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Our ADHD Story Part 2

This is how we went from ADHD medication to 100% natural remedies for ADHD. I share all of our alternative remedies that we have tried from an adhd, high protein diet for kids to our proven supplements for ADHD, to tips for parenting ADHD. I have tried many ADHD strategies, including talk therapy and Occupational Therapy with reflex integration.

This is part Two of our ADHD Story and our journey from treating ADHD with medications to 100% natural ADHD remedies. My oldest tried 7 meds before we realized the natural route was better for us. 

If you haven’t read Part One of Our ADHD Story, I’d start there. This post will make more sense with the backstory and there’s lots of good learning from my mistakes in Part One, too.

But in a nutshell, at this point, we’d tried many ADHD medications to help my son with his focus, attention, and explosive outbursts. My younger son also has ADHD, but it presents itself VERY differently.

We never started meds with him.

Honestly, we already had some tangible results from some of the natural remedies for ADHD that we had tried, like taking fish oil and a high quality multi-vitamin supplement on a daily basis. We’d also discovered that my son’s behavior was better when we stayed away from gluten, corn and processed foods in general.

But he was still taking 10 to 20 mg of Focalin a day.

Related: How to Start an ADHD Diet for Kids

We kept searching for a way to help his ADHD symptoms.

I still felt that there was another way to help calm my son and allow him to handle his feelings better. Transitions were difficult, so were new or unknown situations, and doing things he disliked(like chores or homework). These things could still send him reeling – even at 11.

Was he on overload from school?

Were the amphetamines actually causing his anger?

Another drug was added into the mix.

The psychiatrist prescribed Prozac, in addition to the focalin, to help my son’s anger.

We tried it. At times I felt desperate for a solution.

Prozac seemed to be helping – a bit. But after about 8 weeks, we saw a big increase in his anger and hyperness.

We stopped the Prozac.

And added another strategy to our natural adhd remedies

alternative treatments for adhd

My son started to run.

An interest in running had been brewing and we quickly got my son involved with a local running group.

We saw such a difference in his behavior. The outbursts were almost gone when he was running consistently. (We still notice this, when he runs during the fall Cross Country season.)

Unfortunately, the group only ran for 8 weeks and try as we might, we can not get my son to run on his own. It’s the group situation that is motivating for him.

So at this point we had learned a lot.

A healthy, high protein diet, a high quality fish oil, a good multi-vitamin and magnesium helped a lot. So did physical exercise. Lots and lots of physical exercise.

Related: High Protein Sources for an ADHD Diet

We did a round of Occupational Therapy.

I was learning more and more about the nervous system and the benefits of Occupational Therapy to help retrain the brain to respond differently to sensory input. Sensory Processing Disorder and ADHD have a lot of overlapping symptoms.  An OT, perhaps, might help my son regulate his emotions.

Our therapist recommended an OT who was cheerful and my son loved going. She worked a lot with zones of regulation – red light, yellow light, green light stuff.

The only problem was my son did not have a yellow light. His outbursts went right from green to red in a matter of seconds.

But according to her, he “graduated” and no longer needed services.

Hindsight is 20/20

This was all another learning experience.  I was onto something – this work was a precursor to some reflex integration work I would find out about a year after our round of OT. Keep reading!

I suspected the meds were doing more harm than good.

I was learning more about amphetamines and the brain. I was worried about my son’s growing brain and the possible long term effects of medications. Amphetamines are neurotoxins and have a high potential for abuse. They also have been shown to slow growth in children who take them.

And if that wasn’t enough, this class of drugs can actually cause anger and aggression – the very thing that I was trying to stop.

Then I did something a bit crazy. 

I stopped giving my son his meds, completely.

Teachers began to see some ADHD behaviors crop up, but not enough to qualify for a 504 – at least not yet. (By now it was the beginning of 6th grade.)

“His grades are too good” and “He was doing too well” we were told.

Unfortunately, the behaviors at home had no bearing on a 504. The school refused to look at the whole child. I felt like we were being punished for the fact that my son could keep it together, relatively well, at school.

Yet, the pressures and over-stimulation at school are what cause him to explode at home.

We found THE BEST THERAPIST.

