ADD and ADHD

I have a 8yr. old daughter who just went into 2nd grade. It has only been a week at school and we are already there and the teacher is telling us she is not on task and also not focusing. I am trying a GNC supplement called Attentive child. Can you give me any insight to this supplement? Is it anything that has been known to work or should I just pass on it?Please Help!!!!!

thank you to all the parents that put there teatamonies up. i have a 4 year old who was diagnosed with ADHD and i'm a single parent and i find it hard enough with that but with some of your words of encourgement i know what i'm doing is in the right direction for my family and that i can and will get though it. but i also would like to hear from some of you about it i'm still undecided about medicating him and finding activies that i can do with him that would keep his attention, thank you in advance i'm glad i would people that know what i'm going through without judgement ms. mercer

what are the longterm effects of the medicines being prescribed to these kids ~id love to here from kids!!!~cmra

I have a 10 year old both who is the most sweet kind boy I know. He lives in a world of his own though he is excellent in school but when he is home its like he doesn't understand my language. If I ask him to repeat something that I said he can't ask him to clean his room it only happens is prompted a dozen times. he is not hyper at all not figity or any of the classic Add thing that I read about. We my husband an I in private conversation call him spacey boy because he always seems out in left field. Any comments that might help please.

YES add IS IN teenagers try reading Gabor Mate's book "Scattered MInds" then for yourself piece of mind try "All about Attention Defiect Disorder" by Thomas W. Phelan......hope it helps ~ cmra

could ADD be in teenagers? because i have a 16 going on 17 year old yonger sister and she cant comprehend anything.She plays dumb and she cant fallow directions.and she is in speacal classes wich are for a learning disablilty in school, but i belive its beacuse she has ADD.any comments? this would help out alot!-thanks:)

Has anyone heard of Biphenten?what are the noraml or average doses given to an 8 year old child?

I am a mother of an 8 year old boy who was diagnosed with ADHD, in the 90th percentile. I am okay with him at home, he has a very sweet and charming demeanor. My biggest issue is with him in school and making friends. The psychologist has recommended drugs, but after spending time with children that are "medicated", I am totally against it! I have also done alot of reading on how these drugs affect the little ones growing bodies. I have heard of kidney problem as well as liver dsisfunction. I don't believe that his little body is mature enough to filter such strong medications. I am so frustrated as I hear from the school just about everyday, about what he has done this time! I am so tired of having a brilliant little guy who is so positive- but just cant seem to fit into this structure world- Its unfair and unjust- So many children have this and there just is no help besides drugs!!! Thats wrong- I went out of my way to see an occupational therapist, who promised that she would go and help him at school and help his teacher- Never happened- signed feelin helpless, and not knowin how to help your child is one of the hardest things I have ever dealt with- thanks for listening

I'm a 9th grade and a 15 year old girl and i identify with many symptoms of inattentive add. i've looked up countless articles and websites for info and when i read symptoms or stories about add i feel like, "AHA! other people act like this too?!" the thing is NOBODY believes i have add because supposedly i'm "smart" which bugs the**** OUT OF MEE! i have As in all classes, and several of my classmates label me as the "smart" girl and the "artist" because i like to draw but in the classroom its so hard for me to keep my mind from drifting when the lesson doesn't intereset me, i always do projects at the VERY LAST MINUTE (i once did an entire comic book project for history in 7th grade due the next day at 12 at night i had to hide under my covers to draw it so my dad wouldnt see and regardless i got a good grade) and my parents have always been telling me that i have to try harder and they say if i just pushed myself just a little bit they say i could be amazing but no matter how hard i try to sit down and focus on my problems like doing math questions i always end up daydreaming about what my future house would look like or random things like that and this problem has been there since the 5th grade. whenever i talk with people i apparently dont make sense so they ignore me and label me as "weird" which frustrates me everyday because i like meeting new people and making friends and sometimes its hard for me to get people to accept and understand me. people say i cant have add because i dont make careless mistakes but thats not true, i make careless mistakes all the time when i'm taking a math test or something like that when i knew the right answer...but when i draw or write an essay i'm passionate about i am the world's biggest perfectionist and i usually freak about the tiniest mistake and want to make everything just right and exactly like how i imagined it in my mind. i've talked to my mom about my suspicions about me having add and she was concerned at first but when i went to the doctor for my checkup and i brought it up i was like, "i think i have add because of all of these reasons" and she said in a skeptical tone, "but yet you have a 4.0" so apparently a certain GPA guarentees that you don't have the disorder. she told me that i should take it up with the hospital's pysch unit and that she would give me the number for it but she never did and though she was polite and listened i feel insulted she didnt take me seriously, and she told my mom she doesnt think i have add so now my mom believes i dont and wont do anything about it anymore. my dad says im looking for an excuse. i know something is wrong with me. my dad yelled at me for 4 years every weekend about being lazy, about forgetting to do things like pick up my laundry and take out the garbage he's told me millions of times, about not living up to my portential, about not paying attention when he's talking to me, about making careless mistakes. he and my mom refuse to let me learn to drive in high school right now they say unless i start learning to be careful because they're afraid i'll cause an accidnet because im so absent minded...he recenlty told me last weekend that he's going to stop pushing me because he lost hope on me, and that really hurt me, but i know that he just wants me to do well and he thinks i dont try my best, but its just so hard for me. i feel like if i can stop daydreaming and stop forgetting and stop thinking weird and be able to focus i could acheive so much, but i dont want to lose my personality, because my daydreams give me inspiration for my art, and i feel so trapped when i have to read a passage about geometric isometries or something that bores me. none of my friends think i have add, they just say im really scatter brained sometimes but they' know i get good grades so they say i couldnt be add. i have nobody to talk to about it and im usually a happy positive person but i can sporadically and suddenly get depressed and worried about little things, and recently this is a big issue thats bothering me. i read a yale article about people with higher intelligence with add and how society thinks "smart" people cannot be affected with add, i think i will print it out and show it to someone...i just don't know who!! i want to contact the hospital's psych unit but my parents think im wasting my time and they wont help me, and im pretty sure that the teachers at school do not think im add and wont help me if the hospital asks for an evaluation...i'm sorry this was really long, but it just feels good for a change to talk about all thats been bothering me, i feel grateful for this chance to say what i feel, i found so much relief in reading other people's stories...i just wish now that i can change because even though im happy now (well not recently) i know if i can be more clear-minded and normal i can do so much better in school, at home, and potentially at work, and i can stop being late to meetings and forgetting little things and being distracted! if i got diagnosed with add everything about me would make SENSE all of a sudden,but someone needs to help me!! am i really just a lazy person looking for an excuse? i wish somebody at least would take me seriously and try to diagnose me, even if i dont have add...who should i talk to?!

