Rosie, CAHMS Clinic advice

[Guest guest]

Wel, Today we had the longawaited appointment with CAHMS, Child and adolescent mental health service. The idea was for us to discuss Rosie's behavioural issues and for them to come up with some coping strategies to enable us to manage and alter her behaviour.

So for the first hour we were talking about the behaviours that Rosie has exhibited, her self injury, agitation, destructiveness, her total out of control anger. We talked about how these behaviours had diminished dramatically since taking wheat and gluten out of her diet. We also talked of times when frustration was the cause of her pain more likely than pain, how these outbursts were more easily distracted from and resolved, whereas episodes triggered by pain were more likely to go on for longer and maybe be helped by giving pain relief.

We spoke of the issues that caused us the most anxiety, her lack of sleep, changing nappies, and restraining he safely for travelling.

Then the two doctors/psychaiatrists whatever, went off to talk with the other professionals who were watching and listening on a video link.

They came back in after about ten minutes and plesae rad carefully their response, we are still giggling about it now...humour does help!!!

Our thoughts are very complex, we have talked about how your life has constantly taken different turns, starting with one plan and changing to another, you have coped and dealt with each blow, adapted and carried on in a new direction, Never have you taken time out for yoursleves, to be who you are. We feel you two need to take time to be together, make a date to go out for a meal at least once a week.

Basically that was it! She kept reasuring us that we were the experts, we knew our child best and we had good managing skills.

Of course that was very nice and reasuring having been through the mill last year when we were told we were just aprents and "they" were the professionals!!! However we just do not understand how us going out for a meal once a week was going to help Rosie's behaviour????

Nor did they offer us the financial package to enable us to afford to go out for a meal every week, and even less helpful they offered no childcare package either!!!

What a joke!!!

They did have one bit of partially useful avice, in that we should not speak to Rosie when we go to her at night, By going in and restarting her feed and maybe putting her back on her bed if necessary without any reward, ie we do not speak or stay with her. She may learn in time that there is no use waking because she will not gt rewarded for it! I do see the logic and have started out with that theory but after 7 hours of 5 minute intervals I have no energy to do it all over again the next night!

Oh Well, Rosie behaved impecably al through the interview, and has been an absolute darling up until ten minutes ago, I had to stop typing this mail to go and give her another shower, she has eaten the compost from the centre garden where and wee growing Leeks and carrots!! They are not going to be too plesaed to see the whole in their seedling patch!

Rosie and me are both soaked now from me trying to shower her mouth out without drowning her!

Hugs

Hugs

Tina Hillier Mum to , 14 years old and possesor of an Extra Special Chromosome. Rosie 12 ( who enjoys a life enhanced by the Joys and Trial of CdLS) 7, A budding Artist and Singer, And who is 5 years old and a lovely friend! Isle of Wight UK http://uk.photos.yahoo.com/tdlhillier mailto:tdlhillier@...

www.cdlsrosie.homestead.com

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