Please share your personal experiences with ADHD.

i myself have ADD as well as my son. anyways when i was younger i was considered a difficult child, as i just wouldnt do my school work ect. with the ADD its pretty much impossible to sit and study something that is not of interest, the info just seems to go in one ear and then right back out the other! so as far as school work goes find things that will challenge his mind (as people with ADD and ADHD like mental challenges) and most of all make it fun and interesting! another thing with ADD and ADHD is being yelled at.. there is a certain volume that can be reached and the person with ADD or ADHD simply cant help but block out what is being yelled at them. there is a very simple diet you can have your son follow to help with sleep and attention span.. first thing he eats in the morning should be free of sugar unless its a natural sugar from like a fruit or the like. then keep him away from any foods with red or blue dyes (these are pure evil to a person with ADD or ADHD), then cut down the sugar intake to make sure its not in excess and caffine can also cause some problems, then the last thing to be eaten at night before going to bed should have protein in it (i like peanutbutter sandwitches for this). the protein will help promote a more restufll sleep which is vital to someone with ADD or ADHD. ADD and ADHD will often cause insomnia because the sufferer cant get thier mind to shut up long enough to actually fall asleep so if your son is having problems with this perhaps try teaching him relaxation methods like meditation (which is very helpful). i have loads more info so if youd like more just let me know ...

I was diagnosed with "hyperactivity" when I was a kid. They did not use the term ADHD back then. I was put on a medication that was primarily used to treat high blood pressure, but apparently helped with ADHD-type symptoms as well. This worked okay for a while, but then for some reason that I am unaware of, my parents took me off of it. When I was sixteen I was officially diagnosed with ADHD. I was put on a combination of Ritalin and an antidepressant, and this worked very well for me. This continued for two years, until we moved to a new state and had to change doctors. I was a high strung kid and was always getting into trouble for not paying attention. I was very intelligent, considered above average for my age. But, I couldn't concentrate to save my life. Now, as an adult, I have found that what they say about the "reverse effect" is true. I use herbal remedies and over-the-counter items designed to "keep you awake" and they keep my concentration in check. Most of my friends drink Red Bull and are wired for hours. I drink one and find myself in a state of calm, more able to get things done and able to focus. It also seems to help me sleep. See, a component of my ADHD is insomnia because the wheels in my brain just wont stop turning. Also, I have a three year old who shows tendencies toward ADHD. We have been working with behavior therapists and occupational therapists with him, and it is working out very well. I refuse to put my child on medication unless it is absolutely necessary. The medications worked well for me, and I have been on several different ones to keep from building up a resistance, but I am also aware of the side effects that go along with them, and besides, my son is only three. You might want to check with a holistic health specialist in your area, or just your childs pediatrician may have some information. The pediatrician would be the one who would have to make the referrals if you wanted to try the various therapy options available. Please just weigh all of the options carefully before making any decision. It is important to have as much information as possible and make an informed decision. Good luck, no matter what you decide.

My child has ADHD and bipolar, so it is double trouble sometimes. One thing his psychiatrist recommended is occupational therapy. While most children that are truly ADHD, they also suffer from Sensery Integration Disfunction, which basically means that anything and everything stimulates them and what would exhaust you or me, gives them more energy. Talk to your doctor and see if occupational therapy might help. My son was always bouncing off the walls, never quit talking, couldn't sit still for the life of him. Yes, he is on meds now. But there was more that needed to be done for him to help him. With counseling and occupational therapy and the meds, he can sit in a classroom and behave somewhat normally. At home it is a different story, but that is because there are different factors. If anyone in the household has any mental issues, depression, bipolar, etc, an ADHD child will feed off of that as well. So if any mental issues are present for anyone else in household, that needs to be treated to help this child. Sugar free but caffinated drinks can help a little bit. Before any doctor puts this child on meds, talk to a psychiatrist, and have the child tested by a psychologist. I know that sounds like a waste of time and money, but testing can reveal things that we don't always see and then you have 2 confirmations of a more accurate diagnosis. And when it comes to the schools telling you that this is what it is and this is what you need to do, forget it. You know what is best for your child. While meds are effective, sometimes docs will prescribe a dosage that will diminish symptoms, but sometimes a lower dosage of meds combined with OT and counseling is alot more effective