Did You Know that caffine slows kids with ADD down isn't that aesome but the down side is it will still stunt our growth I'm 13 and I speech from experience wierd hummm makes you think

my child picks and never think its his fault.He also picks at girls and still want that attention as the baby boy .he gets in trouble and his mind wonders off

i think i have add ar adhd, whatever. my brother was diagnosed when we were kids, but i was overlooked because i wasn't hyperactive, etc. his symptoms demanded the attention of my parents. and the way they treated him...oh my...i didn't even want to consider that i might have the same issues. this sister don't play that. i want to blend in...be normal. now that i am in my mid-thirties, i can see where my life might have turned out differently had my parents gotten us both tested. not their fauld, it was hard on all of us. but i had dreams...DREAMS!! do you understand? i was going to go to college and i was/am a good musician...natural talent. add is sounding like a benefit and a curse from the other posts, and from my personal experience. i couldn't get anything done, ever. but i still thought i was ok, even smart! yeh, i actually started to think i might be smart. after all the years of ridicule in school and every minute of pain and heartache i went through as a kid, i never thought i could feel good about myself. i don't even like myself. never have, but i have these cool insights into things and i can fix problems...easily. and i can write...poems, ( effortlessly, not even braggin).( just sharing.) songs, letters, my feelings. i could write a book. seriously! i could have done a lot of things, but in reality i have a really hard time just living every day. but i never thought the answer to my problematic life would end up right where i started.. with my brother. he's the one with the stigma of add over him. not me. i think the meds would help me a lot, but all the years of self-medicating, searching for relief, have given me a bad name with my doc. now he won't even listen to me when i say add. i tried meth and loved how it helped me focus and feel like a real person. except for the wacko side effects after being up for two days. i tried klonopin...great! helped a lot, doc said no. doc said no smoking...pot either. now i read no sugar, no coffee or caffiene, and lots of fish oil. i already have an issue with food, so this will really help keep me in my size 8 jeans. i just wanted to write and say i never felt like i belonged to anyone or anywhere, but after i read these posts, i don't feel quite so all alone. my husband and my kids are a blessing from God because they have had to deal with me for a long time and i don't understand how they do it, but they love me. i just don't think they will be willing to lay all the symptoms they have suffered through with me on this one little thing called add. my husband especially...thinks it's a crock. but i love him and he loves me so he is patient, more than that. he is truly my blessing from God. how can o get him, my kids, and my doctor to understand that this is truly something they need to look into. because i really need some help here. trying the diet thing..from, .papergirlMO

I would like more information on ADD and ADHD. My grandson is being checked for Autism disorder, but I think he might be more likely to be diagnosed with some type of Attention Deficit Disorder. Need more info. to decipher which symtoms seem more prevalent especially with his behavior and not being able to control his emotions or thoughts before he acts on them.

Hi . I am a mother of a 81/2 year old boy, who has ADHD since he was 3 yrs old. He is extremely over active, can not focus, is reckless to no end, his bedroom looks like live ammo hit it , besides the fact that he uses it as a bathroom, and he is medicated . We have tried all different types of Medications on him, some that have caused him physical harm and I have removed all from his system and started over with the original Focolin , it makes living with him tollerable , but before he takes and when it wears off look out he is hell on wheels. My concern now is that I am seeiing Autist signs in him that I think where covered up do to the ADHD, is this a posibility that they over run each other . I have read books saying so , but when I talkk to people they say I'm looking for things that aren't there. I just want the right treatment for my son,as he is getting harder and harder to manage not only does he have the ADHD he also has Bipolar, and ODD ,so anything else at this point wouldn't make a difference to me , just to him and what I would do to help him Ann

Hi, I am 65 years old. I have a wonderful wife and two great kids. At about four I felt different from other children. I still remember my first day of school. It was so frustrating. The teacher was writing things on the blackboard that were foreign to me. Most of the kids were happy going to school. It was dreadful for me. I always felt I couldn't keep up with the rest of the class. in class asignments, homework and class participation. By the time I figured out addition and subtraction the rest of the class was already starting with division..it was always catch - up time. I would make major mistakes on tests all the time. My worst fear was always memorizing poems. Remembering two paragraphs was almost inpossible for me. I just couldn't remember. I had a hard time remembering names. If I did remember something that I learned in class...two weeks later it was forgotten. I always envied some of my friends in class. They would study maybe 1/2 hour for a test and get an A or B. I would study 2 1/2 hours and would be lucky to pull a C. I had very few friends in High School. I was not good in expressing myself to my peers. Some students were pretty cruel when you messed up on a test. I was always tense in school. I tried to focus during lectures but my brain was always wandering. The one subject I got good grades in was in gym. I loved sports. I also did very good in wood shop and drafting. Those were about the only classes that I got A's or B's. Now I would like to talk about the good things that happend to my life. The one thing that I had over a lot of the natural good students was drive. I never quit on making myself better regardless of my short commings. The worst thing my High School counselor said was ...your not College material"..become a carpenter". I got so upset with that lady...I graduated from college in 5 1/2 years. It wasnt easy but my will pushed over. After graduation, I got my first position in sales. I loved it. The best thing about outside sales was I didn't have to get up to early and not be so structured. IAfter ten years of sales I bought a small mfg co. Both of my sons work for me. I am so proud of my family. All my life I felt like always climbing to get to the top of the mountain. I am finally starting to take a breath and enjoying the moments. It took a lot of years but I finally feel like a normal person most of the time. It reminds me of a song from the 70's. "I can see more clearly now"

ok for people who doesn't know this caffine stays in an adhd childs system for 12 hours. They also missing alot of vitamins in there system. Iron B2 omega 3 (is the big one) vitamin e egg protein is good to help nurotransmitters in the brain My son takes 1000mg of fish oil 3xs a day and has really work with the meds he is on. FYI THE DRS. DON'T TELL YOU THESE THINGS. You can also fined this out on the net.

