Just gets weirder.

AnnieO

Shooting from the Hip
I honestly do think I fell down the rabbit hole, and apparently got a good hit off the caterpillar's hookah while I was there. Whew.

So yesterday, just past noon, Pat went walking by me in the kitchen, wearing heavy work boots, heavy sweatpants, his coat with the hood up, and bright blue rubberized gardening gloves.

I said to him (paraphrased conversation)... "Uh, it's eighty degrees."

His response? "Well, I'm gonna go for a walk."

"You're going to roast. Besides, if the police see you, they might find your outfit a tad suspicious."

He left, anyway. This is the kid who, up until about 6 months ago, would wear shorts year-round. Getting him in a coat was a major struggle - and he "lost" every pair of gloves, ever. He keeps the fan on in his room all the time. Used to complain he was always hot. And, it wasn't raining - it was bright sunlight, 82 degrees Fahrenheit after snow the week before.

He came back, and left again, several times.

The cable guy came by about 2:30. While he was working on the modem, I walked into Rose's room to put away her clean clothes. As I did so, I walked by his bedroom (right next to hers)... He was sitting on his bed, with his pants around his ankles (but the coat still on). Due to angle and brevity of my glance, I saw only thighs and calves. I told him to pull up his pants, that we had company.

Later, I was downstairs with Rose, and ran upstairs for my drink... In time to catch him trying to break into the freezer again. As I mentioned before, there's plenty of food he likes in the other freezer and fridge, and pantry. He startled, looked guilty, and walked away. I reminded him there was plenty of other food.

To get ANYTHING done, we had to agree to have him charged as an unruly child. Now, the court can order him to cooperate with a well-child check, drug test him, and if that's clean we've asked for an involuntary MH evaluation. Honestly, I don't think they'll find drugs.

Still...

Oh yeah. Friday, we got KFC for dinner and I made sure he knew it was there. He took it to his room (strictly against the rules, but we put it in the deal-with-it-later basket. Anyway, the dog followed him in... Later I saw the empty bucket and a wad of toilet paper in the recycling bin. No sign of the bones. Since the dog can't get to that bin... Where are the bones? Did he feed them to the dog?!
 

GoingNorth

Crazy Cat Lady
Most likely he did feed them to the dog. You need to call your vet and ask him what to do to help the bones pass, what sx of distress to watch out, and how long to wait for the bones to pass.
 

InsaneCdn

Well-Known Member
Annie, this isn't just weird, it's more like scary. I'm wondering if there is any chance of some psychosis involved. This seems to be progressive - not just more of the same that you've dealt with before, at the same level. But a lot more of the same, plus a lot more other stuff. This, on the surface, is "totally random". But it might not be random, if you know what I mean.
 

pasajes4

Well-Known Member
Is there anyway to get him somewhere for an emergency psychiatric evaluation at a hospital. Perhaps go to the er and state that due to his bizarre behavior you believe that he either had a stroke or that he has ingested some kind of toxin. It maybe the fastest way to know if something is going on .
 

AnnieO

Shooting from the Hip
I agree that this is definitely a problem. My parents picked him up from school to take him to the court class yesterday, and per Mom, he was acting normal for him - quiet, but he always is around her - though she did notice the coat.

When Bill went to pick him up, he ran into the coordinator, who also commented on Pat's attire. She wants us to discuss it and the behavior with the counselor. However, easier said than done. Part of what we have been doing with the counselor is letting Pat talk to him alone - without either of us. At the very beginning, the agreement was made OUT LOUD between myself, Bill, Pat and the counselor that we would not be told ANYTHING that Pat said. The counselor did make sure Pat understood the mandatory reporting requirements. (There were issues in the past with counselors telling biomom what he said... Sigh.) So we never go in with him. If we suddenly do so, he will clam up faster than a Venus Fly Trap.

To get around THAT, I'm going to type up a detailed letter with EVERYTHING, and hand deliver it this afternoon (that will give the counselor a week to read, call and ask questions, and so on).

