Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD)

[AfricaBrass]

Since I consider you guys to be my friends, I thought I might ask if any of you know if this disorder and its' treatments.

My son will be three in August. He's really smart, but really crazy. He's always at full throttle.

Any info would be appreciated.

Thanks!

[GregK]

I don't believe this is an actual disorder. It's a scheme by drug companies and doctors to provide another revenue stream, in the form of ADHD drugs, etc. Why can't a kid just be a kid with lots of energy?

[AfricaBrass]

I don't believe this is an actual disorder. It's a scheme by drug companies and doctors to provide another revenue stream, in the form of ADHD drugs, etc. Why can't a kid just be a kid with lots of energy?

That's my initial reaction, but I don't want to ignore this if it is a real disorder.

The kid is really crazy.

[wesbed]

I have nephew like this. He was never offcially diagnosed as having a problem although, I'd say he was 'crazy' too. He went to see a doctor on a recommendation from his teacher. The doctor did recommend he take some drugs to calm him down.

My sister, his Mom, is a registered nurse. She works with doctors everyday, so, is not afraid to question their authority. She disregarded the doctor's suggestion to drug her son. She took it upon herself and her husband (yes, her husband is her son's father!) to bring their son around, drug free. He is nearly 10 years old, now, and is doing much better. With age and the effort of his parents, his is becoming quite normal. He's no longer 'crazy' but has become much more aware of his actions. He's learning to self-manage his emotions (the same as we all must do).

I wonder how many of the 'crazy' kids are simply 'kids?' How difficult must it be to grow up in this modern society and be normal?

Edited May 26, 2004 by wesbed

[Rooster_Ties]

I think it's definitely worth investigating, including taking your son to a qualified specialist. But (if at all possible), it would be good to get a second opinion, especially before any prescriptions are started for him.

I knew someone several years ago, who was an adult who suffered from ADHD, and she was able to function quite a bit better because of the medication(s) she took to control things. (I think she had a young son who also had ADHD, if I remember right, and meds helped him as well).

At the same time, I think there's also a tendency to over-prescribe meds. But that doesn't necessarily mean that meds aren't right in your son's case either. Meds may indeed be an appropriate choice. (Or very inappropriate.)

Again, get educated, and get multiple opinions from people who have some first-hand knowledge about ADHD.

I'm betting there are some on-line communities about this topic, made up of parents like yourself, who struggle with their kids, to varying degrees. And if so, I'll bet they discuss the particulars of their own situations, and share information they've learned as well.

Good luck!! -- Tom

Edited May 26, 2004 by Rooster_Ties

[PHILLYQ]

Be extremely careful and don't take the initial diagnosis at face value. My sister-in-law has a son who is now 14. When he was 2 or 3 he was quite a wild child, and some suggested that the kid may have ADHD. He was not evaluated and not diagnosed, and he is now one of the calmest kids you can imagine. I believe that a lot of kids grow out of this without need for medication. If they are suggesting drugs for your son, look at alternative therapies.

A lot of school systems don't want to bother with kids who are somewhat rambunctious, so their solution is to drug the kids up so they'll behave. Now it is true that some of those kids do need some help, but I doubt that the number in need of help is quite as great as school authorities would have you believe. I'm sure there's plenty of information on the web, etc. Read up on it and make yourself an expert.

[AfricaBrass]

Thanks guys! I'm definitely going to get a second (or third) opinion.

[catesta]

All kinds of varied opinions can be found online as well.

[AfricaBrass]

All kinds of varied opinions can be found online as well.

I've bookmarked a bunch of sites already.

It's tough because I don't know who is behind the sites.

I do appreciate everyone's opinion on this.

[Eric]

I believe it is very much a legit disorder. The question is whether the diagnosis is correct. I would ask your pediatrician for some names of psychologists (basically one who is trained as a counselor) and/or psychiatrists (one who is actually licensed to prescribe the medication - it is possible to be both) who specialize in children to give a second opinion.

Good luck and trust your judgement. If you go the route of medication, you can always suspend it later (under the supervision of the psychiatrist of course).

Eric

Jeff - you might also check out this info at the National Inst of Health:

http://consensus.nih.gov/cons/110/110_statement.htm

Edited May 26, 2004 by Eric

[maren]

AB, this is a pretty good book:

Driven To Distraction: Recognizing and Coping with Attention Deficit Disorder from Childhood Through Adulthood, Edward M. Hallowell, John J. Ratey.

