Saturday, October 9, 2004

Behavior problem or ADHD? (part 2)

After learning all there is to know about the medications and therapy used for treating add/adhd, I chose to go with Adderal in my sons case. Within the first few hours there was a tremendous change in my son, he was calm, he was loving and he was able to think before he acted.  The scariest part of ADHD is how it effects the part of the brain that curbs impulses. Jimmy had no fear of getting hurt, he couldn't even get to that part about him doing something that could possibly hurt him or hurt others around him. When I went back to his specialist I literally cried tears of happiness! I thanked that Doctor for giving me back my son. I was able to fall in love with my son all over again, like I did at his birth, it was like a rebirth.

He immediately stopped being a discipline problem at school, his grades shot up, because he was finally able to process what was being taught to him and retain it, he became a different child, the child he was truly meant to be. His brain was finally firing off in the same manner as a brain that is considered normal. Would I with hold a medication from my child because this would mean he wasn't perfect, NO! Would I with hold giving my son a medication because of fear that I would be labeled another neurotic mother who medicates her son because it was the easiest thing to do, HELL NO! I medicated my son because I love him, I want good things in life for him, in order to have a good life one must be educated, how can one get an education if one cannot comprehend what is being taught to them.

He is very intelligent, he ranked 3 points off of genius when he was just 9 years old. He is a very gifted artist, he is a deep thinker and blows most adults away with his intellect and what he can understand at a child's level compared to what adults can understand. He notices everything now instead of going full throttle without care. He has stopped putting himself at risk of injury and has stopped hurting others, he is now able to feel compassion. In being human one has to be able to feel compassion.

Back when my husband was younger they did not know about ADD/ADHD. They labeled everybody that was outside of the norm, a trouble maker, incorrigible. He was kicked out of kindergarten, then out of that particuliar school totally. His mother often cried herself to sleep much like I used to. He is/was an undiagnosed adhd person himself, His mother had said when he turned 12, he became less of a handful. So has my son, so I tried taking him off medication without a good result, he does take med vacations during some of the summer, but then it does effect his social behavior, so we lower his doses during off school days.

Some experts say they either will or will not outgrow add/adh and then some experts say its not that they outgrow it, they just find better ways as an adult to cope with it. People with add/adhd do not do well in jobs with a lot of repetition, they need to be constantly challenged.

The best thing my sons therapist gave to him was a list of people past and present who showed characteristics of add/adhd.......you would be surprised at all the forward thinking individuals who would have been labeled add/adhd! There were a lot of my sons heroes on those pages (Both Kennedy's, Einstein, Abe Lincoln, astronauts, peace makers, etc.), and that gave him peace of mind that he is going to be just fine!

10 comments:

Anonymous said...

Sometimes I think that ADHD is as much gift as handicap, the creativity and energy that are part and parcel of ADHD bring real benefits to life.  Medication has made such a huge impact in my husband's life.

Anonymous said...

I love this post. I just touched on this subject a bit in my journal, but lightly. My nephew was diagnosed with add/adhd a few years ago. He suffered much of the same u decribed about your son. The meds have been a God Sent because he functions much better now then he did, but he's not 100 percent.

One thing that surprised me was about how you mentioned your sons schooling, being the smartest in his class, and always needing to be challenged. My nephew is the same way. He gets bored easily at school because the work seems too easy for him. And he always needs to be challenged.  He is as bright as a full grown adult. He amazes me sometimes. Also, after my mother telling my brother for years that my nephew was just like him, my brother found out just over the last 2 years that he may have suffered from add/adhd, but my mom never new back then, they would just say he was a wild typical boy.

Also, I have always mentioned over the years that my daughter Lexi, now 7, may have add/adhd. But I refused to ever get it checked out. I just delt with it. I did the same thing you mentioned. Praying for her to go to sleep at night, she was and still is always the last to fall asleep, she'd have so much energy still. when she was small i'd cry myself to sleep dreading the next day with her. It got worse as I had three very small kids to handle. Her energy is abundant. somedays she can't be calmed down. Always moving. And very emotional.  But it's better then what it was, more so since she's started school. But still I wonder, even more now after reading your entry.

