Met the new psychiatrist today

hearts and roses

Mind Reader
So far so good. We met with difficult child's new psychiatrist at the same center where she received counseling. He was thorough, smiled, made difficult child answer the questions, pausing briefly when she couldn't find the words and allowed me to step in on occasion.

He didn't give a whole lot of attention to some of her comments, in particular the ones regarding her family relationship with my H and the one with her bio dad - I was so grateful that he didn't have her expand on these and lend his ear to her BS. He just sort of acknowledged her feelings and moved on. He was particularly interested in her sexual assault from May 2005. Since she's basically refused to discuss it with anyone, he really feels she still has some unresolved issues with it and will recommend to her counselor that this be addressed (yeah!).

And he also would like to see difficult child choose a path - it doesn't have to be long term, but he really wants to see her start working towards some short term and eventually some long term goals.

Lastly, he told me that he strongly does not feel that she is bi-polar. He says he strongly suspects most of her behaviors do not have labels and that they can probably be related to various things, in particular, her Tourette's Syndrome (the rages) & PTSD...and that the depressions she's encountered could possibly be symptoms of those things. He feels that her medications are okay for now and he said that he does not feel that any further medications should be required - that if she wants to feel better, she will have to do the work it takes to feel better and that will take some major effort on her part. He also told her she has to stop drinking and realize that the way she is going will likely lead to alcoholism or drug abuse.

So, all that said and I feel good that we are dealing with such a straigh forward DR for once. I am concerned that difficult child does not or is not willing to do the necessary work, but I guess we will cross that path when we get to it. For now, she will be working closely with her counselor and will see this DR every 2-3 months to check in. He will give his recommendations to her counselor and we will see how things go.

She's starting with 2 drawing classes at the local community college on Sept 4th and she just landed a job in a small Hallmark card store nearby, so I am hopeful.

Thanks for the support.
 

hearts and roses

Mind Reader
Thanks Sharon - I think difficult child is afraid to open up in therapy about everything with the assault. I am fairly certain she is already trying to figure out a way to squirrel out of opening up and that worries me, but this is not my therapy to handle.

Have a good one~
 

Sunlight

Active Member
a straight forward doctor? I love that stuff, my family doctor is like that and I am so grateful you got a good one.

classes to draw? wow! how fun! wish I could do too.
if I worked at a hallmark store I would owe THEM money on payday..lol
 

Alisonlg

New Member
Sounds like a great psychiatrist!

congrats to difficult child on the job! I agree with ant'smom....I'd probably owe them money on payday too! LOL
 

DammitJanet

Well-Known Member
I wonder if difficult child would do better as far as the assault in doing a workbook type thing. I did one and then we discussed it in a group type setting. It was called The Courage to Heal. It really talked about sexual abuse but you could consider what happened to her that. Im sure there are workbooks dealing with exactly her situation.

Sometimes it is easier to write out what happened in private then talk about it. I actually email some of my harder issues to my therapist and then we talk about them. I find it much easier to write what I am feeling than I do to say things outloud. Face to face is harder for me. It may be for your difficult child too. Maybe your daughters therapist would be ok with her doing a journal and her bringing it in to therapy with her. I started doing on online and my therapist having access but we just moved that to the ongoing emails back and forth. My therapist is really good about me being able to have open access to her through email but some may have an issue with that.
 

Janna

New Member
Cool, Jo! The psychiatrist sounds great. Hey, no beating around the bush for me, straight forward is always best. That's awesome.

Hope she does well at the Hallmark store. Sounds fun, I love those stores. Wonder if she can get me a discount? :smile:

I like Janet's idea about the workbook thing too!

Hugs,

J
 

hearts and roses

Mind Reader
difficult child liked him a lot I thought up until he said she really needed to talk more about this.

Janet, I really like the idea of the journal thing...she could type it up and bring it with her each week. I will ask her if that is something that might make it easier for her to deal with it. Good idea. I think her counselor would be okay with it.

difficult child told me that her counselor wants us to have a family session next week. Ugh is all I can say as I know H has completely lost his patience with all of this and at this point he feels that we're pandering to her when we go along with stuff like this. Anyway, I will have to ask him to go and just sit if need be. The counselor also wants daughter to invite her bio-dad to a separate meeting. I am wondering if he will attend. I begged him for 3 years to go with me way back when and he always said he'd never step foot in a counselor's office - something about his dirty laundry not hanging out in public! Haha - maybe he will do it for difficult child, I don't know.

Thanks again.
 

DammitJanet

Well-Known Member
Jog...look into workbooks on this subject because they really help a person start thinking about how this stuff effects them and how to deal with it in a positive manner. Im still working on that myself. It isnt easy. I was abused for most of my life in one manner or another. If your daughter would ever like to talk to someone who has truly been there feel free to PM me and I will give you my email address.
 
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