difficult child/the voices/the appts.

[tammyjh]

Last week I posted that difficult child was telling her spec. ed. teacher that she was hearing voices and that they were telling her to do "bad things". We had the appointment. with her therapist yesterday morning and she(difficult child) played it off like it was more or less her conscience or her talking to herself so we didn't get anywhere with it. difficult child also kept changing the subject and going from topic to topic so getting back to it was impossible. But, the in home support people were here and as the one lady is a psychologist, she's coming back on Thursday to do an evaluation. She works with a lot of people who hear voices so she knows what to look for. She also works with difficult child's therapist and psychiatrist and will refer us immediately to psychiatrist if she feels its more than her "talking to herself". difficult child was home for part of the meeting with our other in home support person and it didn't go well. difficult child's mood fluctuated quite a bit so S(the support person) was able to see a little of difficult child "doing her thing". She mentioned that difficult child's behavior reminds her of another girl that she worked with who had an attatchment disorder. We've heard this before from a clinical social worker at the hospital where difficult child spent 6 months (developmental disorder unit). She also said difficult child seemed to have some symtoms similar to kids with attatchment disorder. Where this will end up, I don't know but its no surprise to husband and I because we've been telling people for yrs. that she has never really been connected to us or anything really. But, I'm anxious for these people to spend more time here in the home environment with her so they can see how she really ticks.

 

[BusynMember]

I want to warn you that kids who hear voices often start to deny it. As one woman I know said--she started hearing voices at a very young age--"First of all, you wonder if everyone hears them. Then you're afraid people will say you're crazy and lock you up." Psychologists can also ask leading questions such as, "Are you sure it's not just YOU talking to yourself?" that can make the child wonder. I think you should skip the psychologist and go to a psychiatrist. There is no bonafide way to know or tell if a child is hearing voices. If they say they are, in my opinion, it's best to treat it like they are. It is unusual for a child to hear her own self telling her to do bad things. That sounds like hallucinations. Untreated, the voices get worse and more damaging. I wish you luck. This is hard to accept, but in my opinion it's best to leap to the top (Psychiatrist with the MD) and treat this scary symptom.

 

[tammyjh]

Well, difficult child isn't afraid of anyone locking her up because she likes going to the hospital and wants to go. The psychologist specifically stated that she wouldn't be asking any leading statements like "are you sure you aren't talking to yourself?" and she urged me not to ask any leading questions either. She said she was concerned where difficult child mentioned to the spec. ed. teacher that she wanted the voices to stop. The psychiatrist...I don't have much faith in going to her first...we butt heads too much. If e have others behind us when we go, it will be easier to get her to work with us. We've had some bad experiences with psychiatrists to date. I'm a little more comfortable with someone who's been in my house, spent hours talking with husband and I, and seen some of how difficult child acts.
thanks for responding

 

[susiestar]

Tammy,

Follow your instincts. I have had a couple of therapists who I would have happily seen before other psychiatrists, some I wouldn't have. And a couple of psychiatrists who actively tried to talk my son out of hearing voices. "You don't really want to hear voices, do you??" (I almost spit coffee out all over his desk at THAT question!)

Generally, YOU (the parents) have the best instincts as to what is going on. You are with the child far more than any of the professionals.

I would not be surprised to find that this could happen after the seizure surgery. Nor would I be surprised to find that part of whatever they removed was linked to attachment, or anything else. It is so very tough to know for certain the side effects of surgery like that. It was clearly a drastic measure taken to meet a drastic need.

Hugs, and sorry you are getting problems with the conflicting agendas from the "pros" on the voices. It is a scary thing to go through as a parent, and, I imagine, as a child.

SUsie