Explaining the ADHD Diagnosis to Your Child

Your school-age child keeps getting into trouble - he can't sit still, can't pay attention, and is aggressive towards other kids. His teacher may have called you in to tell you about these troubles, but you're already aware of them because he displays the same behavioral problems at home. After much research and deliberation, you finally take your child to see a specialist, who diagnoses him with ADHD. How do you explain the ADHD diagnosis?

Finding the right treatment is a good first step, but your child also needs to be made aware of his condition so that he himself can take an active role in coping with the symptoms. If a child is aware of what symptoms he has and what he can do about them, ADHD won't keep your child from making friends or doing well at school. For these reasons, your child should be completely aware about his ADHD diagnosis and the extent of his symptoms. Tell your child the truth about ADHD, but do so in a constructive and reassuring manner. The idea is to get your child involved in his own treatment, as he will just have to work as hard as you and his teachers will.

Start the conversation by explaining how the brain works. You could say that your child's brain works much faster than most kids, and this can make him do things or say things without thinking. Explain that this is not always a bad thing, but that the brain needs to slow down at certain situations, like during school or when playing with friends. Reinforce the idea that ADHD can be managed with the right treatments, but that this is a team effort that requires your child's participation.

Here are some statements that you can use to explain the disorder: 

• Now that the doctor identified what your problem is, we can work as a team and make things better at home and at school.
• Other kids also have ADHD and have to do certain things to get better.
• ADHD is nothing to be ashamed of. Kids with ADHD have special gifts too. Aren't you always full of new ideas and bursting with energy? Not all children are as creative as you are.
• ADHD is not an excuse to act up or slack off. Your teachers will still expect you to stay at your seat, pay attention in class, and do your homework. When you grow up, your boss will expect you to do your job well. That's why you need to get treated and work with your doctor and me, so that you can control your symptoms as you grow older.
• ADHD is not something that you can just outgrow. But if you help yourself by cooperating with your doctor and teachers, the more troublesome parts will go away.

Avoid saying the following:

• Don't use technical terms when explaining how the brain works or how treatments work. Instead, explain these in a language your child will understand.
• "You have to learn more about ADHD." Learning about ADHD is a job for parents, teachers, and other adults who are helping out your child.
• "ADHD explains who you are." This only promotes the ADHD stigma and may encourage your child to act out. Instead, say, "ADHD is a small part of you. It doesn't define who you are or what you'll be when you grow up."
• "Look at ADHD as a challenge." This is a frustrating statement won't help your child cope or feel better about the disorder.

Dr. Yannick Pauli is an expert on natural approaches to ADHD and the author of the popular self-help home-program The Unritalin Solution. He is Director of the Centre Neurofit in Lausanne, Switzerland and has a passion taking care of children with ADHD. Click on the link for more great information about what is adhd.

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Quick Fix for Stress Management

Stress relief is becoming an important part of many people's lives. Work, family and school can take their toll on every family member. It is important for your family and your health to get your stress under control before it controls you. Learning some stress management techniques can, literally, save your life. Here are some quick fixes you can use to help with life's daily stresses.

Deep breathing exercises are a great stress management technique because they work on a mental and physical level. They are easy to learn and help your body feel like it does when already in a relaxed state. Often when we are stressed out, our breathing becomes shallow and the lack of oxygen can make you feel worse. Deep breathing brings in the needed oxygen while sending a signal to your brain to relax and calm down. As with anything, practicing this technique makes it even more powerful. And you can do it anywhere.

Pet your dog or cat. Research shows that pets can provide excellent stress relief along with other health benefits; perhaps more than people since they are non-judgmental. Read studies find that a pet can help reduce depression and help reduce blood pressure. One study showed that owning a pet reduced blood pressure more than pharmaceuticals in a group of hypertensive New York stockbrokers! Of course, if you don't like animals or are too busy to have a pet, then this stress relief technique is not for you.

Spend time with friends or family. If pets are not your thing, at least try to spend more time with loved ones. Talking to friends or family during a stressful time in your life can drastically help. You can let go of bottled up emotions or just laugh, which is another form of stress relief in itself. Allow yourself to relax and have fun with friends, talk to family or a close friend. Whether you talk about your stress and ask for help or if you just hang, relax and have fun, keep in mind that both can be beneficial.

Water therapy have always proven to be great stress relievers for many. The most thought of form is relaxing in a bath. But this is not for everyone. Some prefer showers; almost a symbolic as well as a physical way to wash away the stress of the day. Another form is floatation therapy, where anti gravity allows your body to relax all the muscles more deeply than lying on a surface. Of course, do not attempt this unless with the help of a professional and a floatation tank.

Taking a brisk walk outside can be an excellent form of stress relief. Walking allows to take your mind off your problems as you focus on your surroundings. It increases blood flow to the brain, which can stimulate the release of endorphins; nature's mood enhancing chemicals. You can walk when and where you feel like, without having to change clothes or drive to a gym. Of course other forms of exercise can help, too.

Exercise - if you do belong to a gym, try to put your cares aside for a while as you go take an aerobic class or play racquetball with a friend. Do yoga at home along with a yoga DVD to stretch and relax your muscles and clear your mind. It is a reality that regular exercise reduces stress on many levels. Be sure to not overdo it and injure yourself; even just moderate exercise can make a difference.

Stress relief is needed by almost all of us these days. Students are under pressure, job seekers are competing, parents are busy providing and some of us are just trying to pay our bills. No matter what, learning healthy stress relief techniques can make your quality of life much better.

Nutrition may also help with stress relief or find more help at How To Deal With Stress .com

Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/6702816

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