The answer should be yes. Not "how can I get my loved one help?"

Author Archives: David's Father

a brand new day

Today is a brand new day for David.

This morning, he was complaining of being stiff and sore.  So I talked about the work that his muscles did to support his body yesterday while he was manic.   He said he doesn’t like it.

In talking with David today, I learned that he was upset that he was going to be in trouble for riding in a vehicle, being in a place he wasn’t supposed to be and for borrowing garden tools.    He rode in a friends truck, he was outside the boundary established for him to be in, so that we know where to look for him, and he took a cultivator and garden rake without permission.

For the record, until this morning, I knew about the boundary issue, but not where he ended up telling me about.  I knew the garden tools were a possibility.

So much behavior for so little action.

So we talked about how he needs to change his response to questions or discipline.  Especially, when you don’t know if the questions are about something you may or may not have done.  Instead, he started with negative behavior and things escalated from there.

Honestly, I would like Medicaid to come stay at my house for a day or two.

what do you do when…

your child is manic and goes running down the street into traffic yelling, just kill me?

We had the start of an episode tonight.  I ignored it.  I walked away.  I turned the other cheek.

Every time I refused to acknowledge the behavior, the behavior escalated.

David started spraying something that we later learned was “just water” at his brothers, the pets… and but we didn’t know that for sure.

He has cut himself in the past.  He has sprayed the animals with bug spray.

So I called the Sheriff.

Thankfully, he was able to help deescalate the situation.  Things are better now.

To say that I was, and still am very concerned about his safety is an understatement.  But, we are safe now.
I did discover one of his noon meds (for mood control and stability) laying on the floor of the van.  Which tells me that he missed a dose.

Thoughts – control – arguments and what not

I have been torn.  Since David has come home, we have had quite a few good days.  The bad days, holy.  It is trying on the whole family when they happen. So I am going to take a page from another parent of a child a lot like David.

No confrontations.  If he is spoiling for an argument, or a fight, we will just stop everything involving him.  No giving in.  By pursuing the fight, we are giving him what he wants.  That is attention.

Instead, we will continue what we have been doing.  Praise ALL of the positive behaviors and actions.

It won’t be easy.

We have tried the direct confrontation.  We have tried discipline, taking away privileges and that type of thing.

He may lose one privilege, but he won’t lose them all.  He needs to be able to burn off that energy.  Not letting him do so is a recipe for disaster.

The Nintendo DS is a means of coping.  As it gives him a focal point.

Please comment if you have any other tried and true methods.

Cheers,

Carl