and so it begins...

my daughter blithe was diagnosed this week with ADHD. i admit, i didn't really see it coming, although i did know something was going on. her self-esteem has been plummeting recently, and i couldn't figure out why she was behaving the way she was. a friend mentioned that her own daughter, a close friend of blithe's, was recently diagnosed with ADHD, and she suggested that i, at least, discuss it with our paediatrician, since the two girls are almost exactly alike. so i did, and blithe is, in doc's words, "classic adhd."

i still don't quite know how i feel about it all, although i'm certain i don't want her on meds her whole life. i, myself, have been diagnosed with Rapid-Cycling Bipolar Disorder (manic depression), and have managed to remain stable without medication, so i'm quite certain that we can find ways for blithe (and me) to live with her condition med-free. for now, however, she is on meds, until we figure out some strategies and find non-medicinal tools to help her succeed in life without becoming frustrated and overwhelmed and succumbing to low self-esteem.

this blog is my way of figuring out all this stuff, my own little outlet where i can think through all the information, discuss how everything (meds and otherwise) is working (or not working), and review and point out resources for other people dealing with this condition.

and a word about my own bias: i believe that adhd is a gift, not a "disorder" or "mental illness." i believe that my daughter, and anyone with adhd, can thrive and succeed in life, personally, academically, and professionally, not despite adhd, but because of it. we just have to figure out how...