Was I ADHD?

Google “ADHD” and you get about 52,700,000 hits. Wikipedia defines it as: “a neurobehavioral developmental disorder. It is primarily characterized by ‘the co-existence of attentional problems and hyperactivity, with each behavior occurring infrequently alone’ and symptoms starting before seven years of age.”


Now, I’m new to the whole ADHD scene. Sure, my pastor (Ed Young) has a form of it that he calls EDD. But now it’s hit a lot closer to home. Matthew, our youngest son, was diagnosed with it over a year ago (we’ve had him for just under 2 weeks). Yesterday, we visited the psychiatrist who had diagnosed him and subsequently put him on a regimen of medications; a regimen that had to be adjusted and tested several times before the right combination (or concoction) of meds was found.

Before you go further, let me get something out. I’m not going on a rant about the psychiatric community. I’m not denying the existence of ADHD. And I’m not even talking about the dangers of over-medicating children.I am, though, posing a question.

Could it be that our society has too easily diagnosed a child

to have ADHD because we are afraid of the

WORK it takes to parent that child?

In CPS, nearly 90 percent of the children are diagnosed with ADHD and on some kind of medication. As Carissa and I sat in that waiting room yesterday, I looked around at children who were dazed, distant and distracted rather than being engaged in conversation, looking at books (yes, actual books) or simply using their imagination to dream and play. And I would bet that every one of those kids was on medication, and most of them for ADHD.

The drugs (because that’s what they are) that Matthew has to take for his ADHD no doubt effect his personality. But how? No one knows. Even the flier we got at the doctor’s office says, “The way ADHD medications work is not exactly known.” I’m sorry. WHAT? And you want me to continue putting my child through that? No thank you.

So Carissa and I are going to begin the process of taking Matthew off those medications. We don’t think he has ADHD. Active? Yes. Distracted at times? Yes. But hey…HE’S SIX! We base our belief not on naiveté, but instead on some very pointed and alarming factors that have become clear through the process of adopting him.

We believe strongly that God can continue to work in and through our lives to get Matthew clear of those medications. We aren’t some weird “faith over medicine” kind of people. Trust me. Medical miracles have saved my family more than one time. But I DO believe fully that with some direction, guidance, creative outlets and yes, even discipline (a word too many parents are afraid of), a lot of children who were once thought to be ADHD will in fact be found to be curious, energetic boys and girls…just like we all were when we were growing up!