 | My 11 year old son was diagnosed at the age of 4 with ADHD, Oppositional Defiant Disorder, and Severe Separation Anxiety. He was prescibed various medications such as Mellaril (because at times he would be a threat to himself and others) Tofranil (for depression because children were merciless in their teasing) Ritalin (for obvious reasons) and Catapres (to even out his behavior). Under all of these medications (the school he was going to would not allow him to attend classes unless he was on medication!) he was catatonic and listless.
3 years ago I repeatedly asked my sons psychiatrist if there was something that we could do about his medication so that we could have a balance of his behavior. Not catatonic, but not extremely hyper either. His solution was to suggest Prozac! More medications! This was the opposite that I was hoping for.
My next youngest son was already starting to catch up growth wise( my ADHD son is only 4 inches taller than his 8 year old brother!)I spoke to a friend who is a hollistic child care provider and she suggested that I gradually wean my son off the medications, and start giving him a cup of coffee when he started to become hyper. Low and behold it worked!! I now have a loving, funny, caring, son that is succeding in school and contributes to our family instead of sitting on the couch catatonic from medications.
Every day before school, my son and I share a cup of coffee (or on really hyper days, an Expresso such as a Mocha Late from Starbucks. He is doing wonderfully in school and I have not had any problems behavior wise in school or at home. |
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