Overstimulated from positive attention

[KarenB]

Any of you have experience with this? If we give difficult child any praise or positive attention in any way, he's overstimulated. Overstimulated is the term the psychiatrist used. He gets real hyper (bouncing off the walls practically)and annoying, then we kinda need a break from him after a short period of time. In a way it discourages us from the positive, you know? Why does he react this way? Anyone know about this? Thanks!

 

[TerryJ2]

Hmm. No, I can't say we've had the same thing. Can you try just taking him outside to the park and THEN tell him he's being good? Sheesh. At least he's happy ... I'm sure other people here will have better ideas.
by the way, have you ever asked him why he moves around so much, and to have him describe what it feels like in his body? Help give him an awareness of his hyperactivity, that sort of thing.

 

[Sara PA]

As others have said, he could be acting like that because of the Zoloft. It can cause mania. Saying nice things to him makes him happy, the mania prevents him from exhibiting that happiness in an appropriate manner.

 

[susiestar]

We went throguh a long time of that. It stunk. The only way we could praise him was to tell someone else he was doing somethign well. If he heard us tell someone else he not only actually believed we thought he was doing well, it did not set off the hyper behavior chain. Not believeing us when we told him he was doing well was a big problem also. We even faked phone calls so he could "overhear" us praise him. Argg.

Good Luck!

Susie

 

[KarenB]

Thank you for the input. Susie, I like that strategy. I'll try it.