What I especially liked is the practical, BEHAVIORAL ideas for how to help a kid (or help yourself if you're old enough to be reading the book yourself) -- it's towards the back of the book, as I recall.

Also, this looks like a pretty good website: http://www.ncpamd.com/adhd.htm

Some people scoff at the whole idea of ADHD -- others I think go overboard in diagnosing it.

I believe clearly some kids really have a neurological problem that is getting in their own way. Then there are some that are just hardwired in a way different from the norm. Then there are problems masquerading as ADHD, but stemming from a different source: lack of discipline (I ain't THAT liberal!), overstimulation (too much TV, video games, Coca-Cola), understimulation (bad school, not enough physical activity, not enough guidance or inspiration), emotional or psychiatric problems that AREN'T ADD and that need different treatment.

I'm extremely leery of medications for children (even -- or maybe especially -- teenagers) -- but I'm sure there are cases where medicine helps a lot. But I've seen my son (~14 years) and nephew (~10-11 years) get this diagnosis and then have BAD experiences with medication. So we had to get all "behavioral" on their asses and it's pretty much worked out okay (now 20-year-old son is a junior in college, 18-year-old nephew is graduating HS).

I'm not really a "crunchy-granola" type of person, but: the more a child has this tendency, the more I think you should limit TV and video games. I didn't, not nearly as much as I think I should have. Plus, while I don't think sugar is evil and I never wanted to be that kind of prissy totally candy-banning mother (you know, sawdust-y whole wheat birthday "cake" with no frosting -- ), still I've seen artificial flavors/colors, and caffeinated sodas, have bad effects. And on the nutritional plus side, I've seen fish oil supplements (omega 3 fatty acids) really help adults and kids diagnosed as bipolar or ADHD. (See HERE and HERE.)

[AfricaBrass]

Thanks Eric!

Our pediatrician told us (a few months ago), that he was just really smart.

The ADHD diagnosis came from a child psychologist. She suggested we see a psychiatrist.

It's tough, he has most of the symptoms. After reading about it, I'm in agreement with the diagnosis. I'm just afraid of putting him on medication. I don't want anything to keep him from his potential.

[AfricaBrass]

THANKS Maren!

I'll check the links and get that book.

I've tried every method of discipline (that I knew of) and nothing has worked.

I'll try to cut back on his TV viewing. He watches too much of it. He has a pretty good diet, but I'll try to make some better choices.

I really appreciate everyone's input. Thanks for bouncing this around with me.

[wesbed]

Driven To Distraction: Recognizing and Coping with Attention Deficit Disorder from Childhood Through Adulthood, Edward M. Hallowell, John J. Ratey.

I like Hallowell. I read one of his books. To me, he is a very good writer. He uses his education and experience combined with common sense to present information to the reader.

[dave9199]

Get your kid a set of drums!

[AfricaBrass]

Get your kid a set of drums!

That's a GREAT idea!

[Ed S]

I feel your pain - and confusion.

My youngest son, now 7, has spent the better part of the last 3 years undergoing a battery of tests for behavior problems with ADHD being one of the suspected diagnoses. It turns out he does not have the condition, is very intelligent, easily bored with mundane things, responsive to challenging situations, and VERY active. His problems were related to another problem that has since cleared up and he is well on his way to success.

Along the way, I learned a lot about psychologists, neurologists, psychiatrists, special education and school systems. Thankfully, I got hooked up with professionals to whom ADHD - while considered -was a diagnosis of last resort. When I first got an inkling that my son was having trouble at school and the word ADHD was mentioned, I immediately sought out my own psychologist to help my son and to serve as an advocate against inappropriately labelling him as ADHD. We actually visited three before coming up with someone whose philosophy met our expectations - someone who we were confident would not settle for an ADHD diagnosis without exploring all avenues. Through working with our own child psychologist, the teachers and counselors in school and the various consulatants along the way, we've been able to come up with a program that keeps my son stimulated and interested. When he veers off course, he's got a great teacher who's very supportive and views my son as more of a free spirit than a problem.

The lesson I learned from experience and conversing with the various doctors and consultants was that the diagnosis of ADHD and the initiation of drug therapy are very serious. Others have mentioned it above, but the diagnosis should not be taken at face value. A second or third opinion might be needed. Some psychologists tend to diagnose ADHD more frequently than others. I don't know if your particular pschologist leans toward this diagnosis or not, but I would not accept the diagnosis without additional opinions.

