How do you know for sure your child has ADHD? My son has been diagnosed with general anxiety from a therapist. His teachers and regular pediatrician jumped to ADHD. Got an assessment from the school that says he is ED (Emotionally Disturbed). Took him to a psychologist to hear about ADHD meds and assess. Told her about family history of paranoid schizophrenia and hesitation with giving him meds. She says she is not sure it is ADHD. Meet with another Behavior psychiatrist telehealth and she does history and interviews me and dad. She asks if we have thought about high functioning autism and talks about SSRI's.
My son is smart and did well in school until about 3rd grade. He was always full of energy and curious. He didn't have any clear red flags of ADHD, Autism, or Anxiety. He was at a private school kinder through 3rd. It was not the right place for him. We were the odd family ou, on financial aid and not super tiger mom types. We found out later there was alot of bullying. He was going to the nurses office 3 times a day. That is when anxiety started. We pulled him out of that school and put him in the school where I work. I worked as an instructional aid for 3 years and still work there in a different capacity. His first year was crazy but he is now doing much better. Academically he hates doing the work partly because of the other school being so militant and possibly because of something else that is still not clear.
Now my son is 11 and he acts out in anger. Nothing big right now but I worry about when he gets older. I think it is the anxiety but there are some things that are not right. He doesn't let people teach him. He hates talking about things and would yell and lash out before talking. Even when he knows talking will get him what he wants. Would an SSRI (prosac) calm him down enough? Does it sound like ADHD. If I had put him on the stimulant ADHD meds in the beginning I think we would have had a raging lunatic. I don't think any family should have to go through that kind of trial and error. Because of that I am so skeptical of meds but I have not had enough luck with the natural appraoch (B6, Fish oil, Magnesium and talk therapy).
Alone else been on the same kind of journey?