Thanks for the comments. So, currently Kobe is in a State mental hospital as they are working to get him stable. He then wants to go to a halfway house after that for awhile at least and then his goal is to get an apartment. His idea sounds great to me but he is in no way going to be able to last very long in an unlocked space and not get into another bad episode which could lead to harm to himself or others. His is doing pretty well after a week and a half at this new hospital but they have him so sedated he can barley talk. He is getting Clozaril, Invega, Lithium, and Clonazapam. And then when he says he is having slight epsisoes which is still very often (almost daily) they give him Lorazapam and Haldol.
Would anyone on here have a true specialist in dealing with a very hard case like Kobe?
We could handle the epsiodes - but when the aggressive attacking got going - it was too much. We did reach out to the doctor that was mentioned on here - but he was in Austin, TX and the did not accept insurance and he would only do a face to face. We would be comfortable with a zoom or otherwise. Thanks again!!
it sounds like a lot of mix of medicines, is that good?
I did a medical medicine DNA test which is a swap of cotton on
a check in a second through a psychiatrist to get an idea of
which medicines are bad, good, or nuetral.
This is ridiculous. WHY would they say he is untreatable? Order this book on Clozapine written by one of the top experts in the U.S. on this medication (https://www.amazon.com/MEANINGFUL-RECOVERY-Schizophrenia-Serious-Clozapine/dp/172748424X) or find it at a discount such as at Thriftbooks.com) and ask to join the private Facebook group āTeam Daniel and the Clozapine Communityā. I am very serious. LOTS of good information there. There are other posts on this site here about Clozapine. Donāt let people or doctors scare you. FACT: Clozapine is an underused medication in the U.S. and people are not getting the help they needā¦some are DYINGā¦because of the current misinformation about Clozapine (and some unnecessary hurdles to being on it that we are trying to get changed with the FDA). AND, for those persons who are unable to see their need for treatment, a must-read and put-into-practice book is āI Am Not Sick; I Donāt Need Helpā by Dr. Xavier Amador. There are also lots of post on this site about that book and the LEAP methodology for communicating with such a person to get them to agree to treatment.
KobeBlueās son is receiving Clozapine, Clozaril is another trade name for Clozapine.
My Family to Family teacherās son received a cocktail of drugs along with Clozapine. He had tremendous results, but like most patients receiving Clozapine, the recovery is slow.
My apologies! I had not read the additional post from @KobeBlue. Yes, Clozaril/Clozapine are the same medicationā¦I appreciate your @hope clarification of all that! My personal experience with my son, and also considering the many stories from other families I have heard, is that as Clozapine (or possibly other A/P) heals the brain, the personās behavior often becomes more normal. It IS a gradual process and takes time. My concern is the cocktail of meds that this young man is currently on. Multiple meds may be appropriate, but for the right reasons. The āLaitman protocolā identified in the book and the Facebook group I mentioned above go into great detail about best practices for Clozaril administration. Another observation is that individuals respond best to differing treatment programs. My son (who had been a flight risk) did, in fact, do very well in a group home where he was required to take medication and it was monitored, but it was not lockdown. There was a mandatory curfew and residents had to check in and out during the day. So there was a lot of oversight, In fact, once he did wander away but he had only been on Clozapine for a short period of time and thankfully, was located quickly and returned without incident to the home. He eventually was able to think more clearly, apply for jobs and now he has been working for 3.5 years and living independently (with some help from parents) for most of that time. Itās not perfect, but the transformation is phenomenal. Some treatment programs have a lockdown with step down process. To @KobeBlue, I suggest interviewing several and see what might seem best for your son. He is headed on a path that will hopefully lead to meaningful recovery and I wish you, and him, the very best!
Thanks so much for your postings @hope4us, I know everyone appreciates knowing there are success stories.
Our forum members from the UK are also concerned with the cocktail med approach. They have told us such combinations are rare on their side of the pond.
Hello Iām in FL and I have been told there is no such thing as a lock down facility in the United States and they only lock down is is a state hospital. Can you share where theses lock down programs are?
Iām not sure if I am using the best words, but yes, I know of a residential treatment program that has one unit which is locked 24/7. There is an emergency exit, however, and the unit is staffed 24/7. It is safe. I have seen itā¦my son was there for 3 weeks. Also, the group home I know of just locked itās doors at night. Iām sure this is fairly common. Perhaps you are referring to being able to keep a person involuntarily. It IS true that involuntary commitment is a legal matter and generally speaking, an adult cannot be held (beyond a āevaluationā timeframe specified by law) against his/her wishes unless he/she is of danger to him/herself. (The laws specific to this vary somewhat from state to state.)