I have a 12 yr boy that has ADHD ODD and they think he also has anxity disorder, Also a 13 year old boy with PDD. To the mom who was wondering about the other drugs for ADHD don't get discourge I have been dealing with this since my 12 yearold was 4. 10 - 15% of these kids do not respond to the meds. AS with my 13 yr. old that was what the drs. said he had but has PDD. WE are currently useing Daytrania it works differently since it is absorbe threw the skin. I have my 12 and 8 yr old and it seems to work better. THere is also Intunevia be careful with that one if you mis a dose it can affect the blood pressure and you have to stair step up and stair step down. Bad thing about these psycotropic drugs is that you never know how they will affect the brain. If your interested in some of the info I have I did a paper for college on ADHD I stil have the research your more than welcome to read over it and see if anything I found will work. You can get me at tarheels19758@yahoo.com

Im a 15 year old girl. I have ADD, topped with anxiety and depression. its all very stressful, and ive been struggling to keep myself together. its all very hard, and i hate it.

My 16 year old daughter has ADD. She complained of not being able to "concentrate" as early as Kindergarten, but was diagnosed in 3rd grade by a physician who is an expert in diagnosing ADD. He led her through a series of tests before officially diagnosing her. She's been on Adderall since that time and we continue to have her drug dosage monitored. This condition is tricky to diagnose because there is no blood test to tell what the synapses of the brain are doing. Parents CAN NOT diagnose their own children. My daughter seems mild mannered compared to her younger brother and people are often surprised that of the two of them SHE'S the one with ADD. When my son was younger, he had trouble focusing too, but that was because he wanted to play instead of study, (In contrast to my daughter, where her focus problem was a limitation in her brain) As my son grew older and his mom (me) sat near him while he quietly developed good study habits, he became a great student and he now finishes homework quickly. On the other hand my daughter takes a very long time to complete her homework despite the fact that she probably has a higher IQ than anyone in the household. She's very well spoken, but can't concentrate for long. She's also somewhat impulsive and has become more so as she entered her teenage years. We've spoken about the subject and she feels that without her medication, she would be a mess at this point. Another thing that has been helpful with my daughter is eating a high protien breakfast, keeping blood sugar level throughout the day and getting enough sleep. She's also doing neurofeedback which I believe is a VERY promising non-drug solution. We've had trouble finding the time to follow through with it (our fault), but it has WORKED when we've made the time to do it. Insurance does not cover it and it can add up, but it's very effective. If interested try Dr. MacDonald in LA, Ca .... she will work with patients via skype or conference calls online to manage patients.

I am a mother of a 4 year old with ADD. Does anyone know of a support group for moms with kids like this in Knoxville, TN? My email address is misssarahjtodd@yahoo.com

Hi I am a 16 year old male. I am pretty sure i have A.D.D. I have not been to a doctor for it because my parents say it is not severe enough. I make good grades in all my classes but I also have almost all symptoms of A.D.D. Normally I am jumpy and can't sleep because I get distracted to much to fall asleep, I make dumb mistakes on my test and when I look at them when they are handed back out I am baffled I missed it because I know the answer. I also don't normally punctuate or spell correctly. Today at school my friend gave me some aderall because he noticed I have signs of A.D.D. I took it and made a perfect score on my test I took, I correctly spelled and punctuated everything on a paper I wrote and acomplished doing something productive today after school. My appetite increased and I feel better about myself. And i am tired and want to go to bed right now however i was interested in studing A.D.D and A.D.H.D. thank you for reading and I hope this helps some people realize medication doesn't have to have bad effects and can actually help with alot.

My son has been on Ritalin, Concerta, medadate, serquel, and straterra, none of these medicines seem to work. What other kinds of medicines are out there that might work for my son who is 8 years old?

Acrobat connect Add-in Test

My son is 15 and I think he may have ADD. He has difficulty focusing on schoolwork & homework, doesn't seem to be able to organize his thoughts, notes, materials on his own for school, and has trouble remembering information that he needs for tests/quizzes. He rushes through projects, but can spend hours on something that truly interests him, like drum or guitar playing. I have concerns because so much of what I see says he should have exhibited these symptoms before age 7, but he seemed like a typical little boy at that time. Financially, we are challenged (husband out of work for 1+ yrs) and I'm not sure where to go for the help we may need. Thank you to all for insightful entries and for sharing experiences. Les

Can a child as young as two already be showing signs of being ADHD?

to karrie from 2/2009, could your son have Tourette's syndrome? or it could be a side effect to a prescribed drug. is he on any anti-anxiety meds? i had some of those same reactions when i took Xanax irregularly. If you don't have enough in your system it can have what is called 'breakthrough' effects. i had my arm fly up in the air and my leg, my throt cosed up, some of these things happened while sleeping whuch sucked. it woke me up of course. as soon as i either took it each day or stopped the drug entirely a couple mos. later all taht stopped.

i have a child who is hyper and fits the adhd criteria, she is NOT going to take medication if I can help it. Right now she drinks Mountain Dew (12oz cans) 1 twice a day and can concentrate on her school work and have a normal life without Medication. And yes it is HELL dealing with a child who has this behavior.

for the person who posted 3/13/2009 about their son who says he can see energy - please read an article entitled "Scientists try to stop schizophrenia in its tracks" - according to this article there is state just before a person goes into psychosis where they can sense light and energy (I think it was called prodomy)- scientists are trying to figure out how to stop this since it can then lead to psychosis if left untreated- This article I read on Yahoo news

Can a male child 14 mos. have ADHD?

