PDA

View Full Version : Another mom needing advice anxiety/ADD



TheVBs
12-16-2011, 10:51 AM
When our oldest DD (now 11) was small, she got very ill. It took a few years to get it sorted out and after we did, she had severe anxiety and panic attacks. She has overcome those challenges as well - she is amazing! Our current challenges are focus issues and socialization. She completely missed out on those years where kids learn to socialize with others.

What we're struggling with now is whether or not to treat her focus issues. While she technically fits the diagnosis of ADD (I think it's called something else now?), she also has some atypical things that don't match (which is typical of my girl! :D). She's in 5th grade and is working at grade level in every subject except reading. She's rapidly catching up in reading. She got her first graded report card a short time ago and it was all As & Bs! She aces tests, really knows her stuff! However, her focus during regular lessons is up and down. There are days when she brings home not only her math homework, but the work she didn't do in school. It's sometimes a huge struggle for the teacher to get her to focus and stay on task.

Our doctor, who's very conservative, thinks she might benefit from trying a stimulant. I do worry about the side effects, loss of appetite, her tics returning, etc. Obviously, if we tried it and it didn't go well we just wouldn't continue.

With most of her challenges, she's been able to work through them behaviorally, and discard them like you would work to get rid of a bad habit. I don't know if we should keep working on it in this way, or try the stimulant. I feel like the pressure is on because she will be in middle school next year.

If anyone has had any experience with trying this or has any insight or advice to offer, I would greatly appreciate it!! Thanks in advance! :mickey:

DVC2004
12-16-2011, 11:18 AM
My oldest has a form of autism, and has struggled focusing and socializing his whole life. He attends a private placement school and receives all sorts of therapy. It has been suggested to us over the years to try different medications. I always told the doctors I am not opposed to trying a medication but if no changes were observed I would not be keeping him on it. We tried a few different ones and I never saw a difference. The last time, a few years back when he was in middle school, I did not make his teachers aware just to see if I could get an un-influenced opinion on his focusing in class. They also did not notice a change. He doesn't take anything now. Still is not 100% focused, but grades are good and you know this is just him. It's how he thinks and how he processes things. One we did try, though, had an adverse affect and he became very agitated and paranoid and even saw some things that weren't there. Obviously we let the dr know and discontinued it immediately. They had prscribed too high a doseage it turned out.

I guess the point of my story is, if you would like to try to see if there is a change you can. If not you always have the option to discontinue or try another if no results. If it's not helping at all there is no point to continue. Though, ask your doctor before you have her start or stop any medication. With some of these they take time to build up in system so it's important to follow the directions and also some you just can't stop abruptly. They have to gradually decrease to stop.

Good luck! There are alot of kids who have these issues, you are not alone. When they are middle school/teens don't forget there are alot of distractions and hormones and changes. I would say it's more typical than a-typical at these ages.

PirateLover
12-16-2011, 09:26 PM
As a middle school teacher, the fact that reading is her biggest issue gives me pause. You are right, she is at the age now where every subject will require an increasing amount of reading and the pressure will increase. Has she ever had a psycho-educational evaluation? You say she "fits" the diagnosis of ADD but has she ever been tested to confirm that? Are you positive it's just a focus issue and not a developmental reading disorder? Is the doctor who wants to start medication a family doctor or a psychiatrist? For some children, I've seen medication work wonders, but for others, sometimes the side affects can be worse than any benefit the child may receive. You are doing the right thing by finding out all you can and not blindly following the doctor's advice.

Donald
12-16-2011, 10:18 PM
Our son was diagnosed with ADHD in kindergarten. The school he attends encourages natural alternatives; a small item that can be quietly rolled in the hand or on a desk, a quick lap around the gym, a desk in the back of the room so he can stand, a mp3 playing classical music, chewing gum.

The chewing gum is the least distractive to other students, but it allows his energy a release to allow him to work at the task on hand. It has helped a lot. I would not have believed it if I hadn't seen it with my own two eyes! He went from up, down, oh let's pet the cat, to I need a snack. I will have some gum. Quiet. .

I know ADHD is different than ADD, but it couldn't hurt to try. My son likes the 'ice cubes' gum because it stays soft longer. I like it because it is good for his teeth:D.

TheVBs
12-17-2011, 08:17 AM
Thanks for the replies! :mickey:

DVC2004, thanks so much for sharing your experiences with this type of medication. We've always taken the approach of trying to tackle one challenge at a time and I guess we feel there may be more to try before trying the stimulant. Also, since she gets good grades we also acknowledge that this may just be who she is and how she processes things. It's good to know we're not alone though! Thank you for that!

PirateLover, great questions! The school has done evaluations over the years, and the doctor I'm referring to is her psychiatrist. It took her so long just to be able to stay in and function in the classroom that she's had to struggle to catch up in every subject. One by one she dropped her resistance to each subject and eventually embraced and enjoyed them. Reading has been one of the last holdouts, with writing being her least favorite thing to do at the moment. So, to date no one has expressed concern about a reading disorder. Once she stopped resisting reading, she started to improve quickly, but still is behind the rest of the class. Hope all that makes sense! To be honest, there was a time when we didn't know if it was even possible for her to catch up. We are so grateful!

Donald, even though she doesn't have the hyperactive portion, the school has been great and hugely creative about trying different sensory and behavioral things over the years. What she often does is daydream or get distracted by things around her. Sometimes to the point where she fails to even get started on a lesson, even when the rest of the group is almost finished.

I guess, as parents, we question the wisdom of treating something with medication (albeit a minimum dose of a very well tested one) when she's learning, improving and getting great grades. On the other hand, as pointed out, middle school is next year and that's a whole other ball game. Are we doing her a disservice by not trying something that might help her improve more quickly. Argh! I often feel like we're between a rock and a hard place. :(