I would be lying if I said I wasn't scared. I am scared I am making the wrong choice for him but I am scared of the alternative. You hear things about the drugs used to treat ADHD and you realize how common the side effects are, some are permanent.
Tics, psychosis, rages, mood swings, zombie likeness, growth being stunted and so so so many more.
Most people I know with children on these drugs have experienced one or more of these side effects and have to try drug after drug to find the one that is right for their kid...
Sometimes the damage is done and the effects are permanent.
How could I live with myself if something like that happened to my child? How, when I know there are safe methods that could help him. I can't do it.
In Feb I was so desperate I considered starting him on meds. He was doing horrible in school and I was crying daily. It was a very bad time and I was getting desperate to help him. I actually went to the dr and asked for meds and he refused. I am thankful now that he did.
I composed myself and finally hit a breaking point. I started pouring hours and hours into researching how to help him. I still stay up nightly to search for ideas. I realized why I wanted to go this route and stood firm to what I originally wanted.
I learned that some food allergies, metal poisonings, thyroid problems, food sensitivites and so much more can play a role in a child with ADHD. This leads to testing and eliminating foods and dyes.
About 2 weeks ago I took away all artifical dyes and flavorings, I took away about 85% of his dairy intake and started him on other minerals.
Johnathon takes special cookies to have at school and I pack his lunch for him and read labels before the school serves him food. It is hard but it is worth it.
In the morning he takes nerve drops, Attentive Child, magnesium, calcium, multi-vitamin and Omega 3 oil. At night he takes melatonin and Omega 3 and more nerve drops.
We have also started a new reward system with him. It has proven very effective and we are using it with Seth as well. He can gain poker chips for pretty much anything good he does but he loses them for anything bad even huffing about not wanting to do homework. In the beginning he lost 30 pokerchips in an hour.
When he hits 50 he gets a special toy or money. He even earns tokens for doing well at school.
Next week I will be talking to the Dr about testing Johnathon for metal poisionings and other things. I want a through exam done to rule out any other causes, even if the chances are slim, it is worth knowing.. We are waiting on the results of bloodwork to let us know if there are any food allergies affecting him.
He is also seeing the school counselor for behavior modification therapy. Soon we will start an IEP with the school to help him even more.
I am going to make a small disclaimer here:
I get that this is a struggle and not everyone believes this or has the time or it just didn't work for them. I don't expect everyone to be able to do this or believe this or whatever. I get that some parents choose meds and that is okay. I am in no way, shape or form, judging another person b/c of the choices they made for their family. So don't think that, don't feel the need to come at me with why you chose meds. You did what is right for your family and that is really all that matters.
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