So I just had the "pleasure" of watching a video by Nicole Arbour. Here we go. *Deep breath* "ADHD isn't real! It's all made up! We're just poisoning our kids! But I don't have kids! But I'm an expert! I can't cite an article or journal to back up my claims, but they're right!" *sigh* Okay. Here's the thing. Opinions are like assholes. Everyone's got one. And at some point, they all stink. I, for one, am living the life of a parent of ADHD children. I have tried EVERYTHING I could think of before we went the medication route. Dietary changes, allergy testing, hormonal testing, etc. Anything to not put my child on a pill. But I ended up doing it. And it worked for us. Not that it would for everyone. But even the best intentions can go bad. We ended up in January hospitalizing little girl. Her ADHD med had a rare side effect of basically psychosis. She started seeing visions and hearing voices. The voices hated me, and wanted her to kill me. Yup. It was bad. And as a parent, I don't have the tools and skill set to deal with this crap. So off we went. It worked well. She is now off that medication. Yay, right? Except her focus is for shit. She can't go more than an hour without needing a break. And yes, I let her. 10 minutes every hour to get the wigglies out. Did I mention she's 14? Here's the other thing. Nicole strikes me as one of those parents who will be the first to complain when her "Precious" isn't getting the attention she deserves from the teacher because *gasp!* that one student in the class won't sit still! And won't shut up! Damn it! Why can't we force the parents to do something about that damn child!? Oh, wait. Those parents have tried EVERYTHING they can think of, and are considering medicating their child. But all drugs = bad, mmKay? Would you keep life saving medication from someone who say, has Diabetes? Oh, wait! Let's keep medication from people who have heart conditions! After all, they are only doing it for attention! And it's all big Pharma, right!? They are the ones doing this! Um..No. I have a voice. I am the one who sits up and speaks for my child. I am the one who says enough is enough. Nicole, I am grateful for your opinion. While I know you think you are doing some sort of good with this soapbox, you are also doing someone a disservice. There is a parent out there, who has tried everything, who will see your video. And will say to themselves, "Self! We can't drug our child! Drugs are bad! They just need more playtime and a beating when they get out of line!" I've been there. I was ready to throw in the towel and send my child away just to get some peace. Just to be able to think clearly for once. But I decided to medicate. And my daughter isn't a zombie. She is a straight A honor roll student. She is beautiful and lovely and witty. She just needed a little help. But according to you, I shouldn't. Because her condition isn't real. Neither are unicorns or dragons. But I still believe.

Wow

Well, I'm back. It's been a few years. All in good time, right? I guess the best way for you to get to know me is for me to introduce myself. I'm mom to 2 ADHDers. One is 21 and the other is 14. Both are girls. And both are beautiful. My oldest is quirky, fun, and sweet. She loves Anime and Cosplay. She wants to be a voice actress as well. Which, in my opinion, would be an excellent fit for her. She's shy, so being in front of a camera isn't for her. But she could pour her heart and soul into voicing a popular cartoon/anime character. My youngest (my son)is adorable. He is funny and loving. Would give you a sloppy kiss if only you ask. He genuinely loves his sisters with all of his giant heart. He is also special needs, with a speech delay. He might also have ADHD, but we will be visiting that fork in the road this summer. My younger daughter, who is my inspiration for this blog, is ADHD/ODD/Anxiety/Seizure. Yeah, that's a long list of daunting diagnosis. The ADHD/ODD has been diagnosed since 5. The Anxiety came later, around 10-12. The Seizures came around 12, when puberty reared it's ugly head. Don't get me wrong. My daughter is one of the most beautiful souls on the planet. She is a gorgeous redhead and big blue eyes. But people don't see that. They see her behavior. With the anxiety and the ADHD, she has no impulse control. She knows how to behave. We've instilled that in her over the past 14 years. But she just gets to a point sometimes where she can't help herself. Then we have an outburst. And I have to do damage control. It sucks. So welcome to my life. Buckle up and enjoy the ride.