ADHD and Anxiety
Children, adolescents, and adults with anxiety disorders often have an increase in anxiety or experience side effects to stimulants used to treat AD/HD. Anxiety is also a common reason for inattention and distractibility in the classroom, and can sometimes be mistaken for AD/HD. However, anxiety disorders (as well as depression, and learning problems) also tend to coexist with AD/HD.
Strattera is probably the medication of first choice for someone with anxiety, although it has its own side effect profile and doesn't work for everyone. Frequently, anxiety needs to be treated first, and when treatment is successful, a stimulant can often be successfully added.
If your child is fearful or seems to have anxiety problems, I'd suggest a comprehensive evaluation by a good child psychologist and perhaps a referral to a child psychiatrist for medications.
More information about anxiety in children can be found in, "Your Anxious Child," by Dacey and Fiore.
Related Topics: High Cost of Mental Illness in Children, Ritalin for Preschoolers?
Technorati Tags: ADHD, anxiety, side effects, Strattera
Strattera is probably the medication of first choice for someone with anxiety, although it has its own side effect profile and doesn't work for everyone. Frequently, anxiety needs to be treated first, and when treatment is successful, a stimulant can often be successfully added.
If your child is fearful or seems to have anxiety problems, I'd suggest a comprehensive evaluation by a good child psychologist and perhaps a referral to a child psychiatrist for medications.
More information about anxiety in children can be found in, "Your Anxious Child," by Dacey and Fiore.
Related Topics: High Cost of Mental Illness in Children, Ritalin for Preschoolers?
Technorati Tags: ADHD, anxiety, side effects, Strattera
66 Comments:
My son was diagnosed with ADD a year ago. Now they call it ADHD. He constantly licks his fingers. He says his hands are dry and lotion does not help. Is this a side effect of the ritalin, an OCD disorder, or some kind of anxiety disorder? He takes ritalin 5mg twice a day. I need advice!!!!
Now and days evetyone is being dignoised with add or adhd! How dou you kno if u really have it?
My son has severe ADHD. He was diagnosed at age 6 and his been on medication for 4 years. We have been through many of the medicines trying to find a workable combination for him. After much stress and bad combinations with stimulants, we noticed up until last year, that Strattera worked well with a combination of Concerta. However, now he needs an adjustment for his focus at school and we are having difficulty with the combination working when the stimulant is increased. Are there any ADHD medicines that work on focus/control and ability to get school work done without aggressive side affects found in the stimulants? My child is unable to function properly in school and now that he is in the inter-mediate grades his social life and interaction with most peers is very strained or non-existant. His classroom behavior is a distraction for the whole class.
Reply to Anonymous on "How do you know if you have ADHD?". Find a reputable psychiatrist or doctor of neurology who specializes in the field. There are tests that should be run before any diagnosis is given. These doctors can best determine and perform the tests. A good source for information regarding ADHD would be Chadd's website. You will find a lot of helpful information and references on doctors or resources. Many other issues can "look" like ADHD but are not and the wrong treatment will not solve the problem.
I believe that this condition is one that is hard on the person who has it because they have a uniqueness unlike others who can sit and listen all day without a release. Some people are dreamers and want to play outside. Some want to take things apart. Some want to paint. Some want to play music or man the farm. Seems to me, the way it is being handled today is causing regression with medication just so the child will calm for parent and teacher. Something I believe, is really misunderstood. (I've had 2 children on ritlin for a short while).
Some cases are severe because of things the mother did, supposedly, at pregnancy, like drinking or what not. Or it could be that it's a hereditary gift that is being repressed if not let out. The ADD or ADHD (whatever)person could end up being someone who can invent something more useful to our world if they didn't have to be like everyone else. Too bad there isn't a place for everyone with any condition. I can't live robotic and unchanged. Can you?
I agree with the "robots" idea in so-called ADHD children. After many kinds of ADHD medicines, my son's doctor decided he didn't have ADHD. All the medicines prescribed made him act "zombie" like. As his Mother, I knew this was not and could not be healthy. The medicines didn't help his grades at school either and a couple of them made his heart race. My son was never diagnosed by a doctor with ADHD, but his 1st grade school teacher said he had it. The pediatrician advised that my son will show no different response to learning in school if he doesn't have it. My son was not or is not hyper now. Because his 1st grade teacher (her first year teaching) said he had ADHD, my son has been "labeled" with a learning disability. It is very hard to pay attention at 6, 7, and 8 years old anyway, much less with the effects of medicines that make you a zombie !! As his Mother my hands were tied, because the other school faculty members; Asst. Principal, Principal, school psychologist and resource teacher all supported the 1st grade teacher. I fought and argued as much as I could. Certain cognitive learning abilities and other abilities are developing as the child grows. Some children develop faster than others. My argument is that he should have been held back in kindergarten and I argued the point that he just came from a quiet secure home atmosphere with me and his grandmother to a world full of children and activities. He hardly knew how to use the bathroom by himself, let alone deal with all the other things going on. But the principal refused and my son had to repeat the 2nd grade. Although the school psychologist did confide in me that she (the 1st grade teacher) thinks she can "spot" a ADD/ADHD child a mile a way. Many parents have felt like she doesn't need to be teaching. He is in 5th grade this year and is taking no medications. However, since he was labeled with a learning disability, he was forced to have an IEP (Individual Education Plan) schedule beginning in 2nd grade and join resource classes for Math and Reading. Now his so-called learning disability is labelled OLC (other learning condition). I must agree he doesn't catch on to Math concepts as quickly as others, but he hasn't ever had a problem with Reading. My point is that since he is not taking ADHD medicines, he is now eating well and gaining weight, growing, and flourishing. His color looks healthy, he laughs and talks more and I can see major improvements in his learning, even Reading assignments. But now, not only does he have to deal with these people at school, he is behind on Math and is struggling to catch up. His resource teacher says he could go all the way through 12 th grade in resource and not receive a diploma, just a certificate. This is unacceptable because my son can learn the concepts. It was torture for me as his Mother to make him to take these ADHD medications (Strattera, Concerta, Ritalin, and Focalin)as prescribed by his pediatrician. I researched ADD/ADHD and learned that these are fairly new diagnoses (around 20 years), I didn't want my son to be used as a guinea pig. Nothing has been "proven" about the symptoms (hyperactivity, non-hyperactivity, etc.)that I could find. Some children are hyperactive and some are non-hyper (they daydream alot). It is mostly speculation that a disease is the cause. Personally, I believe it's a developmental issue. Only side effects of the medicines are warned against. Several meetings with the school faculty over the past 5 years about this "issue" has left me and my son resentful of the school faculty members. He has to face his 1st grade teacher every day in the halls, etc. when he attends school. The slightest "out of the way" action or remark is blown way out of proportion now. If I change his school, his school records will accompany him and he will still have the learning disability label. There are some children who benefit from the medicinal treatment of ADD/ADHD, but I believe there are too many children today that are prematurely assumed to have it and automatically labelled with ADD/ADHD. Just because my son didn't like chocolate covered popsicles in 1st grade (he loves them now)did not constitute the grief caused him by his "label".