My Son is on vyvanse and clonidine it works some they tried Ritalin and make him mean in the afternoon the vyvanse works but only for 7hrs and not for 12hrs like the dr.says it does,i have to find something else for afternoon Our Son is 8yrs.afternoon is the worse too mean and does not wont to mind or leason to things.

This may be a very helpful site for myself and daughter. Her 4 yr old son was diagnosed ADHD/Bipolar at age 3 1/2 and has HAD to go on medications. He's extremely aggressive and beyond control. The therapist has also mentioned ODD due to his opposition of authority. We are at our wits end but we also know we just have not found the right combination of medications with diet. One of the postings states don't judge a mother for what she has to do in order to get through this. It is very hard to deal with. Especially with a child who has all sympoms of three very distinct mental illnesses or biological illnesses. Help where you can give the mom a day out to herself so she can regroup. My grandson is not even allowed to go to daycare for more then 2 hours a day due to his aggressive behavior. What do we do this child is suppose to start school in about a year and at the rate we are going he will not make it in school.

i am just coming to the reality that my daughter is adhd . She is7 years old and at first I thought i was bad behavior and so did my husband. We didn't know what to do, how to discipine her or even how to raise her. It had gotten to the point to we had just accepted the fact that we had a bad child. But my materal instinct said something is wrong. I would look at my child struggle with not having friends. and i would watch her make everyone suffer at home because she was always in someones things and always disrupting the home. But now i am ready to get the help that we all need because when your child suffers the whole family does. She's not bad she just has ADHD she's beautiful and i love her she is a blessing from God.

my daughte is adhd and she is 8 years old it is hard road to try to help your child learn even with adhd put i have lerned alot of love and strength helps and crying alone in your room is okay. My daught tries very hard to learn she cries when it gets hard but i just huge her and tell her i love her and she can do anything . I also have a son who is 10 and has a speech problem and has a low growth hormone and stomach problems . i have to think positive for my children and take things day to day. I dont know if this helps anyone but it helps me to tell someone that might understand a little

this is for Daniel if he reads it sinc ehe hasnt posted in a long time. I loved reading your article. I am in the mist of confussion with my son who is 6 and is having a great deal of trouble in school. He is fighting easily distracted easily aggitated and unfocused. His teacher is saying that it is starting to affect his work. His father doesnt want him to be medicated i might consider it. I am the one who has to deal with him on a daily basis at home and he is a huge handful. He has not be evaluated yet and I am certainly looking into that but your posting gave me an insiders view. Thanks a lot. I want to take charge and get this situation under control as soon as possible so he can better function at school and just on a daily basis as well. Do you have an experience with a hectic and kind of stressful home enviroment and the affect on a child with ADD?ADHD? thanks much Jessica from NYS

To the comment about putting a 3 year old on medicine for ADD. My son was just put on medication for ADD he is 9 I have fought it for 3 to 4 years now. Some kids have to have medication to were others don;t. Unless you have had a very hayper 3 4 5 6 7 8 year old who has this disorder you shouldn;t judge anymother until you have to walk in her shoes, some kids with ADD are worse than others, and if a 3 year old child is not treated properly and does have ADD he or she is the one who is going to suffer all through life. It is not a sin to put your child on medication if they truley need it the sin is when you neglect your child the right to have a normal life cause they can't focus with out the medication. My son was in begindergarden when he first started having problems and he was 4 so I completely understand what its like to struggle with what the right thing is to do. And i did keep my child of medication for 4 years due to I didn't realize how important it truley is that they get proper treatment until my child got to 2nd grade and struggled to were he came home crying daily cause he couldn't do the work due to not being able to stay on task. My son is getting all the possible help he can get from me and the school and he still had to be put on medication, so to all those mothers who struggle with the thought am I doing the right thing? You will learn in time what is best for your child, people who say very critical things about putting kids on medication should walk a mile in our shoes before they judge anyone. And if you have walked a mile in them shoes and still choose not to medicate your child thats your choice but don't judge a parent who does cause every child is different some worse than others. when a 3 year old has very bad behavior and acts out and you as a parent can't keep up with them and you have tried all other options then no its not worng to put them on medication to help them, cause I have seen a 3 year old who is add and her mother has tryed evry other thing their is and this 3 year old is ADD she is way worse than my son and she has a very good mother who trys to help and guide her but some times thats not enough so don't judge someone who has put their 3 year old on medication unless you have been their

My son just turn 6 yrs old.But since his toddler days had problems with speech.He had seen speech therapy since and his improving in his everyday life until now.His in a kindergarten and his having some sort of sense problem, behavioral irritation, not hyperactive but won't stay still in one place and get easily distracted.All his symptoms falls on ADD and a normal growing child.Do you think being delayed on his pseech causes this behavioral problems.His been evaluated by his school and park district psychologist and was seen by his doctor.I'ts just depends on us but he advise to have other alternatives other than medication but if it does'nt work for next couple of years then will consider other solutions including medications.

My son is 7 years old and in first grade where he should be. He has been on adderall xr, for 2 years, and what a difference in his behavior. He does exceptional in school, but before taking this med, was very disrupted in school, couldnt concentrate, focus, etc. Of course, he still is only 7, and still at times, is hiper, but remember, kids are expected, to be hiper sometimes, they are just being kids.

