neednewtechnique
New Member
Okay, today was the first day we were able to go visit difficult child at the inpatient facility she was placed at earlier this week. I do not think the visit went well at all. She was nice and all, not mean or angry or in a bad mood, but my confidence level in the facility itself kinda plummetted and dropped through the floor while we were there. I guess I have HEARD GREAT things about the place, so their methods must work, but I just was a little put off by some of the way they do things. For starters, they meet with their psychiatrist every day (during the week), but I thought that they also had individual therapy and counseling with their therapist everyday, and then I found out that they don't actually spend much time in individual sessions at all...for example, her therapist was there today, but they didn't have a session, and he is off and will not even SEE her again until Wednesday.
Not to mention, I am starting to notice that she was acting kinda drowsy and loopy while we were there. I would not consider it quite the "zombie" effect we worry about with overmedicating, but she was very obviously drugged and it wasn't far from the "zombie" behavior. I told them when they tried to order the Seroquel that she had taken it before and did NOT do well with it, but that at that point in time, it was being used in combination with several other medications, so I told them they could try it by itself and see how it works, but that if there were ANY problems, I did NOT want them to continue with it. I told them that the Lamictal works for her, and since she has gained some weight since her last increase and she never really got up to a full dose anyway, they had some room to work on dosages and things, and that I would prefer if they decided on a mood stabilizer to stick with the ones we know. But the FIRST thing they do is go back and try one we have already been through that we KNOW she cannot handle. She cannot take Seroquel for the same reasons she cannot take Abilify or some of the others. Anything with a drowsing affect will knock her out.
I guess I am just a little frustrated. They think she will be ready to come home on Thursday, but she is scared, she said she was happy, and that she felt a little better, but that she doesn't feel like she has really done much work on anything, other than sitting in group. She said she talks in group, but that she doesnt really feel comfortable really talking about some of her feelings and problems.
I dunno, I know that inpatient can be very helpful, but I have NEVER heard of a facility where they don't see their therapist or have individual counseling sessions regularly???????
Not to mention, I am starting to notice that she was acting kinda drowsy and loopy while we were there. I would not consider it quite the "zombie" effect we worry about with overmedicating, but she was very obviously drugged and it wasn't far from the "zombie" behavior. I told them when they tried to order the Seroquel that she had taken it before and did NOT do well with it, but that at that point in time, it was being used in combination with several other medications, so I told them they could try it by itself and see how it works, but that if there were ANY problems, I did NOT want them to continue with it. I told them that the Lamictal works for her, and since she has gained some weight since her last increase and she never really got up to a full dose anyway, they had some room to work on dosages and things, and that I would prefer if they decided on a mood stabilizer to stick with the ones we know. But the FIRST thing they do is go back and try one we have already been through that we KNOW she cannot handle. She cannot take Seroquel for the same reasons she cannot take Abilify or some of the others. Anything with a drowsing affect will knock her out.
I guess I am just a little frustrated. They think she will be ready to come home on Thursday, but she is scared, she said she was happy, and that she felt a little better, but that she doesn't feel like she has really done much work on anything, other than sitting in group. She said she talks in group, but that she doesnt really feel comfortable really talking about some of her feelings and problems.
I dunno, I know that inpatient can be very helpful, but I have NEVER heard of a facility where they don't see their therapist or have individual counseling sessions regularly???????