"The Diagnosis"

In late February of this year my then 4 year old son was diagnosed with ADHD (Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder). After being referred to a family behavioral specialist by the school social worker, my son was "Labeled". For me, this was devastating, I slipped into a depression and cried everyday for a week. My son, my baby, had a disability. This is what in mind it meant for him to have ADHD. No mother wants to put her child on such harsh medications such as the ones prescribed to the disorder.
I observed my son's daily interactions at home as well as in school, it was then that I realized if I didn't get him the help that he needed that I was only hurting him more. He had no control over his impulses or his inability to focus. Without knowing he was doing so my son was suffering and as his mother it was my JOB to end that suffering. I took him to his pediatrician who gave a second confirmation that my son did in fact have a diagnosis of Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder. Being a young single mother of just one I had no clue on what to do next besides to get him on medication. I was reluctant to do so do to the horror stories I'd been told about putting a child on stimulants and controlled substances. All I could do was educate myself on my son's condition and our options. And that's exactly what I did.