Just turned 13 and has ADHD
I have a dilemma, one that I could certainly use opinions from parents and counselors who have dealt with the already delicate balance of ADHD, mood, medication and hormones.
The grades that my son received for the first quarter, definitely show that something is 'up.' However, what that is, remains to be seen....is his medication no longer working? Is it hormones? Is it both? He has a history of being moody and is definitely in a mood most of the time. It's so hard to separate out normal teen boy behavior and those similar characteristics that tend to show when the medication is no longer effective for focus, impulse control and motivation. These are all key things that show up in the life of a teenage boy, add in ADHD and I am not sure what needs to be done, but I am sure we need to do something....your input is greatly appreciated!
JordanRowley
I feel your pain! My daughter has ADHD and is a moody teenager... it's hard to know what is actually the ADHD and what is her being a teenager. Something I realized with my daughter as she got into her teen years is that she became more social in school and talked a lot more during her classes with her friends mostly because she just couldn't pay attention any more. I talked with her teachers about it and they are the ones who brought it to my attention. I've realized she is more of a visual learner so instead of punishing her for talking with her friends the teachers and I encouraged her to look at the material in books or draw about them as the teachers are speaking. It helped keep her mind more on the subject and her grades started to get better and she started talking less to her friends. Maybe you should talk with his teachers and see what kind of insight they have. They may be able to help you diagnose what the problem may be and help come up with solutions to solve it. It is possible that it has nothing to do with ADHD and maybe he is getting bullied or there is another underlying issue. It's always good to talk with the teachers and see what they think. Hope this helps!!
Marshall Herff
Call me oldschool but that's a load of from big pharma trying to get all our kids hooked on Retillin and Adderal.The "experts" in favor of saying this is real has been debunked by many highly qualified experts in the field http://psychrights.org/research/Digest/ADHD/ADHDAsFraud.htm
CraigK
Marshall, I think that you're wrong here. Even though I do think it's being overdiagnosed, we can't deny that there IS something affecting these children.
CShelton
I agree with Craig here
beachcitymom
Yes, it is over diagnosed. I used to work in special ed with behavior problem children and ADHD was one of the labels. I have seen kids diagnosed with it, that aren't and have seen some with ADHD that really needed meds.
Frugal Minded M...
I agree it's over diagnosed. I think a lot of the changes in kids has to do with changes in food.