difficult child and I have talked recently about this online support group and how much it has helped me over the years. She even knows some of the acronyms including difficult child and easy child.
We were in the car this morning and were talking about her new job (more on that at another time). An aquaintance of hers from high school who lived in our neighborhood opened a salon (not the one where difficult child will be working) and has been highly successful. She asked if I had heard anything about him lately and I said no. difficult child said, "Well, he certainly was his family's Gift to God." I laughed and said that is was difficult child not GTG.
I don't want to jinx anything but she is doing well. She went to a Smart Recovery meeting last night while we met with the counselor in another room. husband and I really liked the counselor and difficult child actually talked and opened up in the meeting. She also went to the meeting without the drama that we had last week. husband and I are going back next week to see the counselor by ourselves and then the following week all three of us are going to meet with her.
The counselor said that stress and anxiety are huge triggers for substance abuse and that difficult child's anxiety disorder needs to be addressed. Both the DBT counselor and this counselor have said that Xanax would be okay if we were in control of the medication (locked up in a safe) and gave her the correct dose each day. This would hopefully not be needed as she completes the DBT program which will teach her tools for dealing with stress in other ways and avoiding triggers.
Of course, I had a hard time with this since it is always a huge no-no in most recovery programs. Although, she was allowed to take Klonopin in the rehab center. The counselor also mentioned another anti-alcohol drug that seems to help anxiety. I can't remember the name of it but I know it started with a C. I need to ask her the name next week.
difficult child has signed a release for me to talk with her psychiatrist. In fact, she asked me if I would like to go to her next appointment with her so I could talk to the psychiatrist about my concerns. I am going to take off a day of school to go.
I don't know if we are taking the right approach here and I realize it could all blow up in my face. She does seem different now but I have thought that before.
~Kathy
We were in the car this morning and were talking about her new job (more on that at another time). An aquaintance of hers from high school who lived in our neighborhood opened a salon (not the one where difficult child will be working) and has been highly successful. She asked if I had heard anything about him lately and I said no. difficult child said, "Well, he certainly was his family's Gift to God." I laughed and said that is was difficult child not GTG.
I don't want to jinx anything but she is doing well. She went to a Smart Recovery meeting last night while we met with the counselor in another room. husband and I really liked the counselor and difficult child actually talked and opened up in the meeting. She also went to the meeting without the drama that we had last week. husband and I are going back next week to see the counselor by ourselves and then the following week all three of us are going to meet with her.
The counselor said that stress and anxiety are huge triggers for substance abuse and that difficult child's anxiety disorder needs to be addressed. Both the DBT counselor and this counselor have said that Xanax would be okay if we were in control of the medication (locked up in a safe) and gave her the correct dose each day. This would hopefully not be needed as she completes the DBT program which will teach her tools for dealing with stress in other ways and avoiding triggers.
Of course, I had a hard time with this since it is always a huge no-no in most recovery programs. Although, she was allowed to take Klonopin in the rehab center. The counselor also mentioned another anti-alcohol drug that seems to help anxiety. I can't remember the name of it but I know it started with a C. I need to ask her the name next week.
difficult child has signed a release for me to talk with her psychiatrist. In fact, she asked me if I would like to go to her next appointment with her so I could talk to the psychiatrist about my concerns. I am going to take off a day of school to go.
I don't know if we are taking the right approach here and I realize it could all blow up in my face. She does seem different now but I have thought that before.
~Kathy