Taking difficult child off medications, how to handle psychiatrist?

[maxeygirls]

Due to the psychiatrist's lack of response, monitoring and well....giving a da*n about difficult child we have made the decision to take her off ALL medications and have her evaluated by another facility. This decision was not an easy one and we discussed it with my parents, our friends who have seen difficult child, and even friends who I am frequently on the phone with and have heard enough of her to form an opinion.
After a week of discussing it, we all agree that difficult child seems to be at her best immediately after changing her medications and within 2 weeks of being on the full dosage she begins to unravel. In addition to that, I am so dissatisfied with her psychiatrist's lack of monitoring/care that I feel it's practically dangerous to keep trusting them.
I may lose my mind and having difficult child without any medication may be horrible but it's been a year and nobody has even thought of spending time with her to reevaluate, they just want to keep changing medications.
I've been told by the psychiatrist not to put her in a setting with other children her age such as a preschool or play group just in case she gets upset. Because of this, I have a nearly 4 year old who is testing at or above a 1st grade level in reading, writing and math but has NO social skills.
Im fed up and the pediatrician is too. They are forming a plan to remove difficult child from her medications slowly and already have a new center to evaluate her if the need arises.
The only loose end is the psychiatrist. How do I handle telling them all of this? Write a letter? Just call and cancel her next appointment?

 

[smallworld]

With all due respect, wouldn't it be better to get your difficult child into the new facility and then try to do the medication wash? Wouldn't that be safer for you and difficult child?

When we left a psychiatrist who we felt was mismanaging the care of two of our children, I wrote this very straight-forward letter:

I am writing to advise you that my children, J and A, are now under the care of other mental health professionals.
Because of their challenging complex of symptoms , we believe a change in doctors is in their best interests.


I did not feel I owed the psychiatrist a long explanation, but my letter did serve to sever the relationship.

Good luck with whatever you decide to do.

 

[confuzzled]

i just called and canceled the next appointment and said "your services will no longer be needed".

i didnt feel compelled to give a long explanation either. (what is there to say? you stink??)

and i presumed, if anyone were to be concerned with "lack of treatment", my insurance records would be the paper trail--that difficult child went from dr A to dr B in a reasonably short time.

 

[SRL]

If she's under a pediatrician's care while doing the medication wash, I'd simply call and cancel the next appointment when you get near the time. I wouldn't write a letter or give an explanation. No sense burning any bridges in case you might need him/her again in the future.