Experience like this? sorry long

[Easeful]

Does anyone else have experience like what's happening to us?

My son was hospitalized with a paranoid schizophrenic / psychotic break on Dec. 22. They told me he'd be transferred to a psychiatric hospital and stay approx 5 days to get "stabilized" on the meds. His stay stretched into 10 days, but I assumed that was because of the reduced staff during the holidays and our really flush insurance coverage. He was taken off of haldal and prozac the day he was discharged. (so much for being assured of stabilization, the 1,200 mile road trip home was challenging to say the least)

He came home on depakote, risperdal and propananol, 2 weeks later he was taken off of risperdal and put on seroquel, three weeks after that he was taken off of seroquel and put on abilify each of these on an "emergency" basis, meaning he was barely hanging on at the time of each change. Then 1 week ago he was put in another psychiatric hospital in a suicidal state, taken off of abilify and depakote and put on lithium, zyprena and paxil.

When he was hospitalized this time they again told me they're a short term treatment facility and he'd be there 5 to 7 days. It's now been 8 days and he is as suicidal as he was the day he entered. They just added the paxil last night.

I'm told by everyone I speak with that it takes time for the meds to work, give it time. But the same people who are telling me this are the ones who are changing the scripts every time I turn around. And he is no better off today than he was 2 months ago.

What should I be asking? What should I be insisting on? We met with a member of the treatment team today and asked that when he is released that he be released into an op program so he'll be seen by a psychiatrist every day for the next month. Any other ideas, comments?

[historyteach]

I think you make a great point and you need to make your point explicitly clear to them!

I'm told by everyone I speak with that it takes time for the meds to work, give it time. But the same people who are telling me this are the ones who are changing the scripts every time I turn around. And he is no better off today than he was 2 months ago.

They are talking out of both sides of their mouths. This is sickenly similar to what I went through years ago. (Not exactly, but close enough with the changing the meds all the time; not stablized...)

I think an outpatient program is an excellent idea.
I wish you both the best.
:praying

Shalom!

[barb dwyer]

oh man.

this is what I was afraid of. Do you have a personal care physician> a doctor who knows/has known you? like his pediatrician or someone? Someone in the medical field who knew him before, who you trust?

My recommendation is = contact a healthcare provider who knows you. Who has worked with you over a period of time ... I'm praying that you have such a person. Get their recommendation of someone they KNOW. Someone who will take the TIME to listen to your story, and take the TIME to help you find someone who will take the TIME to do the right thing... do do what is needed .. not milk your insurance company and make the drug company bigger.

Now you're really in my prayers.

[Easeful]

[QUOTE=barb dwyer;1682440]oh man.

this is what I was afraid of. Do you have a personal care physician> a doctor who knows/has known you? like his pediatrician or someone? Someone in the medical field who knew him before, who you trust?

QUOTE]

This has been at least a part of the problem in getting even this far, we moved cross country just 18 months ago. We've established physicians here, but that's all.

And our family members who are from here have received horrible mental health care imo, so their recommendations are more of a list of those to avoid. ie. three of my inlaws are diagnosed bp or schizophrenic, but they have the "kind" of bp where you don't need to see a psychologist or psychiatrist. I'm determined to do this differently from what I see as their failed treatment, but that doesn't mean we're going to be more successful, just different.