psychiatrist views on crisis/hospitalization

[Guest guest]

I'm seeing on this list that many kids with OCD have had to be hospitalized

at a certain point, or been very close to that point and significantly

dysfunctional for a period of time. Does anyone know how common this is

with kids who have a combination of OCD, related anxiety disorders, and mood

problems?

I ask b/c I had a recent conversation with our psychiatrist which made me

wonder about her approach. We've been increasing ds' zoloft for the past

two to three months b/c he's been depressed and increasingly dysfunctional

due to anxiety/OCD related stressors. Someone at school recently suggested

that we just push ds past all this stuff and 'deal with the fall-out'. I

discussed this with psychiatrist, who didn't think the push would be

effective (would only make him more resistant) but did ask if I was

concerned that he may end up in crisis and need hospitalization. I wasn't

sure what to say....I do worry that he will end up more depressed, rigid and

dysfunctional by the wrong approach, maybe to the point where he would be in

crisis.

I'm wondering if the psychiatrist was just trying to feel out my instincts,

to determine if ds was possibly that close to crisis, or if she doesn't

think it's a likely outcome at this point.

I guess I'm bringing this up on list b/c I've lost some confidence in the

psychiatrist in recent weeks. She's certainly very experienced and knows

what she's doing, but I don't get the sense that she has a good handle on ds

in terms of understanding who he is and what makes him tick.

How cautious or concerned are your children's psychiatrists in terms of the

possibility of full blown breakdown/crisis? Do they see it as a relatively

remote possibility, or is it something that they definitely keep in mind

when a child is going through a rough period?

Fay