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Regular Features
THE
PARENT COACH
Dr.
Steven Richfield provides articles on many different aspects of raising a child
with ADHD.
ASK
THE ADVOCATE
Each
month we our advocate will be answering questions from our visitors about yours
and your children's rights in the educational system.
PARENTS
TALK
A mother is trying to help her teenage son learn anger management.
MOTIVATION
TIPS
Five great ideas for motivation, including The Shoe Race, Trading Places
and more.
ORGANIZATION
TIPS
Organize your child at home, and maybe find some tips that will help you
as well.
ADHD
IN THE NEWS
Headlines about ADHD, Learning Disability and Mental Disorders
Study on ADD and TV
The recent study published on watching television between the ages of one and
three and the possible link to ADD/ADHD did not take many considerations into
account. The author of the study even admits that he cannot conclude that
television watching and ADD/ADHD are linked.
Read the
Article
Email Questions and Answers
Back To Email Questions and Answers Index
Strattera: Side Effects and Effectiveness
(2 email questions received)
I'm a 52 y/o diagnosed with ADD and depression 10 years ago. I've been on Adderall for years and the Dr. started me on Strattera 10 days ago. So far I'm experiencing the entirely too familiar side effects like those of the antidepressants (that never worked). Any encouraging words or support groups would be appreciated.!!! Thanks, Mike
*~*~*~*
What do you know about Strattera? Has it been used for medical reasons
only in limited settings or does it have a track record? Has it ever been implicated in such serious symptoms as liver failure or other
significant health threats, is there even enough of a record of it as a prescription that
it can be determined if it has any potential bad side effects?...
Julie
*~*~*~*~*~*
It
can be difficult when a child reaches adulthood. As parents we are confronted
with the painful reality that we cannot help a child that does not want help.
Many
times drugs are a way of self medication. Substance abuse rates are high among
individuals with ADD/ADHD. Many adults with ADD have told me they have spent
much of their life feeling as if they did not fit in, they were
"different" and "inferior."
They feel guilty for not being able to get it together and feel lost in
daily life. To escape these
feelings they may turn to drugs.
Marijuana
can be a form of self medication for those with problems with hyperactivity.
Their brains feel as if they do not slow down and the drug can help them
to relax and slow down, something they may not be able to do on their own.
As
the parent of an 18 year old, I know the pain and the frustration that you are
feeling. My son also started taking drugs last year and although he has stopped,
I know that he is always treading a thin line and could fall back into that
quickly. I know how much you want your son to succeed and I know how much pain
you feel when he chooses the wrong path.
Helping
him to find the right path can be hard and must be done because he wants it. If
he refuses help or doesn't see any reason to get help, it will be up to you to
let him know that you will be there when he should choose to want to change his
life. There are many options for him and there is much that is known today about
ADHD that was not known even 5 years ago. There
are different types of treatment and a number of different medications that can
help.
ADHD
can also come with other disoders, such as depression, bipolar, anxiety,
learning disorders and substance abuse. These are called co-morbid conditions
and can make treatment and diagnosis more difficult, but not impossible. Your
son should actually have a complete re-evaluation to determine if there are
other existing conditions and then a course of treatment could be worked up.
It is possible that he is dealing with one of these other conditions
without knowing it and once treated, he could feel better about continuing
treatment.
For
further information:
Co-Morbid
Conditions
http://www.addhelpline.org/co-morbid_conditions.htm
ADHD
and Adulthood
http://www.addhelpline.org/adhdinadults.htm
I
Do NOT Have ADD
http://add.about.com/library/weekly/aa042202a.htm
ADHD
and Substance Abuse
http://www.currentpsychiatry.com/2002_11/1102_adhd.asp
Addiction
and ADHD
http://members.aol.com/addnews/addict.html
George
Bailey