Saturday, April 12, 2008

Speaking from experience- hopefully I will not get into trouble

I was reading a comment from one of the blogs I read and got a little aggravated- so today I will be commenting on how sometimes we may say things (self included) when we probably should not- again my opinion and I know this was this person's opinion-however I am speaking from first hand experience.

The comment talked about not putting a child on medication-for ADHD- because of what type of drug they were prescribed- first of all as parent - you never would like to place your child on medication but sometimes you need too- I needed to with Marcus-and it has helped him and we had to try several before we got the right one- Trying one medication may not work and it is a constant effort to see which one does-

The comment stated that the medications turn kids into zombies- have you ever seen Marcus he is fully functional and definately not a zombie- I know other children that are not zombies either-

that is just a generalized statement - again different medications affect others differently- some of the stimulant drugs Marcus tried early on had the opposite effect- he became even more hyper and impulsive and aggressive. I agree with the comment regarding the teacher diagnosing - they are not MDs but in that same token they see a lot of behaviors and are sometimes pretty accurate in what they observe- What it boils down to is you are no less of a parent taking your son or daughter to a psychiatrist or psychologist and getting an accurate diagnosis. You the parent are the best one to observe and report what is going on- but honesty is the only way to help your child. Your teachers at school can document and see where the troubles occur and see if there are patterns. Their documentation can help with diagnosis and being hyper is not just one form of ADHD. Children are allowed to be themselves they can be noisy but they also need to be respectful and obedient- Marcus does not have to be quiet but he needs to be in control and he is out of control when he is not on his medication- even if I am maybe an hour late he changes into an uncontrollable wild man-with no focus. I never looked for a quick fix with Marcus I worked hard to change things by behavior modification and that alone did not work.

We as parents- friend- family- need to remember that each child is uniquely made and requires different ways in which to raise them- what may work for one child may not work for another-

Medication for children is not a curse it is a helpful agent- did I want Marcus on medication no way- but am I glad- absolutely- he functions better- is focused better- and behaves so much better- does it make him perfect no way. Is medication the only thing helping him no way- behavior modification - over and over again- consistency- talking with his Drs- talking with other special needs parents- going to classes - reading books- asking for help and guidance from my wonderful pastors and friends- for me it is constantly seeking out ways to improve myself as a parent so Marcus can improve himself as a child- Am I the best no- Am I perfect No WAY

Just remember - medication for children or teens is not a bad thing-it does not always turn them into zombies- and many times it is helpful-

Does that mean I do not trust Jesus--no I trust Him and I am believing for a miracle for Marcus- our prayers have been God pour into Marcus kindness, gentleness, and self control- increase this in his life and decrease aggression and impulsiveness. So I am believing for a miracle in his life- I know God created a special and unique young man and at this time in his life he needs that added help-

5 comments:

Anonymous said...

I totally agree. My son has been on medication for ADHD since he was 4. We are now weaning him off because he has asked us too. He is 15. He is doing great! but there was a time in his life that he was on a pretty high dosage! I count it all God!

Dr. Deanna DossShrodes said...

I agree with you Michele. We have to be careful of judging another's situation because every child is so different, and certainly medication IS needed for some, Marcus included. It's an unfortunate thing when people make these generalizations.

(((hugs)))

Anonymous said...

I have fought this same fight with people for almost 8 years now. My wonderful daughter was diagonsed in the 3rd grade. She has never been a vombie on her meds, in fact she is alot more nicer to be around when she is on them. We tried taking her off of them but it was total turmoil while she was not on them. She will be 16 in a couple of months and someday I hope she can live without the meds but until that days comes she will be on them.
It just amazes me that these sames people that have so much to say on the subjecy have never tried to live with ADHD on a daily bases. And I know for a fact the if my child needed meds for diabetes or high blood pressure I would give it to her. So why is there such a stigma on ADHD? It does not mean you are a bad parent it just means your child has a medical conditioner that they need medicine for.
To those who look down on parents who give their chidren medicine for ADHD I say walk a day in my shoes then tell me how to raise my child!!

Michele said...

Not sure why there is a stigma for ADHD- probably because it is the most disease (if you may call it that) that is not understood- it is more then a child acting hyper.
Toots- I agree- walk a day in our shoes see how you do- it is not easy-it is a day to day process and somedays are better then others-
Those of us who have these wonderful children - they truly are a blessing and I believe God has wonderful plans for this children and youth- They are going to use them mightly you just wait and see-
I pray for healing for your daughter toots- she is wonderful and she is a blessing- KBailey I pray for your son- what atestimony to God.

Bryan said...
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