Despite what people think, ADD (an acronym for Attention Deficit Disorder) is not a catch all phrase for a bunch of common behaviors nor it is a pseudo ailment. The reality is, scientist have been able to link ADD with certain malfunctioning neurological responses that are lacking in individuals who do not have this disorder.
Also called attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) this condition affects a small population of children (roughly 8-10 percent) and a number of adults who may have missed being diagnosed when they were young.
Top symptoms of ADD/ADHD that can be found in both child and adult sufferers and often include:
- Trouble focusing
- Hyperactivity and inability to sit still
- Impaired social interaction
- Irresponsible behaviors
- Moody and insulting
- Extremely forgetfulness
There is a segment of society that believes that ADD/ADHD symptoms can be easily controlled through will power. What they don’t realize PET and CAT scans have uncovered circuitry abnormalities and lower metabolic activity in the part of the brain that controls our emotions and basic responses. The neurotransmitter dopamine is also severely lacking in the ADD brain.
Despite this knowledge, many parents refrain from seeking a diagnosis for their child and mature men and women feel ashamed and closet their impairment. This only serves to exacerbate the problem and clinical depression may even result.
Today, individuals with ADD need not suffer in silence.
Children and adults with ADD/ADHD can seek out the assistance of an experienced ADD doctor for analysis. The doctor will perform a series of diagnostic tests that will allow them to make an informed prognosis in regards to the condition and help them regulate it.
Once you are officially diagnosed with the disorder, there is a lot you can do about it.
1. Medication – slowed down and impaired neurons actually benefit from stimulants because they help to make the neurons fire correctly. Psychostimulants like Ritalin for children and amphetamines for adults are commonly prescribed to combat the many problems associated with ADD/ADHD.
2. Self management – this aspect may be a tab bit easier fro adults, but parents can help a child in this arena. Doing small things like making a to-do list, getting an organizer or planner, or planning to arrive someplace early as opposed to on-time may help you mitigate some of the more aggravating aspects of the disorder.
3. Talk with ADHD doctor – your doctor will be a veritable fountain of tips that can help you place you on the road to controlling your ADD symptoms. Be sure to ask lots of questions and take the acquired info to the internet for further study. Knowledge is power.
4. ADHD support Groups and behavioral therapy – At an ADHD support meeting you may learn valuable insights from people who know what it is like to deal with such a complex neurological problem. For instance, you could acquire from a host of dietary aids or holistic remedies that can help you get lower some of the more off putting aspects of your ADD behaviors. Behavioral therapy will also help as it can provide one-on-one counseling. A qualified therapist who understands ADD/ADHD psychology can retrain your thought processes so you recognize your ADD symptoms and learn how to control them.
Combating ADD will take a multi-pronged approach, but with due diligence and proper education you should be able to gain control of your disorder and feel more in control of your own destiny. If you suspect you have ADD/ADHD contact a reputable doctor in your neck of the woods to get evaluated so you can be well on your well to greater health and a even better life.
Amy Nutt
http://www.articlesbase.com/health-articles/4-tips-on-managing-adhd-699389.html
November 20th, 2009 at 9:59 am
my 8 yr old son is diagnosed ADHD, any tips?
We have been dealing with this since he was in K- he has tried most of the med’s out there and nothing seems to be helping him. We are in weekly counseling separate for right now then together.We are trying to get in home support to. He is just so out of control and mouthy!! WOW!! The things that come out of his mouth. We have tried everything, punishment, taking things away, rewards for caught being good, talking, and nothing! He just does not care. He is getting violent, threating I am gonna punch you in the face and such like that. He has a younger brother who is 5 who he is very aggressive with and a younger sister who is 15 months that he adores!! He is very explosive and impulsive. I do spend quality time alone with him but that doe snot seemto make a diference at all. I am at my wits end. He did spend 6 days in a clinic where he was supposed to learn some tips to manage his anger, yeah that lasted all of 3 days when he came home. We’ve done charts and all of that. Please help!!!
November 20th, 2009 at 3:01 pm
That kid doesn’t need medication… he needs a good, old-fashioned WHIPPING (Don’t get alarmed… that’s what we call spankings in the South.).
