Category Archives: Mental Health

Articles relating to mental health are in this category. Typically they will fall into one of two categories. Yours, or your child’s. Yes, your mental health is important.

visited David today

Stopped at the psych unit to see David tonight.  He was being so good that I didn’t stay long.

He and some of the other patients were playing games.  It is rare when David sits still long enough to do anything, so I stayed long enough to give him a hug and let him know that we would see him tomorrow.

A part of me wishes that we could bring him right home, he would be good for a day or two.  But then, all of the old behaviors would start up again.  Then, we would be back where we started.

For now, I will for sure take the positive.  David deserves it.

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i wonder how long

With David’s placement now occurring as early as Monday afternoon, I find myself pondering how long.

How long will we find his hiding places in our home?  Places where he has hidden things that he has taken from others.

How long will we wonder at some item that we have found and who it belongs to?

I wonder how long he will believe that we still love him and want him to be a part of our family?

We don’t place him in a residential facility on a whim, and it seems to me that there are people who don’t understand how we reached this decision.

David suffers from a mental illness that can’t be corrected with medication, or punishment.  In time, it is our hope that he will learn to behave in a fashion that is appropriate for society.  At age 11, we are not ready to give up on him.   We are moving to the next level of care, because we have exhausted resources that are available to keep him in our home.

If you are a praying person, we would appreciate it if you would add David to your prayers.  If you aren’t, just keep him in your thoughts.

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you know you need a break when

You sleep for 16 hours after placing your child in the psychiatric unit at the hospital.

Seriously, I fell asleep shortly after I got home last night, and other than a few phone calls, slept until shortly after noon today.

Now, the argument could be made that I have a wife who could help out.

My response to that is:  she works full time.  She does everything that she can in the evening hours to give me time to unwind.  On the weekends, she forgoes sleeping in so that I can go to bed after I finish as David’s “night staff”.

Ours is truly a collaboration in raising a special needs child. Plus.  Communication.

Without communication between parents, the child is free to run the parents ragged.  My wife and I talk about everything.  We have basic guidelines or unwritten rules that we follow regarding major decisions.  Our goal in communicating is to ensure that David doesn’t try to use us against each other.

Without my wife, I would have lost my mind long ago.  She is the glue that holds our family together.

For those people who called today to ask about why I put David in the hospital, it is never an easy decision to hospitalize your child in a psychiatric unit.  Since you work in that unit, maybe you could read the chart before you call me.  Do you think that we just arbitrarily make the decision to hospitalize our child?  Give me a break!  We have done everything humanly possible to keep David safely in our home.  What else would you have us do?  Seriously, if it isn’t something that we have already tried… let me know.  Chances are though that we have been there and done that.  I am willing to listen to your ideas though.

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