Unbelievable that 2009 has gone by so quickly. It has been a quiet year around our house with regards to Schizophrenia and Schizo-boy having another break. While he has not always made the best choices with regards to friends and extracurricular activities, we have successfully kept him stress free enough to keep his mind on the sane side of the fence..
We look forward to 2010. We have better knowledge of what it takes to win the every day battle and we are comforted by this.
That's all I got!
Thursday, December 31, 2009
Monday, August 10, 2009
Thoughts on "Mad in America"
"Mad in America" author Robert Whitaker
This book brings to light so many wrong turns taken by the mental health professionals over the last 250 years or so. It made me very sad to read because at one point it was acceptable to automatically water board, lobotomise, shock, sterilize, and even perform euthanasia just because a person's mind was broken in "normal" society's viewpoint.
It was also staggering to have my suspicions about where America's Mental Healthcare falls when rated against other country's systems. As you my have guessed... it's dead last.
Another irony was America's ties to Hitler with regards to mental illness and its cures. It amazes me to think that world war 2 could have been completely avoided if not for euthanazia research that was backed by some of America's richest people.
I applaud Robert Whitaker for doing his research well. And amazingly enough, I find myself glad that Hollywood is also jumping on the wagon to get *some* of the horrors of how we treat the mentally "ill" in America. "A Beautiful Mind", "The Soloist" to some extent, "The Number 23", and other movies that have the genre of horror attached to them.
Of course, if my stepson had not developed Schizophrenia, I would be just as dumb and blind to the problem as 99% of America is. But, I am not blind any more. And I feel strong - stronger every day actually - that I need to help bring the facts of mental illness to everyone's eyes. After all, usually bad things don't stop happening until every one is made aware and gasp in horror.
To return to the original stream of thought, anti-psychotic drugs - aka psychotropic drugs - are NOT the answer here. I am not sure that the treatment proscribed by the Quakers in the 1700s would work for the modern schizophrenic, but I do think it should provoke some serious thoughts in the currently sad world of psychiatry/psychology.
That's all I got.
This book brings to light so many wrong turns taken by the mental health professionals over the last 250 years or so. It made me very sad to read because at one point it was acceptable to automatically water board, lobotomise, shock, sterilize, and even perform euthanasia just because a person's mind was broken in "normal" society's viewpoint.
It was also staggering to have my suspicions about where America's Mental Healthcare falls when rated against other country's systems. As you my have guessed... it's dead last.
Another irony was America's ties to Hitler with regards to mental illness and its cures. It amazes me to think that world war 2 could have been completely avoided if not for euthanazia research that was backed by some of America's richest people.
I applaud Robert Whitaker for doing his research well. And amazingly enough, I find myself glad that Hollywood is also jumping on the wagon to get *some* of the horrors of how we treat the mentally "ill" in America. "A Beautiful Mind", "The Soloist" to some extent, "The Number 23", and other movies that have the genre of horror attached to them.
Of course, if my stepson had not developed Schizophrenia, I would be just as dumb and blind to the problem as 99% of America is. But, I am not blind any more. And I feel strong - stronger every day actually - that I need to help bring the facts of mental illness to everyone's eyes. After all, usually bad things don't stop happening until every one is made aware and gasp in horror.
To return to the original stream of thought, anti-psychotic drugs - aka psychotropic drugs - are NOT the answer here. I am not sure that the treatment proscribed by the Quakers in the 1700s would work for the modern schizophrenic, but I do think it should provoke some serious thoughts in the currently sad world of psychiatry/psychology.
That's all I got.
Monday, May 11, 2009
Update: 20090511
Well, Schizo-boy did wind up breaking his appt for the monthly shot. However, he has pretty much been doing okay.
We even suddenly got one of our pictures that hangs in the hall back!
*rolling eyes*
I am currently reading an interesting book entitled Mad in America by Robert Whitaker. I'll try to throw something up here about that after I finish it.