Since "punishment" is a highly subjective term, I’m guessing you haven’t tried the corporal kind. That’s one of the main reasons we have so many whiny, screaming brats across the country TODAY… well, that and all of the don’t-have-kids-but-don’t-mind
-sticking-their-nose-into-how- YOU’RE-parenting, DSS-calling jackasses out there.
Spank that kid. Spank him until he cries. Spank him until he fears the rod, the belt, the wooden spoon, whatever you use. Spank him, wait for repentance, THEN reassure him with love and instruction.
Kids needs to learn today that their actions have consequences, and labeling a naughty child as ADHD so they can get AWAY with it is a cop-out, plain and simple.
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November 20th, 2009 at 3:03 pm
my son is 10 and has adhd also. I would also get your son checked for odd oppositional defiance disorder. First off cut out as much sugar as you can like candy and refined sugars. Cut out caffeine and red dies. My son is on adderall and stratera both so maybe a combination of meds might be better for your son. Also have you son checked for bi polar disorder. Your counselor should be giving him tips to handle his anger. Hope i have helped
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November 20th, 2009 at 3:05 pm
get his ass on ridilion ASAP!!
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November 20th, 2009 at 3:07 pm
my bro has that you can ask his doctor to get him some Stratara it helo him a lot hope this helps
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November 20th, 2009 at 3:09 pm
I personally think the ADHD is caused by something in our food either an additive or the way it’s prepared that changes something chemically. People with ADHD are more sensitive to it.
It’s the same as the use of steroids in our beef cattle to make them mature faster and grow large quickly. People eat the beef and it does the same thing to them. That is the number one reason for obesity in the US. Do a search on the largest purchaser of beef in the world and you will see who is responsible.
I think fast food, and processed food is behind ADHD. It’s up to you, but I would take my child totally off from any fast food or processed food. I would feed him food that’s as close to how nature made it as possible. (Make sure fruits and vegetable are thoroughly washed, rinsed, and dried to remove any e. coli bacteria and/or pesticides.)
I also wouldn’t respond to his behavior other than to remove his siblings if he looks as if he might endanger them. We tend to repeat behavior that is rewarded with attention even if the attention is negative.
All the best to your family.
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November 20th, 2009 at 3:11 pm
I’m curious if you have tried Concerta? My daughter is ADHD/ADD and I was pulling my hair out! Her grades were bad, she was acting out, dancing in class instead of staying in her seat, fighting constantly with her brothers, everything she said to her classmates were lies, daily reports from her teachers embarrassed me… etc.
I have been there (except for the threatening to punch me, however – her therapist said that if she were a boy that she would probably do things like that because boys are naturally more aggressive). Her doctor put her on Concerta (once a day – lasts about 12 hours). At first I didn’t really see much change – so they upped her dosage and WOW! Like night and day – she is honor roll now – she is in Karate (this helps her work off steam, get out any frustrations, teaches respect, and improves her self-esteem and self-control), and I couldn’t be happier. As she got older, we just called her doctor and said that the effects seemed to be diminishing, and they upped her dosage again. She now takes 54mg and she is 9 years old.
If you haven’t tried this – ask your doctor, it has worked wonders for us…
you might also want to think about Karate, kickboxing, or the like for the reasons I stated above – i am pleasantly impressed for the help it has given my daughter and my family.
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November 20th, 2009 at 3:13 pm
There are many things that can help a child that has ADHD.. as long as they TRULY have it. Make sure that he has been properly tested and diagnosed, and if he has been PROPERLY and accurately diagnosed, try this. It’s miraculous.
Do not allow him to eat any food that has red dye in it. Red food dye aggrivates ADHD, and will make his outbursts and behavior worse, the same thing goes for processed Hot Dogs and meats. If he really likes hot dogs.. only allow him to eat All Beef ones. Processed meats contain things that will aggrivate the symptoms.
Cut out refined sugars from his diet. He can still have foods with natural sugars such as fruit and vegetables.. but no cookies and candy.. it all stimulates ADHD.
