Quote From: neyneyhopefully someone out there is going Thur the same thing our family is i have three grown children and am at my Witt's end with the youngest .he has always been difficult to manage and talk too at an early age he was diagnosed with dyslexia and ADHD and was medicated with adderal .when he turned 17 our nightmare began. he quit school. evaded the police on a four wheeler led them on a two hour chase was apprehended. and didn't have any regrets as to what he had done ,through the legal system he was placed on probation for a year ,he then decided he was not going to take his meds .we suffered a house fire that started in his room and lost all we had .then his father my husband was diagnosed with a incurable untreatable disease called IBM .he began to have episodes of total rage. actually punching holes in the walls .denting steel doors .then the next half hour he was laughing and joking.this is when the coaster from heck started .his Father due to his health condition could not control our son at all during these episodes .i took my son too out family Doctor who said he was depressed and prescribed effoxor .he took it for a couple weeks and was consolable.then decided he didn't want to take it any more. the rage episodes came back quickly .then he lost three of his best friends in a auto accident .and began being depressed
his then girlfriend also best friends with the three that were killed .left my son for the sole survivor of the crash and his best friend. my son then began daily rage and depressed episodes . finally over coming the depression with the help of a new girlfriend whose boyfriend has also died in the crash . i thought my son was healing he got a job a vehicle and was turning around, when in march last year another one of his friends were killed in auto accident . his grandfather went in to hospital for surgery then unexpectedly died ,his great grandfather in June whom lived with us was diagnosed with terminal cancer . my son got into more legal trouble we had to hire an attorney this time which was quite expensive for drug charges . in October my son was present when my grandfather took his last breath and in October my son was arrested again and began a self destruct lifestyle . he lost forty seven pounds wouldn't eat or drink tried to harm him self by flipping his truck. we had to call the police and try to seek him some mental health. at the hospital after the police took him there he told the ER doctor he had no reason to live and wanted to be with his friends that died. we were sent to a private mental health facility .and he was prescribed remeron to aid him in his sleep and to eat ..that lasted two weeks ..his current girlfriend then announced she was pregnant.and he seemed happy ..he was arrested again for harassment of the ex girlfriend by telephone ..why he was still in contact with her i don't know ..after another one of his rage episodes his girlfriend said the baby may not be his ..he was on the phone to her when he purposely wrecked his truck and fled the scene trying to wreck truck again .the police were called and came to the house.. we were told to bring son to the troop which seemed odd to me.. but now i know his girlfriend called police and said he was trying to hurt himself the police called crisis team in to speak to my son ..and every time he talks to these mental health people he lies and tells them what they want to hear he agreed that night he would come home with us.. and would go to mental clinic in the morning and was given eight tickets for the accidents even the police officer giving him the tickets didn't think he understood what had happened ..and he had no clue as to what he did with his truck ..after leaving the police station he became raged and jumped out the back window of our truck and said he was running into road to kill himself i called 911 and they caught up with him three miles down the road ..he was taken into custody and crisis team called back out this time ..they assured me he was going to ER and would be admitted we followed them to ER signed him in the police signed and the crisis team ..i left there with my son screaming after me it was the hardest thing any mother would have to go.. Thur but i had to tell myself he would finally get the help he needed .i cried all the way home finally exhausted we got into bed at 1 am ..and tried to sleep and prayed for god to help my son.. when the phone rang at 4 am it was my son saying he had been release.. after explaining to him i could not come get him he placed the new ER doctor on the phone who said he was indeed released ..and he was never taken to mental clinic i asked the Doctor what would happen if i didn't come get him he said he would still be release ..i explained to him that this child tried to wreck his truck jumped out of a moving vehicle unto the highway ..and he was releasing him i told the Doctor i was furious.. and would hold him responsible if anything happened to my son ...i have called clinics mental health therapist and physciatist all have a two week to six month waiting list .he is being seen this Thursday but he will not tell the doctor the truth i needed to vent to someone and if there any one else out there going Thur this too please email any help would be appreciated
I am so sorry for all that you, your family, and your son have been through! Because it takes so long to get in for help, THE MOST IMPORTANT THING IS TO GET THE MOST OUT OF YOUR SON'S DOCTOR APPT TOMORROW!! for what its worth, here are a few ideas/suggestions on how to do that (please understand that I am not a health professional; these ideas are based on my own experiences and research regarding ADHD, depression, bipolar disorder, medical treatments & diagnoses, etc.) I wish you the very best!!
Because most (if not all?) mental health illnesses can't be determined using biological tests (blood tests, x-rays, etc...it seems brain scans may shed some light but unless you have one readily available??...) the doctors & therapists MUST rely on the symptoms described to them by the patient and/or family members. In order to have the best chance at an accurate diagnosis then, you need to give the doctor accurate info to work with. So my first suggestion is to do whatever it takes to be in the room when your son meets with the doctor. I don't know your son, of course, but I agree with you that it is very likely he won't tell the doctor everything. One reason for this may be due to the way your son feels about himself - most people suffering from any kind of mental illness are embarrassed, ashamed, & digusted with themselves and therefore minimize or deny their symptoms to others. Many mental illnesses cause the inflicted person's thoughts to become irrational and distorted and so the info your son does give the doctor may not be a rational account of events.
Besides meeting with the doctor, I also suggest you take as much time as you can ALONE (SO YOU CAN REALLY FOCUS) between now and the appt, grab a pencil and lots of paper and "timeline" the significant events, behaviors, and diagnoses/treatment over your son's life. Start with the day he was born and end with today, filling in the FACTS in between (try to keep your own reactions and emotions to these things out of it as much as you can). You will remember more and more as you go along - hence the need for lots of paper :). Once you feel you have a good representation of your son's battle with this, lay it all out chronologically. Make a few copies, one for the doctor, yourself and your son if you think it is a good idea. At the very least, this will give you something to reference as questions arise regarding his illness, minimizing the time spent trying to recall info while with the doctor.
The last thing I would suggest is that you arm yourself with as much knowledge about mental illness as possible. Take notes or ask the doctor to write down his conclusions/treatment plans at the end of the appt and then get on the internet. A couple good sites are www.nami.org, www.dsalliance.org, and www.healthyplace.com. They not only offer info on the illnesses & their symptoms, but also offer support and information specific to family members!!
Anyways - hope some of this helps! Good luck tomorrow....my thoughts and prayers are with you!
(Original Air Date: 03/07/06) Dr. Phil explores the ups and downs of bipolar disorder. This illness takes its victims on an emotional rollercoaster ride -- from elation to extreme irritability, intense rage, or devastating depression. First, Cathy was diagnosed with Bipolar II, 10 years ago and claims she goes from zero to psycho in 15 seconds. Dr. Phil takes a look at the toll her disorder takes on her two boys, and brings the family together for a dramatic moment of emotional healing. Then, during various manic episodes, Fred has stolen a taxi, crashed into a Starbucks, and climbed to the top of a church. He hears voices and believes that movie stars like Denzel Washington and Robert De Niro are talking to him through their movies. Still, Fred thinks he’s ready to move out of his parents’ house and live on his own for good … but should his family let him? Talk about the show here.
