I am going to have a serious moment...
My daughter, as many of you know, suffers from an extreme diagnosed panic attack disorder. You may remember I was desperate to find a way to help her. After we made the difficult decision to medicate her for her panic attacks, things improved greatly and her irrational fears seemed to go away without taking away my little girl. Now that we treated the anxiety, we were hit with another issue. Since birth, Monkey has always been hyper and rarely listened to us. I thought of course that it must have been the result of a spoiled child, and was not quick to assume something was wrong. I had heard of parents being ridiculed for jumping the gun, and assuming that their kids must have ADHD if they were more active then usual, rather then face the fact that perhaps it is their parenting styles that needed medication. The results of the test indicated that Monkey exhibits behavior indicative of ADHD, and some OCD.
I guess I was a bit in denial...but in hindsight, all the signs were there.
I guess I was a bit in denial...but in hindsight, all the signs were there.
We are talking about a child who...stopped taking naps at 20 months and would stay awake during nap times in pre-k and kinder. The teachers would have to take her out of the room to entertain her, after giving up on getting her to nap.
A teacher once told me "I can take everything away from her while she is sitting at her desk, and she will find something...a paperclip...a paper scrap...anything to play with."
We tried "time out," verbal threats, spankings, and groundings and nothing made a difference.
She would do flips on the bed and cartwheels, and after getting in trouble and threatened, we would find her doing the same thing! She just did not get it, and I thought she was being defiant.
She always has felt the need to interrupt and talks constantly.
Okay, so you might be thinking...my kid does stuff like that...no they don't. They may do something similar to these, but nothing like or to the degree of what a child with ADHD does. I don't expect everyone to understand, unless they have experienced it themselves. Only then will it be obvious that the behavior of ADHD children far exceeds that of the average disobeying, disruptive, and active kids. Believe me, I wish that was the case.
Because her grades are good, I believe that teachers were not quick to point to ADHD. I now know that grades are not always a strong indicator. Conduct on the other hand was ALWAYS a problem.
Life at my house is always a bit stressful and my husband and I are use to having a child that is literally bouncing off the walls and talking nonstop, but once it started to get her into trouble, I felt the need for medication might be evident. I am not sure what will happen next, and we are scheduled to meet with her psychologist this Friday...to be continued.
My brother has ADHD. I know how difficult that can be for a parent.
ReplyDeleteBut my brother has been medicated since he was 6 I think, he is almost 14. My mother would give him his pills only in the morning, just to get him thru the school day. But then when she died, he'd been living without cousin, who gives him the pills twice a day like she's supposed to.
He is doing good. It definitely affects his grades. On the days he forgets to take a pill he comes home and says "dont let that happen again" because even HE can tell a difference in how he feels.
I don't think there is anything wrong with using the medication. I know there are people who are dead against it but I don't think there is anything wrong with it.
Good luck with your appointment. I hope it goes well for you!
My little brother has ADHD--it's very hard for him & my parents. But y'all can do it! And so can she! Good luck with it all!
ReplyDeleteMy daughter has ADHD, finally diagnosed at age 9. She is on Concerta and I thank the day she started it. She was never a bad child, just a child who could not focus. She could sit through a 2 hour movie but could not sit through her math homework. The medicine has helped tremendously. She is extremely bright and imaginative and would have a million projects in her brain to start, and would get quite angry when she couldn't start them immediately. She is now an affectionate, helpful, cooperative child. I know immediately if she has forgotten to take her meds. She takes a break from the meds in the summer but I miss it.
ReplyDeleteMany people put down the meds. I believe they can help. She will eventually grow out of them, why not make her mind a little calmer in the meantime.
Thanks you so much for sharing. I often do hear people say that looking back they are sooooo glad that they decided to go with the meds, because their children are so much happier. There is a strong possibility that she will grow out of it, so we can only hope for the best. There is no reason why our stuborness should overshadow the happiness of the child and the endless possibilities of success with the chance to only concentrate and focus.
ReplyDeleteGood luck!
ReplyDeleteWhen I was teaching, I did see some of my students who had ADHD who then went on meds and were a completely different child- able to focus and do their work- for most them, they had more friends afterwards b/c their previous behavior was a little too frantic for some of their classmates.
@Shell - Exactly! She is too much for her classmates. There are a couple of kids who get in trouble the way that she does but they are boys. It would be her and 2 boys always with the poorest conduct.
ReplyDeleteDee
Your kidlet is gorgeous as Ive said before. My thoughts and prayers will be with your family during this trying time.
ReplyDeleteStopping by to let you know I have moved to a new domain. You can see me at www.nothingbutfabulousity.com
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Chara
www.nothingbutfabulousity.com
She sounds just like Heaven. I looked up Toddler ADHD before and everyone yelled at me. I have 12 cousins under 12 and none act like Heaven. Heaven has every sign and she stopped taking a nap at 12-13 months. Let me know what they say today
ReplyDelete