Diagnosis ADD

So, I did manage to get a dress on Friday. And the best part was it was on clearance so a $70 dress only cost me $9.99!! Woo-hoo! Go me! The party was lots of fun, even if the shoes I wore made my feet hate me. They matched the dress perfectly, so I just had to wear them! It should be noted that I am somewhat infamous for my poor choice in footwear. I’m sure when I’m an old lady I will regret my penchant for fancy heels, but I’m not there yet. The party reminded me of the days of clubs and bars back when I was in college. Only, the party was much, much more tame than that! Still, it was good to get out sans small ones and just be me for a hot minute.

This morning Chica Marie had her psych eval. Oddly, the doctor who did the evaluation used to work for CHOR and now works with the facility that provides Chica Marie with therapy. After conversing with him for a bit (and after he reviewed all the documents submitted for the eval, I’m sure), he decided she is most likely a child with ADD or ADHD. He didn’t really label her, but did recommend medication for her. Ugh! I guess this was in the back of my mind as a possibility, but medicating such a young child! After I met with the doctor and he was interviewing Chica Marie, I sat and spoke with her mobile therapist who was there to help fill in any gaps or simply to facilitate the meeting and make us feel more at ease. In speaking with her I realized that Chica Marie is probably the kind of kid who does in deed need some form of medication to help her be more successful in everyday life. I have such mixed feelings about this particular diagnosis (kids are inattentive, impatient, and full of energy at this age – it sometimes seems hard to draw the line between problematic behaviors and just an active, rambunctious kid) and was leery about starting any medication. The doctor sort of twisted my arm into deciding (he did tell me I could think about it, but Lord knows when we could return to actually get the prescription if I left empty handed). He explained it as three different tiers of medications, with the typical ADD meds listed as the top tier. The third tier he basically felt wasn’t useful and so I went with the second tier, which seemed like a more comfortable option for me. If it doesn’t work, I know we will be looking at the ADD meds, but I’m hoping this medication will be enough to help her concentrate and not be so easily pushed into outbursts that cause her to act impulsively. I guess I need to do some research on this now – real research and not just anecdotal blurbs like I’ve read in the past. I need to know more so I can do more to help Chica Marie.