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How much can we do...

Niki - posted on 10/19/2009 ( 3 moms have responded )

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I need some new perspective because the one I have currently is very poor. Our son is 13 and has been diagnosed since he was 8. I have no good resources any more and I am burned out. Our State has no good interventions in place. Community mental health is broken and this is the only psych support chip's will give. They would rather see him handled as juvenile delinquent than a treatable mentally ill person, his prior diagnoses don't mean anything to those with the power to do something about it. We spent time with all manner of people in our community system, when he becomes violent we can call cops who have no-place to take him. When he threatens to hurt himself we can take him to the hospital and spend hours waiting for a crises worker to come and tell us that he is no longer in crises therefor they cannot place him for observation. If he hurts one of us we can file an assault charge that will take 2-4 weeks to be resolved in a court room. By the time he gets there the consequence means very little in relation to the act that got him there. And while we wait he is in our home because they will not place him elsewhere.

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Jennifer - posted on 08/13/2010

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son is on meds, like many of the people before me asked you, and he has recently got some kind of demon in him...He is so depressed/angry/happy his moods strike at any given time, he says crazy things and has a stare during these scary moments. I have 3 younger kids ages 2, 4, and 11. I am to the point that his 8 different meds dont seem to be working and if he gets much worse I will have to have him admitted because during his bipolar rages he is stronger than heman (he is 14 and weighs 160lbs). He has been diagnosed since age 6, suicidal as early as age 5. Just take a deep breath and you'll be okay. I don't pray or believe much but I have to try everything for my son. I feel we are in the same situation right now, just know I am also feeling hopeless too... :(

Tracy - posted on 12/23/2009

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Is your son on meds? I don't know where you are living, but here in Madison WI I am able to get a lot of support for my son. We have a program called Children Come First or CCF. They get involved with families who have children facing the possibility of being put in jail. They try to help provide services and manage all the options for you. I also used a program from Family Services called Steps for Success. This was a program he went to for a year instead of school from 12 to 4 each day. It goes to an all day program in the summer. This was a great program because it helped him gain self confidence and learn how to handle his anger. I unfortunately also had to use a Children's Mental Hospital through Meriter Hospital where he would stay up to two weeks at a time where they work to regulate the meds and have programs that help encourage them to learn to control their behaviors and socialize. I mention these because they are available on the web if you want to check into them to see if you can find something similar in your area. We wouldn't be where we are except for these programs so I highly recommend that you find something similar for yourself. My son is bipolar and was officially diagnosed with bipolar at age 11 but he was diagnosed with ADHD from age 5. Please post how you are doing and if you have found anything.

Simone - posted on 11/25/2009

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Have you tried putting him on meds? Therapy? Don't give up, even though sometimes I think there is no hope, because I tried everything. Only God knows what I have been going through. Life is hard! Good luck to all of us! Hope you will find help for your son! Hang in there!

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