posted: 12/30/2006 11:16:38 PM | Interesting topic....my now 18 yr old son is hyper-active with a tendency to attention deficit as well.
I did not seek out the help of a specialist. I went to my Family Dr.
Everyone, including myself, could obviously see that I was also very hyper! It is also genetics. My Family Dr gave me the best advice in the world.....
You have your hands full.
Keep a watchful eye out on your other son. If you think he tries your patience....imagine how his brother feels. Siblings can (and do) hurt hyper-active children more so than "passive"....boys AND girls.....
Stop, immediately, feeding him anything with Red Dye in it. No licorice, no red cough medicines, no ketchup, no red kool aid, no red candies, NOTHING WITH RED DYE. NOTHING.
No MSG. This includes Chinese Food. This means you will have to educate yourself on the ingredients of the fast foods you feed them. The same goes for chocolate. Granted, come Easter, telling a child he can't eat chocolate is inhumane....so go for it....let him indulge a little. You'll have your hands full, but just do so while their in your care. And don't ask your other children to help. Give them your full attention and teach them how to harness their hyper-active feelings. Show them how to channel it with fun, enthusiasm, and love.
As soon as my son started junior kindergarten, the teacher was recommending Ritalin.
When he hit Kindergarten....she joined the JK teacher....along with the principal...to "convince" me that my child needed Ritalin. They even "hinted" that a "social worker" may need to become involved if I didn't. I asked them, exactly, how many children were currently on Ritalin in the school....I was told 60%. Imagine! I told them that if they ever brought that subject up again, I would take them to court....especially after I found out that they were feeding him chocolate chip cookies at snack time!
I went to the library. I talked to people who had experience with this personality type. I listened to my Family Dr and, I listened to my own head and heart.
My son is - (and always has been) - a loving, intelligent, healthy, still hyper, funny as hell, well-adjusted as-any-18-year-old-teenage boy, who can actually take responsiblity for his own actions and feelings.....including when he has chocolate or food with red dye in it.
This need that society.....(read "our government").....along with family....has with controlling people's behaviour is becoming a crisis.....and we all have to start by being responsible for our own actions, as well as respecting the fact that we are all separate individuals....including your children.....and not pointing the finger at other people....not following the leader.....not medicating, and not projecting our own issues upon our children. A child needs to express themselves and, as a parent, it's our job to teach them what's acceptable and what is not. We also have to SHOW them. This means you are solely responsible for what they see and hear in the privacy of your own home.
That, along with a lot of love, affection, and patience is what will guarantee your child's happiness in life.
Angelheart | |
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| does my son have ADD or ADHD?
Posted: 12/31/2006 12:58:45 AM | This is so not the place to attempt to diagnose your child. Geez Louise.
If you are concerned, speak to your family doctor. She/He will likely send you to a childrens hospital for testing. And testing does not take an hour... it takes a few sessions.
By the way, no 3 year old can concentrate for long. Also, drugs are NOT the only answer... there is behavior modification, which does work if you follow through and stay consistant. Either way, the hospital will let you know what your options are IF he has anything at all. | |
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babs3
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Joined: 7/30/2006
Msg: 137 | |
| does my son have ADD or ADHD?
Posted: 12/31/2006 4:47:37 AM | | I find it alarming how quick parents can be to give drugs and an excuse for bad behaviour....I am sure you have all heard of the 'terrible two's'..........in my experience it was worse around age 3! Until kids learn boundaries around age 5...this is something you have to go through.......if at age 5 there is still a problem....then I would look at having the child tested. | |
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| does my son have ADD or ADHD?
Posted: 12/31/2006 7:23:12 AM | Boundries and discipline are important but you will never teach a 3 yr old not to hit if spanking is how you deal with bad behavior. I would love the OP to have explained how she has been dealing with the hitting and bad language. That in itself is NOT a sign of ADHD. Kids learn bad words form the adults around them
Yes their are parents out there that are quick to ask for medication to ease their pain but I don't believe many Drs will just prescribe something because Mommy asks for it. I have adult ADHD and had to go through testing, dietary changes, therapy etc before my Dr would prescribe a damn thing.
