ADHD with major anxiety and stress

[Skeetpete]

Happy to have found this as I'm seeing posts that are similar to our situation. My son just turned 12 and was diagnosed with ADHD combined at 7. While he was always academically below and had occasional issue with impulse control, he seemed to be doing fine - went to school and did after school activities.

All that changed last year soon towards the end of 5th grade. He began to having nightly rages. They lated 30 to 40 minutes and you could see he was releasing some sort of stress from the day. These continued through the summer. They eventually got less frequent and intense after he started 6th grade. However his level of anxiety and stress increased. He refused to after school activities. When I pushed him he would start to rage. He told me his body was not letting him go.

He managed to attend school in the fall but couldn't focus at all in class. He got all F's his first semester. He says he can't follow anything in class and that his body won't let him follow directions. When he gets stressed, he distracts other kids in class.

His psychiatrist thinks it's the beginning of a mental illness like Bi-polar but we don't have that in our family. I believe that years of struggling with teachers who didn't understand his ADHD led him to eventually have a breakdown. Medication hasn't been effective (Guanfacine, Lamotrigine, Abilify) and mostly made it worse with side effects.

We finally got the IEP going and it seems like it's just having specialist put pressure on him to get his work done in class. He had an anxiety attack in class due to this and now he's struggling to go to school with major anxiety every morning.

The psychiatrist doesn't seem to want to give him meds that address the anxiety issue so I'm starting to look for a new one which is taking time.

[Onthemove1971]

Welcome we are glad you are here!

This journey is such a struggle. I have learned from our son that "behavior is communication". Sometimes they can't express why they do things.

I think you are right on with finding a better psychiatrist.. I sure hope that even if you start with basic ADHD medication he can get some ability to increase focus.

What is so hard is to not compare our children with Neuro-typical children.

Do you have him in thearpy/counseling? At least if he found a safe comfortable place maybe he could start expressing him needs and desire. I have always been in these sessions with our son and I know that is what is best, so I can say " we are struggling with X, and learn techniques to help.

Big hug for your struggles and hope there are better roads ahead.

[Cjkchamp]

I recommend you look for a child/adolescent psychiatrist who practices integrative medicine. I also highly encourage you to research broad spectrum micronutrients. They were recommended by my son's psychiatrist and worked wonders for him. There are two companies, True Hope and Hardy Nutritionals.

[MaudQ]

Have you had a neuropsych evaluation done? Extreme anxiety, ADHD, ASD, sensory processing can sometimes look similar in terms of behavior. My kid has anxiety and ADHD - I think it’s very common to have multiple diagnoses - and she presented at the beginning somewhat similar to your son. It takes a while to tease out what is going on and then to figure out treatment. Anti anxiety medication and stimulants needed up being right for us - but you need a thorough psychiatrist to partner with. The neuropsych eval was invaluable too - you might be able to get your school district to pay for it. All this takes time - try to be as loving and compassionate to your son and to yourself during this process. It’s also ok to set boundaries to make sure you and everyone else stays safe. A good therapist for you can really help with all of this.

[Happle]

Same situation with us. My "mommy gut" thought that needed a higher ADHD medicine dose (increased weight and start of puberty). Went back and forth with psychiatrist, as she was not convinced. I told her that, in the past, starting the ADHD medicine actually had a calming/much improved behavior effect. Kept a "anger/behavior" diary, and noted outbursts happening about the same time frequently (3-6 PM). Went back to Focalin (vs. Adderall), as I read that it has less of a "crash", etc. Going up on the ADHD medicine dose actually helped for us. Just watch for the "crash" as the medicine is wearing off (there are many different types/brands that you can discuss with your physician). Not trying to diagnose your child, but just letting you know what worked for us. Our psychiatrist is great, but I have to be proactive also as I know my child. Trust your mommy gut, read a lot, and keep an open communication with your physician. Hugs