My son is not doing well these days.The meds (10mg of abilify+450mg Seroquel)never were terrific,but seem to be losing their effectiveness.He has put on 25+lbs these past two months.Now he is getting up in middle of night to eat and his blood sugar is out-of-control.A lot of fighting/arguing with his brother.We did finally manage to get an appt at the early-psychosis program at the beginning of October.It is a one-time appt where they determine if they can help.I’m not sure what services are actually available so I’m cautiously optimistic.School starts in two weeks and he won’t be going.I’m going to do my best to teach him at home.I guess having to make that phone call to the school is such a painful acknowledgement of what he has lost.I worry about his depression-being stuck at home while everyone else goes to school.He still struggles with insight+not really understanding why he can’t go to school.I feel like I’m just rambling on!I definitely feel at my limit for stress these days and need to vent somewhere that people understand.It feels like I’m on a giant roller coaster ride,ready to go over the edge.There’s no getting off and it’s full speed ahead!
How is his sleep? Too little sleep can make him worse. It could be a sign he is getting worse or it could be the reason. Take away his computer at night so he can’t sit there all night and not sleep. How old is he?
Wish I could help. Here’s some advice I’ve heard and seen on these forums often. You have to take care of yourself too. Even though it may seem incongruous for someone in your position, it would not be bad to treat yourself to something or do something fun. I’m sure you’ve seen this often too. If you let yourself go you will not be able to take care of him as good as you want to. I’m on seroquel too. I’ve heard three different people on here say it is a weak anti-psychotic. But everybody’s physiology is different and they can react differently to the same medications. Do you have any other resources in your area? I’ll tell you when I relapsed in 1988-89 I was in BAD shape. I had gotten out of the hospital in 1983 and after a few years I figured i would never need to be hospitalized again. But in 1988 I had several short hospitalizations and several visits to our evaluation services where 8 of us would be checked into a small room with a couple couches and a TV that got one channel.And we were locked up.We sat there for as long as 24 hours while three psyche techs interviewed us individually to see if we should be hospitalized. It took hours to be seen, sometimes I spent the night but they didn’t have beds, just those uncomfortable couches. But my dad got me into a day program at this same hospital.Some of us were VERY low-functioning. I went there three days a week for 5 hours a day for about 5 months. Our day consisted of playing volleyball, playing board games, charades, baking cookies, playing ping-pong and other basic stuff. We had a couple group therapy sessions per day. Nothing stressful or deep, just checking in. Like I said, I was in bad shape. Is there something like this for your son anywhere? Looking back, I think it helped, I was unemployed with no other structured activity and it helped to be around people who were roughly in the same boat. They even let me set my own schedule for going sometimes. You support others so much on here. If venting helps do it as much as you want, you deserve the freedom to do so. Of course you don’t need my permission, lol. And it’s too bad it’s under these circumstances. Anyway, I hope someone on here can offer some good advice and help you. Good luck
Btrfly36.
Very good advice. You will crash if you don’t take care of your self.
It really is a roller coaster ride… My son is not doing very well right now either.
Crossing my fingers for you that the early-psychosis program can help him to get on track.
Don’t worry about schooling for now. I just had to let go of this one again. My son can’t do it until he is stable.
When did he last have his medication reviewed? Drugs can lose their efficacy over time…or they might not be the right ones. Seroquel and weight gain go hand it hand, unfortunately. I’ve seen people go from skinny to big within a short time.
Try to rid your house of junk food - stock the pantry/fridge with healthy alternatives - this will make him less likely to ‘binge’.
Thank you @comatose!My son will be 13 at the end of September.He falls asleep fine,but has been unable to sleep all night.I do think the meds just aren’t working well right now.I also think he has some stress issues related to not starting school.My older son will be a sophmore in high school this year.He is excited about many things coming ahead and I know this is hard for my other son to hear.
Thanks @77nick77!You are helping just by being here!Honestly,I get strength from reading about the experiences that everyone has had.Yes-most have suffered but there has also been many positives in each struggle.I have been thinking about a day program for him if he needs to get out more.We are really walking a fine line right now as far as stability goes.I’m doing everything in my power to not push him over that line.I realize it may happen anyway but we are purposely keeping things low-key.I do feel better now that I vented! ( :
Thanks @BarbieBF!I’m sorry to hear about your son!This is such a roller coaster ride!!!I try not to get hung up on worrying about school right now.I just hope somehow in tje next 6-8yrs I can at least get him educated enough for GED.The pdoc asked me last week if I thought I would be able to homeschool him.I told her that it really depends.There is a big difference between a good day+a bad day.He will try to force his way through the material(because I reward him).On a bad day,he just doesn’t have the cognitive abilities to do it.
Thanks @Louisa84!Pdoc and I agreed to tweak meds but leave them where they are for now.If my son becomes very unstable,the closest place for him to go that can manage(we think)his diabetes+sz is a 3.5 hr trip from us.He has an appt there for the first time in October.The hope is that we can keep him somewhat stable until then.We don’t keep much junk food in house.Due to his diabetes,any food with carbohydrates in it will screw up his blood sugar without insulin.I told him today that he can text me in middle of night+I will give him shot.Pdoc said we might have to lock up everything.There are 6 people in my house so that would really be an issue.Also I am trying to use the L.E.A.P. principles to work with him vs.martial law.The diabetes+sz together is REALLY difficult and teenagers aren’t easy anyway.I appreciate all the support!This is basically my crisis line! ( :
My son was not diagnosed with schizophrenia until the age of 19. Prior to that there was mostly confusion about what might be going on. He has been on mood stabilizers since childhood. Some seemed to help for a while, but early teens were very difficult. Even tho my son was attending a small alternative school for junior high which then continued to high school, when he started freshman year, I think he became very depressed as he was realizing that somehow socially he did not ‘fit in’. Due to some extreme behaviors, his inability to attend school, and our inability to stop working, his dad and I sent him to a residential school. Some thoughts on that - 1) it IS expensive; 2) there are some really bad ones out there; 3) the routine and structure did help him.
Hi Butterfly!
Have you checked out schoolong alternatives in your area?
A lot of homeschooling moms do it together–that way, one child is not alone, he has other friends there! my sister did this in CA. She joined a group of moms, and they took turns teaching. They planned field trips etc…Also, here in KY, they have something called K-12. I believe this is a free deal. teachers teach kids online.
Good luck-Hope you can find a way to make it fun for him, and please take care of YOURSELF!!! Whatever that means for you. OO