Parent's Please Read...

[MysteryPrognosis]

I am a 24 year old male. I always had trouble focusing when I was a child. I would create disturbances in my classes, my mother would have to come and visit with teachers and principles quite often. I was never really a trouble maker, not disrespectful, however I wanted attention and I could not focus.

My parent's were never willing to entertain the possibility that I was ADD or ADHD. My father was Ivy League educated, my mother a college grad as well.

As a youth my inability to focus was expressed by hyperactivity, poor grades, and acting out. My parent's response was tutoring, pushing me harder, and punishment for poor grades.

This constant pressure lead to increasing anxiety. I always wanted to please them, I was constantly trying to come up with the right answers, never thinking of what I wanted for myself. Not even really being capable of doing so.

During highschool I still had a great deal of trouble with my grades, but had become introverted because my anxiety over failure had overtaken my outbursts.

When my pediatrician would ask me about school I would say I was fine because I didnt want to disappoint my parents, and they would never mention it either.

Well, eventually I found Adderall floating around my school. I will just say quickly that I graduated high school and college with GPAs over 3.4... but without getting Adderall from friends around test time I would have definitely failed out. I never mentioned using the meds to my parents for a long time.

Anyways....throughout high school my anxiety continued to get worse and worse. I felt horribile that I couldnt succeed on a  consistent basis.

By the time I reached my sophmore year of college I was having constant anxiety and panic attacks. At this point I began being treated for depression and anxiety, and eventually even bipolar.

Over the next 3 years, I took over 25 different meds, mood stabilizers, benzos, ssris, ssnris, atypicals, maois, and even antipsychotics. Everything made me feel horrible and I never even exhibited half the symptoms that were needed for the diagnosis that were being made. I was basically a guinea pig, being pumped full of different meds.

At the end of college I stumbled upon pain killers. They solved almost all my problems. They calmed down my anxiety, brought up my depression, settled my racing thoughts, and allowed me to live. After only 4 months of taking pain killers I was addicted and quickly sought help. I was so fed up. I was put on a medicine called Suboxone to get me off the pain meds. And I just ended out addicted to Suboxone, which in itself is just another pain med.

Eventually, I found a great psychiatrist and a great psychologist. They worked together and we analyzed my history and quickly realized that things went wrong a long long time ago.

I should have been diagnosed as ADHD as a child.

When children who have ADD or ADHD and are not treated, more than 60% develop anxiety or depressive disorders and almost 50% get involved in some kind of substance abuse.

A few months ago I was officially diagnosed with as ADHD and prescribed Vyvanse. I cannot believe how much better I feel.

My story seems intense, but luckily my life was not harmed to much, at least on the outside. However, on the inside I was being tortured for over 15 years. It was pure hell. The anxiety and depression, and then then all the incorrect medication was misery.

I have ended out just fine, I am successful, but I do wonder how much more successful I could have been if I would have been treated properly at the right time.

My point is that if you think you child my have ADD or ADHD please have a professional make the determination. Its not something you can wish away. Maybe with certain tutoring or extra help you could beat it without medicine, but if its there it should be addressed.

I know for a fact that I would not have dealt with the anxiety, depression, substance abuse, and unneccessary medications if I had been treated as a child.

Just my storry. One that I wouldn't wish on any other child or young adult.

[gcb]

Thank you to both of you for sharing your stories.  There are still so many people out there who don't believe that mental or brain disorders exist.  I have diabetes and major depressive disorder. I can tell you that I was one who refused pharmaceutical intervention for my MMD for quite a while.  Afterward, I realised how dumb I was being.  I didn't refuse taking insulin when my pancreas stopped producing it, so why should I refuse serotonin when my brain isn't producing enough of it? That's how I explain it to other people when they question why I'm taking an anti-depressant.  Feel free to use my story or explanation any time when dealing with the naysayers.  It doesn't always make them change their minds, but it does give them something to think about.

[LindaPinda49]

Thank you so much for sharing your story.  My husband is definitely someone who was never diagnose or treated for this as a child and still does not have an official diagnosis.  He also developed a dependence to marijuana and prostitutes.  He has depression, anxiety and rage issues.  I hope it is not too late for my 19 year old son to somehow get the help that he so desperately needs.

[Judyma]

I am so glad that you made it.
I wish you the best!

[Judyma]

Your son will get better with time, mine is 9 and life is much pleasant than before. He set the Kindergaden on fire when he was three!! So you can imagine what a cute little boy he was. Now we still have some melt downs but he does not hit anymore, and screams twice a weeks maybe, hehehe. Anyway Hang in there my friend, is hard and painful, but it does get better...in time.
Cry out your anxiety, is the only way to keep up and strong!

[carelli]

Very interesting story thank you for sharing.  

You recently responded to one of my postings.  My son is 5 and has ADHD.  He is very hyper, disrespectful and disobedient.  He was kicked out of preschool at age 4 and does well in the afternoon school program . . . but after several complaints from the school (almost on a daily basis) and took him to his peditrician and was immediately diagnosed with ADHD.  My son is not able to control himself at all unless he is medicated.  It is very hard on all of us.  He is very apologetic of his actions, but unfortunately is unable to comprehend why he is apologetic.  We did not know if medicating our son was the right thing to do, but after research we did decide to put him a medication.  We now see the difference in behavior and could not make it through the day without it.  I have people ask me only a daily basis why I medicate him.  They don't see what I see and go through the things my family experience when he is without it.  I know everyone has their own opinion on medicating their children, but for me I would rather help my child and my family than make my child suffer with the different repercussions he will face in the future

I wish you all the best and am glad you finally were able to get a firm diagnosis.  

[Sandman2]

Hey, great story - and worth repeating!!  
  Reminds me of the parents that said, "well I had ADHD as a kid and I got through it without meds".  My reply was usually, "why would you want to put them through the same kind of hell you went through?"
  Finding "a great psychiatrist and a great psychologist" may have been the key.  A lot of people are not so lucky.  Keep writing into the forum - its nice to have a variety of opinions.