ADHD, diagnosis and revelation

A hyperactive child does not seem to be any different when he is little. He is just like any other active toddler. May be a bit too active. But you never notice that until he grows older and his peers start beaving like 8-year olds and his physical level of activity is still like that of a 4-year old.

Thats what his paediatrician told me. When he saw my 8-year old son at his clinic, he said that his activity level was much higher than others of his age group.

Psychiatric evaluation revealed that his intelliegence was above normal. We didn't want to give him drugs at that point. So we waited. He was in fifth standard and his grades dropped. I found it hard to digest that a small kid could actually fail in his class tests. But we had hit the wall by then. He simply found it hard to catch up. Thats when we contacted a phychiatrist. He put him on drugs immediatly.

This can be considered a starting point in the lives of two individuals, a mother and her son and their journey of hope and despair- a journey along rough road laden with sharp stones of criticism and slushy patches of guilt. The strong bond between the mother and son and hope and determination help her guide him forward. It's a different path and the obstacles are different and the journey challenging.

I, as his mother, want to do everything I can to make sure that he blooms to his fullest. I would never want to regret that there was something I could do and I didnt give my child a chance. I also do not want his younger sister or his father to be affected. Of course I know that I could ask for help if I wanted to.

Now he is 13 and we are at a critical juncture. And I thought putting my thoughts down would give me more clarity. It would also be good if other parents could connect with my thoughts. Here we go!