It can take awhile to find the right therapist and for us, the sixth one’s the charm.  I found him through Ross Greenes’ Lives in the Balance Website so he’s trained in the collaborative problem solving method.

We wasted a lot of time with the wrong therapists.

I wish I had followed my instincts and stopped a few of them sooner.

Our new therapist taught us how to use the Collaborative Problem Solving Method. We were learning to find the root cause of his anger and work to solve the lagging skills that were causing the outbursts. The focus shifted completely off the behaviors and onto really solving the problems.

There is a pretty steep learning curve to this method, but we worked on it every other week at therapy as well as much as we could at home. It takes time, but I was so hopeful.

I bought a weighted blanket.

ADHD often comes along with sleep disorders. Lack of sleep can drastically affect kids in more ways than one. It can lead to poor performance at school, irritability, moodiness, lack of focus – and simply exacerbate the symptoms associated with ADHD.

Bedtimes  typically are difficult for ADHD kids. It was hard for my son to calm down. Most nights he’d run around in circles right before bed. Once in bed, he’d find it hard to fall asleep.

A weighted blanket was recommended by a friend and I decide to give them a try. I know how important sleep is for kids and I knew my son was just not getting a good enough nights sleep.

The extra weight gives proprioceptive feedback and can be very soothing. Remember how swaddled babies go right to sleep? A weighted blanket is the same idea.

The blanket helped my son to fall asleep within 10 minutes. How great! For all of us!!

Weighted blankets are an investment, so I made sure I ordered one from an extremely reputable company that helps to educate their customers – SensaCalm.(affiliate link)

Related: The Best Weighted Blanket for ADHD.

This is how we went from ADHD medication to 100% natural remedies for ADHD. I share all of our alternative remedies that we have tried from an adhd, high protein diet for kids to our proven supplements for ADHD, to tips for parenting ADHD. I have tried many ADHD strategies, including talk therapy and Occupational Therapy with reflex integration.

Then the laptops were handed out at school.

Remember what I said about screens and my kids?

They don’t mix very well.

The thing about getting laptops at school is that  parents and kids have no choice. I can do everything I can to help my kids manage their screen use at home, but once they go to school I have no say.

So. Frustrating.

My son’s grades made a steady decline.  They tanked, in fact.

He was playing video games at school constantly. I reached out to the principal, the superintendent, his social worker.

I was relentless.

You are the best advocate for your child and even though you think you sound like a broken record, keep at it.

Sometimes things get uncomfortable.

I felt like I was relentlessly contacting someone at the school. But it worked, I got people to listen and make changes for my son’s benefit.

I sent weekly emails to the school social worker.

Sometimes even daily. She was amazing and made up for many of the pitfalls of a big public school. I’d let her know when my son had a bad morning and she’d check in on him during the day.

When you  find the people who are great at helping  – let them help.

My son finally got a 504, the last week of 6th grade. Our therapist joined us at our initial meeting, which was incredibly helpful. At least he’d be set for 7th grade.

Needless to say, this all left me ragged.

Another thing I’ve learned – you have to take care of yourself. My own well being is so connected to my son’s well being.

I found forced myself to make some space to take care of myself a bit more. Not the pedicure type of self-care, type but the “really take care of your mind and body from the inside out”, type.

I started seeing a therapist on my own. She was wonderful.

We focused on my triggers so that I could be more aware of my response to my kids. This helps. A lot.

My ability to stay calm in the face of my son’s explosions helps as much as any other natural adhd remedy. This has also been the hardest “remedy” to give him. Our kids really know how to push our buttons. Staying calm in the face of an explosion takes lots of practice and something that I continue to work on.

Related: Clever Ways to Limit Screen Time for ADHD Kids

This is how we went from ADHD medication to 100% natural remedies for ADHD. I share all of our alternative remedies that we have tried from an adhd, high protein diet for kids to our proven supplements for ADHD, to tips for parenting ADHD. I have tried many ADHD strategies, including talk therapy and Occupational Therapy with reflex integration.

The squeaky wheel gets the grease.

What about the kids who don’t “demand” your attention.

I know that families who struggle with challenging children often pay less attention to the kids who are “easier.”

It’s not okay, but it often is the reality. It definitely happens in this house and I feel terrible about it. 

