lookin4help
New Member
Hi,
I just found this site this evening and have spent time reading a few posts. Sounds like I am in the right place. I'm hoping that possibly I can offer some HOPE to other parents here who feel as lost as I have felt over the past few years; with the past 6 months being the worst.
Background: My daughter is almost 14. When she was 9 she suffered a traumatic brain injury due to a rear-end car accident (seemed VERY minor at the time) Ever since that time her life has been filled with pain, bouts with depression, self esteem issues, anxiety.....lots of counseling, lots of different drugs.
For years we tried different medications, MANY different medications........lots of counselors (she needs more structure vs. she needs less structure....etc.., etc.) Seems like every 'professional' we encountered had a new diagnosis and a new idea of how to help.
Fast forward to Sept. of 2011. She wrote a suicide note and thankfully gave it to her older brother. We called her psychiatric (still waiting to hear from her............!!!!), finally called the local children's hospital and was 'wait-listed' for an adolescent facility. TEN days later we were told they had an 'out patient spot' for her. Better than nothing and of course still hoping "her" psychiatric might have a conscience and call back.
Long story short she went 8 hours a day to an outpatient facility. Half time was school, half time was spent in different therapies. The psychiatrist there diagnosis her with severe depression and anxiety. He totally dismissed the idea of traumatic brain injury AND the fact that her (my brother) uncle has bipolar. My husband and I told him repeatedly we felt she was bipolar, but he disagreed. Plain and simple. She settled in on 40mg of Prozac, along with Adderal for ADHD, baclofen for pain and trazadone for sleep.
Okay, so she was 'better', not great by any standards and was discharged. The facility doesn't allow the kids to keep their doctor or therapist. We were sent next door for 'outpatient' and got to see a new therapist and psychiatrist. The first psychiatric appointment. went well. Within 5 minutes the dr. says she 'can't believe that daughter wasn't diagnosis bipolar"...........and increases prozac.
Within a few days of increasing prozac, daughter starts cutting, acting 'possessed', talking incredibly fast, angry, angry, out of control...etc., etc...suicide ideas, etc... A lengthy search on the internet for local help showed me a STUDY for adolescents with depression, bipolar, etc.. I immediately e-mailed regarding the study. I was quickly called back and given a FREE appointment with the study doctor.
I had NO IDEA there were studies for kids and feel like I have stumbled onto a gold mine since I have enough debt from our experience with the outpatient facility that I was feeling beyond hopeless. My daughter has already met with the study doctor twice in the past two weeks and once again feels HOPEFUL about her future.
I do hope this information can help someone. It is a frustrating road to travel with a child you love so much, yet feel so powerless to help.
Here is a link to some study information: http://www.clinicaltrials.gov/ct2/home
Also: http://www.nimh.nih.gov/trials/index.shtml
I just found this site this evening and have spent time reading a few posts. Sounds like I am in the right place. I'm hoping that possibly I can offer some HOPE to other parents here who feel as lost as I have felt over the past few years; with the past 6 months being the worst.
Background: My daughter is almost 14. When she was 9 she suffered a traumatic brain injury due to a rear-end car accident (seemed VERY minor at the time) Ever since that time her life has been filled with pain, bouts with depression, self esteem issues, anxiety.....lots of counseling, lots of different drugs.
For years we tried different medications, MANY different medications........lots of counselors (she needs more structure vs. she needs less structure....etc.., etc.) Seems like every 'professional' we encountered had a new diagnosis and a new idea of how to help.
Fast forward to Sept. of 2011. She wrote a suicide note and thankfully gave it to her older brother. We called her psychiatric (still waiting to hear from her............!!!!), finally called the local children's hospital and was 'wait-listed' for an adolescent facility. TEN days later we were told they had an 'out patient spot' for her. Better than nothing and of course still hoping "her" psychiatric might have a conscience and call back.
Long story short she went 8 hours a day to an outpatient facility. Half time was school, half time was spent in different therapies. The psychiatrist there diagnosis her with severe depression and anxiety. He totally dismissed the idea of traumatic brain injury AND the fact that her (my brother) uncle has bipolar. My husband and I told him repeatedly we felt she was bipolar, but he disagreed. Plain and simple. She settled in on 40mg of Prozac, along with Adderal for ADHD, baclofen for pain and trazadone for sleep.
Okay, so she was 'better', not great by any standards and was discharged. The facility doesn't allow the kids to keep their doctor or therapist. We were sent next door for 'outpatient' and got to see a new therapist and psychiatrist. The first psychiatric appointment. went well. Within 5 minutes the dr. says she 'can't believe that daughter wasn't diagnosis bipolar"...........and increases prozac.
Within a few days of increasing prozac, daughter starts cutting, acting 'possessed', talking incredibly fast, angry, angry, out of control...etc., etc...suicide ideas, etc... A lengthy search on the internet for local help showed me a STUDY for adolescents with depression, bipolar, etc.. I immediately e-mailed regarding the study. I was quickly called back and given a FREE appointment with the study doctor.
I had NO IDEA there were studies for kids and feel like I have stumbled onto a gold mine since I have enough debt from our experience with the outpatient facility that I was feeling beyond hopeless. My daughter has already met with the study doctor twice in the past two weeks and once again feels HOPEFUL about her future.
I do hope this information can help someone. It is a frustrating road to travel with a child you love so much, yet feel so powerless to help.
Here is a link to some study information: http://www.clinicaltrials.gov/ct2/home
Also: http://www.nimh.nih.gov/trials/index.shtml