My son is 5 yrs old and dx with ADD, does anyone know of a support group in the central illionis area. Please let me know, I am in need of some help with coping with this situation and I want to do what is right for my son and have the the right tools. -Marina

my 8 and a half year old son has been dianoised with adhd he was on medication but i took him off of it because i diidnt feel like it was doing him any good what should i do and which medicine is good for kids with adhd..

Actually, I'm pretty sure ADD IS in the psychiatrist's view a learning disorder, as it does indeed affect learning, especially social integration, as well as the nitty gritty of motor coordination learning.

How dare you put a 3 1/2 year old on medication for ADD! The child can't focus because he is at an age that is easily distracted. Those medications can ruin a child's brian. Deal with it and teach the child to behave...worry about focus later

Daniel, you sound like such a smart kid but don't be so upset with the person who posted 3/13/2009 as he/she is just a parent trying to do the best he/she can - like me - I think when he/she is just trying to protect his/her son from what other people might say - I am a mother of an ADHD child and I really am amazed sometimes at his insight just like I am with yours - I really think the professionals and everyone else should be listening to kids like yourself - I posted 2/11 originally about my son and you'll see what I went through because the adults (doctors) wouldn't listen to my son who had a bone infection (very painful) because of his poor attitude until I mentioned the ADHD and then he got the help he needed (the doctor replied "oh, yes they don't deal very well with pain") - anyway, as yet I do not have my son on medication and hope, which I think is happening that he'll grow out of it - believe me I've had many struggles with teachers about this but every once in a while he gets a teacher who respects my decision - this year he got a teacher who calculated he was about a year behind academically and she has closed in on one year - and believe me that kid is smart - he just doesn't keep up because of his lack of focus due to the distraction factor - I think what did it for me was when I was in a parent/teacher/principal conference and my husband said well, why don't we lower our expectations - who would of ever thought?! the teachers looked at my husband with their mouths wide open - because they themselves as parents couldn't believe what he was saying (and English is his second language by the way) - but for me this gave me relief - now, I say to my son you just do your best and I don't expect straight A's - I must be the only mother who is happy when he gets C's - and you know what he is starting to get some A's and that pleases me too when it happens and I know he must be having a good day! Ciao for now.

ok, I promise this is my last post, least for tonight, lol. Karrie, if you come back, please listen. My son, who is 7 say he can see energy, people/forms, and it's like electricity.... Okay, maybe, maybe not, but I light-heartedly asked him, does it bother you, are you okay, is there something I can do or say? In other words I don't play into it, but I believe these things are occuring, now my son is not on meds but it would probably amplify this natural occurance.... while odd, it is what they see, and or think they feel, or think they do, so therefor it's somewhat real, at least to them.... Know what I did? Seemed to help, I said anytime, day or night you want to talk about it, i'm here.... but son, we live in our own world and here if everyone can't see it, it's not truly here.... not that it's not real, but not real to us as humans and not to worry, our minds are strong and will slowly turn away from things that are unnatural to us. Keep in mind I asked him if it scared him, or if it talked to him, and he said no to both, but it was very real to him.... kids are around mega amounts of wii-fi, (we all are), and their only going to add more, why is this important? it may not be but think of it this way, from tv, phones both coreless & cell, games, computer wireless this, wireless that, all the microwaves, and electrical lines, phone lines, radio waves, it can & or could be a disturbance, we are after all made up of water & electricity ourselves, yes? You're brave for talking openly, I applaud you. Just make sure those of you who've went down the path of medication know it is without a doubt mind altering.... that being said, I think it's natural for childrens minds to be overloaded & possible effects from hours of over stimulous from every direction, even ads, posters, builboards, no rest.... it's damning, I wish you luck, find him a way out. only suggestion is bio feedback, nerologist, and relaxation classes, or excerises classes like kung fu, or one of the mellow ones. It's our minds, and we control what we see, once I told my son that, he seemed to be at ease, or at least at peace with whatever he had been feeling/seeing. I told him we have power over our own minds, and that he alone is the only one that can decide what needs to go, and or what is healthy enough it will become a part of him as he grows up. They say we have power over our enemies, so I'd imagine that means the ones we also have inside. Good night, and sweet dreams~

OK everyone, I know this is also my situation minus my son is not overly hyper, just a little boy as far as I see.... LOOK, lets all stop giving them comfort food, yes... it's our comfort zone, and ez fix, isn't it? TONS of food claim to be healthy, and or "Fortified", while most in reality aren't a high enough grade to be considered worthy. IF we can't feed them enough good food, or get them to eat it BUT the whole food vits, such as NEW CHAPTER, or even the vitamin code, add the omega 3 cut out all the bad omegas,(anything with oil from seeds, even soy oil), cut the CR@P so to speak.... WE need to behave, WE need to excersize, WE need to calm down, and WE need to get better for all of our sakes. I hear everyone moaning now, "why those are expensive", "who can afford organic", yeah well, can we afford the meds... the pain, the time lost? Both our child's and our freedom? Lets all go back to basics & get yer F-in kid outta mental/social jail, they've done nothing wrong. FEED their bodies, and minds good ol fashion REAL food, or pay someone who will!!! READ that 15 yr old boys question on this very website... IT IS HARD not to have your own problems, BUT STOP throwing our kids to these drug dealing professional, and try out some natural FOOD, do it with them make everyone do it, your friends, your school..... STOP letting our sorry society push drugs on our kids because we don't know how to cook anymore... They spay all our food, lawns, schools with pesticides, genedically alter wheat, etc., give us lime stone for calcium, fortify EVERYTHING from milk to orange juice as if God f-ed up & forget something in that food. WAKE UP world, make them stop poluting our childrens water.... they use chloride when we could use grapefruit seed extra & it would work better with NO side effects FACT.... I mean who in their right mind would buy calcium if we knew it came from lime stone in China? When is the last time we needed a rock? That's not true calcium, not is citric acid true vitamin C, it's only in part..... so why add all this to our food supply? Why such a bump in these childhood problems? Do the math, more money for the drug companies.... Nothing better than a good ol dose of modern medicine when truely needed, but wtf are we doing to our kids? Allergy this, problem here, antibocic there & they don't even bother to tell us that after each antibotic we need to give our children a healthy flora supplement for a couple weeks & i don't mean yougart!!!! OK.... I feel lil better but still, I know we all have a lot to do but we can & should! We're worth it and so are our children. BIG HUGS, good luck~ Robin....