My younger son continued to need help, but because he did not explode in the same way my older son did, he came second. A lot.

On a day to day basis, my youngest is so much easier to deal with.  He is not nearly as challenged at school, with friends, and at home.

His elementary school gave him a 504 on my first request. Writing was really his only problem that presented itself at school. Getting his thoughts on paper was extremely difficult – to the point of tears. There were many accommodations listed on his 504 to help him in these areas.

But, guess what I learned?

Just because you have a 504, does not mean anything is actually happening. 

Despite teacher conferences, emails, and phone calls, my son rarely got extra help.

By the end of 4th grade, my son’s writing still had not improved much. I suspected dysgraphia – a disability where writing down thoughts on paper is very difficult-a common trait of kids with ADHD.

To be honest, I did not have the energy to get another diagnosis. The 504 got him little extra help. What was the point in finding another thing to add to it?

We spent the summer after fourth grade writing almost everyday. It was painful – for us both – and I am not sure how much it helped. Progress was slow.

You have to listen to the whispers and follow your gut.

If you ever watch Oprah Winfrey, then you know her saying:  “if you don’t pay attention to the whisper, you’ll eventually get hit on the head with a brick.”

“Our teachers appear when we need them.” is another good one.

When the Occupational Therapy stint was over, I kept researching. I knew there was something more.

Yes, we were eating great and taking supplements, and in great talk therapy, and getting some support at school. But I still questioned my older son’s ability to handle feelings and emotions, he was so sensitive to pain and crowds and loud noises, nervous about the weather, nervous about family gatherings.

His reactions could be just like that of a 3 year old, but in a 12 year old body.

I started to look into Reflex Integration Therapy

My therapist suggested I look into the work of Sonia Story, an OT, trained in  reflex integration and rhythmic movements. I had heard of this work before – twice – from a trusted colleague.

Whisper. Whisper. Whisper.

I had a gut feeling about this and I signed up for Sonia’s online course.

Reflex Integration Therapy is a type of Physical Therapy that uses nuerodevelpmental movement to mature and develop the body’s reflexes for optimal functioning. Sometimes the bodies reflexes do not develop properly as infants and can be a root cause for difficulties in social and emotional behavior and learning.

Most of us are familiar with the idea that crawling and tummy time are great for baby. These repetitive movements help to integrate babies’ reflexes.

We are born with about 70 reflexes which should be integrated naturally over the course of the first months of life.

But when they are not integrated and left present, they can cause many problems –  many of which fall under the ADHD diagnosis: Poor attention, moodiness, a quick fight or flight response, trouble writing.

There can be so many reasons why an infant’s reflexes don’t fully develop. But my own kids had issues at birth – my oldest was 3 weeks premature and my second was induced very quickly at 40 weeks.

Related: Using Reflex Integration to Treat the Symptoms of ADHD

I can just tell you it’s amazing effect  on our family.

While I learned so much from the online course, I was overwhelmed with how to best use the movements for my own kids.

I needed to make sense of the wealth of information and I found a local therapist, specifically trained in reflex integration, to help.

Our therapist evaluated both my boys and set up a routine that I can do at home with them. We visit her on a monthly basis to check in and tweak our routine. The movements are simple and completely individualized to the reflexes that are still present in my boys.

I spend about 10 minutes on each kid 4 to 5 times a week. Daily work is optimal for us, but with school activities and homework, it just doesn’t happen.

Six months in and I can see the results.

Reflex integration therapy has had an amazing, tangible effect on both of my kids. 

My older son’s angry outbursts, while not gone totally yet, have diminished in both frequency and strength. He is getting better at recognizing and naming his emotions and telling us how he feels. He may have a short outburst, but will very quickly turn it around and apologize. We are definitely on the right track.

My younger son’s handwriting and his ability to just put his thoughts on paper has improved tenfold!There are no more tears and drama when it comes to writing!! This has been amazing to watch. It is also helping with his ability to remember and focus – he’s had no missing or late work so far this school year.

This work can take some time, depending on the individual and this work is relatively new to us. It is taking longer to see big results in my older son, but I am confident they will come with more time.  I am looking forward to the continued change I see in both of my boys.

Talk Therapy is still working. Really working.

