‘There are other options out there’
Julie Waddell, 48, runs moorishdips.co.uk and lives in Totnes, Devon, with her husband, their son and their daughter. Watching my son fidgeting and unable to concentrate on his book, I knew in my heart there was something more going on than just a restless, growing boy.
We discussed it with his teachers for months but it wasn’t until 2014, after we’d moved and he was at a new school, that we got an answer. After seeing a paediatrician, he scored 97% on tests for ADHD. His doctor talked through our options and said he probably wouldn’t need medication.
His main symptoms were anxiety, trouble sleeping and being highly distracted, which could have been managed by medication. But then we and the school unlocked a solution – exercise. Soon, he was running a mile a day. He also had one-to-one help in class.
At secondary school, he opted not to have a helper but still used exercise to cope. We signed him up for a gym and he joined sports teams, but we had to ensure he rested. Often he can’t tell when he’s tired and keeps chasing that exercise high.
Lockdown presented a new challenge. Like everyone else, he was only allowed out for an hour a day and without exercise he struggled. So we decided to try him on Ritalin, a stimulant. Within days, he started to suffer from horrible side effects and stopped eating and sleeping. He switched to Guanfacine, a non-stimulant, but felt foggy and fell asleep constantly.
Now exercise, not medication, continues to be the remedy.
I see my son’s ADHD as his superpower. I’ve never met anyone whose brain works like his, he’s a lateral and creative thinker and he’s such a confident teenager.
For any parent worrying about a child diagnosed with ADHD, I would encourage you to do lots of research. And remember, every child is different.
‘EVERY CHILD IS DIFFERENT’
Henry Shelford, co-founder of charity ADHD UK, says, ‘ADHD is still a massively misunderstood condition and support can be hard to come by. The best advice I can give is always listen to your GP, paediatrician or specialist. And the most important thing is to simply do what works best for your child.’