New Residential Treatment Center (RTC) Goal

[JJJ]

We got Kanga's updated Residential Treatment Center (RTC) goals. They've added one for us -- "Family will decrease their fear of Kanga through increased contact and increased education about her mental illness."

All through the report they talk about how our relationship with Kanga has improved due to more frequent contact. Um, there is more frequent contact because they all but threatened us (with loss of funding) if we didn't start visiting her more. Our relationship with her hasn't improved. Both boys have regressed so much since they insisted that sibling visits start (only one visit so far and both boys acted out at school for two solid weeks; Eeyore told his principal that he can't hold it together at school because he so scared that Kanga is going to hit him and that is all he can think about). Even Piglet refuses to speak to her on the phone most of the time.

It is because I am educated about her mental illness that I understand how dangerous she is and the limited hope we have for a non-violent home if/when we have to take her back. They think the fact that she hasn't been violent at the Residential Treatment Center (RTC) means she is better. They don't seem to listen when she admits that she doesn't attack anyone there because she is the smallest and doesn't think she'd win a brawl.

It looks like between the changes to our funding source and Residential Treatment Center (RTC) thinking she has made "significant progress toward discharge" that she is coming home in August -- ready or not. Our one hope is to keep her so busy outside the home that her time in our home is limited to sleeping and maybe one evening a week.

My main goal between now and then is to ensure that she understands that even one minor act of violence will result in a police escort from our home.

 

[helpangel]

I'm sorry for what your family has gone thru I'm experiencing similar stuff here; and I've seen how an unstable child can have the whole family walking on eggshells. It seems sometimes with psychiatric hospital or Residential Treatment Center (RTC) about the time start getting some positive results they discharge them to home. I've been blasted by psychiatrist's when I asked "why they insist on keeping my child ill?" At that time they kept prescribing adHd & antidepressant medications and it was throwing the bipolar into a downward spiral.

OK that brings up another thing I noticed with Kanga's medications - any chance you could get a different psychiatrist to give a second opinion on those medications? I see Abilify at a medium dosage but not a first line mood stabilizer to back it up; I understand it has a little MS capabilities to it but its not enough to stand up to bipolar alone in my opinion.

I would also only consider starting an AD with my girls if the mood was stabilized first, and even then would be very careful. I can't help wonder if the zoloft could be causing mania & some psychosis?

Please understand I'm not a doctor or trying to give medical advise, I'm just an exhausted parent who see's same medication mistakes that happened to my kids could be going on with Kanga. I hope some of this helps.

 

[JJJ]

Hi HelpAngel,

I don't think Kanga is truly bipolar. She is either schizophrenic or has a personality disorder but no psychiatrist will give her either of those labels until she is 18. She was on mood stabilizers with ZERO impact on her symptoms. She has also been on high enough doses of AP to make her almost catatonic and she'd still rage.

We have seen no increase in problems with her medications and she reports feeling better on them so we are leaving them as is for now.

 

[helpangel]

If that combo is working for her - if it isn't broke don't fix it. Since she was 6yo they have tried Angel on about 20 different medications in different combinations, I often wished for a crystal ball back then. I think the medications she's on now are good ones for her - its just a matter of "tweeking" dosages. We are still trying to work on some of the bad habits that Angel aquired when she was so horribly unstable. I know what you mean about the aggression not being tolerable, I've called the police a few times in the past myself. My general rule of thumb is if the police are called she taking an ambulance ride to be evaluated by a psychiatrist, and usually that psychiatrist admits her to a psychiatric hospital because when things get so bad I call police she needs to be there.

 

[flutterby]

Sigh.... I'm so sorry. I do not understand how the professionals can be so manipulated. You would think they would know better.

Even with all the training out there, it seems like the first impulse is still to blame the parents first.


(((hugs)))

 

[compassion]

Hi, I am also dealing eiht somethng simlar with my difficult child. I have coem to the same conslusion: have lots of supports in place and lots of activies (hve always had a ton of activies but few supports) and have the boundries like you of zero tolerance for running. She sees herself as typical teen which I find scary. She hopes to be out in June, I am holding my boundary (she has not been to our home in nearly 10 weeks). I amseeing her a lot more for medical psses and we are dong family passes now 5 hours on th weekends and she will have a 48 hour pass for her birthdya next week (to the beach/not home). I am clamly staign my concerns at treatment team every two weeks. I am very clear with difficult child that she needs to display certin coing skills to be able to live here and they need to be for months in a row. So far, she has gone like one week without thratening or acting out (with me) I bouight a video camera so will record any incidences.
She is also desplying simlar behariors albiet more subtle on the unit but her primary therapist minimzes and diminshes it. She basiclaly has him conviced she is typical teen and through her medications and now increased awareness, everything will be fine. I know better!!!
by the way, I do think she is BiPolar (BP) and also Autism Spectrum Disorders (ASD) plays a huge role for her. She is on th dame dose of abilify as Knaga, 15 and does 125 Lactimal which is effective for her. She takes 25 benadryl at night in the Residential Treatment Center (RTC).
Compassion

 

[house of cards]

I could see that working....if the family increased contact BUT SHE DIDN'T RETURN HOME and if THEY increased their knowledge of HER mental illness.

 

[crazymama30]

That is horrible. I think what amazes me is they are so focused on Kanga, what about the other kids? Acting out for 2 weeks is nothing to ignore. So now the others are supposed to get ptsd from her, but at least HER goals are met. Makes me want to vomit.

 

[Josie]

I am sorry for what you are going through.

They make it seem like you are just scared for no reason and if you can get over this, there will be no problem.