shutterbug........thank you very much for your reply and the information...........
my son had his first psychotic episode last may..........I posted about it here then too and I believe you replied to me then ( thanks
)
back in May he started acting out being obstinent and I just thought Teenage stuff ( I have a 19 year old daughter too) but then he started being really hyper talking alot and sleeping very little
that progressed to him saying really strange things......like he could "tell" what people were feeling or thinking or that he had really high level thinking that others couldnt understand.... hes gifted, and I figured he was saying he was reaslizing his potential...........hes also learning disabled and was diagnosed as ADHD as a child............so I was glad thinking good he is growing up......but in a matter of days it progressed to out and out scary he was saying really strange things and his behaviors became paranoid...........and I decided to take him to the hospital and over a few more hours it got worse and worse.............they admitted him
he was okay with that he said he knew something was wrong
but in a few more hours he became convinced he was losing blood and the food was posion complete paranoia, delusions ( thank goodness he didnt hear voices)
so they put him on Geodon and told me he was having a psychotic break............that he was "a little" young that it generally happens in 19 -22 range but that the pot most likely triggered it sooner.............
he was eventually stabilized on Depakote and has been perfect like it never even happened.
Hes been good about taking the meds and told me hed never smoke pot again etc............than yesterday I found out he was smoking again and now hes saying its fine and is saying the doctors dont know anything he thinks he can smoke pot..........
Tonight I was thinking maybe his depakote levels are off or something and maybe he is self medicating............we will be going to the doctor tomorrow.........
tonight I told him no phone no friends and asked him to look up "scientic" information about bipolar and teens and the drug use connections.......he has been and hes alittle less argumenative right now..........
I'm gonna go seee if I can find the book you recommended
do you know of any books that might be good for him to read? that could help him understand better what hes dealing with ?
thanks again