Amandaaa - the thread is old but Kedzer revived it yesterday with a related issue - so he/she gave it life anew. The issue, sadly, will not quickly die.
Sidhartha91 - you raise valid points about medicating a child so young. I did not do it without significant consideration. I have tried many, many things including herbal remedies, neurofeedback, some bizarre sound mechanism touted by Mr. Dr. Phil and on and on.
Without intervention my son's behavior significantly impairs his ability to function. There is no question that medication should be a last result and it has been and continues to be in our circumstances but there are definitely times when last resort has arrived.
I am curious about your exposure to brain disfunctions and/or mental illnesses in children and/or adults. As an adult who suffered through ADHD throughout my life, I would definitely have preferred to have had an option of medication. The downsides of the disorder were devastating to me.
When my son has interventions children will play with him and include him. When he does not he is isolated and left out. That is but one of the devastating sideeffects of a disorder like ADHD.
And by the way - my sons hyperactivity was noted (not diagnosed) when he was only a few months old. As a mother of a young child who is off the charts hyper I experienced being excluded and isolated from early toddler age on. My son was significantly more active than others his age. Other mothers didn't want to be around it. Such isolation and rejection takes a significant toll that people who have not experienced cannot even begin to imagine.
Medication in my son's case was never a matter of convenience. It has been survival.
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