Wandering in the Wilderness-A Journeyof Me, My Son, and His ADHD

"Mommy, how do I get the madness out of me?" It was a question my seven-year-old son posed to me one dark evening after coming off a manic rage that took him through intense range of emotions. I have not decided for myself if the heartbreak of that question came from the sheer innocence of it or the sobering maturity behind it. How perceptive he was because he was so right - IT was madness, a madness captured in a catchall diagnosis that filled every crevice of our lives. It was a sickness that robbed us daily of peace and comfort. Attention deficit, hyperactivity disorder, or ADHD, is not merely a behavioral issue; it is not a question of adequate parenting skills; it is not the effects of too much sugar, not enough exercise, or even a learning disability. IT is a mental illness; and, yes, it is an incorrigible madness that has left an indelible mark on the most incredible little boy.