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The ADD / ADHD GAZETTE
The FREE online ezine all about the issues surrounding ADD
/ ADHD and co-morbid conditions and syndromes. This
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*** ISSUE #14 *** July 31rd 1999

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IN THIS ISSUE:

#1 -- NEWS AND VIEWS

#2 -- ARTICLE ~ Letter from A Reader

#3 -- RESOURCES

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IMPORTANT DISCLAIMER
Items in this newsletter are published for educational and / or
informational purposes only. Any therapy, product, service, or
featured web site mentioned here, does NOT imply endorsement
or approval by The ADD / ADHD Gazette. The accuracy and
content of any web sites featured here cannot be guaranteed.
Thoughts, views and statements written by contributors are
not necessarily the views of The ADD / ADHD Gazette.
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# 1 News & Views

I am slowly but surely working through the answers to the
survey and I should be able to implement things during the
next one or two issues. When I have all the results and
comments I will put them on autoresponder or ask interested
parties to email me for the results. There will be definite
changed to the newsletter though - so watch out.

-------

Dear Gail,
In answere to the reader wanting ADHD sites in different
languages, there is a link (which I haven't explored) to
French language sites at http://www.pavilion.co.uk/add/
There is a Swiss French site at http://www.hypsos.ch,
and a French Canadian site at http://ami.qc.ca/~charlesr/.
B.F.

-----

Gail,
Our sons psychologist has recommended a the book
"The Explosive Child" by Ross W. Green, Ph.D.
http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/ASIN/0060175346/theaddadhdgaze
This book has made a hugh difference in our family.
Since we have read this book and talked about it with
ADHD son he has not had a meltdown. K. S.

-----

I have just read a book entitled "When Your Beautiful
Child's Not Normal" by Wendy Webb
http://www.amazon.co.uk
http://www.bookshop.co.uk/ser/serpge.asp#titles
It takes the reader meticulously through the traumatic
journey from David, apparently perfect baby, to David,
a child with a lifelong disability. First there is the story of
the gradual realisation David is 'not normal', missed
milestones, David's behaviour becoming more and more
different and difficult, an increasing array of professionals
involved. The book ends with the diagnosis, the start of
David's life with a label, and a series of lists of key
professionals and organisations which can help the
families of youngsters with a wide range of special needs."

-----

Can anyone recommend any Drs. in the Gainesville
Fl area for one of our readers please? Also what type of Dr
do you go to find out what's going on with your child?
We adopted a baby (now 6 years old) who is a difficult,
wild, hurricane, high needs and mostly impossible to deal with.
We are at our wits end! Thanks for any suggestions.
Yeahmail@...


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# 2 Letter From A Reader

I received a copy of a letter sent to one of our readers and the
writer has given me her kind permission to reproduce it here.

I am a parent of two ADHD/Dyspraxic/Learning Difficulties
adopted (unrelated) boys (12 and 9 yr. old) and empathise with
your teenage challenge! No, we didn't know these problems
existed when we adopted them, but we knew they had 'emotional
problems' by way of the circumstances they came to be adopted.
Eldest adopted at 2 yr. old and the youngest adopted at 4 yr. old.

My eldest boy was diagnosed 2 1/2 years ago and is on Ritalin
(Methylphenidate) and Clonidine (Dixarit, in UK). Basically,
we have experienced the same sort of opposition, anger and
frustration, probably in similar scenarios. We have lived through:

Tantrums like a two-year-old (sometimes still at age 12),
His 'wanting to die/kill himself' without having the comprehension
(his vocabulary is way ahead of his understanding of the words
or phrases) to understand what he was saying. BUT has not said
anything like it for the 2 1/2 years since Ritalin. Also he would
self-harm or cause self-inflicted injury. He would · Bite his
forearm Gouge deep scratches into his face or (most disturbingly)
deliberately head-bang a door (anything hard) to achieve
a nose-bleed, in order to return for sympathy - by which
time the household atmosphere would be so explosive,
there was very little sympathy about !!! (However, the
sympathy bit did work for a while, until we realised they
were not 'spontaneous' nose-bleeds.)

The frustration and anger came if he was refused
something, asked, or told to do something like:
Collect his laundry, Get ready for bed, Put the rubbish
(trash) out, etc.), Challenged to perform a routine but
boring task or suspected and 'accused' of a wrongdoing,
especially if the problem occurred at school.

