ADHD to the Power of Three

ADHD to the Power of Three

ADHD to the Power of Three is a compelling and poignant tale of a mother's triumph over adversity as her children's condition threatens to derail her family. It is also a story of hope for anyone who's ever felt that 'life is just too hard'.

Carolyn Angelin's story is of a mother's journey, which takes her to the depths of despair and, ultimately, a major meltdown as her family struggles to deal with raising three identical boys through the highs and lows of Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD).

ADHD to the Power of Three offers a rare insight into a family, whose picturesque dream of a house with a white picket fence and two kids faces an alternative reality of balancing a family of four boys, three of which display excessive hyperactive behaviour including mood swings, obsessive interests and learning difficulties.

In amongst the daily battles however, Carolyn's story includes love, warmth and humour and a determination to keep her family happy and together.

Carolyn Angelin says; "My inspiration to write my story was to document the trials and adventures we have faced in raising Luke, Nathan and Matthew over the years as we strived to find out what was wrong with our children. It is my hope that other parents going through similar struggles will find hope through reading my book."

Carolyn Angelin's ADHD to the Power of Three highlights a realistic account of the struggle she faces as a mother and her dilemma in finding a solution to her boys' issues and their unity as a family. Told from the perspective of one mother, ADHD to the Power of Three is a story which parents everywhere will relate to.

What to expect from ADHD to the Power of Three
Carolyn Angelin wants a quite life - a husband, couple of kids, a house in the burbs, and a dog. Is that too much to ask? When Carolyn finds herself pregnant, she and her husband, Martin, are excited at the prospect of a playmate for their first son, James. But they get more than they bargained for with not one, not two, but three baby boys - triplets! The triplets prove to be dynamos from day one. Their unruly behaviour gains momentum as they grow, and each day poses new challenges for Carolyn and Martin as they attempt to raise four boys under the age of two years old. Suspecting something is not quite right after the triplets are expelled from playgroup, Carolyn searches for answers. Is there something wrong with the boys, or is she just a bad mother?

An Excerpt…'Ants in Our Pants'
From the time the triplets were mobile, they were extremely active and were the sort of kids who were into everything, they were fast movers and able to crawl and climb in the blink of an eye. James was also a very active baby so I was used to being kept on my toes running around after him. I thought this level of activity must be a 'boy thing' and accepted it as normal as I didn't know any different. One would expect many babies to be like this some of the time, but with my three boys, they were like this every waking moment. They simply did not have an 'off' button. They did not have a wind-down time. They were either asleep, or operating at top speed. They worked their way through my house like a tornado going from room to room, leaving a trail of destruction in their wake. They were excessively curious and took advantage of any opportunity to investigate their environment. 'Search and destroy' seemed to be their motto.

An Excerpt...'Pass the Ritalin Please'
In March 2003 I had an appointment scheduled with a paediatrician at the Royal Children's Hospital. My GP had referred all the triplets to Dr Moulden as she specialised in ADHD. I was hopeful we might find some answers, but was still adamant that the children would not be medicated with Ritalin, as this would confirm my failure as a mother....

..During the next hour we talked about the past seven years and our battles with Luke's behaviour and his learning problems at school. We relayed the motorbike incident and talked about his insatiable obsessions. We talked about tantrums and damage to property. We listed the parenting courses and the 'textbook strategies' that we had tried and failed. We told her about the devastating effect all of this had on us individually and as a family.. ..'Carolyn, I really think that Luke would benefit from a trial period of medication, ' said Dr Moulden.. I sobbed as she wrote out the script and agreed to try Ritalin. It was certainly not a decision I was happy about, but with all the unsuccessful elimination diets, behaviour modification programs and professional help in the past, I felt I now had no other choice...I left Dr Moulden's office with a heavy heart, yet also with a glimmer of hope.