I am 27 years old and was diagnosed with ADD two years ago. I went on Adderall for 2 years, but recently decided to try alternative treatments (i.e. diet manipulation). Adderall is a wonderful medication and helped tremendously, however, there is risk of dependency, plus side effects like anxiety, irritability, paranoia, loss of appetite, etc. I have been on the ADD diet for only a couple of weeks and have noticed a significant improvement. Basically cut out all dairy, refined sugar and artificial sweeteners, limit caffine, and go heavy on lean protien (ESPECIALLY in the morning), and lots of organic fruits and veggies. Some behavior modification that can also help are things like writing a detailed to-do list and setting deadlines or time limits to complete tasks. I hope these suggestions are helpful to some of you! Peace.

my son was diagnoised with adhd about 8 or 9 yrs ago.he was prescribed with differant medication for this diagnoises,he has been on adderal for quite some time.he has now come to me and told me he feels funny and just don't care anymore.iam so scared for him,i think it has alot to do with the combination of adderal and the zoloft his dr has him on,when he is down to around 6 pils he starts kinda freaking out.mom ineed my prescription filled i am going to run out.like he acts very addicted to both of these drugs,i think adderal is a very addictive drug and zoloft the same.as far as school it helped him some in his grades but i think he could do it on his own,without the drugs.have ask the dr to wein him off and he says he will and then when it gets to the next appt.he changes and says i think we better wait a little longer.i think the drug companies are making it worth the drs. wild to keep kids on these drugs,well i think everyone drug companies and drs.should reavaluate themselves and start thinking of the kids and not the money.we are talking about these kid's lifes here.it's not all about money.so let's reavaluate this stuff and our pocket books and think of these kids.alot of them get so addicted and then they go to street drugs,i really fear for my sons life while on these two drugs,thank you for your time

I have a 3 1/2 year old son who is constantly running away form either me or his father. I am not sure how to deal with him, he tells us he hates us, wants to shoot us and I am just about at my wits end and I have a appointment to see a psychologist for him but not sure if we can wait that long and I do not know what to do?

Hello Karrie, I am new to ADHD, my son is 5 and was diagnosised with periventricular leukodystrophy at age 1. This is brain damage in the ventricular areas of the brain due to a lost of oxygen. From birth until 3 years old, he was delayed in speech, walking, talking and had to use a thickner with all his fluids. He has had speech, occupational, physical and special instruction therapy all before ages 3 1/2. We are now in the school system and have learned quickly, that if I am not in my son's corner, the school will not challenge themselves to do what is right for my son. I have also learned that many other diagnosis can accompany ADHD or even be hidden by initial symptoms that seem to replicate those of ADHD. For example, night terrors, anxiety, fear, low self-esteem, a sense of not being good enough and believe it or not the an assumption by peers a negative attitude are all associated with ADHD. I am not a physician but it seems like your son may be experience some if not all of the above and his form of ADHD may be extreme which with all due respect to you as his parent will require first support from you. You may need to seek help for yourself, counseling or even med's to help you deal patiently and open mindedly with your son. This venture is not an easy one and I had to consult with a therapist to first evaluate myself to determine if my inability to deal with my son in a calm and patient manner where symptoms of ADHSDor anxiety or something. I have also learned that other adults for example, teachers, counselors, child care providers are not always qualified to deal with our children. This gives our children a sense of negativity because this is what they encounter all day when they are not with us. My son's teacher doesn't ask him what happened she just assumes he is the blame so when he gets home he is always apologizing for everything he does or deosn't do even loosing his baby teeth. The other children have labeled him as the BAD kid which again gives him he sense that negativity even at 6 years old. ADHD children are also very defensive (this is learned through the treatment they receive from others), exemplify feelings of fear for example seeing things, being afraid of the dark, black, light, ants, even fingernails which again preys on the vulnerable state which causes them to again respond negatively to what we see as everything. They know within themselves they are not exaclty like their peers and without constant supervision, rules, schedules, discipline, and a LOT of STRUCTURE they are least likely to achieve their potential. Everybody deals with things differently, find out how your son is dealing with those things that he faces everyday. The things that he doesn't talk to you or your husband about, the things that make him feel inferior and shallow. It seems like you might have to rebuild trust with your son and I am not talking about your trusting him, but him trusting you and your husband. If he doens't trust you (in any way), he will not open up and you won't be able to help him. ADHD children have very short patienct, the bore easily, the brain runs like a motor that doesn't lock up EVER and again it takes a LOT of strength and sometimes medical aides for the parents in order that they can help the child. I have felt helpless for SO long, not understanding well thinking I understood but really didn't. Also you can't compare your son to other children with ADHD, it only becomes more confusing and prohibites your ability to give him what he needs. I do not mean to insinuate that you are not a good parent from a parent I know your every whelm is to help him, but one thing I had to do was remove myself from the equation for a moment, I had to stop focusing on how uncomfortable this illness made me and focus on how uncomfortable this sickness made my son. This is why I suggest consulting with a physician to help you cope you message sounds like you are at your wits end and you don't know what else to do. Try to remember his frustration is multiplied 30 fold because he appears to be the one with the problem. I hope my ranting didn't offend you and I pray it helps. Be Blessed!