To Anonymous Who Agrees with "Robots Label"
We live in quite the world don't we. Our educators are forced to meet "quotas" in the system which focuses mainly on "testing" of children's recall ability on standard tests that are very lengthy and stressful for all involved. We have 4 and 5 year olds (at least I did) who come home from preK and Kindergarten with "homework". Then as our children progress through school from grades 1 and on we have a mirage of tasks to be completed at home. Now I am not someone who disapproves with homework, but I am someone who thinks children need time to play and have fun. In today's society we are so focused on that SAT score, what college to attend, our careers, we are sacrificing the future of our children. They are not allowed to be different. There are many trades that we are overlooking today, because we all focus on college. Secondary education is needed today, but it doesn't need to be a tradtional college. If our children learn differently, they are labeled. That is an overwhelming weight for a child to ever overcome.
There are many good schools that will work with your child. Don't settle for a bad one. It won't matter if you have your childs records with a label accompany him to another school. If this is a choice you and he want to make, then just do the research to find a school that may better fit him. Otherwise the alternative is further frustration for you and him. The older the child becomes the harder it is for him once he is labeled "different". We are all different and we make up this planet. It would be so boring and incomplete any other way. Truly we would not have all the wonderful creative things that make it "our world".
This is a great and succinct post on ADHD plus anxiety.
There was a recent study which showed that Strattera worked well in people with ADHD + anxiety - and it seems to 'kill two birds with one stone'.
Strattera can be helpful, but as you say, is not always well tolerated.
I think that it is so odd that parents are putting their children on these drug to handle education. When you look at the diets of these children they are clearly on sugar highs and need attention at going at their own pace and clearing up words and concepts before they continue on with their subjects. But instead they are piling up misunderstood words and concepts which hinder them from learning anything.
The solution has been to drug them. These drugs lead to children that are turning into drug addicts in their later years.
Parents dont need to drug their kids which turns them into robots and then expect them to learn and be good functioning adults.
Kids need time and attention and not to be the profit centers for the large lobbing drug companies. Whose profits are the largest of any industry worldwide. Including banking.
Kids are getting addicted to these drugs and I really stongly suggest that parents stand up and pay attention to what is going on.
I think that parents should take a good look at what the drug companies are doing and look rather at the suger ladden diets of their kids as well as ensuring that their kids understand what they are learning rather than leave them piled up with a lot of misunderstood words and concepts. Which will make a kid hyper and unable to learn.
These drugs are turning the kids into drug addicts. This is a fact!
One should question what they are giving their kids and not just give into the large marketing campaignes by the drug companies. Your kid does not need a drug cocktail he need to learn, These drugs are making kids hyper and worse drug addict and worse than than that their side effects are suicide and violence. But by putting them on these drugs you are making them chemically dependant.
These drug companies profits are larger than all other international sectors= including banking. Dont turn your kid into an addict.
Eliminate food allergies, give them good nutrition and a good eduation/
Regarding Bad Diets and ADHD ....true sugar can cause a child to become stimulated, however, ADHD is not too much sugar or a bad diet. Anyone suggesting that it is does not understand what ADHD truly is.
I'm a 21 year old female nursing student and my doctor recently put me on Adderall for my Attention problem, but i'm not hyperactive. I'm actually very lethargic and depressed and am not able to focus on anything for a long period of time. One of my pupils has been dilated larger than the other since the medication began but my grades show that my focus has really improved. I'm worried about the strange side-effects and wonder if there is something safer? I am dealing with other people's lives and often wonder if the Adderall may disrupt my judgment.
My mind tends to wander off to past conversations and experiences that I really don't want to reexperience. They usually focus on mistakes. This has the affect of distracting me from what's at hand. I need help controlling this problem because it impedes my ability to finish tasks. I'm 25 years old. Do I have adutl ADD? What do I need to do to control it without taking medication?
I am a first grade teacher and I hear so many other teachers diagnosing children with ADHD. Only a doctor or psychiatrist can oficially diagnose ADHD, but teachers are usually the first to notice the inability to focus and pay attention. I think kids should be kids and there are very high expectations at a very young age now. Even with this philosophy, I still find students who really cannot focus. I do not expect a first grade student to sit and listen quietly for over 20 minutes (even that seems high somedays), but it is sad when a child cannot even focus for more than five minutes. I think it is hard to notice ADHD or ADD at home because the child is usually choosing to do activities that they are interested in. I do have a couple of students who have already come to first grade diagnosed with ADHD. I do belive the diagnosis is correct. I think parents and teachers should really look into it before a quick diagnosis of ADD or ADHD of any child and look into classroom adaptations and accomodations before jumping to medication.
I am a wife and mother of some one who has ADHD. My husband has it and has never been diagnosed. My son has it and has been diagnosed because he is still in school and having major problems. I find it very distressing that people who don't have the experience of living with someone who has this problem, giving their strong opinion that it doesn't exist. I have had to fight every step of the way for my son in school or he would be written off as an unmotivated student who just doesn't want to do better. (I am dealing with that opinion right now with at least three out of five teachers that he has in middle school). He himself is very frustrated with himself cause he wants to do better and knows that he can (because he had to go to summer school to complete his last grade and aced math. It was the only subject he had to concentrate on for the four weeks) but his brain is not allowing him to stay focused. I have read Dr. Wender's book on Adult ADHD and am positive that my husband is dealing with the same thing. He dropped out of school in grade 10 and smoked pot starting at the age of 12 because he found he was able to think full complete thoughts and his brain wasn't jumping around from idea to idea without his control. I met and married him while he still was smoking it and then when he quit it was like living with a whole different person. We cannot have complete conversations and for sure nothing about anything stressful (like finances or kids school, etc.) because it just blows up in my face. He is easily frustrated, is easily angered (although it comes fast and leaves fast)and is bored very easily(can't sit in the house on a "lazy" day, needs to go out and do something, usually spending money). I could probably write a book describing my family life about living with ADHD becasue there is so much more than what I just described. To some this may not sound like a huge problem, but if you live it EVERY DAY and imagine the friction between the two with ADHD, then you might just start to begin to realize that it is a REAL problem for those who have it and those who are closest to them.
Anyone that thinks ADHD is a made up disease or is caused by a sugar high really needs to do some research on the subject. I am 21 years old and I wasnt diagnosed with this problem until i was 17 and had been struggling with it for several years.
I had an extremely hard time in school because i was unable to retain the information as well as my classmates and i learn in a different way then the other students at my school. I also had a lot of trouble making friends because i wasnt able to connect on the same level as my peers. I was very depressed because of this situation.
Now that i am in college i have been struggling to learn the skills that i should have when i was younger.
Dont brush it off as if it were nothing. I have to deal with this problem every day and i wish with all my heart that i had the choice to push it aside and say that it was just to much sugar (i eat a very balanced diet thank you.)