ADHD to the Power of Three is available through http://adhd3.com

Carolyn Angelin was born in Melbourne in 1965. She grew up in a dysfunctional family, so she looked forward to creating a picture perfect world of her own one day. Carolyn was swept off her feet (literally at Ballroom dancing) by Martin and married in 1994. Her dancing days were ground to a halt when 21 months after the birth of James, Carolyn was pregnant with triplets. Today with four strapping teenage sons, a husband, and a black Labrador, her life is anything but dull. She spends her days to-ing and fro-ing from schools, sporting activities and appointments. Carolyn endures endless hours at the supermarket and is truly happy when she can provide one meal that everyone will eat! To survive such a male testorone household Carolyn enjoys manicures, facials, massages, chick flicks and doing lunch with the girls. Miraculaously, Carolyn is still married to Martin and lives with her four sons in Melbourne.

ADHD to the Power of Three
Sid Harta Publishers

Author: Carolyn Angelin
Price: $29.95

Interview with Carolyn Angelin

How do you hope other parents will benefit from ADHD to the Power of Three?

Carolyn Angelin: It is my hope that by sharing my story it might prevent others having to live through the hell of undiagnosed ADHD as we did. I also hope it encourages parents to not give up and to trust their instincts in raising their children.


Was it hard to ignore other people's reactions to your children's behaviour?

Carolyn Angelin: Yes! It was often very embarrassing being with the children in public when they were misbehaving - which was most of the time. I learnt to ignore the stares and rolling of eyes and accept the comments from people eg, I'm glad they're yours and not mine, or, I thought I had it bad, etc, etc.


What was the hardest thing about putting your three boys on medication?

Carolyn Angelin: At first I felt was confirmation that I must be a failure as a mother, but in my heart I knew beyond a shadow of doubt that I had tried absolutely everything before resorting to medication.

Now I believe I am being responsible and treating their condition in an appropriate manner and this enables them to have a more 'normal' life.


Was schooling and explaining to teachers ADHD difficult?

Carolyn Angelin: Primary schooling in the mainstream state system was a disaster.

The boys were constantly in trouble in the playground and the classroom was not much better.

In my opinion, the system did not cater for my ADHD children and their learning disability. I don't believe the funding is adequate to provide specialised teaching staff to deal with the range of specific problems teachers face in the classroom today.

As a result, it was necessary for me to remove my children from that system and place them in a small specialised private school environment.


How did you deal with the diagnoses?

Carolyn Angelin: It was a relief to finally have an answer as I had spent 8 years searching to find out what was wrong with my boys. During that time I constantly questioned my mothering ability and blamed myself for their bad behavior. Having said that, I cried and cried for hours.


What assistance from the community did you receive once your boys were diagnosed with ADHD?

Carolyn Angelin: I was eligible to apply for the Government Carer's Allowance, which then entitled me to seek help from my local council for respite services. I am entitled to 5 hours per child per fortnight which I utilise by having a lady help me two afternoons per week from 4.30pm - 7.30pm.


Do you have a family history of ADHD?

Carolyn Angelin: Not that I am aware of, however I can see some traits in certain other family members. It is quite possible that some relatives have/had ADHD but it/was undiagnosed.


What things are likely to exacerbate ADHD?

Carolyn Angelin: Situations that provide too much stimulation such as birthday parties, crowded places, or even other ADHD kids can be too overwhelming and trigger explosive behavior.

I try to watch that the children do not get too tired or hungry as their frustration levels can rise quickly if that is the case.


Other than medication how do you calm the effects of ADHD? Do you use calming techniques?

Carolyn Angelin: I have always been a huge fan of the bathtub! Even today (at aged 13) if someone is having a tantrum I will still run the bath and put the offending child in it! Water soothes the soul and usually works. I laugh to myself when the child that is upset always manages to say to me, 'And I'm NOT having a bath!'

Obviously a bathtub is not always available, so other things I have done is remove the child from the situation and place them in a quite place on their own. If the child has been very out of control, it has helped to physically hold them, stoke their hair or back helps too.