Eventually, we recognised that most of the situations
at school were deliberately manipulated by other children
to lead him into trouble. (Usually by street-wise undiagnosed
ADHD kids themselves!) Although, other situations were
because he did not recognise them as being wrong.

It took several years chasing our tails to try to get to the
bottom of his behaviours. Professionals would bury their
head in the sand, eventually a lay person suggested ADHD,
we read about it, took him to a child psychiatrist. At the
consultation, our wild child was a perfect angel! The
Psychiatrist (who was well experienced and reaching
retirement age - so not entirely without knowledge) stated
he didn't believe in the condition, and even if he did, he
wouldn't prescribe the medication.

The psychiatrist made his non-diagnosis without
evidence of physical or psychometric assessment, just
commented to us that he had a 'poor short term memory'
(only one of many symptoms). However,the psychiatrist's
eyes buried deep into Mum and Dad's eyes to try to
find a cause!! Nine months (equivalent to an academic
school year) of my son's education was effectively
wasted, returning to see this 'professional' three times at
three-monthly intervals. Eventually, we had to travel 200
miles to an excellent Specialist Centre to get sorted out.

Anyway, it has taken a long time adjusting his medication
to his needs. Adding and subtracting half tablets here and
quarter tablets there; larger doses four hourly then smaller
doses three hourly, etc. (The Ritalin is easier to adjust.
Adjusting the Clonidine has to be increased or decreased
at four-day intervals, and cannot be stopped abruptly.)

The management of the Ritalin (improved his attention
and focus extremely well) and his reactions had to be
observed over the months and in due time our Paediatrician
was able to identify the need for inclusion of the Clonidine.

The Clonidine was given firstly to reduce the Ritalin
'rebound' during the evening and improve settling down
to sleep. We did not notice him become sleepy and we
perceived there was no real benefit from the Clonidine.
(Famous last words.) So after a good trial of 2-3 months
we decided to reduce the Clonidine. Following the correct
procedure and after about ten days he started to explode
again in the evening. It was only then that we could see
the actual benefit of the Clonidine - it had previously had
the effect of calming the temper tantrums, anger,
frustration, oppositionality and self-harm and we hadn't
noticed. So, we started increasing the Clonidine back
to his previous dosage.

After he started senior school (11-16 yr.olds) new challenges
and children created further anger/frustration outbursts
during the school-day and the Clonidine had to be introduced
as a morning dose also. When our son has his medication on
time he is an attentive scholar (with improving grades), a well-
mannered perfect charmer, and a joy to have around; and Mum
and Dad don't shout as much!!! Even the teachers are
beginning to realise that as their blood pressure starts to rise,
his dose of medication is overdue or missed.

(We need tips on how to cope with lying, but mainly getting
him to function first thing in the morning, before the Ritalin
'kicks in'. One of us, usually Dad, has to supervise him getting
in the shower, drying and dressing! If we leave him to his own
devices and he is singing there won't be any soap on him in the
shower, etc. - he cannot sing and function at the same time.
Pity, he's got such a lovely singing voice.)

I hope this information may help you in someway, especially
as treating the ADHD with one medication is a big decision,
without having to introduce a second. (And I haven't even
explained about the St. John's Wort versus Prozac (Fluoxetine)
for the 'obsessions' yet.)

(Diabetics need insulin to survive, and I suppose it could
be said that ADHD's need something to 'survive', even
if only looking at it from a the neuro-biological angle.)

Our son doesn't like to be seen by his friends taking his
pills, but this new school is great at working to improve his
self-esteem. They have explained to him - and his friends -
that his medication keeps him 'well', just as 'X' has to use
his inhaler/spray to keep him 'well' from his asthma.

When you get five minutes search the Internet for
http://www.oneaddplace.com and read the General Adult
ADD Symptom Checklist by Daniel G. Amen, M.D. - it can
be quite an eye-opener. Good luck and keep up your
tremendous work, it may all make sense to you one day -
when your son is asking your advice on how to handle
the grandchildren!!!

Best regards L.J.

-----
For anyone wanting to reply to L.J. could they please
write to me at gailmiller@... and I will pass it on

==================================================

#3 Resources

Children of Rage: (Page about rage attacks etc.)
http://members.tripod.com/LeeLydon/rage.html

It has been revealed that ADHD in females may be
underdiagnosed. For the full article, see
http://www.intelihealth.com/enews?234311


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