For people asking about medication:
I took one called focalin. It worked very well for me up until about two years ago because its not very good for adult ADHD.
My sister has a more severe case of ADHD and she has been on concerta lately which has done wonders for her mood and focus.
If you feel that you are depressed or suicidal you are supposed to talk to your doctor because your are not on the correct dosage for the medication that you are taking or you may not even be on the right medication. Sometimes you have to try different types. I have gone through atleast 5 different types of medications before finally finding the right one.
The only way to know if you truely have ADHD is to talk to a doctor and get tested for it. Sometimes depression can have some of the same signs as ADHD.
I do think that the public school system should adopt more ways to teach instead of the typical logic and linguistics approach. Not all students are good at these topics. I myself am horrible at logic analysis. Because of this i struggled hard to get into college. I just think its unfair for those of us that are better at spacial or kinesthetic reasoning.
my husband has adhd and anxiety. He has been taking straterra for most of 3 years. He skips a lot of days and will take himself completely off of it for weeks at a time b/c of the side effects - trouble sleeping at night, sexual dysfunction and about 4-5 hours after taking the medicine he gets extremely tired and needs to take a nap, which effects work. He says strattera helps him focus and calms him down but the side effects are horrible. Has anyone tried the homeopathic treatments such as Focus or Flavay?
I am the wife of a very successful husband and have a 16 year old son with ADHD. I have worked with some of the best Doctors, Psychologists etc.... We have tried many of the different meds and diet and good nutrition over the years. I wish ADHD was a simple sugar overload issue!!!! We are now trying staterra and hope it will help as we are now dealing with anxiety/anger issues. My beautiful, smart and athlectic son would be a wreck without the help of meds. He even tells me how he has struggled without them in the past. AND---there is NO evedence of drug use...kids that struggle will often turn to illegal drugs to numb themselves and not deal with their issues...hats off to all parents raising their ADD/ADHD children. God has given them some neat talents...they need much love, patience and understanding at home. They are often left out in social circles.......Keep taking care of yourself to be the best parent you can be for your child.
I am a 26 yr old woman with adhd and i just recently was diagnosed they had thought i ahad manic bipolar and had me on anti-physcothic meds for like 8 yrs and now he has me on ritilin and depekots becsue he says i have borderline personality disorder and as well volume because of anxiety of being an active duty navy wife my question to you is why do ihave such a hard time rememebering things? It can be as short as like 5 minutes and i can forget what ia was doing can you give me aadvice?
I have never before realized just how many people are affected by ADD/ADHD. I am 17 and am going to college next year. I've been struggling my entire life with ADD, and being the only one in my family (and the only one of my friends) with it, it's been a very long struggle. Thank you so much for showing me that I'm not quite alone! I have always felt "different" from everyone else. It takes me at least twice as long as others to do homework at night. Add that to all the extracurriculars I'm in, and I barely have time for homework. By the time I come home for the day, my meds have already worn off and I can't concentrate at all. It's not my fault!! So I don't complete a few assignments (they give us waaay too many! I'm not in college YET!), and my teachers automatically assign me to a "504 Plan". They gave me a PLAN?! I don't need help. I know I am fully capable of doing my own homework assignments, and I definitely do NOT need any of those handicaps that are offered to me, such as extensions on projects and using notecards on tests. I can study for my own tests! Sometimes I feel like I truly do have a "mental disability". I try so hard to be "average", but it's hard. Without my meds I feel lethargic and fall asleep and draw pictures and such. When I'm on my meds, sure I concentrate in school, but that's all I am able to think about. I'm like...like a robot, I guess.
Wow, and here I am at 11:21 at night. I'm supposed to be reacherching schizophrenia for health class, but instead I'm looking for websites about ADD. Websites that actually have to do with my disorder...
I honestly can't believe how many parents put there children on these ADHD/anxiety/experimental drugs! Is your child just a guinea pig for you to test medications on until your happy with how they act???
Well Rob, Do you have a child with adhd. ???????
It makes me very mad when people make comments without doing their research first. ADD/ADHD is a real medical disorder with a biological basis. Brain scans show differences in brain activity between people with ADD and those without it. Stimulant medication activates the parts of the brain that are not being activated without medication. For those who argue that we are going to cause kids with ADD to become drug addicts by medicating them, again, studies show that children with ADD who are NOT medicated are actually at a higher risk for drug abuse than those children with ADD who ARE medicated for their condition. The medications used for ADD are some of the most well researched out there. Whenever we come across something that seems scary because we don't understand it or we hear rumors, it is so important to do research using books and peer-reviewed journals found freely at a library. I am 22 and was just last year diagnosed with ADD. I had "known" all of my life that there was something different about me but nobody was willing to listen. Once I started a stimulant medication, my world changed. I could suddenly pay attention through a whole conversation without accidentally "spacing out." I remembered more from reading and class and I was no longer sitting in front of my books for hours on end trying desperately to stay focused. Ok, I'm stepping off of my soap box. :-)
My 6 year old son is being treated for ADHD but has never been officially diagnosed with it. He was taking strattera at 5 yrs old. It worked good for him but our new insurance won't cover it so now he is on adderall. That's a big switch that isn't helping my child. He has become increasingly aggressive, he cries a lot and when he gets frustrated, he gets destructive or hits himself in the head and yells and calls himself stupid or other negative descriptions. He is a straight A's first grader but needs extra time to complete his work away from other children. Thank goodness he has a great teacher. It is very sad for me as a mother to feel helpless towards my child. Depression and anxiety are the next battles to be fought.
If your son is constantly licking his fingers then just put some tobasco sauce them, then he'll stop licking them, I guarentee it. And its a drug free solution
Stay home. Take care of your children full time.Feed them unprocessed food. Do not allow them to watch more than 3 hours of TV a week, monitor what they watch. Do not believe everything you hear. No one knows your child like you and your husband. Most of all,ask God to bless you and your child and help them with self control issus.