It’s been a year now since we started with our therapist and he has helped us more than all 5 who came before him combined.

What I love about his approach-Collaborative Problem Solving– is that we work to solve my son’s lagging skills. As parents, we are getting trained in how to solve a problem WITH my son, instead of just imposing consequences. I truly love this approach. The Lives In The Balance Website offers so many resources that are worth checking out.

2 steps forward, 1 step back – but still movin’ forward.

It has taken time, but my oldest is learning to express his feelings in an appropriate way. He is learning that he will be heard and his wishes will be taken into consideration as we come up with solutions.

The learning curve was steep, but now in seventh grade, things are much better for my oldest. His 504 alerts teachers to watch his screen and he has also matured enough to make better choices for himself – most of the time. Our journey continues in many ways.

WE are still 100% med free. But, like all families, we have our good days and our not so good. Middle School is a tough age, but I feel that I have armed myself with many good things and good people who are really helping. We have learned so much over the course of four years.

It’s Not Just One Thing That Helps

If I had to pick one natural ADHD remedy that has worked the best for my kids, I couldn’t do it.

It’s everything together that helps.

A few years ago, I was searching for the one thing that would solve all of our problems and now I know that it does not exist. 

Healthy food and supplements provide such a great base to work from.

Getting a good nights sleep helps.

Surrounding yourself with good people helps.

Getting exercise helps

Looking at behavior is communication helps.

Keeping my reaction calm when my son is not calm, helps.

I’ll keep you updated on our story as our journey continues and be sure to read about the first part of our ADHD journey on the road to using natural ADHD remedies, if you missed it.

Want more ideas to help with ADHD?

Read about The BEST Lunches for ADHD HERE.

Get ideas for The BEST Breakfasts for ADHD HERE.

This Weighted Blanket is a life saver for ADHD.

We love this TIMER for helping ADHD.

 

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41 Comments

  1. Thank you so much for sharing your story, I recognize that for all parents of children with ADHD life is frustrating many times a day, read you fill me with empathy and I want to thank you so much to share what has worked for you.

    I live in El Salvador and with difficulty I have put into practice many of your advice, because in my country this diagnosis is not known and therefore there are no professionals with whom I can work to improve the ADHD of my son of 11 years.

    I want to take advantage and ask you about some advice to manage tolerance to frustration and anger with my son, maybe a toy o whatever, because it is a problem that I am living daily and is exhausting for both of us.

    I look forward to your kind response and thank you again for your words and work with this blog.

    Love, Reiny.

    1. Hi Reiny, Thanks so much for your kind words. I know what you are feeling – both of my kids get so easily frustrated with certain situations. I have been inspired by your question and am writing a whole post on frustration tolerance. In the meantime, when my kids get frustrated -usually about homework or chores – I divide the task into smaller parts to tackle(let’s try 2 math problems) or set a time limit(let’s clean the bathroom for 6 minutes and see how far we get). I also really try to remember that my 12 year old can often have the tolerance level of a 7 year old, but trying to do 12 year old things. I empathize, ask how I can help and try to talk thru the situation with him. Before I try any talking, I make sure he is calm. This may involve a break after an initial outburst over an activity. Hope this helps a little and look for the post in the next few days.

  2. Reyna Lissette Mena says:

    Thank you so much Beth, I’ll be watching that post. My biggest problems are how to calm him down when I deny him something, because at that moment he doesn’t seem to listen to anyone or reasons, and he insists so much that I get frustrated and I don’t know how to handle him so that he understands, calms down and understands me.

    1. Hi Reyna(did I spell it correctly? : P)! Yes, once an explosion starts, there is not much you can do but keep everyone safe and allow for your son to calm down. Does he have a favorite way to calm down? Reading? Jumping on a trampoline? Walking outside? Have you read Ross Greene’s Explosive Child? Such a great book that talks about how to work with your kids to stop the behavior before the explosion starts.The method is called collaborative problem solving. I’ll give you an example from my own life. My son’s job was to take out the garbage every night. He would refuse to do it about 75% percent of the time. It always led to a fight. So one day, not when it was time to take out the garbage, I started a conversation. “I noticed you get angry when it’s time to take out the garbage” There are some more detailed instructions in Greene’s book. But basically, I discovered that my son hated to go out with the garbage because it was dark and he hated the alley at night. So we came up with the alternative of him taking it out right after school when it was dark. No more fighting over that issue!!! His website is called Lives in the Balance and he has a podcast, too. I’ve found his work to be extremely helpful.

