Category Archives: bi-polar

Life, Liberty and the use of a computer

It’s in the past. That is how David responds when we try to talk to him about the threats that he made toward that individual on facebook. “I don’t want to talk about it, because it’s in the past.” It was last Wednesday February 29.  Just because it is in the past doesn’t mean we shouldn’t talk about it.  He is not allowed to use computers.  So he argued with his mom about using the iPad.  So now he isn’t allowed to be in his room alone. Why? he steals and it is easier to keep an eye on him in the common areas rather than in his room.  Why?  He shares a room with his older brother and his older brother has a computer. So very frustrated.  David managed to convince the hospital staff that he was an angel and didn’t get his medicine because mom and dad didn’t

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say it again, with feeling

I find myself repeating everything I say to David.  Don’t, Don’t, Don’t do that. Don’t do this… Don’t touch the computer without permission, don’t touch the tv without permission.  Don’t touch the Wii without permission. You are not allowed on facebook.  Over and Over and Over again.  Yet, each morning I get up and when I check my email I find that he has attempted to access facebook, or he has attempted to access yahoo, or… He was born with a traumatic brain injury.  I understand that.  He has obsessive compulsive disorder, he is oppositional defiant, he has ADHD, he has facets of Autism, he has Fetal Alcohol Syndrome, he has Reactive Attachment Disorder.  And apparently, he has no memory. I don’t know.  I am just so frustrated.  I wish that I had a magic wand that I could wave which would allow me to remedy all of the issues

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how do you do it each day?

Each day moves forward without prompting. We start when the rest of the kids leave the house.  8am – four kids off to school. 8:30 breakfast and clean up 9:00 play time 9:30 exercise period 10:00 study math 10:30 break 11:00 spelling lessons 11:30 – 1 lunch 1pm grammar and reading. 1:30pm. done for the day For exercise we use games on the Wii. When it gets warmer, we will go outside. We also have an exercise bike. Three times a week, we try to have an outing of some kind.  Go to the store, a cafe, bank or whatever. Our day varies depending on his temperament and how he is responding.  Because of the severity of the ADHD, the above schedule is very flexible.  Some days we might not get started until 11am and might get done at 1.  We work when he is able to focus and function.

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