New here............have a few thoughts

[lookin4help]

Hi,
I just found this site this evening and have spent time reading a few posts. Sounds like I am in the right place. I'm hoping that possibly I can offer some HOPE to other parents here who feel as lost as I have felt over the past few years; with the past 6 months being the worst.

Background: My daughter is almost 14. When she was 9 she suffered a traumatic brain injury due to a rear-end car accident (seemed VERY minor at the time) Ever since that time her life has been filled with pain, bouts with depression, self esteem issues, anxiety.....lots of counseling, lots of different drugs.

For years we tried different medications, MANY different medications........lots of counselors (she needs more structure vs. she needs less structure....etc.., etc.) Seems like every 'professional' we encountered had a new diagnosis and a new idea of how to help.

Fast forward to Sept. of 2011. She wrote a suicide note and thankfully gave it to her older brother. We called her psychiatric (still waiting to hear from her............!!!!), finally called the local children's hospital and was 'wait-listed' for an adolescent facility. TEN days later we were told they had an 'out patient spot' for her. Better than nothing and of course still hoping "her" psychiatric might have a conscience and call back.

Long story short she went 8 hours a day to an outpatient facility. Half time was school, half time was spent in different therapies. The psychiatrist there diagnosis her with severe depression and anxiety. He totally dismissed the idea of traumatic brain injury AND the fact that her (my brother) uncle has bipolar. My husband and I told him repeatedly we felt she was bipolar, but he disagreed. Plain and simple. She settled in on 40mg of Prozac, along with Adderal for ADHD, baclofen for pain and trazadone for sleep.

Okay, so she was 'better', not great by any standards and was discharged. The facility doesn't allow the kids to keep their doctor or therapist. We were sent next door for 'outpatient' and got to see a new therapist and psychiatrist. The first psychiatric appointment. went well. Within 5 minutes the dr. says she 'can't believe that daughter wasn't diagnosis bipolar"...........and increases prozac.

Within a few days of increasing prozac, daughter starts cutting, acting 'possessed', talking incredibly fast, angry, angry, out of control...etc., etc...suicide ideas, etc... A lengthy search on the internet for local help showed me a STUDY for adolescents with depression, bipolar, etc.. I immediately e-mailed regarding the study. I was quickly called back and given a FREE appointment with the study doctor.

I had NO IDEA there were studies for kids and feel like I have stumbled onto a gold mine since I have enough debt from our experience with the outpatient facility that I was feeling beyond hopeless. My daughter has already met with the study doctor twice in the past two weeks and once again feels HOPEFUL about her future.

I do hope this information can help someone. It is a frustrating road to travel with a child you love so much, yet feel so powerless to help.

Here is a link to some study information: http://www.clinicaltrials.gov/ct2/home

Also: http://www.nimh.nih.gov/trials/index.shtml

 

[buddy]

I am so glad you found a doctor who can listen. I hope she is not going to be put in some kind of placebo group... I dont know if they do that for this kind of life threatening disorder...I hope not! (I am sure you would not risk that, it just hit me when you said a study)

It is amazing to me that the new doctor actually agreed with you, thought bipolar was a real possibility and THEN still increased the antidepressant! Amazing. You must be livid.

I sure hope you share with us how things are going. I pray your difficult child starts to feel better and better. I have a friend who suffered from severe depression for years, multiple suicide attempts and hospitalizations. She had ECT and other treatments that were so serious. She is a wonderful teacher but admitted to having a stealing problem (and indeed stole my credit card then confessed). She too got in a trial for a Pacemaker kind of device attached to a brain implant, much like they use for parkinsons. Her life is COMPLETELY different. She has been stable for the first time in her adult life (she is in her mid forties) and has been for three years! I am so happy for her. There are some wonderful people out there and it sure sounds like your daughter deserves a break. (as do you).

Thanks for sharing.

 

[busywend]

Yes, I believe ADs were 'black boxed' or something like that years ago for teens. It is amazing how much informatio is NOT shared with people when it is prescribed.

I firmly believe there should be a 24 hotline for anyone on a AD or any mental health related drugs.

 

[lookin4help]

Hi, thanks for the responses!

From what I understand they can NOT give placebo for these particular studies. The studies that I have learned about are actually looking for adolescents on particular drugs that still are having issues. (That probably would be the majority of kids on the drugs) Anyway, they are adding naturally occuring substances (creatine in one study) to the already existing treatment plan and doing MRIs of the brain both before and after the "new" substance is added to the regimine. Creatine, for example, has been shown to improve depression in adults, so this study is looking at the possibility of it increasing mood in adolescents as well.

The other thing the study doctor indicated was that doctors are HOPING that they can show on an MRI the difference in depressive symptoms. One of the stigmas revolving mental illness is the lack of visible 'proof' that depression (and other disorders) are very real. They want people to be able to get help they need without the stigma of 'mental illness'......