new to group...daughter ADHD diagnosed with high anxiety

Leslie - posted on 10/13/2010

You, too, need to take your child to a pediatric neurologist or neuropsychologist. The grunting and arms and legs moving make be Tourette's...and ADHD, Tourette's and OCD occur commonly together. So does Sensory Processing Disorder. All of these conditions make life uncomfortable for a child and increases his/her insecurity. Yes, I've been through a lot of the things you describe, and no, ordinary discipline won't work...You have to address the root of the problem. My daughter would bite...and we got kicked out of a private Christian school that I was paying big bucks for because of the behavior issues. My daughter's obsession was eggs...She would hide them in her room and pet them. Weird, huh? She also has the obsession with me and suffers greatly from separation anxiety. But she's doing well now. Be sure to look into Occupational Therapy for Sensory Processing Disorder...I wish I had known about it sooner...It helps with the eating problems, crashing into things, and will help your son learn to settle himself down. I hope this helps...and don't worry about being long-winded. When you are in the diagnosis process, it can be so frustrating. Some books that might help: The Out of Sync Child, Children with Tourette Syndrome- A Parents' Guide, and Standing up to OCD. Good Luck...and I will help any way I can.
Leslie

Sarah - posted on 10/12/2010

hi i,m new here and have a son of 5yrs old, just going through process of diagnosis of adhd and maybe aspersgers. the specialist i saw yesterday doesn,t seem to listen to what i say. it is hard to get him to bed and when he does fall asleep we don,t know how long he will sleep he could wake up from 3 onwards of when everyone else has got up, his eating is choosey has very temper tantrums where he will throw things and throw himself on floors or downstairs, has poor concentration in school and at home gets frustrated over the smallest things . his anxiety level is high and i have found now he will get upset and anxious in a traffic jam. hates certain touch and noises. recently he tried to set alight to a poster in his room but luckily didn,t burn the house down. he shouts alot and is constantly on the go its like he is driven by a motor. he won,t leave me alone he is so attached with me if i go out wants to know how long i will be. he also has a problem where he will stare and then will grunt and his arms and legs will move does anyone have these problems too going out of my mind, have tried the normal methods to try to discipline him but that just makes him worse, after being at school for two days i had to have a meeting with the school as he wasn,t getting on well in the playground he was smashing the toys and lashing out at over children i feel so upset that he is like that but he can,t help it but some mothers just think he is a naughty boy so i have had to bring him home for lunch. some docs don,t listen and at the end of the day us mothers are the experts of our children not them they are reading from a text book. i do have another son and a daughter and have not experenced this behaviour with them sorry one more thing my son has a terrible obssession with things it could be to cat food to cd,s he will have to have it in a box in his room. he is very bossy and controlling please help anyone have any advice sorry its a bit long winded thanks sarahx

Leslie - posted on 10/03/2010

Hi Rose!
Wow...I bet you feel overwhelmed right now...and it sounds like you don't know where to begin. I would ask for a referral to a pediatric neuropychologist. I think that is where you will get the best diagnosis, because unfortunately, doctors tend to diagnose whatever their specialty is. My daughter first went to a psychologist, and she was diagnosed initially with ADHD, specific learning disabilities and autism spectrum disorder. We put her on stimulant meds (Adderral) and started therapy. The treatment we chose helped, but it did not address any of the other issues, and left untreated, those issues became our predominate concerns. I knew very little about the co-morbid conditions that commonly occur with ADHD. Tourette's Syndrome, which feels like and may be related to Restless Leg Syndrome, is worsened by stimulant medications. My daughter's tics became self-injurious before I had a diagnosis of TS.
Anyway, last December, her pediatrician suggested we test her again because her diagnosis had been 6 years earlier. So, we went to see a neuro-psychologist who did extensive testing and changed her diagnosis and her course of treatment. I wish that I had had a more complete diagnosis sooner, and I think that a neuro-psychologist or pediatric neurologist is a better option...They are more educated on all of the neurological disorders and are less likely to diagnose what they are most familiar with.
Medication. Most people don't feel guilty if they give their asthmatic child an inhaler. No one points a finger at a parent who gives their diabetic child insulin. When are we going to stop treating neurological or mental disorders like they aren't REAL medical conditions? So many parents brag that they won't put their kids on meds, and others put down parents who do...and it is, in my opinion, not a subject that most people can discuss intelligently. Very few parents WANT to put their kids on medications. In fact, most of us worry and cry about it and feel guilty...Are we doing the right thing? But those of us who have had to make the decision to medicate, do so only in the best interest of our child. Most of us aren't lazy people who want to zombie-fy our kids. But a child with ADHD, Tourettes, OCD or other anxiety disorder needs the best modern medicine has to offer, just like any other MEDICAL diagnosis.
Sorry, I was ranting. It just angers me when "other people" who have no medical background try to tell anyone how to deal with a child who has special challenges. I do not have ADHD or TS...but I do have mild OCD and some anxiety issues, and when I remember how I struggled with these things as a kid, I wish I had had someone help me. Your daughter is blessed to have you, and although it may seem exceptionally challenging with your own personal diagnosis, that may actually help you to help her.
I have had years of experience now dealing with these disorders, and I have read everything I could get my hands on concerning them. If I can help at all...if you have any specific questions or concerns, let me know. I will help if I can. My heart goes out to you.
Leslie

