This week CHADD is sponsoring an ADHD awareness week. Raising a child with ADHD is a trial not just because they have special and challenging needs, but also because the mountains of misinformation and misunderstanding that are out there to add an extra staggering burden. When I hear other mothers say things like, "My nephew has ADHD, but really his parents just don't ever discipline him," or "People just use ADHD as an excuse to medicate their children so they don't have to be a real parent," I want to cry. (I have heard both statements verbatim and in other variations more times than I can count.) I try not to be too sensitive, but there is an intrinsic loneliness that is part of my experience. If I told someone my son had Diabetes, they would respond with compassion; often when I mention I'm dealing with ADHD I can feel underlying judgment and cynicism. Can you imagine how you would feel if you said to someone, "My child has asthma," and they responded by saying, "Oh, that is so over-diagnosed?"
So, as a public service to all 3 of you who read my blog, I'm listing a helpful website to hopefully draw attention to this disorder and help you become more informed. Information is power! As many as 1 in 10 children is affected by this, so it wouldn't hurt for us all to learn a little something about it. CHADD is a non-profit organization committed to research, support, and understanding of children and adults dealing with ADHD. Do me a favor and look them up. http://www.chadd.org At the very least, keep an open mind, and try to give everyone the benefit of the doubt. And the next time you come across a mom who mentions her struggles with ADHD, offer her support and sympathy without judgment.
Now I will step off the soapbox and return to my regular blog programming.
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5 comments:
So true Cami! Thanks for sharing!
I agree that being educated is the key. You are a great Mom...you really do your part! Thank you for the info!
I have ADHD, my husband and two of our kids have it as well. The thing that gets me is when people who have kids with it don't let the kids take meds.
For me, meds opened up my world. I could never do anything I need to do in this life if I don't have my meds. Same with my kids. Without meds, I can't choose. I am at the mercy of the ADHA. With meds, I have choices and I can decide how to live my life.
I know meds aren't for everyone, but they surely get a bad rap. They can change life for a kid with ADHD and let them bloom into the person they know they are inside.
I always secretly wondered about the validity of ADHD until I babysat a child who had it. It changed my ideas completely, I had never seen anything like it.
I'm sorry people have been so rude to your face and that your son's condition is so often misunderstood. It must be hard to deal with the cynicism on a regular basis.
For the ADHD Awareness week it's good to focus on abilities that inattentive and hyperactive people have. There's a great song celebrating that things which came out recently.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CIn9yOZQNok
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