Hi everyone.  I figured I'd try a support group as one of my last resorts in order to get advice on my 5 year old daughter who suffers from ADHD.  At the age of 2 early intervention decided that she needed services because she had some developmental delays.  At 3 years of age she attended a school that gave her therapy.  Currently, she is not receiving any therapy but is being monitored monthly by a child psychiatrist who diagnosed her with ADHD at the age of 3.5-4 years old.  She takes Methylin which is a liquid form of Ridalin three times a day because she is unable to swallow pills.  She takes her medication in the morning before school, at lunch time in school by the nurse, and at 4:30 when she's home from school.  By 6pm the medication is wearing off and is up and about causing all sorts of trouble.

I am a very neat, organized, structured mom who keeps my children on a daily schedule.  I try my best to take them to the park at least once a week.  I do not have any play dates, or friends with kids where my kids can interact and play with other children.  My family hardly ever picks up my children or helps me out in any way.  This is mostly because of my daughter's inappropriate behavior and frequent outburts and tantrums.  

My daughter is constantly in trouble.  I am constantly re directing her, explaining things to her, reminding her to do her chores or to clean up or giving her instructions.  I feel like a parrot and like I am talking to the air.

I can calmly and compassionately explain to her why she shouldn't put her hands on anyone else.  Making sure that she understands what I am trying to teach her and two seconds later she is doing what she isnt supposed to hitting or destroying something, jumping on the sofas...ugh I can go on and on the list never ends.

I feel sometimes like I have a lot of patience with her and remain calm when she is acting out... but then there are times when I feel like I want to hide in the corner and cry, or run away or even throw her across the room.  

I have a way of doing things with her to eliminate the overwhelming feeling that she may have.. I prepare her clothes out on the table the night before school, I do homework with her when she arrives from school, I feed her at a certain time everyday, I bathe her and put her to bed all at the same time every night.

Battling and struggling with discipling her and controlling her behavior seems meerly impossible at times.  I am afraid to leave her with anyone because I feel that they can't tolerate her behavior like I can. When I go out to a store in public she runs all over the store and I cant get anything done or when I go food shopping and she sees something that she wants and I decide not to buy it she throws an hour long crying tantrum.

There is a medication that works 24 hours but it  is in pill form and she cant swallow pills.  I do not know what else to do with her.  I need advice and to know that I am not alone and that there are other parents out there that are in the same situation I am in or similar and have suggestions or advice to offer me that I could hopefully use.

I am desperate and willing to take any advice given to me.  I will be grateful for any help given.  Thank you for your time in reading my post.

Alicia Germosen