Anxiety or ADHD | ADHD Information

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I don't know where to begin to express my frustration with my son.  He has been treated for ADHD with Focalin with minimal results and sees a therapist for his emotional outbursts. 

Long story short...............he played hockey last season and was good at it and asked to play again .....we do not force any sports on him since we have learned after  numerous sports that he quit after three times.  His first game of the season was yesterday and he flat out refused to go.  We told him since he won't be a team player he cannot go outside and play for the entire day   He was fine with that...........we even gave him 2-3 more chances to get his gear together and go........nope.  Later in the afternoon, he announces he's ready to go to hockey..............well hockey was over about two hours ago and he knows that.  He then says that he's not good enough to play which made me wonder if anxiety is the root of his problems???

Maybe that's why he's crabby/mean to others..........before they're mean to him???  Maybe that's why he's quit everything from baseball to cub scouts? 

Any thoughts are greatly welcomed.  Should I call my pedicatrician for anti-anxiety meds for him?  Do they even prescribe them for 9 year olds??

Andrea

Matt age 9 ADHD

  Now I'm wondering if we treat the anxiety we might have more success?  Or if I find the correct ADHD medicine....will that improve the anxiety???  I am just so confused by this child. 

Have you tried therapy for him? My son made major progress figuring out
his motivations and how to act appropriately when he started seeing a
therapist.

Good luck!If your child has an anxiety disorder that co exists with ADHD stimulant meds can actually increase the child's anxiety which is why its important to see a specialist who can make a differential diagnosis who also has expertise in med management. The anxiety issues must be treated first in such a case. A pediatrician is just not qualified to take this on. Try to get a recommendation to a competent psychiatrist. Please keep us informed

I can see how this is confusing.  Remember that some anxiety is normal for all of us, so it's not necessarily an anxiety disorder just because he's concerned about not being as good of a hockey player as his teammates.

Is he willing to go to the next practice?  Is he willing to play in the next game?  Maybe the coach could explain that all he expects him to do is try his best and then he'll be proud of him?

my ds (10) has adhd and anxiety. He is on Concerta and Zoloft. He started
Zoloft around 6 or 7 years old. It does help, but he still has anxiety.