I have a 4th grade son who was diagnosed with ADHD in the 1st grade. I didn't want to believe it. I work in the mental health field and thought wow alot of people jump to conclusions to soon. We began seeing a psychiatrist and tried medication. His grades improved and he was much more calm. I thought maybe the diet and he was having a reaction to sugar so I tried the change in diet. Well lo and behold his grades dropped and the teacher contacted me that he wasn't doing well. So for someone to say just monitor their diet and sugar is crazy. Sure you still need to monitor what they eat but if they truly have ADD or ADHD unfortunately the diet alone probably won't help. Along with this comes anxiety alot of the time. These children can be really challenging but if you can help them find a way to manage their emotions and impulses they are wonderful loving children. Only a reputable psychiatrist can truly diagnose this disorder (that by the way is scientifically proven, it is not in our heads)but if you or child are diagnosed you should not let your views of medication make life difficult for your child. We are now dealing with his medication not working and it has taken a toll on him as he knows that he is not behaving as he should but he can't seem to control it. Wish us luck with the new medication.
has anyone heard of Adderall just stop working?
anonymous above,
Try posting your question on our ADHD in Children or Adults with ADHD message boards.
today i spoke w/ my daughter's school psych and kindergarten teacher to find out that they feel that she who like her father has ADHD. His learning issues and her constant fidgeting has led us up to the fact that she may be doing her very best which in that case is GREAT!!! They have suggested medications that i will further discuss with pediatrician as well as her father about these possible solutions. now don't get me wrong i am not a pill pusher in anyway and i have been in and out of tears because it so very scary to put something so foreign into her body...but as her teacher said that its like there is this menu in her brain that is has too many choices to choose from and we who do not have this issue of quickly deciding what where when to do things have no comparison. i will not be able to get her into in physcian til this june. now on another note i was then considered to be "hyperactive" as a kindergartner. and my parents were recommended that i be put on something, god knows what then(early 80's)? but they refused and i feel as an adult i am still hyper but i use it to my ability to bring skunshine into others lives... i feel that i have always been unique as everyone is and i can't imagine what would have happened had they said "sure we can't deal with her lets just give her something!!". So i sit here researching and being torn a part from one thing to the next of meds?
NEVER NEVER!!! Allow anyone to place your child into RESOURCE class (unless there is a physical issue ie: wheelchair serious problems!) RESOURCE class will never help a normal or slower child it is very true that a kid can be placed into a resource programs and never be allowed to graduate from highschool not because they didnt try but because 9 time out of 10 the 'program' held them back from pushing foward!!!!!! NEVER let this happen to your child, your child is your child forever and the school can not make these choices for you!! Don't let them push you around if you have insurance or any hope of your child being in their classes with other children get 100's more doctors to say NO WAY the school will bow down God bless teachers but they are not doctors from a mile away and school phyco's are braindead get your own family doc. or specialist to look at your child and honestly most new teachers or bad teachers dont want to take the time with children who need more of them and lable them as ADD or ADHD please!! for the sake of your child never put them in resource programs they will be there for life! dont let the school lie to your or push you around you have rights! who delievered this kid anyway!!!!
Why do our children have to grow up so fast,and why do they have to please every teacher who has a little problem? My granddaughter could read and use the computer with confidence before kindergarten. Kindergarten teacher was very "pleased" with her performance. Bright child, helpful in class. Teacher didn't have to work so hard. In moving up the grade level and using socializing abilities, as all children do, the "pleasing, bright child, who was useful" suddenly became a reason for teachers to have to work a little, not have a lot of down time in class and have to earn their salaries. It seems a shame to me that my granddaughter and all children full of personality, wonder,and childhood delight, should be put on these mind altering drugs to make either mommie or teacher's day "easy" ! What has happened to the magic that teachers and mothers used to have for making our children"s lives happy and for making our children feel secure in who they are without being the highest achiever or the most well behaved ? Maybe try letting our children be children again. Find the wonder and happiness in living.
Hello, Ill make this real simple but its complex! Diagnosed as ADD when 5 1/2; dosed on ritalin 35 to 40 Mg daily till I was 12 1/2 because of school and severe act outs, disturbing others stuck in special classes ( Special ED for Behavioral Problems; Lists goes on, 30 now I suffer from ADD/ADHD a Mood Disorder and Severe OCD on the contamination level.. ADD/ADAH is severe with combined types, Moods pretty horible as well.....
Starting late when I was 29 going crazy from alll the anxietys from each disorder I seeked help.. Went to AMEN clinic in reston VA paid 3200.00 for extensive testing, Pet scans etc that revieled the Mood disorder, 3 types ADD/ADHD, OCD.. I was not satisfied so We went to Johns Hopkins OCD/Mood Disorder specialists Dr I wont say and he didnt believe in the ADD pet scans or knew anything about it, Now the OCD and Mood Disorder he was excellent on but we got the Bi Polar w/ rapidcycling thrown at us.. Bottom line I have taken everything Med wise for Bi Polar ( Lithium- I felt changes from first dose 300 to 600 to 900 and I got stranger then Made me completely manic hyper for three months at 1800 Mg ) Depikote 250 Mg Made me completely psychotic Violent etc etc.. Tried it twice 8 months apart, same deal each time couldnt make it at 500 and stay on it; completely Insain...... They all said ( Dr.s ) I should not feel a thing until theraputic range they tell me with the Lithium and Depikote.... Trileptal calmed at 75 but as soon as increse to 300 same situation....... Lamictal 25 for 2 weeks ( made me a complete slob, completely out of it possibly made violent...... Anti psychotics tried ( Zyprexa 2.5 ) Made me a complete Freak with a Masked face and confusion, violent pure Psychotic behavior.... Seraquil ( 25 to 100 ) Same deal violent, paranoid, delusional...... Halodal 2.5 to 5 Mg ( Same deal but less intense as newer drugs mentioned above.. Resperadol 0.5 to 3 Mg the higher the dose incresed confusion, Violent Out of it Psychotic..
Geodon 40 2 x a day with increse to 80 2x a day.. Heart palpitaions, Extremely Hyper, suicidal, Reved Up.... All these meds mentioned Reved me up by the way......
So now I said screw the Bi Polar diagnoses and start from scratch without past history at another ADD/ADHD clinic to get another opinion without confusion, Started concerta 18 Mg ER and finally it has calmed me to a point for the ADD/ADHD, Prob will get titrated to next level to see how much more it will help with..The Dr started me off slow to make sure of safty just incase it did the opposite which it did not! Im getting positive outcome with this so far with some bad symptoms decreasing and some good symptoms like Slowed Down more in Brain but not enough prob because dose is so small, and getting better rest to a point like when I wake up I feel rested instead of low energy, Minor increase on focus and minor increase on concentration.. Its been 5 days so far and No serious side effects..I still pace and cannot sit down, to even eat with my wife and child! From wake to sleep Im moving and standing... My sleep hours are flopped to sleep during the day and up late at night due to racing thoughts, negitive thoughts, stuck thoughts etc etc etc.. We think Im finally on the right track with the ADD/ADHD first...... I pretty much know what disorder is doing what and the Mood swings throughout the ADD/ADHD and I know when it happens... Mood is no worse before new ADD med or AFter so its not effecting it...
I have been having these episodes of Complete Fear and Doom like I just witnessed a terrible accident and cant get over it, These have been happening for almost 2 years documented and they come out of No where, I freeze and have trouble breathing or breathing deep I mean, going Into a stare with comple Fear,Dooming thoughts, extreme severe Anxiety and they last up to even 3 to 5 hours 3 to 4 times a week.... Are these panic attacks?????
This will all take CBT without a doubt!!! I must get stable first...! I have socical phobias as well but the Klonopin 4 Mg a day helps with that Im allready taking.. 75 mg effexor which was left this way from a prior Dr because he thought it was reving me up at 225 while I was on the Lithium 1800 for the supposing Bi Polar..