      1. Hello,
        Thank you very much for sharing your story and what has helped your boys. My 7 year old daughter was diagnosed with ADHD also apraxia, and moderate cognitive disability. I am very interested reflex movement OT you revived. I have been reading the website you mentioned but wanted to know how you got connected with an OT that was trained in it. Or did you get the info from the website and then did the therapies yourself?

        1. HI Caitlin, Sonia Story’s website and work was recommended to me by my Simplicity Parenting Coach teacher. I took two of her courses and loved them, but then ended up looking on her website to find a practitioner in my area to help. We still see her once a month, she shows us movements and then I do them at home as she prescribes for them. They are very powerful movements! Let me know how it goes!

    2. Oh.my.gosh. this has been like a light turning on. My third child sounds so much like your eldest… The RAGE!!!! I can’t get anyone to diagnose her because she holds it together in public. She never sleeps, her grades were great until-yup- some got her a smartphone last year. I’ve got two more ADD kids and another ADHD one. (I’ve got six kids… Only one is NT and the other is an infant so… We’ll see!)
      Anyway, the strategies you used are really interesting. I’m intrigued by reflex intergration. Can not wait to learn more. Bless you for opening up. Lives will be saved. thanks.

      1. Hi Sarah! Thanks for your nice note…the more I open up about my story, the more people come forward saying, “that’s my kiddo, too!” Reflex Integration has been a whole new way to think about ADHD…our therapist keeps reminding me that ADHD is simply an immature brain – and the brain is malleable. I’m reading Smart Moves by Carla Hanford and Movements That Heal by Harald Blomberg. They are a bit meaty and technical but have some great case studies to read. It just makes so much sense to me and we have had such luck with it…it’s slow and steady work, but actually gets to the root of the problem instead of treating the symptoms. Let me know if you have anymore questions.

  3. You have described both of my boys to a T! I have been searching for any sort of direction and advice on what to do, so your post has given me so much hope. This parenting road with polar opposite yet active children has left my husband and I feeling secluded and weary. It is nice to hear from someone who has walked closely in our shoes. I look forward to reading your other posts! Thank you!

    1. HI Elaine, Glad you found my blog! There are many, many people walking in our shoes. I know how hard it is and I’m right there with you. Hold onto those good moments and let them expand. Make sure you are doing something to take care of yourself, too. Let me know if you have any specific questions. I am happy to share insights from my experience.

  4. Amanda Bornick says:

    I too have found Dr. Ross Greene’s book The Explosive Child to be very helpful! There is usually an underlying reason that the child is not cooperating and if you can “drill” that out and come up with a solution life keeps getting easier for everyone. This includes teachers. I am sorry your oldest son was denied a 504 plan. According to the Office of Civil Rights, ADHD is considered a qualifying disability unless the school can find substantial evidence otherwise. You don’t need to have an academic problem to have a 504. An academic delay should really initiate an IEP. I had difficulty initiating a 504 plan for my son as well and ended up hiring an attorney to help us with the process. If the collaborative problem solving method works for your child an accommodation in the plan might be to have any teacher that works with your child read about the method and understand how to use it. It should be his primary “consequence” when he is having difficulty at school. 504 accommodations are often used to address behavior issues so children can participate and be productive in the classroom. There is a lot of useful information regarding 504 plans and ADHD on the OCR website. Just put ADHD into the search field.

    1. Hi Amanda! Thanks for your comments. Luckily, my son’s explosions have only happened at home, and his social worker at school is familiar with CPS. I should take another peek at the website, though. I have not checked it out for many months. What would you say your toughest problem is right now as a parent? I appreciate your thoughts.

  5. Thank you so much for sharing your family’s details. Your vulnerability is invaluable to so many of us.

    I was about to start looking for a therapist and now would love to find one with a collaborative approach. Do you know how to find a therapist who is certified in CPS?

