Just received a phone call...

[butterflydreams]

Back in March, before difficult child went inpatient, while he was in PHP, psychiatrist had put him on the waiting list for Residential Treatment Center (RTC). When difficult child was discharged in early May, I was told that he was still on the list and it would be July. Well, I just received a phone call from the lady that coordinates the Residential Treatment Center (RTC) at the state facility and difficult child's name is getting ready to come up.

So now the question is, does he still need Residential Treatment Center (RTC)? There are still so many things he needs to work on - life skills, his grief, controlling his anger, etc. I have a phone call into the psychiatrist to let him know that I received this phone call and what his thoughts were. We didn't discuss this at difficult child's last appointment (the only one with psychiatrist since being discharged), just where his medications were and how things were going.

If difficult child were to go in, it would be a minimum of 3 months, which puts him out end of Sept/early Oct. I don't know. I know the intensive therapy he would receive there would be good for him, but do I take him away from the routine we have been attempting to get? I really don't know. He has been sliding into some old habits in the last month since his discharge - but in other areas you can see an improvement.

Now I'm confused. I hope psychiatrist will get a moment during the day to call me, because now I will be mulling this over all day.

Christy

 

[meowbunny]

Honestly, if it is only 3 months, the odds are it won't do much good. It took him 12 years to grow his defenses, etc. It usually takes a lot longer than a short stay to tear them own and then rebuild healthy reactions. I know my daughter basically honeymooned for the first 12 months she was in her Residential Treatment Center (RTC). Staff would ask me (in very roundabout ways why she was there). In month 12, they quit hinting and started asking me how I had coped with these behaviors for so long.

That being said, they could help him work on some of his issues and at least give him a coping skill or two. It's a tough decision.

As in many things, you know your son best. If you think it will help him, go for it. If you think it will do little or no good and just disrupt his and your life for no reason, then see if you can put if off until he shows more signs of needing it.

 

[butterflydreams]

It would be a minimum of 3 months. Depending on how he responded it could be longer. Part of me says that he could really benefit from the intensive therapy - part of me says let him try at home. I do know that when he was inpatient before being discharged in early May, the therapist and the social worker at the psychiatric hospital both felt that he needed Residential Treatment Center (RTC), but they couldn't keep him inpatient to await it because the wait was at least 2 months at that point.

Christy