Bi Polar symptoms: some of them are the same as ADD/ADHD but for me the ADD/ADHD symptoms stick out WAY Further and theres more of them for that matter.. New Dr didnt change a thing with current meds which is a Huge relief and smart..... Im hopeful Now but I keep having these serious Panic situations..... Whats your thoughts.... Oh and By the way ,Been to Hospitals and they will not benifit me due to serious worrying and Obsessive Behavior and being in a locked unit without control and knowing whats going to happen... For the ADD/ADHD and OCD no matter how severe I will have to go outpatient... So might as well suck it up and deal with it as well with the Mood disorder Most all this is steming from the same thing in the first place... Its tough!!! Any thoughts...?
This is a long one so bear with me.
I was diagnosed with ADHD in the first grade. I'm 23 now so it was during the experimental years. My parents didn't put me on meds so I could be a robot. They put me on meds so I could try and have a productive life. People who don't have the disorder should not be giving advise on how to handle it. If you haven't been around people with ADHD, or don't have a kid with ADHD then don't give advice. You know nothing about what it is like. The robot argument makes sense but if you have a child it is better they are a robot than dead. I jumped off of a building while with my friends and shattered my ankle. I was going into the military and that is gone. I wasn't depressed. I wasn't suicidal. I did it because I thought of it BUT DID NOT CONSIDER CONSEQUENCES. Imagine your life if you had no concept of ground and consequence. You can't if you don't have ADD - because your brain works properly. This happened my senior year of High school and I had just stopped taking meds because I felt they were a con and I didn't need them. If people have Autism you don't just tell them they are being dumb. (Or if you do then you suck.) I have been on over 25 different types of meds because I have OCD and meds would cause an increase in symptoms of OCD. I also have Oppositional Defiant Disorder. Check with your doctors to make sure your kids don't have this. It is because I was sure I knew the right way (I always do) and was willing to prove it just to be right that I messed up my life. Now, as a loving parent, how can you condemn your child to a life of regret - if they even live past their poor decision?
I now live in constant fear of making a decision because I am afraid it is just my impusivity and am a chain smoker to deal with my OCD. This is a disorder. You don't deride people for using blood pressure meds if they have high blood pressure, it saves their lives. I know, I don't take meds, I hate the idea of something else having control of me, but when my sister had her son diagnosed with ADHD I told her to go to a neurologist and ask them. DGo to a neurologist - this is a chemical disorder, not psychiatric - and ask them what to do. By the way, I am adopted and my nephew (no blood relation) does the exact same stupid things I used to do. I thinks and acts the same way. It's wierd. We are friends because I understand how he feels and can help him find constructive ways to deal with his thoughts. I learned the hard way, hopefully he won't have to also. Put kids in social groups with other kids with ADHD and watch how they act. (Lots of adults, of course!) Just step back and SUPERVISE. Watch how they think. Watch out for arguments because they will happen but show them it's okay to agree to disagree. Try out one way and then the other and you'll see that both ways work. We all need to learn that the "Right way" is subjective, all that mattters is that you help your kid grow into a productive adult. "We teach our children to leave us." My parents believed that and still couldn't protect me from myself. They must learn humility and that their way is not the right way all the time. My ego was bruised, I would have sworn that I was invincible and couldn't be hurt. Now I know I can and stop and think before I do things. Maybe a little too much at times but better I learned my lesson now than if I was sure I could drink and drive. Start the education young and remember - no matter how many mistakes you make, it's nothing to the mistakes the kids will make if you don't try to teach them to stop and think. I never knew how much I listened to my folks until i became an adult. It didn't help when I was a kid, but I remember alot of the lessons my parents taught me and told me. It may seem like you aren't getting through, but they will remember. I might think my nephew doesn't belive a word I tell him, he doesn't. But he'll remember it later on. I just hope he survives long enough to get to later on.
I'm always worried that I left the stove on or the door unlocked so I don't forget the obvious ADHD things but I am very forgetful and VERY hyper! Right now I'm typing, tapping my leg, and humming to my music and I talk so fast and loud I drive my mom crazy. My point is checking things is my ocd and forgetting to check things is my ADHD so even though I seem normal they don't actually cancel each other out they just mask each other. Also if your used to one type ADD or ADHD then you tend to miss the other type. Docs miss girls when they're the inattentive type, but mom missed my because Bro and Dad are ADD and I'm ADHD. So I got labeled as a trouble maker and a tomboy. Also I wouldn't trade all my school troubles in the world for me being a robot that is quiet for teacher! PS I'm a 17 yr old self-taught homeschooler who is "technicaly" failing english.
Go figure...
i dont understand why everyone is saying these medications are hurting people??
im 16 and i was diagnosed with ADHD when i was 9.
i was never on any medications because my mother thought i would be a "robot" like you are all saying.
last year when i was a freshmen in high school i had a 1.8 gpa and failed 3 classes because i couldnt pay attention.
my teachers and parents tried everything i had to sit in the front of the class and have my assignment book checked to make sure i wrote things down. nothing worked.
until this year i started taking concerta every morning and i now have a 3.8 gpa with all A's and B's im not in any special classes im in all honors classes.
but according to some of you it doesnt help to be medicated it only hurts you. im proof your wrong.
Wow. I have so many thoughts and emotions running wild in me!
First, Rob shouldn't be talking, I have a feeling he doesn't quite get what's happening in these kids. I tried the Tabasco thing with my 5 year old son (who is not medicated) and he likes hot/spicy foods!
My husband and I have been wondering if our son has ADHD. We are trying to find the best doctors to go to. Honestly, I am scared. Not knowing how to help and teach our son, no matter what the outcome.
My daugher's 2 grde teacher pushed ADHD and meds. I knew this wasn't true, and her dr and a therapist agreed. The teachr refused to accept this and kept pushing. The truth was my daughter was being severly bullied and NOONE at school would listen or help her. This teacher is and ADHD freak, having got four kids last yr to be labld and drugged. I am so glad I didn't just follow blindly, I have removed my daughter from this school and she is doing great. Many of the symtoms of being bullied are the same as "ADHD". Schools are criminally failing to deal with the bullying problems, and I wonder how many other children are being labeled ADHD when something much more simpler is at fault. The school system if failing to teach, but instead of improving itself, it is blaming children in so many different ways. Funny - this school is now being shut down for lack of funding and low sat scores!!!
I have been taken Lamitcal for about 8 weeks now. I have found that early my mood got better but at 200 mg I feel that the dosage is over medication. I am having strange naps and sleeps that I can't seem to get my brain started. It needs a jump start to start working. I am unable to move for a several seconds. Is there any other options medications that can help?
what are the risks of taking strattera and drinking energy drinks...with quanara, etc. or caffeine
I need some help, I want to know about anxiety and its corelations with ritalin at a young age. Iwas taking ritalin twice a day from mid kindergaten to the end of fifth grade. From that point i was on a primordial soup of adhd drugs to help me cope in school. Is or does ritalin
have the long term effects like anxiety and deep depression as well as severe social trauma. From alot of the studies that i have read is that anxiety and adhd are becoming one of the same. I need answers. I want to feel normal again.