    1. Hi Courtney, Thanks for your kind words. I found ours on the Lives in the Balance Website. Let me know if you can’t find one in your area…I can ask our therapist if he knows of one. Ross Greene’s podcast is great, too…I was listening just today and felt like they were answering my questions exactly!!

  6. Thank you for sharing your story and giving a Ray hope. My son was diagnosed when he was in 2nd grade and we did medicine for a month and I could not handle to see my son feeling low everyday in the evening when the meds would wore off. We stopped and we tried to bring in the healthy habits, vitamins etc. but lack of my own control to we have been on and off the good habits. He has struggled through the social and schools mostly. Doctor wanted to put him back on the meds and my son who is in 6th now feels miserable he has to take medicines to do better and he is emotionally hurt. I feel equally hurt to see him that way and want to do everything to help him. I will check on your reference to reflex therapy. It’s probably hard to find a good therapist.

    My son is mostly struggling with attention or ADD so is Ross Greene book still applicable for that?

    1. Hi Anitha, My heart goes out to you because I know how you feel. Ross Greene is mainly for explosive, emotional kids but his Collaborative Problem Solving work is great for all. Listen to his podcast to get a feel for the work before you buy the book. Let me know how things go for you and your son and if you find a practitioner in your area.

      1. Thank you. I will check out the reflex therapy and we have started to teach him some basic breathing and meditation too. Will look into the blanket and podcast. We have been peeping him saying we will find ways to take him of meds and I hope I can do that for him.

    2. Hi, I’m in Toronto Ontario. My youngest son is 9 and he is Odd and Adhd,it’s been a long road for my familyand we decided to get him medicatedwhich had helped a lot, he is taking vyvance 20mg for about 10 months nowbut stiil very defient and I would love to try to combine the vitamines that you suggested but I got lost about all those vitamines you were talking about so many and I dont think he will cooperate in taking 5,6,7 different ones even if it tastes good. Is there any way to get everything combined? Like magnesium+fish oil+ B vitamines and so on. Please advise. Thanks

      1. Hi Irlene, I’d start with the KidsCalm and separate fish oil supplements. You may be able to add more as you go. As always, check with your doctor. Let me know how it goes. I am on the long road with you.

  7. Joanne Hunt says:

    Thanks for sharing your story. I found it really informative.
    I am at the start of the road with my 5yr old son & at the moment it really feels like a puzzle due to the wide range of symptoms he has that mostly appeared out of the blue a few months back.
    Psychologist thinks it’s tourettes but my gut is saying ADD / SPD. We are waiting to see a paediatrician so hopefully that will be helpful in terms of knowing what we are dealing with. In the meantime I’ll be reading Ross Greenes book that you recommend.

    1. Thanks Joanne, so great that you are researching already! Ross Greene’s book was a game changer for us. I’d also check some of the stuff about healing the gut…it can have such a big effect on everything! Most docs won’t even address it, but it’s a real thing. Let me know how it’s going.

    2. I know it has been several months and I hope you have found some answers. I wanted to ask if you’ve looked into PADAS? It is a fairly new diagnosis and many states don’t even have doctors that will diagnose or treat for it but it’s something to look into if it seems there was a sudden switch in his behavior possibly after having strep throat. Best of luck!

      1. Hi Stacy! I have not looked into it much. Do you have any good resources to look into? Thanks!

  8. Hi Beth, thank you so much for all of your wonderful tips, i have a few questions, well i order the blanket and I’m about to order the supplements, the fish oil, the calm drink mix- my question is the magmind my son is 7yo i dont know if this is for he age?
    also i had bought “On Task Naturally” pill supplement that have magnesium (have you heard about it? i was wondering if i can give the “on task” at night because they are chewables and the drink mix in the morning?
    just because i wont be able to get him to swallow the magmind.

    1. HI Virginia! I have not heard of the “On Task”supplement, but ,yes, if it has magnesium give it separately from the KidsCalm drink mix. Let me know how you like it…I always love to hear about other supplements that work.

    2. Hi, I was wondering if you found the supplements to work?

      1. Hi Josie! Yes, we’ve had really good luck with the supplements. But, it’s really the supplements with the food and good sleep and exercise that work with each other — and the changing of my parenting lens, too. But good nutrition is a backbone for us.