[marcoliv]

i remember a friend of mine having her little sister diagnosed with this too. the major problem for her was on school and she lost 3 years (bad grades). a great school can be very helpful on a situation like that because sometimes they don't want to have any extra work.

i´m sure you´ll do the right thing for your son and give him the set of drums, maybe the new Elvin Jones is him

Marcus

[JSngry]

A few random thoughts:

There is a difference between ADD & ADHD.

The condition is very real, and the condition is also over-diagnosed, imo.

The medication given for older kids and adults is often a pure form of amphetamine.

Environmental stumuli are crucial, imo. A kid who is predisposed in this direction is likely ill-served by the "nothing lasts longer than a few seconds" style of much modern media, and foods that offer "instant" gratification in terms of stimuli and/or flavor.

Medicine can't make you do anything you don't want to do - it can only facilitate you getting done what you really want to do anyway. I know a kid who was diagnosed with ADD seven years ago. The medication didn't really help him all that much, and he ditched it a few years ago. He struggled with learning self-discipline and structure, still has a long way to go in these matters, actually, but he pulled it together enough to graduate from high school this afternoon. Not too long ago, nobody was sure that this would happen, at least not "on schedule". It did. He has a lot of still untapped potential that he's trying to get to, but he's got a loving family 100% behind him, and everybody is optimistic.

This is a complicated matter, and inmy gut I feel that nobody knows nearly enough about it as they should to be making the "definitive" diagnoses and prescribing the types of medications that they are. But that is how these things go - we learn as we go along, and imperfection is part of it. Listen to the doctors, but take none of it at face value, especially if what they're telling you and what you're seeing don't jibe. If you get a doctor who doesn't "fit" with your kid's reality, look until you find one who does. None of this ADD/ADHD stuff is set in stone yet, so gettting treatment that is worse than the problem is totally unnecessary.

I would say, however, that 2-3 years is awfully young to diagnose ADHD/ADD. "Pure" hyperactivity is another matter, one with clear symptoms and clear biochemical causes/solutions, but throwing in the whole Attenetion Deficit Disorder thing bumps it up another notch or three, so proceed w/caution. You're going to be a guinea pig no matter what, so chose your experimentors as if your kid's life depends on it. Quite possibly, it does.

Pray, love, and never give up on your kid. Even "normal" kids have it tough thee days. They ultimately got nowhere to go for direction except you, so be there, and make damn sure that you give them your best, no matter how hard it gets (and trust me, it gets REAL hard sometimes).

That's the gig, dude. You got to make the gig.

Code of Honor.

[Kevin Bresnahan]

My oldest daughter was once declared "borderline ADHD". There was no way I was putting her on Ritalin. Nope. She's an active kid. I was an active kid. Active kids runs in the family. My mother jokes that if they had ADHD back when I was growing up, the whole neighborhood would have been on Ritalin.

While we didn't even look into drug treatment, one thing my wife and I did try with some success was to completely cut out sweets. No candy. No ice cream. No chocolate. Nada. We tried this for a few weeks and in our opinion, she was a lot better.

Your mileage may very.

Later,

Kevin

[Rooster_Ties]

Get your kid a set of drums!

That's a GREAT idea!

Seriously, maybe not a half-bad idea. When the time is right, of course, and if he shows some interest in music. Couldn't hurt to put a pair of sticks in his hands (when he's old enough, of course), along with a pair of sticks in Daddy's hands too.

Worst case: it could be a lot of fun!! - for both you and your boy!!

Best case: we'll eventually have another someone to eventually help fill Elvin's huge shoes.

Or many something in between.

[JSngry]

Yeah, "that kid" I was talking about took up trumpet, and got pretty damn good at it. It was the often one thing that kept him going when things got rough with schoolwork.

Everybody needs an outlet, and everybody needs something they can have honest success at. Kids with ADD/ADHD need that more than most.

[Use3D]

I think this article sums it up pretty well.

[Jazzmoose]

Nothing much to add, just that I think Ed Swinnich and Jim Sangrey nailed the subject squarely in their posts (what else is new, eh?). Speaking as someone who actually takes medication that some would consider a "scam", or at least overprescribed (antidepressants), I'd add that sometimes medication really is called for. Just keep that in mind. But at that age? Wow...

Good luck, Jeff!

[Saxophone__Vagina]

Hey Brass, when you say the kid is crazy, what exactly do you mean by that, just curious.

I went to grade school with a kid who had ADD, he was always in a totally different world, he was not really ever aware of anything that was happening around him, but read could read like a maniac.