Hi, I 'm 17 years old, and I have ADHD. I have never been content with any single medication, and if I don't take any medication, I will most certainly embarrass myself simply because when I am not on my medicine I have little or no self control. I have been on every medication for ADHD that exists, and I am in an everlasting state of depression, and darkness, and I can only see glimpses of hope, which I know will eventually cease and desist. Anxiety is like an ever bearing weight on my life and it is the soul result of my medication. I am tired of materialistic corporate medical systems, money, and putting destructive and unnatural chemical medication into MY body. I conduct my own experiments now, I compare and contrast myself, on and off my medicine. Different situations become easier and harder as I change the variables and side effects change, as the results conclude, this "Medicine" is destroying my creativity, binding my personality, and crushing my ever waking anticipations of reaching final peace because I am overwhelmed with the anxiety that is caused by it. But what I have to say to all of you is this, I still take my medicine, and I do not purposely avoid taking it anymore. The variables that I thought I was controlling, I was destroying, because by taking medicine on and off whenever I feel like it destroys the stable constant dosage that my blood stream naturally absorbs. In fact, you don't even reach full effects until you have taken the medicine for a full week, at the same time everyday, and with a balanced diet. I still fight for my freedom, and I still conduct experiments, and I still question these sycophants that we call doctors but I listen to them. No matter how much money they want, no matter how empty and mindless they are, they still spit out bits of memorized information that are the most trustworthy wise and advanced bits of scientific information that we as human beings on this earth have the choice to depend on. Though it may be meaningless and empty to them, it is meaningful to US, we the imperfect. I encourage all of you out there to fight with your doctor, fight for what you believe, as an individual, I encourage you to disagree with your doctor, do your own research, conduct your own experiments, go to college, get a PhD BECOME a DOCTOR! But for gods sakes don’t fight with your own cure. Accept it, bite your lip, or find another alternative that you are content with. Don't give up, you are a soldier, I haven't given up yet, so neither will you. I am getting better grades, and I am doing my chores, I’m not forgetting things anymore, but I am still not perfect, and I still have anxiety. I realize that I will never ever find perfection on this earth, but I REFUSE to be content with the norm. I will fight until I get the results I want, and I know they won’t be perfect, and I know I won’t be satisfied with every aspect of my new being, but I will be CONTENT. Don't think to yourself "The world owes me something." instead think, "I owe something to the world." Your doctor needs your help. You owe it to yourself to help the world to help you.
Ian Capcara
Contact, Mcguffineffect@hotmail.com
I am a 24 year old female and I just found out at the beginning of the week that I have "over-focused ADHD with depression". I had problems in school and doctors just labeled me "bi-polar manic depressive", but I have no idea how to go about taking care of this. I heard that if its not taken care of as a child, that it can cause long-term effects well into adult-hood. Any adivce?
i am 22 and i have ADHD but no one thinks i need medication but i think i do. what should i do?
i sat here reading all of these "comments", really these are our stories, our lives. i sat here and cried, the love of my life, my 11 yr old son has add. now i'm not one of those parents that cant "control" their kids., when my son was diagnosed, years ago. i didnt just run out and dope him up because i couldnt handle him (i think you need to shut up robb, your comment really makes you sound like an idiot!)sorry everyone!! anyway, i went to numerous dr's, got second, third, fourth opinions. he's been on a couple diffrent med's. they were working so well for a while, just this yr. my boy's been having headaches, stomache cramps, severe diareah,the list goes on.,i took him to the e.r., the dr's some specialists for intestinal problems, after a few thousand dollars later, they say he has a spastic colin, and, ibs, due to stress and anxiety. so on top of the add med's, the med's for asthma, he's had since he was tiny, his stomache med's, i'm going crazy!! he's been vomitting at school, panicking so bad that he gets dizzy, and has fallen down the steps. just this morning, he locked himself in the bathroom, was hyprerventalating, vomitting, screaming, crying,punching the walls. i know what all of you are going through!! and my heart brakes for all of you. i'm just as confused. i dont yell at my son anymore for things, i've had to "re-think" the way i talk to my son. i always let him know that i love him and he can come to me for anything. i try to make a big deal about all the good things he does, and tell him how proud i am of him. he gets teased at school., called "fat retard" ect... he asks me why god made him this way. i'm dying here!! i am a good mom, and work very hard for my family, and i'm known as the "neighborhood mom" i watch how kids are, i pay attention. they can be mean as heck!!it's almost as tough on a loving parent, as it is on an add child. my heart breaks everyday for my baby.. I WILL NEVER GIVE UP!!!i hope god gives us all the strength we need to push through, and never give up!!! just yesterday, the dr. say's he thinks he's bi-polar. wish me luck., i will do my usual research, and figure out what to do next
Anonymous, you are 22 years old, and you have ADHD. No one thinks you need medication, but you think you do. I understand, and I can help. When you say that no one thinks that you need medication, does that mean that a doctor has told you once before that you didn’t need medication? Is he or she the only doctor that has said this to you? Do you think you need medicine?
Ian Capcara
Email: mcguffineffect@hotmail.com
my son has been on three diff meds for add,adhd i dont believe this meds are working,the shools compliane on the kids than the doctors medicate them. as parents we want our kids to learn so we listen to the teachers and the doctors,but when everything fails we are left to fix the problem when the meds dont work,as a single parent im stuck trying to find other means to help my child when the meds was supposed to help him with add,so now hes out of school anyway.so out of the schools and doctors i believe its a game. to many kids are taking meds for this add, adha and still going through problems,now whos there when they want more drugs?i believe the teachers want kids to be zombies in the class ,is this the message wewant to teach our kids drugs will do it take drugs it will help you.not my son im done
my 7 year old is extremely ADHD. I have known this all along but refused to get on the ADD freight train. I put the entire household on a healthy diet and my husband lost 60 lbs. I had her eyes tested, her ears tested. I got tutors to help her. I had her tested for dyslexia, diabeties ... well you get the idea. We finally went to specialists in child psychology. They conducted hours of testing. They made her father and I can answer hundreds of questions ranking her on everything under the sun about my daughters behavior. they diagnosed a bright child with ADHD. Then we got a second opinion with a different specialist with all the test again. the results were the same. I gave in and put my child on medication. My barely on grade level child is now being considered for the academically gifted program. She is now fulfilling her potential and is a much happier person. I am sorry I let all the doom and gloom people delay my getting my child the help she needs. I wouldn't have thought twice if this was asthma or diabeties. This is no different. Get appropriate testing and then do what is best for your child.
i was diagnosed with ADHD at age 6. isnt all kids diagnosed with ADHD at a young age? i mean, really. it is ridiculous that the psychiatrist and other doctors perscribe medications because kids are just being kids.