Sent via BlackBerry by AT&T
Monday, March 16, 2009
Found Son
Last Friday, 13 March, 2009, we finally got a message at the house from Schizo-boy. He was obviously drunk as a skunk. His message stated that he was staying at a hotel with a friend named Sam and he was fine. He also stated that his phone was not working.
I looked at the caller ID and saw the name of the hotel. We looked it up on the Internet and found its address. On Saturday, we tried calling his cell again. Nothing. So, we drove to that hotel and looked for his SUV. Nothing. We logged into our wireless account and started calling the numbers that he called from his cell phone. In the meantime, we headed back to the house.
We successfully reached about 6 of his friends and finally hit a jack pot with a young girl from Buford. Schizo-boy was there. His mom demanded that he come home within the hour.
He did make it home but about 2 hours later or so. He started laundry and then took off for a few hours without saying anything. Then he came back, ate some supper, finished his laundry and went to bed.
The next day, Sunday, March 15, 2009, he woke up 'round noon and started working on his truck. I told his mom that he was not going to voluntarily talk with us. So, she went out there and did her usual tough talk. Schizo-boy responded with the same pissed-off talk back. I let the situation calm down a few minutes and then met him in the kitchen and tried to have a calm, intelligent conversation with him.
I told him that his mom had talked with an old friend of hers whose 18 year old also had schizophrenia. But they found a medicine that he takes once per month that is also available at the public health facility and the medicine was helping the kid, not making him groggy, and he was able to live a normal life.
Schizo-boy said he would be willing to try the medicine because he said that his mind was already scrambled and it couldn't hurt it any worse.
(note to self, get him that shot!!)
He also stated that the Abilify wasn't doing anything for him and the doctor that prescribed it to him was a crank.
We sort of agreed with him there.
I looked at the caller ID and saw the name of the hotel. We looked it up on the Internet and found its address. On Saturday, we tried calling his cell again. Nothing. So, we drove to that hotel and looked for his SUV. Nothing. We logged into our wireless account and started calling the numbers that he called from his cell phone. In the meantime, we headed back to the house.
We successfully reached about 6 of his friends and finally hit a jack pot with a young girl from Buford. Schizo-boy was there. His mom demanded that he come home within the hour.
He did make it home but about 2 hours later or so. He started laundry and then took off for a few hours without saying anything. Then he came back, ate some supper, finished his laundry and went to bed.
The next day, Sunday, March 15, 2009, he woke up 'round noon and started working on his truck. I told his mom that he was not going to voluntarily talk with us. So, she went out there and did her usual tough talk. Schizo-boy responded with the same pissed-off talk back. I let the situation calm down a few minutes and then met him in the kitchen and tried to have a calm, intelligent conversation with him.
I told him that his mom had talked with an old friend of hers whose 18 year old also had schizophrenia. But they found a medicine that he takes once per month that is also available at the public health facility and the medicine was helping the kid, not making him groggy, and he was able to live a normal life.
Schizo-boy said he would be willing to try the medicine because he said that his mind was already scrambled and it couldn't hurt it any worse.
(note to self, get him that shot!!)
He also stated that the Abilify wasn't doing anything for him and the doctor that prescribed it to him was a crank.
We sort of agreed with him there.
Thursday, March 12, 2009
Lost, cause, huh?
Last week, we saw the schizo boy just a couple of times. He did not talk voluntarily and spoke in very short sentences when we did ask him a question directly. Then he was gone from Thursday until Monday morning early.
Then we have not seen him again since... it is now Thursday.
We are considering filing a missing person's report at this point because he's not answering his cell nor responding to text-messages.
Looks like the Abilify ain't doing poop.
Then we have not seen him again since... it is now Thursday.
We are considering filing a missing person's report at this point because he's not answering his cell nor responding to text-messages.
Looks like the Abilify ain't doing poop.
Monday, February 09, 2009
Do we have a winner?
