4 COMMENTS!

Reacting to ADHD Rage

4 Comments:

• Posted by alexmom - Aug 9 2009 @ 9:29 PM
  belated thanks
  I am a therapist, would-be writer, and mother of a son with ADHD/ASD. He's also gifted, just to make it really interesting. I appreciate your honesty and willingness to share the rage our often-difficult kids can provoke within us. Not our finest parenting moments,sure -but it's far better to acknowledge and vent than to deny and act out..Thanks.
• Posted by Jaydra Hymer - May 22 2009 @ 12:15 PM
  ADHD Rage
  My heart goes out to you, your daughter, and the rest of your family. My youngest son, Trevon had rage attacks for years. Our family called them "flip-outs". When he was in a flip-out, no measure of behavioral modification would work, because he couldn't be reached. It was if an alien was in his body. It was especially frustrating for me because I am a child behavior expert. At the time Trevon was having these attacks I had been teaching college courses in Behavior Management and Educational Psychology. I was also the college's behavior trouble-shooter for educators who had student's with behavior problems, and I taught court-ordered parenting classes. If I knew every behavior-modification trick in the book, but couldn't stop the rages, how could just the typical parent do so? In my research to help Trevon, I learned that he had a low serotonin level. Serotonin is a neurotransmitter that effects emotions and behavior. I also learned that he had low-blood sugar issues that also can impact emotions and lead to Jeckle/Hyde behavior. Once I addressed these issues, the rage attacks went away. It took only four days for the serotonin to make a total difference. It has been over seven years now, and Trevon's flip-outs (which sometimes took two people to hold him down--even though he was only eight) went from up to 6 or 8 a day to 0. He can get grouchy and complainy if I let his serotonin level get too low, but he hasn't had any more flip-outs. That is because once his serotonin and blood-sugar levels were where they needed to be, I was able to reach him and use the behavior-techniques I had. I totally understand your frustration and pain. It is especially hard when others think it's just poor parenting. There is a difference between a chemically-induced rage attack and a spoiled child throwing a tantrum. If it is chemically-induced, the child had little to no control over it— no more so than the control a child has over an epileptic seizure. That is why it is so important to find out what is causing the chemical issues in the brain (such as the low serotonin, low-blood sugar, or not enough sleep) and then take care of those causes. Best of luck, and let me know if you need any additional information. Just don't let the rages rob you of the joy you can have with your daughter.
• Posted by wellness5 - May 21 2009 @ 7:45 AM
  Rage
  Maybe a look at behavior modification which tells you how to react in this awful situation might help or be worth considering. There are some interesting articles written by a behavior therapist Hope this helps ! Rob
• Posted by kristmcclur - May 20 2009 @ 7:35 PM
  ADHD rage
  I know many of parents feel that way with their kids who express rage. Especially when they are biting! That kind of pushes all of your most primitive buttons to react aggressively. Most parents dealing with these issues are not willing to say out loud that they felt aggressive towards their child, or know they were on the brink of losing it. The important thing is to recognize it and name it and that's how you remedy it. This kind of honesty I think will help alot of parents to feel less isolated. Thanks for sharing that.