My name is Michelle, and I have researched ADHD/ADD for a long time. Did you know if the patient in question has two of eleven different symptoms, then most psychiatrists will automatically label that patient ADD or ADHD? Did you know that the pharmeceutical companies that produce medications like Ritalin and Strattera give major kickbacks to doctors who prescribe the drugs? Did you know that most of the time, after a while, the drugs stop working and you must take more and more miligrams of it to get it to work, often leading to overmedicating, and in children, sometimes death? Did you know that the government grants $400 a year for each student taking Ritalin to the school he/she attends? Did you know that from the 1999 NAMI sample, 19 out of 20 drug abusers in prison started with Ritalin? Did you know that Ritalin is in the same drug class as HEROINE? Did you know that the stigma and feeling of being a robot while on stimulants like Ritalin in a large portion of those taking it, AFFECTS THEM MORE than their symptoms themselves????
Please.... DO NOT just medicate your children. Take them to a real therapudic estabilshment. Research MULTI-MODAL treatment as your BEST option. You will be glad you did.
To all parents out there, it is tough. My son who is now 11yrs old was diagnosed with depression in 1st grade, then ADHD and Bi-polar in 5th grade. We then decided to try some meds and had a hard time with a good combination. Then we got things settled and we had to move away from everything he ever knew(school, few friends he did have and family) all the way across country. Now his new doctor is switching his meds and tryingg to rule out bi-polar disorder. In the mean time he has been violent with out bursts, crying, emotional, irrational and unable to sleep. My heart has been aching for two months know becasue he has a chance to enter a new school and meet new friends and his new medicine is making him so sleepy that I am afraid it will negatively impact his new school. His lack of control of his emotions has tore our family apart for the last two months, it is not easy. Every doctor has their own opinion and always wants to start from square one when you as a parent just want your child to have a piece of normal.
I hope this might help someone else like all of your previous cocmments helped me to know that I am not alone.
reply to "stressed out student"
Those who have ADD(or ADHD) are not necessarily hyperactive.
Those that have ADD & hyperactivity have ADHD.
**There is atention defecit disorder (ADD) AND attention defecit hyperactive
it sounds like you have anxiety to me.
I suggest you go to a therapist or SPECIALIZED doctor to evaluate you for ADD if you are going to be on a high dose of adderall, taking it everyday, or you feel you are depressed or may have anxiety. a lot of doctors hand out depression meds, anxiety meds, & attention meds out like candy- this can worsen your problem especially in the area of depression and anxiety. although you may have any/all 3 of these it doesnt mean a medicine is right for you simply because it is "for" them. thats why you should be evaluated by a specialized doctor which will eliminate trying all different medicines. I know plenty of people including myself that went through a lot of uncalled for medicines with horrible side effects.
EX: I was put on depression medication by a regular doctor. I had anxiety that caused depression. that depression medication, as most do, worsens anxiety.
i went through a few more medicines.
I am now on adderall & nothing else- my anxiety has decreased dramatically, i went from having anxiety attacks & depression to being "normal" along with dropping all my classes to getting a's in all my classes.
It helps my concentration a lot and actually calms me down.
In a nutshell- I have dyslexia & ADD (they are linked). The stress caused from ADD led to anxiety which led to depression. Once i knocked out ADD with addrall- no stress, no anything else.
it is what works for me, may not work for you.
it all depends on the individual, NO ONE has the exact & perfect chemical make up in their brains. hence why medicines dealing with your brain are trial and error, & there are so many to choose from & why the brain is not figured out.
EX: some may make one individuals depression horrible, but greatly improve someone elses.
-anxiety can lead to depression, depression can lead to anxiety.
-Most individuals have some form of attention defecit. it is a matter of how imperfect you brain is in this area, or how different. Just as in dyslexia there are many "good" qualities to ADD, BUT neither individuals with these disorders do not fit into the modern schooling/ working layouts of today's society making it a large problem.
-ADD(or ADHD) can lead to depression, depression can lead to ADD(or ADHD)
-ADD(or ADHD) can lead to anxiety, anxiety can lead to ADD(or ADHD)
I would guess (i am not a doctor and i dont know you personally) you formed anxiety after, or previously had anxiety that worsened due to your "mistakes"
& that is what MAY HAVE triggered ADD if you do have it. Keep in mind individuals with ADD in adulthood usually had ADD symptoms in childhood. ALSO KEEP IN MIND that everyone makes mistakes. it is a part of learning, it is a part of becoming who you are. getting through them makes you stronger, wiser, & it enables you to better relate to/help/understand others along with millions of other good qualities. forgive yourself although it may be hard- you will feel better & obviously be less distracted. TALKING about your mistakes to someone you trust helps A LOT.
oops!
take out (or ADHD) in the first sentence. sorry!
lol maybe i should start proofreading before i post...
i'm new to this thing and i dont know how to delet my postings or reply to someone elses so please excuse my ignorance!
what it's supposed to be:
-Most individuals have some form of attention defecit. it is a matter of how imperfect you brain is in this area, or how different. Just as in dyslexia there are many "good" qualities to ADD, BUT neither individuals with these disorders fit into the modern schooling/ working layouts of today's society making it a large problem.
My son started having problems in pre-k.I didn't want to believe that there was anything wrong with him other than he had great energy. Pre-k he isolated himself from other kids and labeled himself as different that is when we began working with a therapist.we tried strattera but he had severe mood swings. he has now been on Concerta for 5 years. He is VERY smart,not a zombie. Very creative and b\very thoughtful of others. We tried the reduced sugar and special diets too. that was crap. In the 5 years that he has been on concerta, he has gained 22 pounds and is taller that I (5ft 1in.) I do agree that the drugs will not work if the parent doesn't make some life style changes too. I had to learn that every action that he did, could not be controled. Also learned to take deep breathes then react or not. Find the gift your child has and accent that part of their disorder. then the offbeat moments won't drive you so crazy.
Please listen and listen well. To all people who left the comments of disbelief and judgement about parents who decide to use medication....your "help" and advise is not needed!
Unless you have watched YOUR CHILD struggle with anxiety and the inability to focus or pay attention then don't waste everyone's time condemning those among us who have. I can't even express in words how offended I am and how hurtful your comments can be. Please ...unless you have something supportive and constructive to add don't say anything at all. Find another blog on which to be judgemental and leave this one to the people who need it.
For the rest of you..hang in there. Your child is worth it. There is an answer..wether it be therapy, pharmaceutical or a combination. Keep trying. The worst thing you can do is ignore the problem and leave your child without any defense.
Um, My name is Imran and I am a 20 year old male with a diagnose as "ADHD"; soon to be diagnosised as hypermanic bipolar based on what my doc said to me and my mom..
