Welcome to My Blog

by Barbara Mulloy- Robbins

My blog is an introduction to the 2nd edition of A Mother's Diary:  A Family's Journey from ADD and Chemical Addiction. I've renamed the book, An Uphill Struggle: From ADHD to Chemical ADDiction, A Mother's Story.

And here's why I wrote the book... I found myself in a cathartic journey looking backward over the years trying to understand how the relationship and the behavioral disorder of ADD and alcohol and drugs manifested in the lives of my two sons, Chris and Greg.

It was journey from the heart in an attempt to find answers for both my sons as they struggled to normalize their internal world from the undetected disorder of ADD and the disease of chemical addiction. Sadly, my quest did not save my sons, but it was my hope that the experience of my family and the information that I bring to bear on the subject will help  families from the combined effects of ADD and addiction. It was my belief that the connection between these is something that is woefully underexposed to the detriment of thousands.

That was in 2006 when my book was published. As it turned out, back in 2000, ADD, Attention Deficit Disorder, was considered a bogus title for a poorly behaved child who required consistent and tighter disciplinary measures, and addiction was not considered a brain disease, but a moral failing. However, times have changed throughout the years as they often do, and the dual diagnosis of mental illness and chemical addiction have become synonymous with those seeking relief from intense emotional or physical pain and start using a substance often to find themselves unable to stop. And, according to media coverage, the world is paying attention.

 

Throughout the past five or six years both mental illness and chemical addiction has reached epidemic proportions. One has only to follow the media or to look around the neighborhood to understand how the problem has grown to where it is now. I have  re-launched my book with some minor changes and a different title and cover for I believe I was before my time in 2006.

It is imperative that today we must become aware of the increased risk of drug abuse that is associated with psychiatric disorders. Young children must receive treatment tailored to deal with  both problems. Each delay can set them on a tragic and often very deadly course.

ADHD Makes the Front Page

 by Barbara Mulloy-Robbins

While I am pleased that the mental/behavioral disorder of ADHD is finally being recognized as a valid disorder and not just a bogus diagnosis of the Seventies, I am disturbed to learn of the dependence, if not addiction, well into the adult years on drugs prescribed by our medical community.

In my book, A Mother'sDiary: A Family's Journey from ADD to Chemical ADDiction, I was primarily concerned with creating an awareness of the devastating effects of the connection between ADD and self-medication, i.e. alcohol and drugs. However, if prescribed drugs were to be an option, they should be carefully monitored in accordance with a valid diagnosis by a knowledgeable physician.

I'm amazed to read in the Palm Beach Post that, "while children are more often prescribed drugs to cope with this disorder, there are at least 3.2 million adults taking these medications to help them focus at work and at home." The article goes on to say, "that for those teens coping with ADHD in the long term without medication can contribute to alcohol and drug abuse." How long is long term, to be on these drugs?

On the other hand, I am pleased that many have given thought to implementing a more holistically integrative medicine approach to healing body, mind and spirit. Would the pharmaceutical industry agree?

link to article...

The Palm Beach Post ADHD Drug Shortage