Parents of Children with ADHD Support Group
This community is designed as an open forum where the parents and guardians of children with ADHD (Attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder) can give and receive support, as well as discuss ideas, techniques, concerns, surprises, and challenges they may face with their children.
My middle son was always a problem. A whirling destructive force we frequently nicknamed the Tazmanian Devil after the Bugs Bunny cartoon. He could undo all child safety equipment and had no fear of anything. Spanking just caused him to get angry. We were kicked out of toddler groups, asked to leave stores, and the daycare he went to would not take him on field trips. They said he was a safety risk to himself and the other children. At 4 years old he looked up at me one day and said "Why doesn't anyone like me?"
My husband and I had been arguing about testing and medication for close to 2 year as we knew we had a problem. I made an appointment without consulting him. My son went through a battery of 3 tests, during 3 different appointments with 3 different therapists. He tested at the top of the scale for ADHD.
Over the years we tried therapy, but think that was more for me than him, a couple different medications which seemed to help with focus and school work, but not with behavior. My husband and I fought, our other children did not bring friends home, we stopped going to other people's houses or having them at ours.
My dad hated to be in the same room with him, after he died (my dad) my mom came to live with us and moved out after 3 months supposedly due to my son's behavior. (He was actually quite well behaved while she was here, she was so grief stricken and wanted to go "home", I think he was just the thing that sent her over the edge.)
However it was very traumatic.
Although life has never run smooth and there are still emotional upheavals and little dramas for all you parents out there...there is hope.
April 25th my son graduated from college with a degree in Elementary Education. He moved out in May and is successfully living on his own. He brags about how clean he is keeping his house (no he still hasn't clean up his bedroom at my house) He got hired this week to teach 4th grade. He is engaged to a sweet girl he will marry June 28th.
I will continue to worry that he won't be able to handle the pressures of teaching, that his girl will get tired of his mood swings, that he won't be able to handle parenthood....but he has overcome so many obstacles and succeeded already...he can do it. I think they all can.
Never give up.
My husband and I had been arguing about testing and medication for close to 2 year as we knew we had a problem. I made an appointment without consulting him. My son went through a battery of 3 tests, during 3 different appointments with 3 different therapists. He tested at the top of the scale for ADHD.
Over the years we tried therapy, but think that was more for me than him, a couple different medications which seemed to help with focus and school work, but not with behavior. My husband and I fought, our other children did not bring friends home, we stopped going to other people's houses or having them at ours.
My dad hated to be in the same room with him, after he died (my dad) my mom came to live with us and moved out after 3 months supposedly due to my son's behavior. (He was actually quite well behaved while she was here, she was so grief stricken and wanted to go "home", I think he was just the thing that sent her over the edge.)
However it was very traumatic.
Although life has never run smooth and there are still emotional upheavals and little dramas for all you parents out there...there is hope.
April 25th my son graduated from college with a degree in Elementary Education. He moved out in May and is successfully living on his own. He brags about how clean he is keeping his house (no he still hasn't clean up his bedroom at my house) He got hired this week to teach 4th grade. He is engaged to a sweet girl he will marry June 28th.
I will continue to worry that he won't be able to handle the pressures of teaching, that his girl will get tired of his mood swings, that he won't be able to handle parenthood....but he has overcome so many obstacles and succeeded already...he can do it. I think they all can.
Never give up.
Your post gives me hope that one day my son's life might get better. I'm sure you worried just like I do about him holding down a job, marriage, children, etc. It hurts my heart to think that my son's future might not be very bright. This post lets me know that it's possible. On a side note - my son's pediatrician has ADHD and said that he had a really hard time growing up because of it. He has two grown children in college and is still married to their mother. It helps me so much to see some people making it, because this stupid disability can really get you down when you're dealing with it.