I am not an expert on ADD/HD. However, I would like to recommend a fantastic book which may help with some of the behaviors described in the stories below. My son experienced very similar behaviors, although he does not have ADD/HD. The book is Raising the Emotionally Intelligent Child and I can't believe how much it changed our life. I became a better parent and my son and I have a much better relationship. I hope you find some answers there too.

to the person who posted the retarded comment - you sound very insensitive - I hope that is not the case and if it is I hope you don't have any children

My son is 9 and was diagnosed with ADHD when he was about 6. I was in denial until recently and as yet he has not been medicated. Right now he has strep throat again and due to the mucous build up in his nose is having nose bleeds - he is also prone to nose bleeds. Well, the carry on when he has a nose bleed is unbelievable - he starts thrashing about, gets blood everywhere and almost injures himself. The bathroom afterward looked like a hospital emergency ward after treating a victim for a stab wound- his nice white Tae Kwon Do uniform was also covered in blood. It's times like these that I don't know what to do and end up getting physical with him to get him to stop - today I slapped him across the face and wrestled him to the ground to try and get things under control - I am now exhausted from the struggle and always feel terrible afterward. This summer he got a very serious illness - a bone infection call osteo maelytis - and I couldn't get the doctors to treat him at the hospital emergency wards because they were so taken aback by his poor attitude. Finally on my third trip to yet another hospital emergency award I lost my patience with the doctors and told them to treat the pain first and after we could deal with the attitude. Finally, I mentioned ADHD to one doctor and I finally got some assistance. He could have died without treatment or been physically disabled. Believe I was exhausted after 5 days of no sleep myself and then it took him another 5 weeks before he could walk again. So, there you go - the teachers really don't realize what we go through at home either - so please don't send the homework home when they don't do it in the class. I am in teacher's college now and believe me I am going to have a completely differenct approach.

My son is 13 and was on medication for add from 3rd grade. I took him off the meds last may due to side effects, ie, eye ticks, poor appitite, chest pains, and the stunting of his growth. He is struggling with his school without meds, and has had seriouse bullying problems for 2 years. He has anger and mood swings, and struggles with focus still. His school staff makes promises to your face but I constantly have to go in and remind them of the iep instructions. They just dont want to be bothered. I have begun looking at other education options, but they are all so expensive.Anybody heard of Laurelsprings online distance school? Do you have any recomendations?

I am the director of a clinic, Gray Matters in Westport, CT, which specializes in ADD/HD. I'm disturbed by both the casual diagnosis and medication of children, and the prevalence of wonder cure alternatives. Kids wtih ADD/HD have a prevalence of slow brain waves, which is why stimulants help them focus - they speed-up the brain in a similar way to caffeine. (This is the case for kids with or without hyperactivity.) In my clinic, we use neurofeedback to teach the brain to regulate itself. This is the only viable and clinically proven alternative to medication - and as far as I know, the only actual solution - drug therapy offers merely symptomatic relief. The brain is a wonderful, flexible organ that can be trained if you give it the tools. Do some research on neurofeedback, and find someone near you who can help. The American Psychiatric Society rates neurofeedback as having and 80% efficacy rate - the same as drug therapy, but with no side effects.

My son is five years old, and present some of the symptoms that describe ahead. He is socaible but have difficulty to sit in class,listening and latelly following instruction at school and home sometimes. I get some complaints from teacher and other school staff.The teacher suggest to get him treated with medication for ADHD but I belive he can be able to concentrated better without giving him this medication. I take him to be re-evaluated even that I not planing to medicated him but problabilly other methors that work fine with him.

I have a 5 years old son and I think he may have ADHD because of the signs he is showing. For example when he was 3 yrs old and attending daycare he bit one of the teachers and they expelled him. Within a week I got him in another daycare and in 3 days he was out of the daycare. He threw a chair on the teacher's foot and slapped her in her face. He is loving when we're home and tells me how much he loves me but I can't understand what is going on with him. When he acts up in school when he comes home its like nothing happened. He was evaluated at age 3 but the doctor said nothing is wrong with him and that he was too young to be diagnosed with anything. I need help in understanding my baby. If he does get evaluated again I would love learn how to cope with it. colletteb@tmail.com

to the response by anonymous in St Louis. My daughter just turned 5 a week ago. I have been telling her pediatrician of her ADD behavior since before she was 3. They could not test her until she was 5. As of tomorrow I am finally getting her tested. I also live in the St Louis area (St Charles) I am 95% sure she has ADD. I have all the struggles as a parent with a symptomatic child. I too will be looking for support. I have been pulling my hair out for quite some time now, and all the Doctors tell me so far, it's her age! My other child is 8 and a boy, he is completely different. Focused, well behaved, well mannered. He has trouble being around her and getting along because her hyperactivity and outbursts. I have for so long thought it was my parenting and now hope that the two of us can get some help to cope with this. If I hear of any groups I will let you know. Sincerely Jaimie

I think my daughter who is going to be 10 yrs old in december is havong trouble concetrating and is failing in reading and is very shy. I really believe she has selfesteem issues because she says she is not smart . what should I do should I get her tested or take her to a theripst? she does't want to participate in anything she wants for me to sleep with her and crys in the middle of the night because i'm not there. Help!!! what should i do?

i think i have adhd but my mom thinks you need to find out by age 7 is it true?

This information is very helpful to me ,as it sets up a mark by which i can characterize my child. Thank you so much.

I can relate to a lot of what everyone was saying, I have a step daughter, age 12, she really seems to focus in on me with her anger, but in another since she always wants to be with me, it just doesn't make sense . We have problems with her , she doesn't want to do any chores , or take a shower, everything is a big struggle , or get up in the morning for school, (she told her counsler that she thought it was funny, because she makes me late) on a day to day basis. she gets mad at the drop of a hat, sometimes to a point were she will go to her room and start tearing things up. and that just the tip of the iceberg, she refuses to clean her room , clean clothes get thrown on the floor, you have to keep on her to do any small task(repeat & repeat) what needs to be done, it is really getting out of control, and yes her medication is another thing to get her to do. I could go on and on. I guess i just needed to vent a little.