  9. Esperanza says:

    Honestly, all my RESPECT goes to you! I’m 27 years old today and my therapist suggested ADHD when I was a child. It was never fully diagnosed but my parents rejected the idea just because I didn’t fall in the stereotypical description of what the disorder is supposed to be. Everybody experiences ADHD in a different way so while I do lack the typical hyperactive component (I can wait and stand still without messing around), I suffer more from the inattentive and impulsive characteristics. I wish they did a little bit more of research and find a better therapist for me back in the day instead of taking 0 responsibility and blame me for something I was never in control of! I grew up with the constant perception that there was something wrong with me and that somehow I enjoyed “kidding my parents” through my behaviour, my anger… I guess it’s easier to pretend everything is perfect and blame someone else instead of get moving and do something, which is their typical agenda.

    REALLY, thank you for being so understanding with your children, fight for them 24/7 and be responsible for finding them a way to feel better. So much love is going to have a very positive impact on their self-esteem! Now I can use your advice to educate myself and try to do something about my ADHD on my own.

    1. Thank you Esperanza!!! I am sorry you went through that as a child. Parents do the best they can at any given moment and I am thankful that there is a lot more out there now about ADHD. Sounds like things are going well for you now – you are such a thoughtful, generous person!!

  10. Thank you so much for sharing your story. I am familiar with Ross Greene’s work as An educator, but I definitely need to apply it more to parenting. So many other things you said about your oldest son remind me of my seven-year-old and I am feeling all of the emotions that you listed. How did you find a therapist that aligns with Dr. Greene’s work? I would love to find one in my area. Thank you!!

    1. I looked on the Lives in the Balance website. They list therapists trained in the CPS method. If you have trouble, let me know and I can ask our therapist if he knows anyone in your zip code. I wish I had done this right away….would have saved us years of punishments and sticker charts!

  11. Rachel Jenke says:

    Can you possibly give me a break down of the supplements and vitamins you give? Thanks a bunch!

    1. Hi Rachel! Check out my posts on supplements and follow me on Instagram for updates. Let me know if you still have questions. Thanks!!

  12. I cannot seem to find a list of therapists on the website for Dr. Greene. Do you have a link?

  13. Thank you for being vulnerable and sharing your journey . And taking the time to share with others what is working for you. It is with tears I read a lot of what you said as it resignated with me. I reluctantly put my son on medication last year and although it helps him focus the anger outbursts in the evening are horrific.. And I feel like it’s filling the once happy child he was. I’m a big researcher myself and am a big fan of Dr. Ross Green’s books and podcasts too. After almost losing my son inutero to a rare condition and a traumatic pregnancy an NiCu stay I realize I have a lot of unhealthy attachment issues . So I’m doing a lot of work on myself too so I can better help him .
    He had a tiny bit of physical therapy as an infant. But after reading all the info on retained primitive reflexes it was like a light bulb going off. It makes total sense. Anyway thank you again for sharing!

    1. Hi Dana! It’s so nice to hear from you! I know it’s comforting to read about other’s stories…it’s why I love to do the ADHD mama stories. It helps us feel not so alone!

  14. Thank you so much FuzzyMama for sharing your incredible journey! I so appreciate the insights you provide, and the wealth of resources is incredible! I feel more supported reading this than talking to the pediatrician. No joke. I’ll be formulating a multi-dimensional, holistic approach using these resources. Blessings on you for sharing, and blessings on your household for all your efforts! Wishing you deep peace and healing for all our children, and strength and wisdom for all parents on this path.

    1. Thanks so much!! Glad you found us, let me know how it goes and please reach out with more questions.

  15. Lithium orotate has worked wonders for our family. Also, yes the diet but a good pre&probiotic is also helpful. Almost everything is available in book form by Dr James Greenblatt in Finally Focused book. He’s a colleague of our psychiatrist and we have benefited enormously from his work, which is explained thoroughly in his book. You don’t have to buy the book to look him up and get more information and research from his website!

    1. Hi! I heard John Gray talk about Lithium Orotate and I bought some to try on myself. : ) Thanks, I will look him up, the book is probably worth the money. Thanks for sharing what is working for you…there are so many options out there for people and lucky you that you have a doctor who is open to trying these things.