So, schizo-boy kept his appointment two Thursdays ago. He and his mom and the Psychiatrist were busy for a couple of HOURS! They did a few tests together, etc. according to the doc - without being prompted with the boy's history, came to the conclusion that he is at least bi-polar. So, he gave him a pack of meds called Abilify which would last him for one week. And then told him to be there the next week at the same time.
Schizo-boy was a little angry I think because he thought he was going to be able to just walk in and get a script for Xanax. hehe. (Foiled again!) At any rate, he kept his appointment this last Thursday because I think the Abilify is helping at least a litle bit. But, his mom found out that one night, he was watching TV with his buddies and suddenly he said his face was slowly moving on it's own to the left and he couldn't stop it except to hold it with his hand.
His mom told him that he should tell the doc. Not sure if he did or not, but he came home with a real prescription for Abilify and something to help him sleep.
O' LORD please let him continue to seek this treatment and that it works...
Schizo-boy was a little angry I think because he thought he was going to be able to just walk in and get a script for Xanax. hehe. (Foiled again!) At any rate, he kept his appointment this last Thursday because I think the Abilify is helping at least a litle bit. But, his mom found out that one night, he was watching TV with his buddies and suddenly he said his face was slowly moving on it's own to the left and he couldn't stop it except to hold it with his hand.
His mom told him that he should tell the doc. Not sure if he did or not, but he came home with a real prescription for Abilify and something to help him sleep.
O' LORD please let him continue to seek this treatment and that it works...
Thursday, January 29, 2009
I shoulda been a Psychiatrist!
Finally, after calling over 20 doctors, I found a doctor that took his medicare/medicaid, AND had an appointment open for today.
Jesus there are so many Psychiatrists out there. And they are all booked! Out of the 20 I called, the next closest appointment was at the end of February.
If I could do this all over, I would definitely go to school to be a psychiatrist.
more later.
Jesus there are so many Psychiatrists out there. And they are all booked! Out of the 20 I called, the next closest appointment was at the end of February.
If I could do this all over, I would definitely go to school to be a psychiatrist.
more later.
It's back, but just a little different this time.
Last night, we were winding up our family room time and about to head to the bedroom when the stepson showed up in the room. He hit the couch and played with the cat for a bit and he seemed a little agitated like he had to get something off of his chest.
This is when I stopped what I was doing and really took a look at his face. His eyes are very tired looking. They are darting around. His speech is almost too bright. I knew that our little problem was back at that point. So, I asked him if he had been having problems sleeping lately. He said that he had and also that his diet was not very good either. (he's been hanging out with his buddies for 2 or 3 weeks almost straight.)
So, we were about to walk out of the room and he brought up that he wanted his mom to find a place that would prescribe the medicines he needed. She asked him which ones those were. His answer? *my jaw hitting floor here* "Those psychotic medicines, nerve pills, the ones for schizophrenia. Please make me an appointment for tomorrow so I can get the pills tomorrow!"
I was ECSTATIC! He just admitted, for the first time while more or less in his right mind, btw, that he needed help, that he has Schizophrenia, and that he thought talking to someone and getting meds would help him with that.
YESSSSS!
More as it happens.
This is when I stopped what I was doing and really took a look at his face. His eyes are very tired looking. They are darting around. His speech is almost too bright. I knew that our little problem was back at that point. So, I asked him if he had been having problems sleeping lately. He said that he had and also that his diet was not very good either. (he's been hanging out with his buddies for 2 or 3 weeks almost straight.)
So, we were about to walk out of the room and he brought up that he wanted his mom to find a place that would prescribe the medicines he needed. She asked him which ones those were. His answer? *my jaw hitting floor here* "Those psychotic medicines, nerve pills, the ones for schizophrenia. Please make me an appointment for tomorrow so I can get the pills tomorrow!"
I was ECSTATIC! He just admitted, for the first time while more or less in his right mind, btw, that he needed help, that he has Schizophrenia, and that he thought talking to someone and getting meds would help him with that.
YESSSSS!
More as it happens.
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