3 year olds are the worst. My son was so active he never napped and ran everywhere. I swore he was ADHD until I really read up on it. There is a wealth of information out there. Now at 12 he is an honor student sports fanatic and very mellow he has never had to take anything to calm him down he just grew out of it. | |
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babs3
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Joined: 7/30/2006
Msg: 139 | |
| does my son have ADD or ADHD?
Posted: 12/31/2006 8:40:40 AM | bubbles,
I really don't want to start the debate about spanking a child...but you are right, kids are a product of their enviorment. I would also like to hear from the OP if her lil one was used to socializing with other kids regularly. My son was a monster at 3...and he learned what the bounderies were...eventually! It is difficult to reason with a toddler....I know...I have one...When my son started biting........after trying everything else first.....I bit him back! He was a quick learner lemme tell ya! I guess what I am saying is not all kids are angels...and adhd isn't something that should be pointed to until they are much older and it is affecting their progress. I swear my son is almost 9 now and still going through a phase......but it is more his personality than a disability. | |
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| does my son have ADD or ADHD?
Posted: 12/31/2006 9:23:31 AM | Biting him back that is too funny. My daughter went through a biting stage at 2. It drove me crazy I was constantly stressed out and appologizing to everyone and then as soon as she stopped another 2 year old in her daycare went through HIS biting stage. It's hard to get angry when it was your little darling the month before.
I don't want to get into the spanking debate either!
But the OP did get a tad salty with the language when someone blamed her parenting skills for the childs out bursts. I am no Dr but the kid is obviously angry and does not know how to channel his anger without hitting. That requires a lot of patience from a caregiver and it will take time. If the OP feels she is out of her skill level or possibly does not have that kind of patience (many of us do not) parenting classes or good behavior exercises followed by a reward help. My Dr suggested playing Simon Sez to encourage kids to listen to directions and follow orders.
My sister had a little terror of a child and she made a wall chart of good days and bad days good behavior was rewarded by a sticker that Max got to put on the good side and he really looked forward to his end of the day reward. Three good days in a row meant a trip to the park, 5 good days meant a new story book or a trip to the dollar store to buy himself a toy. It really worked for her. | |
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| does my son have ADD or ADHD?
Posted: 12/31/2006 11:59:26 AM | How quick people are to medicate their children and diagnose almost a undiagnosable mental ailment instead of looking at the root cause. Diet is responsible for over 90% of the "ADD" issues kids have, if more parents would look at ALL their options instead of medicating I think there would a lot more happy kids in the world. Sometimes I wonder of medicating is more for the parents than the kids.
I know of course people will disagree with me and that's OK, but I happen to have a differing opinion, from witnessing first-hand the results simple diet changes can make to kids and their behaviours. Before medicating kids, please look at ALL your options.
No need for lashing out at me because of my view (and I know parents are sensitive to their kids, as am I). I don't believe ADD or ADHD is a real illness. | |
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| does my son have ADD or ADHD?
Posted: 12/31/2006 6:21:07 PM | I wouldn't suggest pumping your kid full of drugs just yet.
I'm not saying you fit this mold but one thing I've noticed is that parents let their kids eat a lot of sugar then they run wild and the parents toss up their hands and say "what is wrong with this kid? get him on ritalin!" The truth is, sugar is a drug. Don't believe me? Take a couple table spoons on an empty stomach, you will tripp balls.
I know several family physicians and I know that a lot of times they have to pay for medication out of their own pockets and the only way they get reimbersed for these medications is to sell them to their patients, so many times Dr's perscribe medications for patients that don't need it. Im not saying that you shouldn't trust your family doctor, but just because he thinks your kid should go on medication doesn't mean you should comply right away without weighing the pro's and cons. The medications they give to children with ADD are very close to the same chemicals in cocaine. Would you give your kid cocaine to calm him/her down?
I'd be weary to give my young child asprine let alone a perscription drugs.
Just my 2 cents.
Like I said, this isn't necessarily directed at you, but just my opinion on the ADD craze that seems to have plagued our culture.
