ADHD in Children: To Use Medications or Not?

ADHD is known to be hereditary and I knew my son had ADHD since he was an infant. He would only sleep maybe an hour or two at a time. He would stay awake for long periods of time. He was never cranky and generally, a happy baby. He would sit in his car seat in front of the television and was content as could be. After some time and various check-ups to make sure there wasn't anything medically wrong with him, I had a sneaky feeling he had ADHD. His father was diagnosed as an adult and was on medication for it.

As he grew older, he showed no signs of being developmentally behind, he became more rambunctious. Always trying to run before walking, knocking things down, and just generally, all boy. Still not sleeping for more than two hours at a time. When he turned three, it was like an automatic switch was turned on. He became very aggressive and mean. He would hit and bite his older sister and the other children at his daycare. We were even run off by other parents at the playground. They called my son a monster and that I was a horrible mother. I was hurt.

I couldn't understand how he became so violent. I had to keep him separated from other children, even his own siblings. No matter what I tried, nothing worked. I researched and read every book I could find on the subject and didn't find a magic cure. His doctors told me that they could not diagnose ADHD until he was five and in school. All I could do was keep him separated and away from others. I had to keep an eye on him 24 hours a day, 7 days a week.

I knew my son's behavior wasn't intentional. I loved my son and hated the mean things that were said about him. I tried to stay positive and get him the help he needed. I also tried to give enough time to my other child because dealing with my son took a lot out of me but I didn't want her to feel neglected. ADHD is a family problem. It affects all the members of the child's family.

When he entered school, I knew that we would now get the help he needed. Boy, was I wrong. His first day of kindergarten, went well. He was so happy. On the third day, he was sent home with the nastiest letter I had ever read from his teacher. He was asked not to come back. She said that my son was useless, that he would never learn to read, or anything else for that matter. She called him evil and that he would probably end up in jail or in a mental institute. My heart broke.

I called the school and spoke to the instructor and all she could tell me was that I should not send my evil child back to school. I met with the psychologist for a home visit and all she did was hand me the paperwork that my son would be held back a year. All I could do was cry. My husband was upset but yet, positive. No parent wants to hear negative things about their child. This was the worst.

I immediately contacted his pediatrician and she examined him and the nasty letter the teacher wrote. She specialized in children with ADHD. How lucky we were when we found out. She sent me home with a very extensive questionnaire, asked us to fill it out honestly, and return it to discuss some options. My husband and I sat down that night and filled it out. We had to really analyze our little boy.

We discussed the fear our two other children had of him. Our middle child suffered a black eye from a metal bat he swung at her one day while we were all playing baseball in our backyard. My older daughter had cuts and bruises from defending herself. Both of the older girls had bald patches from where he yanked out tufts of their hair. And we never let him near his baby sister. My son had been isolated from his own family.

The next day I faxed the questionnaire back to his doctor. She called me immediately and scheduled an appointment. We entered her office and took a seat. I was very nervous. I only hoped that she, too didn't called my child evil or a monster. A nurse escorted my son out to play with him in the next room. Both my husband and I had very worried looks on our faces. She was very warming and gentle. She put us at ease and stated that his behavior was treatable. She informed us that medication was the best solution for him but that it was a very controversial issue.

I became frightful because I heard of all the nightmarish stories of children on Ritalin and did not want my child turning into zombie. I flat out told her that I didn't want him on Ritalin. She agreed and suggested Adderall. I had researched Adderall and was a little intimidated by it. She rest assured me that we would begin with small doses and see if it helped him. We decided to give it a try.

The first three days, were horrible but we were warned they might be. My son didn't move or say a word. My husband was skeptical and upset. He was more against medication than I was but we felt like we had no our options. We gave it a month and saw improvement but, I wasn't happy. He no longer had a bubbling personality.

After a month, I took him for his check up and expressed my concerns. I explained that I did not like the fact that Adderall contained a derivative of Meth. His pediatrician listened to me and suggested a new medication called Concerta. It did not have the same comatose side effects as Adderall but that it would affect his appetite greatly until he got use to it. She also recommended that he see a psychiatrist. I left her office with a new prescription and a referral to see a doctor an hour and a half away.

After a week on the Concerta, I was happy with the fact that he was less hyper, he was able to sit through a full meal at dinner, and that he was smiling again. My husband was happy the our son would actually listen and paid attention to what we said to him. But, by the following week, his appetite decreased. So, we were prescribed protein drinks and gave our son a "eat anything you want" pass. He loved it. All the candy and ice cream he wanted, at least for awhile.

Once a week we drove to see his "other" doctor and they grew very fond of each other. My son began to open up and release some of his frustrations and learned how to diffuse his anger through counting techniques and mental mediation. I never knew this was even possible for a 5 year old to comprehend. The psychiatrist also suggested enrolling him in martial arts or some sort of sport as an outlet for his aggression.

After a year of Concerta, a season of baseball, and a weekly three hour drive we were finally on the right track. My son was no longer separated from the world. Don't get me wrong, we had quite a few setbacks. For example, a nasty screaming fit in Wal-Mart that led to stares as if I was killing my child. I simply picked him up, left my cart in the middle of the aisle, and walked out the door. We went home. I called his psychiatrist and he told don't take him to a store again. There was just too much stimuli for him to handle. We had to slowly reintroduce him to the public.

Getting over the first year was the hardest but the best thing we ever did. By the time school came around, he was mentally and socially ready. His grades were great and he was a happy normal child. As my son grew older, the dosages of his medication had to be increased. With his weight gain and rapid growth, adjustments needed to be made. We went as far as we could. The medication was no longer having the effect it needed to have.

He wasn't regressing and becoming violent. He was just a little wilder and had trouble following directions and paying attention. We worried his grades would slip. Our pediatrician recommended we take him off the medication for the summer. So, we did. We really didn't notice too much of a change since sports and playing outside took much of his energy but, I had my doubts when he returned back to school in the fall.

When school time came, I discussed my concerns with my husband and he shared that he believed that it might be time to take him off the medication. So, we decided to try it for a semester. When he brought home his first report card, I was a bit amazed that his grades hadn't slipped. We had come full circle. We decided to keep him off the medication.

Now, four years later, my son is living his life with ADHD and is medication free. With a few classroom modifications, like being seated near the teacher and at the front, so that all distractions are behind him; and being able to take his exams in a separated isolated room he is able to socialize with fellow classmates. He is still in sports and still practices mental meditation. He is a very strong person and has overcome a lot in such a short time. Together as a family and with lots of love and patience, we stuck together and met our struggles head on. Never once wavering or giving up.