day treatment--waste of time?

[shad16_12]

After overdosing on Advil two weeks ago...he was referred to outpatient day treatment program...very quickly within two days.

They knew from the first day that he would be going to his fathers for March break. I assumed the program ran around the school year calender. SW said they would probably discharge him then re-admit for week after March break.

They discharged him but they wont be re-admitting him. I dont think they addressed his issues. They put him on Concerta the day he got there...he hasnt even reached the therapeutic dose yet (still taking 18mg 7days... then 36 mg...)and they're done with him. I asked them why they havnt addressed the anxiety or depression...they say he gets anxious because he's hyper. Hyper is the last thing id call him. He paces in circles...to relieve the uncomfortable feelings of anxiety...I dont think ADHD is any reason for someone to want to die. Maybe the impusivity could be a reason for taking pills but he says he doesnt care if he dies....None of the self-help workbooks were even touched by him. They said he did participate in discussions. The community re-integration workbook isnt touched either. I really wasnt kept in the loop...We're supposed to follow up with paed for concerta. They want him to go to substance abuse couselling...I have no problem with early intervention but the kid smoked a joint with his friend...neither of them can even roll it for themself...It just seems like him taking a handful of pills is more the issue right now.

 

[gcvmom]

Sounds like they did NOTHING to assess the true nature of is issues!

ADHD does NOT make you depressed. You can have heightened anxiety because ADHD kids tend to not be able to filter out everything that's going on around them. So they are constantly feeling bombarded by their environment. That can make your anxiety levels go up.

Did they give him any sort of evaluation or did they just lump him into a group therapy session without really knowing what's going on with him?

 

[shad16_12]

Hi GCVMOM...They asked for a copy of assessments he'd had in the past...the first one was when he was 6...and the second he was 9. There was a psycheducational and neuropsychologist...both more to do with his learning profile. He's never had a psychiatric evaluation...The psychiatrist talked to both of us for 40 mins before they placed him in the program to ask him why he took pills...He just shrugs his shoulders and says he doesnt know and that seems to be an acceptable answer to them. He denies really having any issues at all to the SW. Said theres nothing really he can think of that he should work on. They agree that he has a very complex profile. He was with his previous psychiatrist who just passed away for 7 yrs and she couldnt really figure out which symptoms were caused by which diagnosis...So it feels like they're just passing the buck.