I have a daughter who is almost 11 who was diagnosed with ADHD Inattentive Type last October. The good part about being diagnosed by a pediatrician is that they no longer have to guess at the diagnosis. If the person meets a certain number of the criteria listed by the American Association of Pediatrics, then a diagnosis of ADHD is made. From there, the person has to meet a certain number of criteria to be diagnosed "With Hyperactivity", "Inattentive Type" or "Both". So I tried the natural remedy route, an attention gel capsule. I also had read that omega 3-6-9s seemed to really help, so I tried that along with the attention capsules. And since I'd read a long list of vitamins, minerals & supplements that ADHDers are deficient in, I searched & searched for a mega vitamin with these in it and gave that to her too. I can't say it didn't help, because once I was feeling that it wasn't and took her off of all of it. About 2 days later, she was forgetting to bring home homework, books, papers, etc. I put her back on all of it and she had no problem bringing home exactly what she needed for homework. Now that said, this is all it seemed to help her with - the forgetfulness. It didn't help with any of the other behavioral problems. Once I saw that, I called her pediatrician regarding prescription medication and I asked for Adderall, since I'd read that Adderall is prescribed more frequently for the Inattentive Type. I asked if I should start the medication on a weekend and was told no, to start it that day since if side effects were going to appear, they wouldn't show up until the weekend anyway. I made sure my daughter ate what was a big breakfast for her and then had her take the medication. This was a Thursday. 45 minutes later, she was extremely dizzy and a really bad headache was beginning. This lasted the entire day and well into the evening, so I kept her home from school the following day as well. I did find out later, when I took my daughter to the doctor for sinus problems, that my daughter had a sinus infection. So no one knows at this point whether the dizziness was caused by the Adderall or the sinus infection. I will say that she's home from school today because she's feeling dizzy and I know that it's her sinuses. I have not re-tried the Adderall since that day, which was 2 months ago. I plan on it, but something always comes up on the weekends and I need to really schedule a date. I have read there are 50 things that mimic ADHD symptoms. One of those is allergies, so I had my daughter tested for allergies since she experiences sinus problems. All of the testing came back negative, but the allergist stated that since putting her on allergy medicine (Singulair) has helped her tremendously, there is obviously some type of environmental allergy going on. I also wanted allergy testing done because I'd read that a person with ADHD will do better if their allergies are properly treated. As for the school, well, that's been a huge battle. I had to really fight for an extra set of textbooks. I had to really fight to get a meeting with the people who do the testing for special education services at the school. I guess you could say my daughter's ADHD is mild, so when we met, they didn't want to do anything. Add to that the fact that my daughter doesn't want to be pulled out of class. Where I live, if you want the school to help your child, how they do it is they pull your child out of the classroom & stick them in one room with every other child who needs assistance. They don't differentiate between the children, as to what disorders they have - they are all in one room. So when the school said what they could offer is to pull my daughter out of her classroom, I turned them down and the meeting was over. Grades K-4, I was always in constant contact with her teachers. We were extremely lucky that she did have wonderful teachers (except for 2nd gr) in that they were always willing to challenge her, push her, keep her on task. Now 5th gr, her teacher isn't willing to be in contact with me but she has been working somewhat with my daughter in the classroom. Good luck, it's a battle and every day brings something new to deal with.

This is a very difficult thing for all of us to deal with. My eleven year old son was diagnosed by his teacher several years ago so we took him to a "real" doctor who agreed with her. I have to tell you I fought this for several years and used all the arguments that I still here from others today. Arguments like; he's just active, he's just too bored in class, there's no such thing as ADHD etc.etc. All the while his grades were suffering and he had very few friends. In all honesty, it was hard for me to be around him at times and I love him, so I can only imagine how others felt about him. Finally I called the doctor and asked about medication requesting that we try an alternative to a stimulant. He prescribed Strettra. Now it takes several weeks to notice but I have to say, his grades improved from D's and F's to B's and C's and all of a sudden kids were coming over to the house and he had a social life. He also became easier to deal with at home. What I have to remind myself is that if they came out with new findings tomorrow to say that there was no such this as ADHD, it would not change my sons behavior with the meds, so that is my answer. His life is better with it. He's happier, more focused and he feels really good about the good grades he's still receiving. There are some side effects, such as weight loss for him, but we drink lots of high calorie protein drinks to try to counter-balance that. I know it's hard to decide what to do, ask yourself this; Do you want your son to be happy? I know that my son hated the way he was acting as much as everyone around him. I that I controlled things short term with diet changes, but nothing worked as good as his current medicine.

I am now 31, my 13yo son was diagnosed with ADHD when he was 7. I was diagnosed at the same time. I had no idea & everyone thought I was just stupid at school when I was younger. I went very bad at school & as a result repeated not only year 8 but your 11 ( would have been in year 11 3 times if I had not left due to having my son ). I have NEVER had medication for it as I am old enough now to control it, but my son does take ritalin & at this rate always will. He is so different to how I was at the same age. He has the handwriting of a 5yo at the moment because the schools he was at made him do everything on the computer. HE is now at a special school & has improved ALOT.