How Do I Help A Resentful Lady?

I chalked it to either a past bad experience with a professional or the feeling that some people have where they feel MH issues are just created by psychologists and docs to label people. I feel over time with acceptance the resistance towards therapists will hopefully resolve.

 

There are some articles circulating on FB et al about the validity of an ADHD diagnosis. If you look at the author, you will realize that the person writing it isn't someone who has worked in the field or someone who has done his research. It's just an opinion piece from someone who hasn't looked at the data in the field.

I personally know Indian, Bangladeshi, Pakistani, Arab, American, Mexican, French and German kids in the United States who have completely lost their symptoms because of intensive early therapies. Earlier the better.

Someone with ADHD can become a functional, seemingly successful adult. His brain will still be wired differently. He probably struggles with things that come easily to his peers and excels at other things. ADHD isn't just about hyperactivity, its about having a brain that just doesn't switch off completely or focus completely. Even if the physical symptoms change, that processing issue is something that therapies help deal with.

Therapies for ADHD like CBT help combat the focus issues and help kids to become successful. Around me, kids with ADHD or with comorbid ADHD and ASD aren't put on medications unless they are over age six, extremely aggressive or completely unable to control reflexes despite therapies. This is why an informed parent is a better-equipped parent. Drugs are often the last line of treatment but some doctors or schools can be pushy. It's sometimes the only thing that helps. It sometimes makes matters worse. You have to decide what works based on all sorts of factors. It's a hard job parenting children with special needs. I don't know about the resources in the UK. I've lived there very little at a time when my child was too young and I didn't have a special needs child there.

Labeling isn't something that I'll ever worry about in the US. I know there are teachers and peers in the school system who make life difficult for sped kids but most often, kids are helped because they have the label. It's also a legal umbrella for the kids. If a teen gets in trouble in school, having that label and that plan may mean a difference between getting arrested or getting help. If his son had diabetes, he would mention it to teachers, make plans to have snack available if his blood sugar goes down etc. Similarly, if he acts up because of his ADHD, his Functional Behavioral Plan will have something to help - calm room, weighted blanket, away from peers, call mom etc. Again, this is all from the perspective of the US.

I don't think so.