Sorry so long. eeek
Mish
http://journals.aol.com/bigalsbaby03/twistoffate/

Anonymous said...

I have a child at work that is ADHD and he is the most gifted child I have ever known. His fatehr read him the Wall Street Journal when he was a toddler and when this child was six years old we had some kind of discussion (can't rememebr what it was about) but he told me that he READ the Wall Street Journal. I asked his mother about it and it was true. This child can spout off facts that amaze me. He goes off his meds during the summer also and is a handful but does seem to get better each year.

Every child I have ever met with ADD/ADHD have been bright children who love to learn and learn they do. They love to tinker and take things a part and put them back togehter. Such as my daughter used to do to me and still will to this day.

Not all parent knwo how to approach such children and ti is nice to knwo you searched out information to help your son with positive results.

Anonymous said...

So wonderful to hear your son is doing well. How smart of you to educate yourself on the subject to find an answer. Paula

Anonymous said...

Hi. I don't know too much about ADD/ADHD, but many times they find a food allergy is what caused it all. You could try and find out, it may work. I read it somewhere where a little girl supposedly had it, and really what was wrong was the combo of foods she was eatting were producing alcohol in her stomach, making her a nasty drunk, can you believe that!!! Now, I'm not saying this about your child, but maybe some kind of allergy could be doing this to him or agrivating it.

Hope this helps you out and Blessings. :)

http://journals.aol.com/glopsblink/ATreasureTroveofGoodies

Anonymous said...

Oh, one other thing, since he's so smart, maybe part of his acting out could be to not being intellectually challenged enough in school, which tempts many students to be overly energic (it did to me for a while until my dad knocked me on my rear for it). Just another thought, and I don't look down at you at all for medicating him, sounds like it's helping. Again, blessings. :)

http://journals.aol.com/glopsblink/ATreasureTroveofGoodies

Anonymous said...

You know my youngest son has ADHD, and he had been taking Rittalin for 3 years now and it has helped him out tremendously. I dont think he could have made it in school without it. God Bless

Anonymous said...

I am thrilled to hear that your son is doing so well.  My sister is raising her grandson, who is 13, and she has been to hell and back with him.  She has tried every single medication out there, but saw no improvement.  Her husband, Logan's grandfather/father, died suddenly in his bed two years ago.  Before my brother-in-law's death, Logan was doing pretty good, but since his dad's death, he has been in trouble continuously, a danger to himself and my sister, and is in constant trouble with the law.  I have been wondering if the shock of his dad's death has caused him to be stuck in the anger mode during the grieving process, and might not all be related to his ADD/ADHD, which prevents the medication from working.  I think you are doing a fantastic job in dealing with his disease and medication issues.  Surely he knows what a great mom he has!!

Be blessed.......Trina
http://journals.aol.com/trinainmobile/Reflections

Anonymous said...

THE ONE THING I KNOW FROM THIS ENTRY AS WELL AS JUST YOUR JOURNAL IN GENERAL IS THAT YOU LOVE YOUR CHILDREN. AND YOUR SON IS GOING TO THANK YOU SOME DAY FOR LOVING AND CARING ABOUT HIM ENOUGH TO GET HIM ALL THE HELP AND SUPPORT NECESSARY TO ENSURE HIM A SUCCESSFUL FUTURE. AS WELL AS HIS LIFE AND THATS ALL THAT MATTERS AT THE END OF THE DAY. YOU JUST KEEP ON BEING THE GREAT MOTHER THAT YOU ARE. :)
KIM.

Anonymous said...

I am very glad that the medication worked for your family, that is wonderful, but i want mothers to be aware of the fact that it is NOT for every child.  in many cases the problem with the children is not a disease it is inconsistancy in discipline and parenting.  for every parent struggling with the decision to medicate or not to medicate, please read a book called "unraveling the add/adhd fiasco...successful parenting without drugs" by david b stein, ph.d.  my experince was not a problem with my child but with my parenting, and it takes a lot to admit that.  i am not saying that there are not cases where the child does need to be medicated, but go through every possible resource before you result to medication...please!!!!  -e. morgan of memphis, tn