Like a new kid | ADHD Information
Mac was always a super high energy child. Always into mischief ....always trying my patience to the max. There were days, as many of you experience I know...that I didnt know how i was going to make it thru the day w/out something TERRIBLE happening. He was a sweet child, loving and all that...but just so much ...well lets face it...TROUBLE! Then the Gods smiled down on us, led us to a wonderful dr taht saw what I had always seen yet always been told was just "a boy being a boy"....and we got teh help we needed. Mac started meds early in the kindergarten year and by the years end we had his dosage figured out and he has been at that dosage ever since...and he's now in 2nd grade. But here's the thing....he is SUCH a different kid when medicated....and I cringe when I say that. For along time he was almost zombie like, but not completely. He would still play, watch tv, get engaged in things....just didnt have zeal about it tho. That, to me at least, has subsided ...and tho he is still quiet...especialy so compared to how he USED to be...he is more engaged in things, more outgoing with other kids and adults, but just kinda quiet. But he's not "withdrawn" at all...jsut quiet. And finaly I can enjoy my kid. THe ADHD BS doestnt get in the way of that anymore. Mac is a JOY to be around. He is SO sweet, SO loving and SO darn smart. He loves to help you with things, loves to cuddle and watch tv or just take a drive out somewhere. He LISTENS to me now, he BEHAVES in public and I never have a problem with him, other than things most "regular" kids w/out ADHD pose. I used to HATE going out in public with him. I never knew if it would go ok or not, if Id end up in a damn near knock down drag out fight with him in the middle of Walmart.....I never DARED take him to eat...God what scenes he could cause. But now...thanks to our Ped and thnaks to his meds...I have my SON back...but really I have him for the first time when you think about it. People can criticize medicating children all they want....but I know w/out it our lives would be hell and mac's would be even worse than that. He can be a normal little boy now and enjoy life! He never complains about his meds....its just part of our daily routine....like brushing our teeth or eating a meal....it just "is". I hope he doesnt need them forever, and God I pray that down the road there will NEVER be a reason for me to regret putting him on them...but Im proud of what they have allowed him to do....which is be a normal little 7 yr old BOY!Mommy loves you Mac! You've come a long way, baby!
In writing this I lost track of my whole reason for posting it lol. My point was, does anyone else feel that medication has allowed them to see their kids REAL personality? Mac's Ped said that by getting the ADHD in check, with the meds, that it allows you to see the REAL them. The mac that was loud and in trouble all the time and making life for himself and those around him so hard...wasnt the "real" mac. That he is just normaly a quiet boy...and a lot of kids are. I was. My oldest son is and always has been. Am i making any sense here lol? Thoughts? The role of medication is that itt allows the child to meet their full potential. It clears the fog, the child is able to filter out distractions and the child now has the ability to make a choice rather than act on impulse. Dont worry about regrets in the future as regrets are more likely when the child doesnt get effective treatment early on in life. Nothing is guaranteed in life but you have given your child an opportunity to grow and meet his full potential in life. Your not wasting time and your sons precious years trying to prove medical science wrong by avoiding the most and only effective and safe form of treatment. No one likes to give their child medication but if it gives the child quality of life the benefits are tenfold. The choice you made was the right one for your son. Great job mom :)
It's wonderful to read this thread.
I'm so glad your son is doing so well.
I am hoping to start the process of getting my daughter diagnosed and started on meds, and I've been feeling somewhat 'odd' about being so adamant that I'd like to try this (we've just started but so far have met resistance because "she doesn't have enough problems at school for medication"). "Please, please give my child stimulants!" 
Reading these posts, though, makes me feel better. You all are saying what I've been thinking- medication may allow my daughter to reach her full potential and allow her 'true self' to come out. She's a wonderful kid, very bright and creative and has so far done well in school, but it is a struggle. I'd love to give her a better 'quality of life'-- less time with Mommy frustrated that she can't remember to brush her teeth, less tears over homework, less forgotten homework, an easier time reaching what seems to be her high potential as a singer.
Enough of my rambling. 
that was so nice!! i know exactly how u feel. my son is adhd combined type and we have been dealing with it for years. everyone would also say he is just a boy or things about me not disciplining him the right way. its very frustrating. its hard to see how smart your child is one on one and know what they are cappable of but when they go to school they are labeled as a trouble maker and cant sit down. all those horrible phone calls and meetings and it seems like no matter what u do their behavoir does not change!! i also didnt want to be around my son. i couldnt handle him. its so over whelmng when u have them jumping from place to place and they just never stop and they cant focus long enough to actually hear u when u are telling them to stop. it just doesnt register. i know alot of ppl know exactly what i mean. it made me really sad to see my son like that. now that he takes meds omg what a difference! no more calls from school complaining of his behavoir. he sits down and does his work. when he comes home he is not wild and out of control he is actually fun to be around. i was so nervous for him to go to school this yr b/c we moved and changed schools and i didnt want to go through everything we have been through with the others. i didnt want him to start off that way here. i had dreading him going all summer and when he finally went after we put him on vyvanse he is totally different. not his personality but his behavoir. they have no problems with him. sometimes i still feel like im in a dream. the teacher sees no signs of adhd and i bet if i wouldnt have told her he has it and is on meds i bet she would never suspect it. now everyone else can see how smart he is besides me. he actually does his work with no problems. i do think of how much he has changed from that little boy that was soooo wild to a calm boy that can think before he does things now. sometimes it does seem like he is very different but he isnt a zombie, he doesnt mope around or sit still on the couch and stare off into space. i think i have just gotten so used to how he used to be that it will take me awhile to get used to the quieter more organized little boy he has become. of course everyone wonders if they have done the right thing. esp with all the things we hear about meds but imagine how they were treated at school before them. my sons self esteem was geting so low from all the negativity around him. constantly being yelled at to do the right thing and prob thinking something was very worng with him bc he didnt make very good decisions. i think we are all happier now. we enjoy being around him and he can stop and pay attention to things in his life now. he can enjoy things. i cant imagine going to back to the way things were. i think he enjoys being able to think more clearly now. things are def more positive aorund here now. thank u for starting this post. its always nice to see that im not the only one that feels this way or going through this alone.
