Andrew

[Scott]

Originally Posted by IR_Efrem

I tried it all Scott, encouraging/discouraging the behavior and in the end, absolutely nothing that I did helped even a little bit. I am fairly certain that I made things worse. In the end she required 100% of my attention and then there was the threat of real physical harm, I have 3 daughters that are not hers, and I had to think of them.

There's a point in there somewhere I think.

There is a very definate point, and I appreciate it. We both tried all the behavioral modification techniques we knew and trusted. When those didn't work, we read books, blogs, spoke to friends. They told us we'd made mistakes, or gave us new ideas, or both. We felt guilty, tried new techniques.

"ABSOLUTELY NOTHING that we did helped even a little bit."

As I consider our situation, I realize that there's nothing we did wrong. We may as well have been trying to saw through a board with a screw driver, but we had no psychiatric training, and every reason to deny that Mental Illness was the problem.

Now The System has gone through the same proceedure, and after two months has come to the same conclusion: There are NO Orthodox Behavior Modifications that will ever work.

[IR_Efrem]

I tried for 2 years straight, going through many different ideas, just as you have mentioned. I feel a certain sense of deja'vu here. I joined specific msg boards, read books, talked to no less than 3 psychotherapists, 2 counselors, and several specialists in areas of her mental illness, and found all the information that I possibly could.

I understand that these illnesses do not get fixed in 2 years, but the outcome was always exactly the same. Regardless how much I wanted to help, I just couldn't do it. I had to move past the guilt of the choices that I made and just do the best for me and my daughters.

[PepsiChic]

im sorry i was so upset and distressed about your post scott, it just, really hurts when i read things like that, i have seen so many psychiatrists and doctors and had so many medications and i hate it all, i just wanna scream stop and have someone give me a real hug and tell me its all over.

i just think about the pain inside and know that andrew must be feeling something similar. something no-one else truly understands and that really makes you feel like giving up.

im gonna back off for a bit because, i dont think i can say anymore i just hope everything goes well for you.

[Duke]

Originally Posted by PepsiChic

im sorry i was so upset and distressed about your post scott, it just, really hurts when i read things like that, i have seen so many psychiatrists and doctors and had so many medications and i hate it all, i just wanna scream stop and have someone give me a real hug and tell me its all over.

i just think about the pain inside and know that andrew must be feeling something similar. something no-one else truly understands and that really makes you feel like giving up.

im gonna back off for a bit because, i dont think i can say anymore i just hope everything goes well for you.

At least you took the time to share your thoughts Pepsi and didn't bottle it up or let it upset you to the point where you leave. I think you should be proud of yourself for voicing your opinion and I think Scott should be equally proud for hearing what you had to say.

Sometimes these topics can get emotional but the important thing to realize (at least around here anyway) is we all care about each other and that's whats important if you ask me.

Sorry to hijack your thread Scott, I just don't want to see anyone feeling off for speaking from the heart.

BTW, Pepsi

[Duke]

Originally Posted by Scott

There is a very definate point, and I appreciate it. We both tried all the behavioral modification techniques we knew and trusted. When those didn't work, we read books, blogs, spoke to friends. They told us we'd made mistakes, or gave us new ideas, or both. We felt guilty, tried new techniques.

"ABSOLUTELY NOTHING that we did helped even a little bit."

As I consider our situation, I realize that there's nothing we did wrong. We may as well have been trying to saw through a board with a screw driver, but we had no psychiatric training, and every reason to deny that Mental Illness was the problem.

Now The System has gone through the same proceedure, and after two months has come to the same conclusion: There are NO Orthodox Behavior Modifications that will ever work.

I think the important thing to remember Scott is that you did try and that makes you a great parent in my book.

[Scott]

Originally Posted by PepsiChic

im sorry i was so upset and distressed about your post scott, it just, really hurts when i read things like that, i have seen so many psychiatrists and doctors and had so many medications and i hate it all, i just wanna scream stop and have someone give me a real hug and tell me its all over.

i just think about the pain inside and know that andrew must be feeling something similar. something no-one else truly understands and that really makes you feel like giving up.

im gonna back off for a bit because, i dont think i can say anymore i just hope everything goes well for you.

Certainly no apology is necessary, PC. I hope you can find help, and make it stop.

The past couple of days have been interesting in that Andrew has suddenly become much less emotionally "flat" and seems to genuinely want to return home. He's also begun speaking much more openly about his behaviour, and expressing some real regret for his actions.

He now claims that for since he can recall, an "entity" has made its presence known. He described the natural fantacies of revenge that we all feel toward others when we are threatened, bullied, or harmed as quite different from the much more intense images that this "entity" could cause.....just reading what I've just written makes me a little uneasy, but on the other hand:

Is this really so weird? I mean, hasn't Christianity really evolved around the belief that such a reality exists? I pursued this parallel with Andrew, who seemed very encouraged to learn that he was certainly not the only one that had felt this "Unclean Spirit's" presence. Furthermore, Millions belived it its existance. Finally, they also had found The Cure.

