candidate for meds

[Guest guest]

One way to find out about how she's feeling is using a number scale or

faces. For numbers, if 10 is the best you've ever felt and 1 is the

worst, how are you feeling right now? Or, pick out the face that

represents how you feel now, most of the time, when you feel good:

(: > (: ) (: I (:l ( (:< ):<

(I'd look for something better than this on-line)

And check it out at different times of the day to really get a good

idea of what's going on and problem solve.

My 15yod started meds because she was crying all the time, was so

anxious her chest hurt, was sleeping a lot less than needed, and was

feeling like life wasn't worth living- though she felt hope knowing

God was with her through this. Bottom line, we were both ready to do

anything by that time.

I wish though that we'd understood sooner and acted sooner. Its my

understanding that chronic stress, depression, etc. make permanent

changes in how the brain functions. My girl experienced trauma at 7,

was depressed for 2 years (no meds), then at 14 told me she'd been

depressed twice since she was 10.

In my experience, most people are not med seeking but try to avoid

taking meds even when they would be very helpful. Some addicts and

those who are trying to constantly avoid any feelings for lack of

coping skills may abuse medicine, but for most people who are really

suffering, a little medicine can really make it easier to do what

needs to be done to grow and change.

We recently increased my girls meds. At first it seemed good to wait,

then I felt like we should increase them, but she didn't, then after a

couple of weeks she was willing to do it as she still feels depressed

and anxious.

I don't remember how old your child is, but I do think its good to

really do your best to find out what they're thinking and feeling, and

what they want to do about medicine, and why about all of it. Then

discuss it with an experienced doctor you trust.

I find it sad to think of your little girl crying regularly at night.

I know my daughter told me she'd been going into the basement and

crying every day for a long time. I wish she's told me. We would have

sought help earlier. But, we just do the best we can.

Elaine

[Guest guest]

Thanks Elaine. Definitely food for thought re the meds. You're right - I have

a knee-jerk reaction to meds. We're not a prescription-type family, using

antibiotics, even cough syrup, etc as last resorts. So I don't yet have a

comfort level with treating this with meds and I really hope it won't be

necessary. I'm sure most of the parents who end up with the meds probably

started out feeling the same way as me.

My dd's not crying every night; I must have made it sound worse than it is.

However, truthfully, it's possible she's suffering more in silence than I

suspect. I hope not! But I have a line on 2 therapists that both sound good on

paper. We've been playing phone tag for a couple of days but I hope to connect

next week. My feeling is that my daughter will do well with good cbt/erp, but

I'm not ruling out meds. I know meds are the best thing for many ocd sufferers.

Mo

candidate for meds

One way to find out about how she's feeling is using a number scale or

faces. For numbers, if 10 is the best you've ever felt and 1 is the

worst, how are you feeling right now? Or, pick out the face that

represents how you feel now, most of the time, when you feel good:

(: > (: ) (: I (:l ( (:< ):<

(I'd look for something better than this on-line)

And check it out at different times of the day to really get a good

idea of what's going on and problem solve.

My 15yod started meds because she was crying all the time, was so

anxious her chest hurt, was sleeping a lot less than needed, and was

feeling like life wasn't worth living- though she felt hope knowing

God was with her through this. Bottom line, we were both ready to do

anything by that time.

I wish though that we'd understood sooner and acted sooner. Its my

understanding that chronic stress, depression, etc. make permanent

changes in how the brain functions. My girl experienced trauma at 7,

was depressed for 2 years (no meds), then at 14 told me she'd been

depressed twice since she was 10.

In my experience, most people are not med seeking but try to avoid

taking meds even when they would be very helpful. Some addicts and

those who are trying to constantly avoid any feelings for lack of

coping skills may abuse medicine, but for most people who are really

suffering, a little medicine can really make it easier to do what

needs to be done to grow and change.

We recently increased my girls meds. At first it seemed good to wait,

then I felt like we should increase them, but she didn't, then after a

couple of weeks she was willing to do it as she still feels depressed

and anxious.

I don't remember how old your child is, but I do think its good to

really do your best to find out what they're thinking and feeling, and

what they want to do about medicine, and why about all of it. Then

discuss it with an experienced doctor you trust.

I find it sad to think of your little girl crying regularly at night.

I know my daughter told me she'd been going into the basement and

crying every day for a long time. I wish she's told me. We would have

sought help earlier. But, we just do the best we can.

Elaine

[Guest guest]

We're not a prescription-type family,

using antibiotics, even cough syrup, etc as last resorts.

Mo, that's us too!