If your child has been diagnosed with ADD, ADHD, autism or any other condition on the spectrum, you might want to take a closer look at Anxiety Disorder.
My son was diagnosed with ADHD at the age of two.
A doctor put him on a psychostimulant drug (for example: Ritalin, Concerta, Metadate) and he continued with some form of this medication until the age of fifteen.
Over time, my son was diagnosed with other related conditions: dyslexia, dysgraphia, Irlen Syndrome, short-term memory disabilities, and Obsessive Compulsive Disorder (OCD).
He was finally diagnosed with autism at the age of nine.
As puberty ensued, my son became more aggressive.
All of my son's doctors continued to increase his dosage of stimulant drugs.
His behavior continued to worsen.
A therapist had mentioned Anxiety Disorder and suggested I speak with his doctor.
Each time I mentioned my son's increasing level of anxiety, it was dismissed as a symptom of his other conditions.
At the age of fifteen, my son became completely out of control.
He became obsessed with Lego building.
He didn't want to stop for food or sleep.
He became violent if asked to stop or do anything else.
He started failing school and physically hurting others.
We ended up taking him to an emergency room where he had to be sedated and put in a locked room with a security guard.
The on-call psychiatrist suggested an in-patient program at a neuropsychiatric center.
Through this program, it was determined that my son's foremost diagnosis is Anxiety Disorder, then Depression and then Autism.
It was explained that the large quantity of psychostimulant drugs which my son had been on had been driving him to a wired state of frenzy.
He had used the obsessive building to curtail some of the raw, hyper stress racing through him at a constant rate.
His medications were immediately changed and the difference was astonishing.
Does my son still have difficulties? Yes.
Is he still on medication? Yes.
I do believe there is a place for medication in treatment.
Currently we are not treating his ADHD symptoms, but he is much more stable and doing well in school.
I wished I'd known about Anxiety Disorder.
I also wish the doctors over the years had known more about this disorder.
It affects one out of every eight children.
They are at a higher risk to engage in substance abuse, to perform poorly at school and avoid social situations.
It can affect their decision making capabilities, concentration, perceptions and ability to function in life.
To properly diagnose this disorder, a child must experience a constant, exaggerated worry, fear, apprehension, or distress for over six months.
They must also have at least three of the following symptoms: restlessness, easily fatigued, difficulty concentrating, irritability, muscle tension or difficulty sleeping.
This anxiety will affect physical health as well, with symptoms such as trembling, achy muscles, headaches, nausea, vomiting, stomach aches, shortness of breath, diarrhea, Irritable Bowel Syndrome or depression.
Anxiety Disorder can be broken down into categories: generalized anxiety, panic disorders, obsessive compulsive disorder, posttraumatic stress disorder, acute stress, social phobia, specific phobias, etc.
Properly diagnosing Anxiety Disorder is complicated since it has many of the same symptoms as ADD or autism.
But the treatment is different.
Educate yourself and your child's doctor about anxiety disorder.
A proper diagnosis is crucial to the proper treatment plan and well-being of your child.
It may also save you from some of the challenges we experienced.