I took so many meds from redalin to paxil From young age -that is-. Now i take Concerda, but with this change of diagnosis soon, my meds will change. Concerda is the best meds so far, -but thats just my point view-. The doctor is trying to give me this new medication called Seroquel and knock off concerda. Its an anti-depressive drug, "Mood Stabilizer", rather then a focusing drug. -This Seroquel med was crap, but thats just my opinion. Bad side effects, from Falling down the stair case to being unable to think at all-
I know I have anxiety problems, and focusing issues; I can read and see the words but i can't convert words to understanding, for example looking at foreign words, you might know what type of language it is but you don't know what its saying. This happens on and off not when i'm under pressure or in front of a crowd, but randomly. Thats why I wanted to know some answers, "Random Zero Focus issues". When i'm talking to my friends online or for real, I start typing fine and then after 5 to 30 minutes I start struggling to think what i'm gonna say and sometimes I forget it comepletely. Thats where I have my anxiety attack. That always happen to me and thats why I screw up like 95% of my interviews for jobs and presentations in college or just talking to my friends about something and randomly forgetting and getting stuck. I would love an answer for that type of symptom.
"Random Zero Focus" and the "sometimes Random Anxiety attacks"
"Random disorientation"
! oh and 1 other thing i forgot to mention, sometimes.. This is very rare, but this happened like anually or every 2 years. This may sound strange, but.. When I master a technique like, playing basketball or writing or after I learned how to do something that was very difficult, and After I experience something serious like a emotional distress, I forget that technique COMPLETELY. An example-- When I was in highschool, before the Regents and big tests, I played basketball to relax and to have fun. I was even
in a basketball team in my
highschool. After I took all my regents and huge tests and after I was seriously stressed out and was worried and found out I passed my tests, I went to play a round of basketball and as soon as I went to dribble the ball I forgot how to. Forgot how to shoot the ball, forgot how the rythm of moving when you have to run past your opponent. I had to teach my self evering again from scratch. !Thats not right... This also occured with my writing style, after those tests and ussually after each grade in highschool my writting is very horrible. Even this year in college, after i passed my first semester classes and going into this second semester of this month of jan; my hand writing looked like one of a 4th grader.. Sorry for the massive amount of information =(, but I just don't think I am diagnosed right.
My email is Xephora16@gmail.com =)
Please email me any Answers, feedback, support and questions about my problem.
I can't speak for everyone, but I don't think others are saying ADHD is not real. They are saying that every child who is active and has an imagination is being labeled as ADHD and it is getting out of hand.
My daughter has been pinned by her principal as ADHD. Right after she told me no, it can't be that because she knows what she is doing and she is just doing it for attention. My daughter does not respond well to people who yell at her. She usually will go into a shell when they do. She went through a 1st grade teacher and afterschool program that screamed and yelled at the kids. It really ruined her self esteem. I finally found out and yanked her from them. Now I am finding out from other parents that her 3rd grade teacher yells at the kids too like, I TOLD YOU ALREADY HOW TO DO THIS I AM NOT TELLING YOU AGAIN EVEN IF YOU DON'T UNDERSTAND! I AM NOT GOING TO HELP YOU LOOK IN YOUR BOOK! Now, I wouldn't respond well to this, imagine how an 8 year old would.
Since then she has been labled as having problems. She is fine at home. When I have volunteered at school, she is fine.
I know ADHD is not selective. The child does not CHOOSE to be inattentive. They do not CHOOSE to be disruptive. They cannot help it. It is not controlable. This is why I know my daughter is not ADHD. I have been trying to get her held back since 1st grade. She has a Nov birthday and is a full 1-1 1/2 years younger than all her classmates. The only way I can get this done is if I move her out of her school. So now I have to wait for open enrollment.
My son was diagnosed with ADHD, although I feel something is wrong, I will never put him back on medication. He was reacting well to concerta, when I got a call from the school, they told me he stabbed himself with a pencil. When I asked him about he said the voices made him do it. I took him off concerta and we have had no issues since. People who are blogging and judging thinking you have all the answers, really should
open your minds and walk a day in our shoes.
My son has been on several medications for ADHD. Now there saying he has sever anxiety and trying to put him on zoloft. Ok now reading all this I say My son can just stay on the concerta and we will learn to help him with his fears. I don't need the problem to worsen. Look at all the side effects. Now as a careing parent I do not want him to experince the suicidal thoughts come on face it we all have some exstent of anxiety, just some more then others and as a loveing mother I will help him deal with a little anxiety. I want to say thank you for all the insight because I got the medicine tonight and I am not going to make him get on any more meds. Ok everyone how do you think these doctors stay in business. Mothers like me desparate to help my son so, here mom, pump him full of meds, so you can come to me for years and then need something different later. So because they start creating other problems. No thanks I would rather spend my money on getting him a tuitor or healthy lifestyles then messing him up for years to come and him doing some of the crazy things these kids are doing now days.
My neice has ADHD. Watching her grow up with it was painful. When she was in about 3rd grade she started exibiting reading problems. In terms of diet, my sister is a health food nut. She shops at the Whole Food stores, buys Ezekiel bread, makes her own teas, always has sprouts, lettuces and a ton of vegetables. Her husband hunts for elk and deer up in the mountains, takes it to a packing plant, bring it home to store in their 2 huge freezers in the garage to supply them with meat through the year. When she hit middle school, she started to really struggle with grades and started becoming angrier. The school approached my sister and brother-in-law about the fact that she might have ADHD and that they might want to consider having her tested for it and consider treatment for it. My brother-in-law has ADHD as well and his parents tried him on Ritalin when he was in high school and it didn't do anything for him so they decided that they wouldn't pursue that option. It was very sad to watch my neice struggle, She pretty much would have given up on school if it weren't for sports. She would say so often that she was stupid which angered me to no end. She started getting mixed up in the party crowd and sneeking out at night. My neice ended up pregnant her senior year with a 6th grade reading level. The school graduated her I think out of pity. Shortly after she graduated, I was over at their house and she was trying to fill out a job application. She asked me for my help, I quickly realized it was because she couldn't read it. My heart broke for her. But it doesn't dispare because she also exhibits the wonderful can do attitude that can go along with ADHD as well. She is also blessed with a wonderful personality. So far she is doing alright. The interesting thing about ADHD is there are positives to it as well. For a great book to read on ADHD, I recommend Delivered from Distraction by Halowell and Ratey. They are both clinical Psychologists and Halowell has ADHD himself. His advice is so obviously from someone who knows, cares and wants to pave the way for hope and positive treatment. One thing he clearly emphasizes is that treatment must include identification of talents and strengths and the promotion of these talents and strengths. So often people with ADHD are all to familiar with what their shortcomings are and not at all aware of their strengths and talents or even that they have any. This breeds hopelessness and a horrible lack of self esteem.
My 9 year old son has been diagnosed with ADHD Inattentive type with anxiety. That is why this thread peeked my interest. We are about to try medication so I am trying to figure out which one is the best for him. We are quite nervous. I spoke to my sister two days ago, she is the mother of my neice I mentioned earlier. I told her of our plans to put our son on medication. Her response was that she regretted not trying medication for her daughter. She might have saved her daughter a lot of pain. She was glad we were willing to try it. I honestly have been fighting putting my son on medication for awhile. But this year his grades are going down and his anxiety l