My Journey into ADHD

My youngest son was diagnosed with ADHD this past summer. The diagnosis did not come to a surprise to us AT ALL. There is a family history of ADHD on both sides so the chance that we would have a child with ADHD was pretty high. I knew when I was pregnant with him that he was going to be a very active child, my instincts were right, he is active, I mean VERY!

With the diagnosis came the FEAR of not only labeling him but medicating him. I turned my my beloved Chiropractor for guidance and we came up with a game plan of diet and supplements. It worked, for a while. The thing is when it stopped working I was AT A LOSS, you see my beloved Chiropractor was killed in a plane crash in early June, my heart still aches when I think about it. I blogged about it here. Not only did I loose a friend but the only person I trusted regarding my son's ADHD. Now what???? I went to his business partner, not the same, I was disappointed and sad all over again. I felt like I had no one to turn to. My son's behavior in school was not getting better, in fact I had to pick him up early one day, they sent him home, could not deal with him. I had a conference with his teacher and the principal, I set up an appointment with his pediatrician .

My pediatrician is awesome! He said "medication is a band aid and I am recommending therapy." YIPPIE no meds! I was so excited that he said that. Now please don't get me wrong. I am sure there are those of you out there who have a great success with ADHD medication, I am happy for you I truly am, I would never judge your decision, it is just not for me.

So off to the Psychiatrist we go. We are there for less the one hour and guess what??? All he did was prescribe my 6 year old Aderall XR, NOT COOL! I was so confused and thinking well he knows what he is doing so off to the pharmacy I go feeling very uneasy and sick to my stomach. I get the prescription filled and walk out in tears.

For 4 days I stare at the bottle, opening it looking at the pretty colored capsules filled with tiny cute yellow balls. During those 4 days I did HOURS and HOURS of research on this mind altering controlled substance and what I read was enough for me to decide NOT to give it to him. One the the things I learned was that I could get some big money on any college campus for the pretty little pills! How INSANE is that? College kids are ADDICTED to Aderall and I was expected to give it to my 6 year old? It is also HUGE with models as it causes weight loss, my son weighs all of 46lbs, he CAN NOT afford to loose weight. Not to mention it could make him worse, cause depression and in rare cases could kill him. NONE of this settles well with me.

So here I am at square one again. I am researching and researching some more. I purchased 2 books and I am going to consult with a Holistic specialist and looking for a new therapist. That is all I can do. I am sick to my stomach everyday about this, about him, about how we as a family are going to help guide this beautiful child through his childhood. Trying to be more patient and understanding, you can not punish a child for something he has no control over. He is not "out of control" all the time. He is the sweetest little boy who asks me to marry him at least once a week because he loves me so much and never wants to leave me. He loves to cuddle and will not let us kill a bug in the house, he makes us catch it and let it go outside. He is so concerned with other peoples feelings and loves to please, he just has no impulse control, AT ALL.

So begins my journey into the complex world of ADHD.