This is the second story in a four-part series on
Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder.

By Cortney L. Hill, Salisbury Post
"All I can say is that it's never a dull moment in my house," said Denise Waller-Overcash, referring to herself and her two children.

"One minute they can be ripping through the house, and the next minute they can be hanging from the chandelier," she said with a chuckle. "But this is all I've ever known."

Waller-Overcash, 36, doesn't mind talking about the fact that her children, 9-year-old Lizzie and 7-year-old Zeke, have Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder, or ADHD.

ADHD is a disorder caused by a chemical imbalance in the brain. Common signs of ADHDare inattentiveness, hyperactivity, and impulsivity.

"My children just don't act this way because they're 'bad,' it's because it's a disorder," Waller-Overcash said. "And when I first did the research to find out what was going on with Lizzie, that's when I realized I had a similar chemical imbalance, too."

Waller-Overcash, part-time secretary for Calvary Lutheran Church and marketing director of Curtis Waller's Gallery and Picture Framing, found out three years ago that she had moderate ADHD.

That helped her deal with her children.

"I never had any organizational skills growing up," she said. "But knowing that the reason was because I was ADHD, I now take Ritalin for that, which helps me to be more organized so I can help my children."

For both her and her husband, Bryan, dealing with their children's ADHD has been a challenge.

"It has tested my marriage and has been a strain at times on us physically, mentally and financially," Waller-Overcash said. "But it takes a team approach, and we're taking it one day at a time."

Discovering ADHD

"When I found out I was ADHD, that explained my childhood," said Waller-Overcash.

"I had high self-esteem, but didn't have many friends, plus keeping thoughts to minimum in my head was a constant struggle," she said.

"In school Ihad poor study skills, but once I got to college, I soared," she said. "I was liked by many people, I could get along with basically anybody, and I had a 4.0 GPA all through college," she said.

She married Bryan Overcash at the age of 19. They've been married for 17 years. They waited seven years before having their first child, Lizzie. Two years later came Zeke.

"Ifirst recognized Zeke and Lizzie were different from other children when they were both toddlers," Denise said. "Whether at home or at church, they were just wilder than the other children.

"I thought they would grow out of it, but they never did. That's when I started doing my own research to see what was causing this," she said.

Through Denise's research and with help from the children's teachers, and doctors, they were diagnosed with ADHD.

"When Iwas reading up on what ADHD and ADD were, that's when I saw a lot of that in me," she said. "I couldn't concentrate in school, but I was wildly imaginative and bright. I didn't have many friends in school, but now, making friends is no task for me."

Discovering she was ADHD also helped Bryan understand some of her tendencies, like collecting things.

ADHDand Attention Deficit Disorder are more easily dealt with as an adult, than as a child, Waller-Overcash said.

"I've been taking Ritalin now for three years, and I can see a difference," she said. "I take it twice a day, because it isn't as long lasting as what my kids are taking."

Waller-Overcash says it helps with her organizational skills, and if it wasn't for the Ritalin she would not be able to help her own children as much.

"They need to learn to be organized, and who better to teach it to them than the parent," she said. "Ritalin has helped me do that, and I can't see how I managed without it."

Tests, evaluations

To determine if they had ADHD, Lizzie and Zeke took a battery of tests in school to challenge their thinking skills.

Along with evaluations and questionnaires from their pediatricians, the tests confirmed their disorder.

"Because Lizzie was so active, and could never settle down to listen in school, as far as learning, she basically missed all of first grade and the first half second grade due to dealing with this," Waller-Overcash said.

Zeke dealt with the same issues.

Both children attend special education classes at Hurley Elementary School.

However, ADHD isn't the only thing Lizzie deals with. She also has other coexisting disorders referred to as comorbid psychiatric disorders.

"Fifty-percent of children with ADHD have co-existing comorbids to go along with it," Waller-Overcash said.

Lizzie has three other comorbids.

"For Lizzie's ADHD, she takes Adderall XR once a day, which helps her to concentrate better and slow her down enough to sit still in class," Waller-Overcash said. "She also takes other medicines for her comorbids."

Zeke takes Adderall XR once a day. Waller-Overcash will be taking him to a psychiatrist to figure out what comorbids he has.