I'm by no means religious, but if an Evil Entity could be conjured up in a troubled mind, then why couldn't the Holy Ghost be just as much a reality?

[IvyRose]

Oh goodness, Scott. I really feel for you and Andrew. This sounds so familiar to me that it's haunting.

There is actually a chemical in the brain that makes you feel a presence in the room. Like you're being watched. The voices came soon after, at least for me.

I thought I was the new Mary Magdalene for a week. I started writing music for new Hymns as I was told there was going to be New Testament written and we needed new music.

Like you, I thought there was a possibility that Angels and Evil Entities could really be talking to me. I wasn't all that Religious when this all happened either. It just made the illness worse by believing.

The more others around me believed that this could be true, the more sick I got and soon couldn't stop listening to the voices. They were just too intriguing to stop listening to and I lost myself.

I don't know what to say or how to help Andrew. The only thing that snapped me out of this weird trance was the Risperdal and reading about the other people who have had this type of experience.

You're a good Dad and I understand how illnesses are sometimes harder on the caregivers than the patients. It's frustrating. I'm only half coo-coo pants now, so there may be hope for Andrew.

[Scott]

Originally Posted by IvyRose

Like you, I thought there was a possibility that Angels and Evil Entities could really be talking to me. I wasn't all that Religious when this all happened either. It just made the illness worse by believing.

..The only thing that snapped me out of this weird trance was the Risperdal and reading about the other people who have had this type of experience.

You're a good Dad and I understand how illnesses are sometimes harder on the caregivers than the patients. It's frustrating. I'm only half coo-coo pants now, so there may be hope for Andrew.

Thanks Ivy. I don't believe in Demons and Angels.

But I do believe that People have been "seeing" and/or "feeling their presence" for thousands of years, and that much of Christianity may well be the basis of these real or imagined experiences. I also don't think this is necessarily a bad thing.

I have considered the possibility that Andrew, encouraged too much, might become "worse" (relatively?). However, I'm not sure he can get much worse.

You mentioned Respirdal. Andrew's been on 2 mg/d for the past week. The theraputic dose is 3 mg/d. THis is another reason why he may have become more communicative: Not having the distractions of psychosis, he's now able to appraise his situation, and doesn't like what he sees.

[IvyRose]

Originally Posted by Scott

You mentioned Respirdal. Andrew's been on 2 mg/d for the past week. The theraputic dose is 3 mg/d. THis is another reason why he may have become more communicative: Not having the distractions of psychosis, he's now able to appraise his situation, and doesn't like what he sees.

Sounds like a good beginning to recovery to me. It may take a long time, but it's a start.

Good luck to you both.

[twinkle]

I am not a spirits' worshiper or a Christian fanatic. I don't even know if I can be called a believer.

I however pray and believe that there is something bigger than us out there. And if that is true, other entities as well may exist. Good or bad is a term we invented therefore irrelevant for our situation.

Teenagers are much more sensitive, because of the changes they are going through, more receptive. I am not saying that what Andrew is completely accurate, but he must have felt the change within himself - you know, his becoming abnormal - as a foreign entity making itself felt. I hope that makes sense...

I am glad to hear your wife copes better with this situation, guilt is such a killer in these cases and so little couples make it. Hang in there, I think that it can only get better. Of course the road is long and it will be frustrating, but as you said, you are making progress .

[Meanon]

Originally Posted by Scott

The past couple of days have been interesting in that Andrew has suddenly become much less emotionally "flat" and seems to genuinely want to return home. He's also begun speaking much more openly about his behaviour, and expressing some real regret for his actions........

You mentioned Respirdal. Andrew's been on 2 mg/d for the past week. The theraputic dose is 3 mg/d. THis is another reason why he may have become more communicative: Not having the distractions of psychosis, he's now able to appraise his situation, and doesn't like what he sees.

At last! That's such good news, Scott. That is the difference the right drugs make - he's gained insight for the first time (that appraisal of which you speak). It's the standard drug treatment for psychosis, often they give a sub therapeutic dose at the outset to confirm diagnosis.

Hopefully, there will be increasing review/refinement of the meds. If he responds well, Andrew may come out of the acute phase of the illness, gain more insight and then use it to make further improvements through therapy and deal with any remaining deficits.

[Scott]

Originally Posted by IvyRose

Sounds like a good beginning to recovery to me. It may take a long time, but it's a start.

Good luck to you both.

TY

Originally Posted by twinkle

Teenagers are much more sensitive, because of the changes they are going through, more receptive. I am not saying that what Andrew is completely accurate, but he must have felt the change within himself - you know, his becoming abnormal - as a foreign entity making itself felt. I hope that makes sense...
.

This does make sense, and is just as good a theory as any.

Originally Posted by Meanon