Yeah, I'm doing a lot of the work on this, but there's a good reason... Bill does quite a lot where Pat is concerned, but he also just started a new job a month ago, so I am the one who can take time off. As for the letter, I have more knowledge and more time!
 

AnnieO

Shooting from the Hip
Is there anyway to get him somewhere for an emergency psychiatric evaluation at a hospital. Perhaps go to the er and state that due to his bizarre behavior you believe that he either had a stroke or that he has ingested some kind of toxin. It maybe the fastest way to know if something is going on .

Easier said than done. He refuses even a well child check up, so this would not go over well, either. We'd need to call the squad, and if he isn't doing anything when they get here, they won't take him. We barely got Belle taken ONCE and that is because she was actively raging when they arrived.
 

pasajes4

Well-Known Member
I tricked mine into going to the er. When we got there, the staff noticed his bizarre behavior and his protesting became a moot point. If you play the possible stroke card, they move really quickly. The person is considered incapable of making decisions about their own care. Just a thought.
 

InsaneCdn

Well-Known Member
He isn't just shy, Annie. He's reclusive. There is a major difference. I like my private time and space - but I interact "normally" with people, just not as much as some people expect. The strange clothing? I was more alarmed by the "dressed way too hot" than the actual style statement.

Maybe it IS mini-strokes. Or a brain tumour. Who says it has to be "just" mental illness and/or developmental concerns? If it is a medical issue, it needs to be dealt with, and sooner rather than later. Some of these changes are relatively recent. What triggered it? Nothing that you can measure.
 

AppleCori

Well-Known Member
Long ago I was in an online support group for people with a mentally ill relative.

There was this man whose wife had a delusional disorder. One morning, as he was driving to work with the wife following behind him in her car (for reasons only she knew) he saw the emergency room sign and, on a whim, drove toward it.

She realized what he was up to and ran in ahead of him, yelling that her husband was acting crazy and needed to be committed. He tried to explain what was really happening, but they believed the wife, at first. It wasn't until they checked him out and started talking to them both that he got her to admit to some of her delusional beliefs and actions and they were able to get her admitted.
 

pasajes4

Well-Known Member
I told him I needed to go to the emergency room and needed his help. I filled the paper work out for him. They took it from there.
 

AnnieO

Shooting from the Hip
Ahh, IC, what I meant was that to others (who don't live with him), he just seems shy. So if we had to get the squad involved, they'd act like we were insane. He does not present as a danger to anyone (as I told Bill at lunch today, if he did, I wouldn't allow Rose near him).

Heck, we can't even do anything about mother in law, who has truly gone round the bend.
 

AnnieO

Shooting from the Hip
I have barely seen him. Picked him up from his anger management class on Monday evening, and he didn't say a word to me. Rose was all excited to see him, and he didn't say anything to her, either.

He has begun sharing our dinner... But he still won't eat with us. Just goes and hides in his room. I've put that in basket C because it's better than him eating ramen or just peanut butter sandwiches. Still with the coat, though it's been cooler this week.

We have court on Monday. Well, he and Bill do... We are tag-teaming all the appointments - I picked him up Monday, Bill took him to his counseling on Tuesday, I'm doing IEP meeting tomorrow, Bill's got court Monday. We did the same thing with Belle once. Technically, I am not his legal guardian in any way - I only have a POA for Bill - so I tend to step back from the REALLY big stuff. Anyway, I'm hoping the court will order an evaluation, after Bill asks. If they don't, or they dismiss - which they might - he will think he's won.

The other day, we talked to Belle... Let him talk to her, too, of course. I overheard him tell her that he didn't have to do anything we said because we couldn't even get Rose to mind. Rose is THREE! Of course she doesn't mind. :rofl:
 

InsaneCdn

Well-Known Member
I overheard him tell her that he didn't have to do anything we said because we couldn't even get Rose to mind. Rose is THREE! Of course she doesn't mind
That is so doggone ASPIE that its crazy!
No concept of differentiation of expectations based on age.
 
Top