P.S every kid I know under the age of 5 acts exactly how you described your child. | |
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| does my son have ADD or ADHD?
Posted: 7/7/2007 9:52:20 PM | Ok I have to agree with the above posts... firstly what are you feeding him.. a diet with lots of sugar makes the behaviors worse, and it seems like your little guy is a little spoiled.. and he 's just doing what he knows..
I've been there too.. but we learn as parents as we get older.. your child needs to know your in charge.. time outs work well.. and a balanced diet with proteins and carbs .. too much juice is bad..also you might what to check for allergies... food coloring can make kids go wild.. Check of some web sites regarding diets..
Be strong...and talk to you Doc to rule out any other concerns.. Good Luck.. | |
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| does my son have ADD or ADHD?
Posted: 7/7/2007 10:10:23 PM | Yeah, don't jump to meds until you've tried everything else first. 3 is also very young, and that's the time too when bad behaviours start to come out. Go with the majority of people, and deal with the doctor. Don't try to figure things out on your own or try to get a non-professional to possibly tell you what it is. There's testing for ADD and ADHD to determine if the child has it.
And at that age, you REALLY don't want to go right for medication because it may not be right for the child. For me when I was younger, I was on medication for ADHD and was on the wrong combination of stuff that it literally recked my hair growth. My hair didn't grow in properly, so it was all stringy. I know have short hair because long hair couldn't work for me because of that. Go with the idea of trying natural things first and see where that goes. Try reading some books on ADHD. They've found that many foods can easily cause ADD ADHD symptoms. And by the sounds of it, if it was anything it would be ADD as what you're describing isn't that there is lots of hyperactivity that's more that a typical 3 year old. It would only by ADHD if there was extensive hyperactivity involved. | |
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| does my son have ADD or ADHD?
Posted: 7/7/2007 10:17:53 PM |
How quick people are to medicate their children and diagnose almost a undiagnosable mental ailment instead of looking at the root cause. Diet is responsible for over 90% of the "ADD" issues kids have, if more parents would look at ALL their options instead of medicating I think there would a lot more happy kids in the world. Sometimes I wonder of medicating is more for the parents than the kids.
I know of course people will disagree with me and that's OK, but I happen to have a differing opinion, from witnessing first-hand the results simple diet changes can make to kids and their behaviours. Before medicating kids, please look at ALL your options.
No need for lashing out at me because of my view (and I know parents are sensitive to their kids, as am I). I don't believe ADD or ADHD is a real illness.
I agree...After a while of being of the medications, I eventually managed my ADHD on my own. I still have it of course, but it doesn't affect me as much. I only get hyper once in a while, and my concentration has gotten better over time. I still fidget every once in a while, but I use what I call a squeeze ball. You can get many squishy type balls at a dollar store. I do notice too many people are jumping to what they think is the "quick fix". The truth is, medicating your child with unnecesary meds too early can affect certain things. IMO, kids should not be medicated under 5. More people have to try natural things first. There's so much that people don't realize about natural resources. | |
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| does my son have ADD or ADHD?
Posted: 7/8/2007 1:52:33 AM | | Have him tested OP is the best way to go . If he does have ADD or ADHD there is more alternatives then medicating them , I suggest you do a bit of research online . There is a wealth of info about both ADD and ADHD . If he does require being medicated ,Conserta or Straterra is much better choices then Ritalin . Just a warning ,avoid Adderal as well because it is kind of the same as Ritalin . | |
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| does my son have ADD or ADHD?
Posted: 7/8/2007 7:49:23 AM | | I just have to add that even tho my kiddo has adhd,the dr ansd I both knew that there was still something else wrong,more evaluations,occupational therapy for sensory ibtegration disorder[which looks very much like add]and hes doing much better!yeah,my kiddo acted much the same, | |
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| does my son have ADD or ADHD?
Posted: 7/8/2007 7:52:36 AM | | for those of you who think you know everything,plleease;this diagnosis doesnt just mean meds,it also means education on how to best handle and help your kid.you dont know until you've been there! | |
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