Need son evaluated?

[PJD1120]

:)My son has been driving us crazy this summer. I have never really had him evaluated. He has ADHD and I also feel he has ODD. I don't know about bi-polar. He is 11 yrs. old. He was taking concerta during school. I don't see no difference in behavior when he is on it. Yesterday, he almost drown his 6 yrs. old brother and told me to shut the F up. I took him out of the water and held him down and he yelled and screamed then of course we went home and he stayed in the house all later afternoon until bedtime. We have been to several doctors no one seems to help. I am from Ohio and need some suggestions on where to take him. My mom's neighbor mentioned Akron's Childrens. Help!

[Linda]

Find a Doctor who will listen to you and don't take no for an answer!!! He does sound like he has ODD....BETTER TO FIND OUT NOW. You have to take care of the ODD before you can take care of the ADHD!!!

[milesofsmiles]

I agree with Linda, treat the ODD first. Our son's ODD was attributed to anxiety, but it took years of pain and suffering to get that diagnosis. He takes meds for anxiety and no longer needs ADD medicine. He is now a billion times better as far as behavior.

Our son displayed a lot of the same traits you explained. The psychologist said he had ADD and ODD but no therapy seemed to help or sink in. Medications for ADD helped a little, but never seemed to address what was going on outside the medication zone and the behavior. Believe me we tried everything. We had the suspicion that something else was going on. This was going on for years and his behavior continued to decline. A psychiatrist took one look at him and said he has classic anxiety. For 6 years this was missed. We gave him medication for anxiety, and within a week he is the sweetest boy we have ever known. We no longer give him medicine for ADD and his concentration is just fine, he no longer fidgets in group situations, he participates, he laughs etc.

If you look at some of the posts from me, you may see a trend. He was angry, delayed, seemed defiant, started to lash out physically and verbally, first to me, then others at school and friends. He had extreme difficulty in transitions, and would go from 0-10 on the rage scale in a second. In truth he tells me he felt funny inside and did not want to change what felt safe.

Something to consider. Also I was told that anxiety is inherited. Me, and all of my relatives have strong traits of anxiety. Hope your evaluation works out well, keep us posted. We will try to help where we can.

Miles

[PJD1120]

Miles, I have been struggling for years. What did your doctor recommend for ODD? Jared does have anxiety and was on Buspar but I only seen a little change. Now he isn't on any anxiety med. I have been to several doctors no one really tested him except on a computer for ADHD. I am going to try to take him to Akron's Childrens. Thanks, Pam

[milesofsmiles]

Pam,

The Dr. said his ODD was a defense to his anxiety. He just had a difficult time expressing himself, so it came out int he form of agression, language, and what appeared to be defiance. The Dr. prescribed Risperdal twice a day and within a week, we had a totally different boy. He still has his rough spots, but it is no where near 24 - 7.

Hope it helps,

Miles

[StrugglingAgain]

OMG...you just described MY ds. He's behaved this way (dx severe ADHD/ODD) for nine years. Today we took him to TX Children's Hospital in Houston and they are going to do an evaluation. BUT, I've been reading so much that I had wondered if it stemmed from anxiety. I'm sooooo tired of being the doctor in charge. We'll see what the evaluation turns up, but I'm inclined to think exactly the same is true for my son, as no behavior mods have worked, the meds only work a little, and we've been doing this same stuff since he was four years old. If all of this poor behavior stems from anxiety and no one has figured it out in NINE freakin' years I'm going to be royally PO'd. Not that anyone cares, but what in the he11 is wrong with these doctors? My son has been to six different doctors.....grrrrrrrrrrrr.