kim
Thanks guys, Im glad you all enjoyed the post. Mac is a wonderful little boy I wish you all could know him. He still struggles in school, but is doing much better it seems. I cant imagine where we would be w/out his meds as a family or he as an individual. ADHD is such a "special" disorder....you cant understand it unless you live it...it alienates so many of us and our kids too. Others just dont get it. Ive been criticized for the meds by family friends and my ex. My ex is VERY much opposed to them, refers to them as "macs dope" in a VERY sarcastic tone...yet let me forget to send them with him on a weekend visit and the man is in a tizzy...go figure. But I know ive done the right thing. I still worry sometimes, wonder what, if any effects there will be years down the road, wonder how long he will need them....yea it feels down right crappy to MAKE your kids take medicine everday of his life, twice day. But where would he be w/out it? THAT is a scary thought.Hello,
I am sitting her crying like a baby reading your posts. I am taking my 6 year old daughter for an evaluation on Saturday and am so sure that the dr is going to want to put her on meds. I have been researching and reading forums (some horror stories) and just want her to be ok. She has always been very active, always singing and bouncing, she is very sweet and sensitive and wants to be everyones friend...she even invites children she meets in a store to her bday party!! she has no problem joining in playing at the park with other kids or anywhere for that matter. In kindergarten she had trouble staying still, would disrupt the class by humming or tapping feet and some kids did not like her because of it. now 1st grade and I am already in daily contact with her teacher (who has been very patient and helpful) but I am afraid with 32 kids in her class and private school she will not last long. All day I have been researching, wondering if maybe there is a holistic approach, I have read about bio feedback, supplements, allergies, I am overwhelmed!!! I can';t imagine her being calm and not constantly moving!! she sits nice and plays alone, she is smart and getting 90's and 100's in math and spelling, and reading far better than I could imagine, she is just always so dramatic and out there. I just can't explain it. I always thought of it as silly or goofy behavior, more like a boys behavior. I have a son too!! she is giving me trouble when it comes to doing her homework, which I know she is more than capable of fininshing it in minutes but drags it out for hours at times---hadwriting she hates having to keep in lines and 9-3 letter words could take forever. It is so frustrating and one can't help but think what have I done wrong.
Youve not done anything wrong, first and foremost. I have wondered the same thing so many times, but bottom line....its not our fault, nor is it our childs fault. I hvae a daughter , 5 who i often times wonder if she had ADHD too, but then i realize that when push comes to shove....she CAN control her behavior. It may take busting her butt, sending her to bed earlier or some other form of "severe" punishment...but she CAN controll herself. Mac was never able to. Its like his motor short circuits and just goes nuts and cnat stop lol! Or at least it was w/out meds. So im fairly certain my daughter doesnt have it. It does show up differently in girls im told. Be glad she does so well in school, what I wouldnt give for that. Mac can BARELY and I do mean barely read at all. That really worries me but his special ed teacher he sees 2 hrs a day thinks it will work out ok by years end. Good luck to you and your DD. Big hugs to you both. Its a hell of a rollercoaster, but it will be ok. I've joined this site about 2 weeks ago and I've been hearing a lot of discouraging situations. I was soooo hesitant about starting him on medication. Now from reading your input I feel comfortable moving forward. It's nice to see a positive story.[QUOTE=Luvmykids02]The role of medication is that itt allows the child to meet their full potential. It clears the fog, the child is able to filter out distractions and the child now has the ability to make a choice rather than act on impulse. Dont worry about regrets in the future as regrets are more likely when the child doesnt get effective treatment early on in life. Nothing is guaranteed in life but you have given your child an opportunity to grow and meet his full potential in life. Your not wasting time and your sons precious years trying to prove medical science wrong by avoiding the most and only effective and safe form of treatment. No one likes to give their child medication but if it gives the child quality of life the benefits are tenfold. The choice you made was the right one for your son. Great job mom :)[/QUOTE]
Very well put...I 100% agree with you about giving a quality of life to the child. I wouldn't want anything different for my son. And yes, none of us wanted to medicate our children but thank goodness there are individuals out there that have researched, studied, and discovered resources to help our children and family members to live better lives. I ditto the Great job mom to macs mom. 