Also, this is unorthodox, but it has been proven many times over to help.. allow him to have 1 (ONE) cup of weak coffee in the morning. The reason for this? All ADHD medications are , is a stimulant. They have side effects that aren’t so nice sometimes, so as an alternative ‘medication’ , coffee acts the same way, produces the same effect but does not have the harmful side effects of traditional ADHD medication.
Good luck with your son.
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Pediatric Nurse
November 20th, 2009 at 3:15 pm
I’m sorry but I’ve never had to deal with ADD or ADHD. But I am a pharmacist. They have medications that can help. Not that drugs are the answer but Ritalin & Adderall RX have a good track record with helping. But before trying that I would keep a close eye on his diet. Cut out most of the sugar’s & caffein. See if this help’s.
I would also find a punisment that works better. I have two kids and the worst thing for them is to seperate them. I would tell him that as long as he is being aggressive he cant be around his sister and his brother. You just cant trust him and that trust has got to be erned. I hope that I never have this problem. I’ve pasted a couple of good links for you.
Sorry if this is not much help.
Good luck.
References :
http://www.adhdhelp.net/backtoschool/registration.asp?gclid=CK7zxMiX9ocCFSa8WAod_zcOQg
http://www.centerforlearningdifferences.org/
November 20th, 2009 at 3:17 pm
please go and speak to somebody neutral about how you are copping.YOU need just as much support as your child.All-ways remember that because of the illness your son does and says things he really doesn’t want to and really loves you deep down.If you are in control of yourself then it might help you be in better control with him.You are a good mother in tuff situation and always be proud of it.BEST WISHES.
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November 20th, 2009 at 3:19 pm
I think that all 8 year old boys are rude and crude, they are rumble tumble guys already and yours has an anger problem and ADHD some suggestions that might help are to :
Establish a strict schedule of daily activities for your child(ren) kids with ADHD are helped by the familiarity of everything being in proper order( they may get upset if schedule is changed if so loosen it up) some if possible and give him advance warnings like we leave in 5 minutes finish up ..If you can channel some of his energy into a physical activity such as running or basketball then this can be a motivator Exercise in any form is especially important because it does two different things for your child it causes the production of endorphins in your body making you "feel good" and it gives the child an outlet for frustration they can "run it off" instead of hitting their brother. One other thing which you did not mention is diet. It has been my experience that children with ADHD ,ADD(etc) fare best on a low sugar, high grain and cereal diet. It might be worth checking if your son has any food allergies that you dont know about. Such as gluten or well there are quite a few but some behavioral problems come from an allergy related symptoms. Not sleeping well for instance can be from allergy problems in the nose and throat. I wish you luck and recommend http://www.ADHD alternatives.com
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Professional Nanny 25 years
November 20th, 2009 at 3:21 pm
I have a young cousin that has this….NO SUGAR in daily diets, drinks, etc….and a whole lot of PATIENCE, TLC(tender loving care), and an extra pinch of ATTENTION…God just gave us these special people in our life that deserves just a lil bit more than medicine can provide…..Good luck!!!
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November 20th, 2009 at 3:23 pm
Hugs it must be really difficult given that you have tried many types of medications. Continue to push for home help.
It never is easy dealing with children with ADHD, and I empathise with you fully as my daughter has ADHD ODD and Dyslexia. I am not sure I can help, but will try to give you a few tips that worked for me, and some of my clients.
I am not sure which country your in, but seek out a support group, and contact children’s/disabilities service , and ask if they have any programs for parents who have children with ADHD, such as respite care, holiday programs etc. These programs are designed for parents to have a short break of a few hours to a weekend away from there child. They may also have some programs pacifically for parents, so they/you can learn some coping strategy’s.
Also talk to his school teachers and set out some guidelines that they MUST follow, when he acts up in class. (I am sure you have already done this). Set up a note system for the teachers to fill each day, so you know what has happened at school, and you can let teachers know of what has been happening at home. Use this as a reward system for your son, so when he has a good day he gets a star (he places the star in the book) and so many stars per week, entitles him to get a small token or gift for good behaviour. I have noted you have tried a reward system, but he is kind of in control of this system. So might be worth trying again.
