B
bepositive
Guest
Hello,
I'm new to the forum. I decided to join this group because I feel like I'm always crying to my friends and family and I'm a)embarrassed to share this info with them b)guilty for always whining to them. So I thought I'd whine to each of you instead!
My son will be 16 soon and has decided he wants to drop out of school, smoke pot periodically ("It's not a problem! I'm not a pothead or anything. I only do it sometimes because it's fun."), and defy and fight with his parents all of the time. We're all in regular therapy, but I'm not sure how much it's helping. I've always known my son has ADHD, he's also very gifted & is quite lazy and unmotivated. But, after researching ODD, I have to say that it describes him perfectly! I know he hates school because he's both too smart & too distracted for his own good, plus everything comes easily for him so he's never had to try at anything. I always thought the anger at home was due to ADHD, but now I recognize it as ODD. He's an angel in the world, but a terror at home that has become more and more violent this year. He never learns from discipline and he always blames everyone else. I really can't live with him anymore. He terrorizes my other two children and my husband and myself. Everything turns into a massive battle and I'm a nervous wreck. (Yet, most adults constantly tell me what an impressive, brilliant, and cool kid he is.)
I feel a little guilty complaining, because it sounds like most of you are going through much worse things. But I worry that he's headed down that road. His dad & I are thinking of sending him to Outward Bound Intercept for at risk teens or SUWS outdoor therapy. I know they're very expensive, but we'll do what we have to. Does anyone know anything about these programs? Any other suggestions for heading off a potential problem? He's currently accepted the fact that I expect him to finish the school year (after a 1 week suspension for pot posession) but he insists that I have no authority over him because I don't listen to or respect him. (I listen and talk all he wants, but because I expect him to stay off pot, I'm not respecting his choices.)
Thanks for listening.
I'm new to the forum. I decided to join this group because I feel like I'm always crying to my friends and family and I'm a)embarrassed to share this info with them b)guilty for always whining to them. So I thought I'd whine to each of you instead!
My son will be 16 soon and has decided he wants to drop out of school, smoke pot periodically ("It's not a problem! I'm not a pothead or anything. I only do it sometimes because it's fun."), and defy and fight with his parents all of the time. We're all in regular therapy, but I'm not sure how much it's helping. I've always known my son has ADHD, he's also very gifted & is quite lazy and unmotivated. But, after researching ODD, I have to say that it describes him perfectly! I know he hates school because he's both too smart & too distracted for his own good, plus everything comes easily for him so he's never had to try at anything. I always thought the anger at home was due to ADHD, but now I recognize it as ODD. He's an angel in the world, but a terror at home that has become more and more violent this year. He never learns from discipline and he always blames everyone else. I really can't live with him anymore. He terrorizes my other two children and my husband and myself. Everything turns into a massive battle and I'm a nervous wreck. (Yet, most adults constantly tell me what an impressive, brilliant, and cool kid he is.)
I feel a little guilty complaining, because it sounds like most of you are going through much worse things. But I worry that he's headed down that road. His dad & I are thinking of sending him to Outward Bound Intercept for at risk teens or SUWS outdoor therapy. I know they're very expensive, but we'll do what we have to. Does anyone know anything about these programs? Any other suggestions for heading off a potential problem? He's currently accepted the fact that I expect him to finish the school year (after a 1 week suspension for pot posession) but he insists that I have no authority over him because I don't listen to or respect him. (I listen and talk all he wants, but because I expect him to stay off pot, I'm not respecting his choices.)
Thanks for listening.