I thought as the years went on things would get better. My daughter is 13 and will be 14 in Feb. She has had adhd since preschool and has recently hsd ODD added to her profile. It has NOT been easy to say the least. Sometimes it feels like im fighting a losing battle and it seems like I get beat up more than dad ever does. I have to defend behaviors at school and home. She seeems to be getting more and more confrintational all the time. Because od the ADHD and ODD its hard to get her to understand what we deam as common sense things. Everything seems like a challenge with her. I Love her and believe God to do great things for her and in her. I just want to make sure I'm doing my very best by her. I don't want to always treat her like a patient but my teen-aged daughter. Signed: HELP in Albany, Ga.

retardation vs adhd

As the leading authority in the US on Canadian child protection, I am currently researching options for a US health plan. In part, I am delving into ADHD and as an area of but one concern. For this disorder/syndrome and in terms of diagnosis/detection and treatment puzzles my most basic analysis. Fact is, there exist no "proofs" since the advent of "morbid defect"""" on into the 1990's ADHD which support the existence of any such behavior recognized position. In terms of US CPS and school problems in so far as they relate to these controlling/attention issues, I am becoming more convinced than ever, that these forms of "dopings" are moreover "all" about the dollar associative agendas between the AMA, its surrogates, lobbyists and the pharmaceuticals. In regards to whether the CPS controls "fostered" kids or where a school does so, the common thread is "drug" sales, doctors, psychologists/psychiatry and others who would profit from "our" children having problems not necessarily attributable to any of these so called "DISORDERS". As I work on developing a/the US health plan I will or must consider taking issue with this intervening interference into the realm of the "childs best interest" and as well, family rights. Thank You, Dave-CFSM Director

My son was diagnosed with ADHD when he was in the first grade, he is now in the ninth grade. It has been an uphill battle getting him to this point. I had to do a lot of advocating on his behalf when it came to dealing with teachers and administrators. It is not a lack of empathy and understanding that I am frustrated with, actually it is a lack of knowing what to do to help him succeed. We have implemented a behavior management program at home and at school in an effort to reinforce accountability, we do family counseling, I have met time and time again with his teachers, I got him involved in sports and he is a wonderful artist, so there are things other than academics that we can praise him for but no one seems to have any answers for me. I f I just knew what more I could do, I would do it in a heartbeat. It seems as if now that he has reached his teenage years his struggles in school have been so difficult that he has given up on himself and has resigned to the notion that he cannot do any better, so I am now finding myself having to battle his will want to well. If anyone has any suggestions please post them. Rita

I have a 7 year old that was diagnosised with ADHD in kindergarten. He is on medication which seems to help, but because it took half a year to get a doctor to put him on it, he didn't do well in the 1st grade. I wanted to hold him back, but per the reading specialist at his school advise that he thinks my son also has dyslexia(which they will be testing him next month on)and that there are resources for him and forwarding him into the 2nd grade would be best. Well he is struggling and hates going to school so now I am looking into placing him back into the 1st grade. I'm just trying to find some help/advise to help me deal with his aggession when he gets home from school and is time to do his homework. I am a single mother and I'm just lost and don't know where to go.

I work with a 5 yr old that is ADHD/ODD we cannot keep in the classroom because he shoves his classmates - yells in their face's spits - does all of this also with teachers - throws chairs - nothing seem to be working - we have used the method of coloring 1 out of 4 pictures with rewards, etc - small amount of work with rest,etc what do we do next

I am thinking that maybe my daughter has ADD/ADHD because of some of the things she does. What the lady stated on 8/29/08 with her 10 year is so true with my daughter. Now I am feeling really bad and blaming myself if I have not got this treated. Misty

My daughter suffers from mild ADD, I wish I knew what to do, as she is OK at school except that she forgets things frequently. She is much smarter than she seems, because she is constantly so nervous about forgetting something (slight OCD) that she can't concentrate. She is always interrupting when other people talk because she can't remember what she wants to say if she has to wait She also picks at her finger nails constantly, she says it helps her concentrate. I do the same thing but I don't think it helps, it is just a nervous habit. I try not to give her a hard time but sometimes her habits are so annoying I can't help myself. She has slightly poor hygiene (I know she is a kid) but she refuses to wash her face in the morning and always forgets to put on deodorant, and would not brush her teeth unless reminded (she is 10 years old and needs to remember a few things on her own). I am afraid she is going to lose the friends I have made for her if she doesn't start taking care of herself and learn a little hygiene and to stop interrupting. She also has a really bad sweet tooth, she is not heavy now, but if she continues to eat the way she would like to she will soon be over weight. I try to control it at lunch, because I pack her lunch. She gets really upset almost angry if I say anything about hygiene or food or interrupting or picking at her nails ( I can't really say to much about that one since I do it too.) She can be the sweetest kid in the world and then when things aren't going her way the tears start flowing and I feel so guilty. She lost a game of Monopoly the other day and cried for a half an hour. I feel bad for her some of the time and wonder where did I go wrong.

My son was diagnosed with ADHD and was put on medication. At the time he was living with his father and step-mother along with quite a few siblings and step-siblings where he wasn't getting very much attention. When he came down to live with me and my fiance at the time, he wasn't on his medication and had more one on one attention from us and his school was smaller where they were able to give him more one on one interaction between student and teacher and did very well while he was with me. When he went back to live with his father, he was put back on medication and went back to his old ways. I can't help but wonder if it wasn't the living conditions rather than ADHD that he was suffering from.

Any adult who condone or overlooks that type of behavior should be removed from any environment where children are. I live in Texas....and in our school district these children who are treating your nephew this way would be considered harrassing and bulleying.......it will not be tolerated in our district.....I suggest looking at the school districts policy....and printing it ....and confronting the educators at his school with the schools policy on provoking him........He has the right to be in a safe and calm setting.....read the districts policy on that....if it states that....you can hold them responsible to provide that atmosphere for him....that is so sad to think that adults act that way......I will pray for your nephew that he will no longer be subject to that. Sincerely...A concerned Mom