When he is aggressive try to walk away, (dependent of where you are) take his siblings with you, let him calm down. I found arguing does not help in fact would make my daughter worse, as I am sure you have also found to be the case.
The other choice is to push him out in to the back yard, and let he let off steam out there rather than inside the house. Let him scream, apologise to the neighbours later.
Swimming is one of the best sports for these kids, as it is not a contact sport, and they can thrash up and down the pool. But must be supervised, as you would with any child in and near the water.
I am sure you have tried the few things I suggested, so please don’t think I was insulting you in any way.
I forgot to mention that we were scrupulous with her diet (red and green cordial would send her off) and she was on Ritalin.
Good luck and keep up the great work!
References :
Mother of an ADHD ODD and Dyslexic child.
Youth worker/Carer for young peole with disabilities and a qualified Swimming teacher.
http://addadhdadvances.com/
http://www.addforums.com/forums/showthread.php?p=221260
http://www.nimh.nih.gov/publicat/adhd.cfm
November 20th, 2009 at 3:25 pm
Too much energy, run it out of him with lots and lots of physical activity.
Trust me, it’s impossible to be mouthy little snout when you are panting for breath.
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November 20th, 2009 at 3:27 pm
All I can say as the mother of 3, two with ADHD, is hang in there. Your son sounds a lot like my daughter at his age. She was aggressive, violent with one of her brothers, and impossible to discipline, as she would one up us every time. Sent to her room for a time out, she would trash it. Positive reinforcement had no effect. We gave her more attention than the other 2 children combined, and she still didn’t think it was enough.We did everything you did, got family counseling, even got to the point where we thought we couldn’t possibly live with her for another minute and considered placing her in an institutional setting. Somehow we managed, although I felt like you, at my wits end, for years. At 17, she was on SSI and had tested out of high school, being unable to sit through regular classes. Now, at age 28, she says the acting out was a cry for attention, and that she never felt that we loved her! The good news is that in the end she turned out to be a gracious and kind adult. It was the getting there that was miserable for everyone.
She now says that what helped was body work. She began taking P.E. classes at the local community college, at least 3 at a time, one that would wear her out with hard work, one for fun, and especially important, a yoga class. She says the concentration required by the yoga as well as the difficult physical work (which helped with all that extra energy) is what helped get some control over her symptoms. She now teaches yoga, and is a junior at a major university. If I had known about the positive effects of yoga, I might have tried to find someone willing to teach a child. She thinks it would have helped if she had done it as a kid. There is an organization called the Art of Living, that teaches a yogic breathing technique that is helpful, and they do have programs for kids. Check out artofliving.org. to see if there is a group near you. Even if your son doesn’t do it, you can, and it will help you calm down when things get to be too much. It was reccommended to me by my doctor, and I am very glad I took the course.
I know this isn’t much of an answer, but I would like to tell you to never give up hope, to love him, love him, love him no matter what. When I was going through this, I would have liked to have known someone who was going through the same thing, just to be able to talk to someone who understood. If you like, I’d be happy to correspond with you. Send me a note with your email address if you would like that.
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November 20th, 2009 at 3:29 pm
I can feel for you, my son is also ADHD but luckily for me my son only has mild aggressive behavior. Maybe he needs to go back to the doctor to be tested for something else, like ODD (obsessive defiant disorder). It could be that they misdiagnosed your son, and the meds for ADHD don’t help ODD. I know someone that had her son on ADHD meds and found that they didn’t help, upon further testing, they figured it to be ODD and changed his meds and her son has been a totally different kid to be around. I wish you luck and patience because I know you will need them. Something to look forward to, my son was dx in first grade and he has been off his meds for two years and doing great ( he’s 14 now- his first year of high school) so they do outgrow it like they say although it is hard to see when you are in the mix of it all. It’s like there isn’t a light at the end of your tunnel and all you want to do is help your child and have some peace of mind. Good luck!!
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November 20th, 2009 at 3:31 pm
i have 2 kids with adhd a 17 year old daughter and a 11year son. my son has a sever case of adhd hes on meds and goes to school .at the mental center where he gets his meds.take sweets out of your house and give him dite drinks that seems to help my kids and go for walks . find some kinda of actived that will make him sleepy.
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