trinityroyal
Well-Known Member
...and I am honing my detachment skills.
It's been a whirlwind of a weekend. We just got back from dropping difficult child off at the Residential Treatment Center (RTC)/Assisted living, and taking Step-D and her boyfriend back to their place, which is just down the street from the Residential Treatment Center (RTC). Whew!
I really feel for the Residential Treatment Center (RTC) staff tonight. I have no doubt that difficult child is currently crawling up the walls and along the ceiling. They're going to have a fun time talking him down (NOT!). But I don't have to deal with it, neener neener neener.
Thursday: difficult child had minor surgery to remove a suspicious looking mole form his back. husband took him to the hospital, and after 45 min. of screaming, crying, fussing and panic, husband finally got him in an arm lock and held him still so the doctor could do his thing. Better him than me. Once the surgery was done, difficult child behaved pretty well for the rest of the day.
Friday: difficult child and husband went to check out the new location for the Residential Treatment Center (RTC). They are moving sites in the middle of the week, and difficult child wanted to see the place. Again, husband reports that difficult child maintained very well. I would have expected total mania, but he was "calm, cool and collected"
Saturday: My 40th birthday party at a nearby party place. difficult child came with his 1:1 staff from the Residential Treatment Center (RTC). He maintained so well all day, and then all evening. At about 9:30 pm he asked me if it would be okay for him and his staff to go back to the Residential Treatment Center (RTC) because he was feeling a bit tired. Again, I was totally astonished at how well difficult child was maintaining. Not to mention, very impressed at his maturity in asking to go home early rather than staying through the crankiness and meltdown, which is his usual M.O.
Sunday (tonight): Thanksgiving. We all trooped over to my mother in law's house for the afternoon, for the giant turkey dinner. From the moment difficult child got in the car I suspected that his ability to maintain was getting frayed. He was getting more and more elevated throughout the evening, until by the time we were ready to go home he was standing in my mother in law's driveway hopping up and down and yelling, arguing with everyone in sight and generally spouting off.
Usually by this point I would be yelling and screaming right along with him. Tonight, I just said, "difficult child. I've said it before but it's important. If you said the kind of things to a stranger that you've just been saying to your sister, he would give you the beating of your life. You're being aggressive and grandiose, and you can't back up your words with actions so you'd best stop now."
And miracle of miracles, he stopped.
I suspect his nighttime medications were starting to kick in at that point, but it didn't turn into the usual World War 3!
Baby steps, but progress nonetheless. 2 big family parties in a row, and I didn't feel like tying difficult child to the roof rack after either one. All in all, a good weekend.
Happy Thanksgiving for any fellow Canucks out there!
Trinity
It's been a whirlwind of a weekend. We just got back from dropping difficult child off at the Residential Treatment Center (RTC)/Assisted living, and taking Step-D and her boyfriend back to their place, which is just down the street from the Residential Treatment Center (RTC). Whew!
I really feel for the Residential Treatment Center (RTC) staff tonight. I have no doubt that difficult child is currently crawling up the walls and along the ceiling. They're going to have a fun time talking him down (NOT!). But I don't have to deal with it, neener neener neener.
Thursday: difficult child had minor surgery to remove a suspicious looking mole form his back. husband took him to the hospital, and after 45 min. of screaming, crying, fussing and panic, husband finally got him in an arm lock and held him still so the doctor could do his thing. Better him than me. Once the surgery was done, difficult child behaved pretty well for the rest of the day.
Friday: difficult child and husband went to check out the new location for the Residential Treatment Center (RTC). They are moving sites in the middle of the week, and difficult child wanted to see the place. Again, husband reports that difficult child maintained very well. I would have expected total mania, but he was "calm, cool and collected"
Saturday: My 40th birthday party at a nearby party place. difficult child came with his 1:1 staff from the Residential Treatment Center (RTC). He maintained so well all day, and then all evening. At about 9:30 pm he asked me if it would be okay for him and his staff to go back to the Residential Treatment Center (RTC) because he was feeling a bit tired. Again, I was totally astonished at how well difficult child was maintaining. Not to mention, very impressed at his maturity in asking to go home early rather than staying through the crankiness and meltdown, which is his usual M.O.
Sunday (tonight): Thanksgiving. We all trooped over to my mother in law's house for the afternoon, for the giant turkey dinner. From the moment difficult child got in the car I suspected that his ability to maintain was getting frayed. He was getting more and more elevated throughout the evening, until by the time we were ready to go home he was standing in my mother in law's driveway hopping up and down and yelling, arguing with everyone in sight and generally spouting off.
Usually by this point I would be yelling and screaming right along with him. Tonight, I just said, "difficult child. I've said it before but it's important. If you said the kind of things to a stranger that you've just been saying to your sister, he would give you the beating of your life. You're being aggressive and grandiose, and you can't back up your words with actions so you'd best stop now."
And miracle of miracles, he stopped.
I suspect his nighttime medications were starting to kick in at that point, but it didn't turn into the usual World War 3!
Baby steps, but progress nonetheless. 2 big family parties in a row, and I didn't feel like tying difficult child to the roof rack after either one. All in all, a good weekend.
Happy Thanksgiving for any fellow Canucks out there!
Trinity
