Mominator
Member
I have a telephonic appointment with the psychiatrist tomorrow morning to review my concerns about Son12. I'm frustrated because we have asked the Residential Treatment Center (RTC) staff for 2 months to let us know when the next medication review is scheduled. We kept getting told the doctor makes the schedule then advises the Residential Treatment Center (RTC), but that when the schedule is made, we will be notified. However Friday during our CFT, we were told the doctor notified the Residential Treatment Center (RTC) of the appointment the same day as the appointment. The Residential Treatment Center (RTC) staff said the psychiatrist was informed we wanted to be included, but he decided since the Residential Treatment Center (RTC) staff were not requesting any medication changes, we didn't need to be involved in the brief appointment.
We keep running into this type of behavior related to the care of our boys because 99% of the kids in our situation will never return to their parents and are in foster care, either because the parents were abusive /neglectful or because the parents / family don't want the kids back. That isn't our situation. So we informed the Residential Treatment Center (RTC) staff that the psychiatrist doesn't have the right to make the decision to exclude us and as their legal guardians and parents, we demanded another appointment.
We are being granted 15 minutes and I'm concerned that with the fuss that's been made, either the psychiatrist won't be open minded, OR I will be too brain fogged (as I am right now) to effectively communicate the issue. I wanted to do research and present him with facts, but the appointment was sprung on me a couple hours ago, and I haven't been successful in finding on-line the facts I believe will illustrate my point of view. SOOOOO I'm hoping one or more of you will be able to help.
The school psychologist recently told me that depression in kids presents as behavior issues rather than overall sadness like it does in adults. That made me think that Son12 might be experiencing a high level of anxiety. He is diagnosed ODD, ADHD, and Reactive Attachment Disorder (RAD). Even though he can stare right through you when you are talking directly at him, he does take what you say and follows through with it for a brief period of time. For example, he has not been doing his treatment work. When we can get him to talk to us honestly, he says he isn't doing it because he is playing with the other kids. He always worries he will miss out on something if he isn't with everyone else. Does he want to come home- YES. Does he know he can't come home unless he completes his therapy- YES. Does he do his therapy - no because it's too painful.
I don't know if I can express all the reasons I think it's anxiety, but even though he isn't diagnosed with Obsessive Compulsive Disorder (OCD) (psychiatrist said he has tendencies, but doesn't want to diagnose it because it could be PTSD), he does a lot of things that are ritualistic. For example: To go to the bathroom, he has to flip the light switch off and on multiple times before entering the room. Once in the bathroom, he has to lock and unlock the door multiple times before using the facility. When he's finished, he has to open the door before he can flush. At the Residential Treatment Center (RTC), he had a bedroom with a private bathroom. He was proud of it for a couple days, but eventually, the bathroom began to freak him out and they had to move him to a room without a bathroom.
On top of it all, when he was tested by the neuropsychologist, we were told he is very smart, but has a very slow processing speed and even slower working memory. So, to me that would be a reason for him to hate to write, especially if he has to identify and admit to painful memories and thinking patterns. In my opinion, by the time he gets ready to write, the other kids are done with their treatment work and homework and ready for leisure time, so he gives up and does the leisure activities.
I would like the doctor to put him on some kind of anti-anxiety medication to see if it helps with his control issues and lack of perceived effort in treatment.
Does it sound like I am making excuses or being reasonable? If it's reasonable, does anyone have any experience or know where to point me on the internet for information about different manifestations of anxiety?
Thanks for your help.
We keep running into this type of behavior related to the care of our boys because 99% of the kids in our situation will never return to their parents and are in foster care, either because the parents were abusive /neglectful or because the parents / family don't want the kids back. That isn't our situation. So we informed the Residential Treatment Center (RTC) staff that the psychiatrist doesn't have the right to make the decision to exclude us and as their legal guardians and parents, we demanded another appointment.
We are being granted 15 minutes and I'm concerned that with the fuss that's been made, either the psychiatrist won't be open minded, OR I will be too brain fogged (as I am right now) to effectively communicate the issue. I wanted to do research and present him with facts, but the appointment was sprung on me a couple hours ago, and I haven't been successful in finding on-line the facts I believe will illustrate my point of view. SOOOOO I'm hoping one or more of you will be able to help.
The school psychologist recently told me that depression in kids presents as behavior issues rather than overall sadness like it does in adults. That made me think that Son12 might be experiencing a high level of anxiety. He is diagnosed ODD, ADHD, and Reactive Attachment Disorder (RAD). Even though he can stare right through you when you are talking directly at him, he does take what you say and follows through with it for a brief period of time. For example, he has not been doing his treatment work. When we can get him to talk to us honestly, he says he isn't doing it because he is playing with the other kids. He always worries he will miss out on something if he isn't with everyone else. Does he want to come home- YES. Does he know he can't come home unless he completes his therapy- YES. Does he do his therapy - no because it's too painful.
I don't know if I can express all the reasons I think it's anxiety, but even though he isn't diagnosed with Obsessive Compulsive Disorder (OCD) (psychiatrist said he has tendencies, but doesn't want to diagnose it because it could be PTSD), he does a lot of things that are ritualistic. For example: To go to the bathroom, he has to flip the light switch off and on multiple times before entering the room. Once in the bathroom, he has to lock and unlock the door multiple times before using the facility. When he's finished, he has to open the door before he can flush. At the Residential Treatment Center (RTC), he had a bedroom with a private bathroom. He was proud of it for a couple days, but eventually, the bathroom began to freak him out and they had to move him to a room without a bathroom.
On top of it all, when he was tested by the neuropsychologist, we were told he is very smart, but has a very slow processing speed and even slower working memory. So, to me that would be a reason for him to hate to write, especially if he has to identify and admit to painful memories and thinking patterns. In my opinion, by the time he gets ready to write, the other kids are done with their treatment work and homework and ready for leisure time, so he gives up and does the leisure activities.
I would like the doctor to put him on some kind of anti-anxiety medication to see if it helps with his control issues and lack of perceived effort in treatment.
Does it sound like I am making excuses or being reasonable? If it's reasonable, does anyone have any experience or know where to point me on the internet for information about different manifestations of anxiety?
Thanks for your help.