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Dec
01
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 I posted a blog several months ago that described how overwhelmed I was. Many people responded ( even people in my real life) and told me to stop beating myself up. To recap without rewriting the whole thing: I have always been very organized. I have to be. It keeps me sane and calm. I have two children, one who is 20 with bipolar disorder and one who is 14 with anxiety, ADHD, depression, insomnia and has also been recently diagnosed with Type I diabetes. Two years ago, my husband’s ex-wife asked us to take in their 9-year-old son, who has some serious behavior issues. She felt we were much better equipped to help him than she was and that our home was a good alternative.
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Archive for the ‘Medication’ Category
Blog Posts by Emmie
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May
05
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Earlier this year, my husband and I spent countless days, weeks and months wondering whether or not our son had ADD. We wrung our hands, consulted experts, fought with our son, and I ground my teeth down to the point that I needed root canal surgery. After the diagnosis of ADD was confirmed, we breathed a sigh of relief and thought that the worst of our problems were over. We had a diagnosis and felt we could move ahead with our treatment. Problem solved, right? Well, sort of. | |||
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Feb
17
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For my children, hearing, listening, following directions, and (oh, let me just say it) compliance with others is like pulling teeth. (*Cringe*.) There are many days when I feel like I’ve failed as a parent, and my kids are still so young. When you throw in their ADHD (and mine) into the mix, it makes for some pretty difficult days. | |||
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Mar
06
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In a recent commentary in The Boston Globe, pediatrician Claudia Meininger Gold wrote, “medication can’t fix a broken childhood.” She goes on to say, “with our over-reliance on psychoactive medication, we have created another Ponzi scheme where, just as Bernard Madoff’s investment fund was not really earning any money, we are fooling ourselves into thinking that we are helping these children in any significant way.”
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Feb
13
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A recent exploratory study conducted at a private school reported in Current Issues in Education stated that the use of meditation can be beneficial to 11 to 14 year old students diagnosed with attention deficit hyperactivity disorder, or ADHD. According to the researchers, “the technique has potential to improve attention, behavior regulation, and executive function by naturally reducing stress and anxiety and improving brain functioning.”
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Apr
04
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I fully understand the concerns of parents regarding medication for ADHD. My wife and I struggled with this when my son was 5. He had a great response to stimulant medication and remained on medication until he was 14. He suffered no observable side effects. He is a 6’4” guy who completed college with honors and has been employed for 5 years in the film industry and currently is an editor for a top rated cable network show. We were at our wits end and what we called “the small vitamin” was a miracle drug. At home we also used psychosocial interventions from time to time during his formative years.
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Feb
15
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I have long believed that behavioral therapy is the key to helping kids with ADHD. In fact, a new study on ADHD said that comprehensive behavioral therapy works as well as medication over the long haul. Also, earlier studies showed that after 14 months, 30% of the behavioral therapy group did just as well as those with medication. Of course, there are no side effects to behavioral therapy—except, perhaps, much happier parents and kids. | |||