Rosalie - posted on 10/03/2010

Hi my name is Rose... I have a nine yr old biological granddaughter that I have adopted as a single parent adoption. This gets a little confusing so for the sake of simplfiying I will refer to her as my granddaughter, even though she is now my daughter.First of all a little background info.... she is my son's daughter... he was killed in a horrible accident in 2005. We have had my granddaughter since she was 2. She was 4 when her dad got killed. She was only allowed to see her biological mother under supervision due to drug abuse issues. A year and a half later after very little interaction her biological mother signed over her rights. I was married at the time so my husband and I began the adoption process. Before we completed the adoption my husband and I divorced, and my granddaughter and I moved to be closer to my family.My granddaughter is very intelligent and has always done well in school despite all her circumstances. She has always had trouble sleeping.... night terrors, restless leg symptoms, etc. Since the move she is having difficulty with her grades in the new school.She has been in therapy in the past and her counselors have all said that she seems to be very well adjusted considring everything she's been through.I have just recently been diagnosed with ADHD with anxiety and depression.She also suffers from major anxiety issue as well as some OCD issues. I also believe looking back that my son was ADHD as well, and my granddaughters biological mother was diagnosed as Bipolar. I am not sue about how to obtain a diagnosis for my granddaughter, do I take her to an MD or a psychiatrist , and whenever I mention putting her on meds my family makes me feel guilty, but despite their objections I have to do what is best for her. I just recently started doing some research on ADHD because I was diagnosed and need some input from other moms who have this disorder as well as have children with this problem. Please help!.

Lori - posted on 09/19/2010

Leslie, thank you for sharing your story. It helps to get input from others. The books just arrived and I think they will help us. She sees the counselor every 2 wks and we've been adjusting her medication...but I was told the same thing about the seratonin....so we are working on that. Things r some better. We started a chart on the wall to help her face her fears and try to overcome them. Everytime she is in a fearful situation (one she perceives as such)...and she is able to overcome it and move forward, she gets to jump her frog to the next Lily pad on the wall. When she gets 4 jumps, then she and I get to have a special day, just the two of us. So far, she has already jumped her frog two times! This is helping her I think...to consciously think about what could be the worse thing that could happen if she does whatever it is...for ex. If she reads out loud, what is the worst thing that could happen? We talk through it....take some deep breaths and eventually overcome it. She will read outloud to just me....or to just my Mom.....but if we are both in the room, she shuts down. I think all the steps we are taking will help.

Leslie - posted on 09/18/2010

My daughter has Tourette's, OCD, Generalized Anxiety Disorder, Sensory Processing Disorder and ADHD....and I believe that controlling the anxiety is the most important issue. A kid who experiences fear around every corner cannot thrive...And as a parent, you have to understand that it is most often a neurological problem. We have a very happy and secure home, but when I learned that my daughter suffered from such insecurity, I looked for ways to blame myself. What am I doing wrong??? I now understand that her brain does not produce enough seratonin. Also, her sensory processing issues add to the feelings of insecurity...We have learned through occupational therapy that she is very unbalanced and we are using Wii Fit and obstacle courses to help her improve her balance. My daughter has to take medication...She loops: has obsessive thoughts that she cannot stop...like when you get a song stuck in your head, but her thoughts are things like if she doesn't do something, something bad will happen.
Anyway, to make a long story short, we have been on this journey for a while now, and you seem to be on the right track. The more you educate yourself, the more you can help your child. My daughter's doctors and therapists have all told me that I have taught them things. We have built a partnership to help her overcome the obstacles and live a normal life. I am excited, because she is started to own the responsibility of controlling her anxiety. She is recognizing triggers and she is learning to prevent meltdowns.
Good luck and keep us posted.
Leslie