ADHD Part 1 of 2
ADHD is an illness that starts in childhood. A child with ADHD has trouble sitting still, doesn’t finish things that they begin and usually acts without first thinking things through. This is a real illness that can change the way your child acts, feels, or thinks at times. There are many different treatments for ADHD, drugs being just one of them. In fact, drugs should always be a last resort that is almost never used (when in fact quite the opposite is true today).
You will notice that a child with ADHD may fidget, or wiggle a lot more than usual when asked to sit still or even without thinking. Some seem to be daydreaming, all of which are signs that the child may be ADHD. When these behaviors interfere with the child’s ability to concentrate in school or make public outings dangerous for the child or make making friends difficult then there is cause for alarm and the child should be tested for ADHD. Parents may have a difficult time figuring out what to do with the child or may not even have the slightest idea of what to do.
Parents may think that some of these behaviors are normal for any child and may be in denial about their child’s condition. The good news is that it is an illness that can be treated effectively and can make the child feel much better about them. How the child feels about themselves is very important because increasing the child’s self esteem will essential to treatment. The child may feel like a failure, when they definitely are not. A common childhood illness, ADHD can be controlled and the child may even grow out of it eventually, as he or she begins to mentally mature and the symptoms simply disappear.