Suicide talk?

HMBgal

Well-Known Member
Dear Grandson is saying all kinds of crazy stuff around his parents. ADHD, Anxiety disorder, and generally fighting life since the day he was born. At nine years old and no history of any actual self-damage (he freaks out if you try to cut his fingernails--I have to file them), is he doing this for attention? Is he just so angry and now that he doesn't fight back physically (which is what he used to do, and still does on rare occasions), is it for shock-factor? He goes to his "talk-doctor" on Tuesday after school, and after his father dropped him here (whom he really doesn't like and is just like), he's been understandably edgy but fine. His father always threatens to take him to the emergency room, call the police, or take him to the hospital, which really freaks grandson out. I just don't get that he's really self-injurious. I keep wondering if this is the latest ploy to get his own way, provide some drama, etc. Of course suicidal talk is always to be taken seriously, and he has our attention, but 9 years old? Good lord. He's on Guanfacine and Strattera. Has anyone had this problem with Strattera? He's happily playing on his tablet, took a shower, and is ready to go to bed and seems quite okay. But he's done this to his mother, too, over this past weekend. Lord have mercy, is this a new game for him? And what about school next week? Sigh. Just venting and asking if anyone has experienced this.
 

BusynMember

Well-Known Member
All antidepressants, which Straterra is (although used for ADHD) can cause suicidal ideation or manicky/wild behavior in children. Ask your doctor about it.
 

HMBgal

Well-Known Member
Thanks for your replies. My first thought is to think it's a behavioral reaction to the stresses of his life (of which he as quite a few), or something new to try to freak us out and get us to pay attention but would never really do it. He doesn't watch sad or violent movies, read books like that, but who knows? I'm having trouble keeping up with what he watches on youtube and maybe he picked stuff up from there. He's been on Strattera for about four months now, and will definitely mention it at his doctor's appointment. HIs father is sending in video and his mother is sending an email. The doctors at Kaiser keep bankers hours pretty much, except for the therapy groups, and it's hard to get the parents in there with their work schedules, so it falls to us grandparents. We spend so much time with him (probably more waking hours than the parents) and he's never said that stuff around us. He behaves quite well with us (relatively speaking) actually.
 
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