"...He doesn't make eye contact much, he has little socialization skills, he doesn't seek approval, and he zones out in social situations," she said.

Waller-Overcash took Zeke to see Drs. Thomas Carlton and JillAiken of the Salisbury Pediatric Associates.

"He may have mild Asperger," said Aiken. "But I will suggest he see a pediatric psychiatrist to determine that."

Other disorders

The most common disorders that coexist with ADHD are:

n Obsessive Compulsive Disorder.

n Anxiety.

n Oppositional Defiant Disorder (ODD).

n Disruptive behavior disorders, such as ODDand conduct disorder.

n Affective disorders, such as depression and bipolar.

n Learning disorders.

n Developmental disorders.

Waller-Overcash encourages parents with ADHDchildren to never stop researching their children's conditions and keep working with their doctors.

"You've got to keep going to find other things, since 50 percent of kids have more than one chemical imbalance," she said. "Also, changing medicines helps as well. But every child's situation is different. That's why parents should work closely with their doctors."

Medication helps

Waller-Overcash says to not be afraid of putting children on medication.

"I know many parents who feel guilty about putting their children on medications," Waller-Overcash said. "If they'd just understand that the children benefit better from the medications, they wouldn't feel so guilty."

Beatrice Hair, owner of the Salisbury Tutoring Academy has heard the plenty of parents' fears of medicating their children.

"I've heard some were afraid their children would become addicted to the drugs, to the government is plotting to get their kids addicted to these drugs,"Hair said. "But I have seen those same parents change their thinking when they see the good results after putting their child on these medications."

Waller-Overcash says she she's had nothing but good experiences with her children's use of medications.

"I have no guilt about using medications for my kids, because I've tried everything first and got little progress," she said. "My kids are much happier with the medicine and we take it year-round."

Though the medicines reap great benefits, the downside is the high medical expense.

Last year the family spent $3,500 on prescriptions and doctors visits,Waller-Overcash said. "Our insurance covers a lot of it, but it is still a financial strain," she said.

"I know that medicines will not cure my children, but when I see their self-esteem growing ... socializing better, concentrating better, and using their creativity positively, I know they are benefitting from the medications."

The home front

The only time she and her husband spend time together is when her parents babysit, Waller-Overcash said.

"Other than that, it's little to none."

Usually by bedtime, Waller-Overcash said, the medicine begins to wear off and the children are climbing the walls.

"That's why when it's late in the evening, we let them swim in our outdoor pool," she said. "This helps them to put that energy to work, and sleep better at night."

Statistics show that 80 percent of marriages with ADHDchildren end up in divorce.

"It is tough work when you deal with this day-in and day-out," said Bryan Overcash, who is the loss prevention supervisor at Food Lion.

"They always keep you on your toes, because you never know what will happen next," he said.

"Because I've never had 'normal' children, I don't know what that is like. They are all I know," he said. "But for parents who may be dealing with this who are not ADHD, just be patient."

He also suggests sitting back and thinking before you react.

"Often times we'd be in the store, and someone's child may do one thing wrong like spill a drink. The parent will be all over that child, for that one thing," he said. "But if that was all one of my kids did, then hey, we're having a good day."

'Look at Einstein'

Waller-Overcash encourages parents to join some sort of support group.

"There is an ADHD support group and we discuss everything from helping our children to becoming better parents," Waller-Overcash said.

"The main thing you must realize, is that your children are as gifted, and as beautiful as you are.

"Look at Albert Einstein, Robin Williams and Walt Disney, they were all ADHD, and you see how they turned out?" she said.

"Remember that no matter what the situation is, knowledge sets you free and as parents, we are responsible for our children's physical, mental and spiritual needs."

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The ADHD/ADD Support Group meets the fourth Tuesday of each month at 6:30 p.m. at Salisbury Pediatric Associates, 131 Woodson St. For more information, contact the Salisbury Pediatrics at 704-636-5576.

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Contact Cortney L. Hill at 704-797-4249 or chill@salisburypost.com

Coming Monday, Dr. Wayne Koontz of Salisbury Pediatric Associates and Beatrice Hair, director of Salisbury Tutoring Academy, discuss how they treat ADHD children.