How do I help my son with his depression/ADD?

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Struggling Mom
Posts: 3
Joined: Fri Oct 15, 2010 12:58 pm

Post by Struggling Mom » Fri Oct 15, 2010 7:03 am

Hi. My son was just diagnosed with inattentive ADD. He also has a problem with depression and anxiety. We are seeing a therapist at the end of the month to start counseling for him. I was divorced from his father 3 years ago and think this is still a big problem for him. He was 3 when his dad moved out. Any ideas on coping skills for children?

Thanks.

Paisleegreen
Posts: 1778
Joined: Mon Oct 25, 2010 5:27 pm

Post by Paisleegreen » Mon Oct 25, 2010 12:32 pm

I'm sorry to hear about your son, but I have had a lot of experience with this. You have done the right thing to get some counseling for him. Study all you can about ADD/ADHD as it will come in useful in the future days ahead. My son due to many problems with ADHD was first diagnosed as having a Language Processing problem when he was little and wasn't speaking. He was different from my others sons and other children and suffered from Bullies in Jr High and High School. He also became suicidal at age 14 and I took him to a Psychiatrist and he was put on Adderall, but he wouldn't take it due to the "way it made him feel".

Anyway, he managed to go through school due to alternative schools that don't tolerate bullies and allowed for his ADHD which caused him to need more time for school work and no homework.

I'm sorry to say that he did commit suicide, due to depression and bullies but not at his high school, the biggest being an authoritative figure in the school system. I'll leave it at that. I pondered whether to even write what I have, but it is so important to get the word out that there are tender kids out there & that you are doing a wonderful thing in helping your son with his ADD and depression and anxiety that comes with it.

Susan Gilbert
Posts: 45
Joined: Sun Feb 22, 2009 6:34 pm

Post by Susan Gilbert » Sun Oct 31, 2010 12:22 pm

Sorry to hear of both of your hardships.
Struggling Mom, counseling is definitely the right direction. Please do not overlook diet. Many of our foods contain a form of sugar, including High Fructose Corn Syrup. It can make a difference with ADD if a child has a diet low in sugar and high in vegetables and fruit, especially green vegetables and protein. I would have him go through blood tests to make sure his calcium, magnesium, phosphorous, and other vitamin and nutrients are at the correct levels. Dr. are now finding out that many people are low in Vitamin D. I would make sure his digestion is good with at least one bowel movement a day, if not two. I would look for stools to be a bright brown(burnt sienna) color. These are signs that his digestion system is healthy. If not, changes in his diet might be helpful. Plenty of water might be helpful too. Omega 3's found in eggs and nuts are necessary for good brain development.
Seeing an herbalist is another alternative. An herbalist can help with balancing a person's pH level. We eat a lot of foods that are high in acidity. This causes our bodies to get out of balance which causes disease or conditions like ADD or ADHD as well as depression and anxiety. It isn't as simple as that but remember that to get rid of a symptom is just the start. The body is interconnected and getting to the cause is what is important. Healing the emotional element is a very important part as well.
Susan

Paisleegreen
Posts: 1778
Joined: Mon Oct 25, 2010 5:27 pm

Post by Paisleegreen » Sun Oct 31, 2010 1:45 pm

With my son, he ate everything, but had enjoyed eating candy or licorice and he always made a milkshake or had some ice cream and would offer me one. He was a little tease, one day he brought me a dish of chocolate ice cream and I was expecting a small amount as I watch what I eat to stay trim. He brought me a a bowl full of ice cream and I was surprised and said, I can't eat that, then with a big grin, he showed me the other bowl. This was so sweet of him and showed his sense of humor that I had him hold both bowls of ice cream and I took a photo of him with the biggest cutest grin on his face. A wonderful reminder to this day about his character and sweet heart.

He wore braces and eating the candy was an issue with me and the orthodontist. But I only had so much control of his day. My meals that I cooked were nutritious, but didn't think about him needing vitamins, etc. He was a growing teenager and wore size 12 shoes when he died at 2 mos shy of 16. So he was slim and had lots of energy and wore himself out with activity, which part of it had to be self-medicating for the way it made him feel. He was awkward in his teen years, and did have a language processing problem when he was little or diagnosed with that at age 3.

Arlenez
Posts: 24
Joined: Tue Mar 24, 2009 2:40 pm

Re:

Post by Arlenez » Sat Jun 04, 2011 12:53 pm

Paisleegreen wrote:
I'm sorry to say that he did commit suicide, due to depression and bullies but not at his high school, the biggest being an authoritative figure in the school system. I'll leave it at that. I pondered whether to even write what I have, but it is so important to get the word out that there are tender kids out there & that you are doing a wonderful thing in helping your son with his ADD and depression and anxiety that comes with it.
I just wanted to say I am so sorry to hear this. I am even more impressed by how positive and helpful your posts here are now! I can't even imagine how hard that must have been and probably still is :cry:

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