RE: meds refusal

[Guest guest]

Clarissa

My daughter is 16 and has fought meds since she was 13. The first experience

was Zoloft for a six-week trial and as soon as the six-week period was

complete she stopped using it. She stated the medication interfered with her

ability to recognize her emotions. Dah!

The other occasion was while in residential treatment where the meds were in

liquid form and she was supervised as you have done with your daughter. She

has continued using them since coming home but at a much lower doze than

recommended by her therapist.

I have always refused to get into any battle with her about taking her meds

as I see it as her responsibility. She has been told the pros and the cons,

she knows I am in favor of her taking them but it was left up to her to take

them. I'm not happy about the dosage but something is better than nothing.

Yet another grievance.

Bill

meds refusal

Does anyone have experience with teenagers who refuse to take their meds?

My daughter was doing fairly well on Effexor--I could actually hold a

conversation with her, she could think about something and reply calmly;

also she was able to work with her therapy a bit more. Her rage attacks

diminished significantly.

She began telling me she wanted to stop taking it, but I insisted she

continue. I always administered the meds and watched her take it. One

day

she confessed to me that she had stopped on her own: she began hiding the

capsules under her tongue and spitting them out when I wasn't looking.

Her

reason: she really wanted to try Ecstasy, and she didn't want any drug

interaction. I pointed out the dysfunctionality of this idea.

Nevertheless, I caught her spitting out the meds after I insisted she

resume, so I decided to just let it go because it was becoming a battle

that

I was not going to win.

Incidentally, as a result of pulling herself off the meds abruptly, she

flipped out in school one day and punched a boy, getting herself suspended

for 2 weeks, which essentially meant she was going to fail the quarter,

since suspended students only receive 59% credit for any work done during

the suspension - and she was only a marginal student to begin with. I had

to pull her out of public high school and put her in an alternative

school.

I now find myself once again " walking on eggshells, " trying to figure out

the best time to discuss things in order to avoid her rages. Not before

school, not at night, etc. etc. Once again she is controlling me with her

mood. (Just like my ex-husband did, by the way).

OK, so as I write I see the answer emerging.....which is to NOT let her

control me, but then who wants to deal with the rage?

Any suggestions on the meds? She is turning 15 in may, eligible for her

permit, but I've made it clear that no one who uses alcohol or drugs is

driving my car, and until she really straightens out, she won't be

driving.

she has a new therapist, very much out of the Al-Anon model, who keeps

emphasizing MY need to change. I get the theory, and I am trying--at

least

I have insight into my own problems--but I am really finding it hard to

have

to " accept " drug and alcohol use in a 14 year old. The therapist is

rather

cryptic at times, and keeps telling me I'll " know " when it's time to put

her in a program. Well, if it's a matter of my own self-preservation,

that

time was 2 years ago.

BTW, in all the literature I've read about bi-polar disease in kids/teens,

it seems that the word " no " often triggers a rage. I'm sure that will

sound

familiar to many of us....

CH

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