Brilliant … But Bouncy

Something HAS Changed.

When we took Dylan off of medication, I declared that nothing had changed. He is still very bouncy and unfocused. He sings all the time. His ADHD symptoms haven’t changed – which means the non-stimulant medication really wasn’t helping him.

But his emotional behavior has changed.

We have had a lot of stresses in the past week or so. Vacationing and coming home is – in spite of its fun – stressful. Going back to school after a long break is stressful.

Then Dylan got three teeth pulled to make way for upcoming braces.

And that’s when I realized that Dylan had changed. He has come through this strong, like an adult. In spite of what is surely incredible pain, he has had no emotional meltdowns, no tantrums, no lashing out of any kind.

He is still a teenager, and he’s back to texting his friends instead of talking to family. But he has been friendly and fun and calm and kind. One morning, he actually apologized because he’d been grouchy and tired the night before.

Kinda like an adult. And kinda like Dylan.

It’s been like having the “old” Dylan back. He’s not free of emotions, and puberty is still rearing its ugly head, but Dylan is now rising to the occasion instead of folding. He’s not whining and moping – he’s pushing through. He still complains, but in a more mature fashion.

In the adult world, when a drug addict gets clean, the same kind of thing happens. Taking the drugs out of the system leaves the addict with himself and his emotions. And if he’s lucky, after drugs, he learns how to deal with those emotions without drugs.

Basically, he grows up.

And I’m seeing it in Dylan now. It’s like we took away the barrier to his ability to grow emotionally. By not giving him drugs to “help” him, we’ve given him a chance to help himself.

I have no idea how I could have not known this before. We were doing the absolute best thing for him, we thought, by giving him drugs to help him through school. He was struggling and suffering – and the drugs helped.

Until they didn’t help anymore.

Yes, he’s bouncy and unfocused. And he really does sing all the time. And he’s still a teenager, which is plenty irritating all by itself.

But he’s Dylan again, and he’s maturing and growing beautifully. And I wouldn’t have it any other way.