thank you both for your posts. i really appreciate it.
i try not to sound too ignorant as a newbie...i get depressed easily especially when it comes to my sweet little boy. was scared and really wanted to hear some positive/success stories! :)
i hope that someday i can return the favor and be as supportive as you have been with me :)
Hi, I am new here but thought I might chime in. My son
Hi All, I am a new parent to the ADHD scene. My son is 6-years old and is on his 2nd week of meds (first week 5mg of focalin and now on 10mg starting 2 days ago)
Please forgive me for being completely discouraged. After reading posts on this board and other boards in regards to side-effects of medicine and what parents are sharing about lack of friends and the social side effects, I am so discouraged and am hoping that this is not a big of a problem as it seems.
Could anyone shed light on any positive affects of their childrens ADHD treatments because I have not been able to have a dry eye for about three days.
PLEASE understand that my post is not about parents that truly need to vent and show their frustration/anger/hurt. I will most likely need to do this as well from time to time.
The reason for my post is to find out what positive situations there are out there from parents who feel that their treatment of ADHD for their child has helped them focus and also become better socially, have friends, etc. (just need some hope here in wisconsin as i'm about to run out...)
God Bless,
Julie
Julie, I hope our story can help you. My son was diagnosed in 1st grade. He started meds at the end of 2nd grade. By that time, he'd gotten a "reputation" of sorts at school and it's taken several years to undo that damage. Even now, at 12, I sometimes have bad days with being the parent af an adhd child, but it has gotten SO much better. He's involved in activities, plays an instrument, gets great grades, has many friends, makes friends from other schools easily....due in large part to our getting a handle on the meds. Does he clean up his room without me hounding him? No. Can he be mouthy and disrespectful? Oh, Yes! Is he, in most repects, a very typical 12 yo? YES! Adhd complicated things for our kids, but non-adhders also have a difficult time in today's world. Hang in there!thank you *hug*
The people that you see are this board is heavily representative of people that have problems with their ADHD child, or with their school. That's why they are here! People who do not have a lot of problems have no reason to be on this board. They might visit for a while after the initial diagnosis, but not much after that. I would not consider the active members to represent your typical experience, so don't worry yourself. We may never hear from you again, or we may only hear from you infrequently.
Welcome Julie,
It does get better. What you have to realize about a board like this is that we come to get info on our tough times and vent. Many of us do not post our best times here because we just don't think to. My son was diagnosed in Kindergarten at age 6. He is now a beautiful 4th grader with many friends, is a Cub Scout, does well in school, is in the gifted math program, loves to play his bass in orchestra class, and talked his way into the middle school guitar club. Does he have his bad days and bad moments-sure he does. Any homework not completed by the time his meds wear off is just not finished, because there is no way he can concentrate. The flip side is that he has learned to do the hardest homework first and to come home and get started right away because he understands that there is a deadline. His appetite is not as big when on the meds as it is when he is off meds, but he definately eats and is definately growing. Right now he is wearing adult sized shoes! I am thankful that he responds well to the meds and for all of the support that he gets in school. However, if you walked into my son's classroom, you would not be able to pick him out of the crowd.
Hang in there. I know that some of these posts can be scary and right now the diagnosis of ADHD seems like the end of the world. This is who your child is (and mine too). It is part of his personality. I see my job as his parent to guide him and teach him to manage this part of his personality successfully. Many very successful people have ADHD. Ours sons can be right there with them with the right support. (((HUGS)))