Newbie here - 4 year old out of control!! | ADHD Information

my ds went on meds at 5. It was the best decision for him and us. Hang in
there. I would try a behavior modification with her at home, eliminate
sugars, dyes in food, etc. Stick to a routine at home and school - especially
bedtime. Best of luck.Yes, we are working on behaviour modification. It has helped to a certain degree, and we will certainly continue to work on it. Thanks for the reply, it makes me feel better!

I'm glad I found this board, as I need to vent. My husband and I have been aware that our daughter was different at about 18 months. She was squirmy, hated to cuddle, had severe temper tantrums, blah, blah, blah.

She is now 4 1/2, and finally, about 6 months ago, we began to see a child psychologist. The psychologist has helped us alot, but it just doesn't seem to be enough. DD has not officially been diagnosed with ADHD, but I think it's time. There is no doubt in my mind that this is what she suffers from. DD needs constant excitement. She will do things to create excitement (screaming, tossing water out of the bathtub, climbing on counters, tables, etc.) even if she knows it's wrong. There is no punishment for this child, she just doesn't care about the consequences. Today was the last straw. My friend brought her 2 kids over to play. Her 2 1/2 year old wandered upstairs, and my DD followed. I was just calling for her to come back down when we heard a big loud crash. I started up the stairs, just as DD came down saying "I didn't do it". Well, it turns out my friends little one was in front of DD's dresser reaching down to get a toy. My DD climbed up on her dresser and knocked it over onto this poor little girl. Luckily, she's a strong little bugger, and was able to hold it up until I got there and rescued her. Thank goodness she was not hurt, but to think of what could have happened!

My DD doesn't hurt people intentionally, she just gets so worked up. And bedtime is another story. She stays up so late, I usually go to bed before she does. I've given up trying to get her to sleep early. It's a fight I'm not going to win. Wow, I could go on and on, but I'm sure you guys know what it's like. It's nice to finally find a place where I can talk about these issues and have people actually believe me, and know what's it's like.

My husband and I have decided we want to get her officially diagnosed, and go the medication route. I know she's young, but the psychologist told us if she needs it, she needs it. Why continue on with this miserable life (for everybody including DD), when we could be getting her help? I myself am on medication for anxiety (can you blame me?!), so I really see nothing wrong with going this route. I'm concerned that DD's self esteem is going to plummet, because I'm constantly yelling at her. I just don't know what else to do. She just never stops.

Ahhh, I feel better getting this off my chest. Thanks for letting me rant!