New diagnosis
Well, now they are saying that David is bipolar. They took him off ALL of his other meds and now have him on Seroquel. I am forewarned that this is going to take weeks to see change and most likely will get worse before it gets better. Also to be prepared as he will eat me out of house and home, worse than now.
Last night he was throwing things again and called me F ing fat ass. I wanted to smack his face. I wanted to cry. He was off school today. I have been in my office all day with the door shut. Paul and I are in agreement that at least for the next two weeks, I will have very little if any contact with David. All I wanted to do last night was throw all of his stuff in garbage bags and take him to the homeless shelter for a week. He did NOTHING all weekend here. He went out with friends. Ate all weekend. Watched tv. Played video games. Refused to do any chores. Asked him to take the dogs out last night and he screams he lives in an F ing prison!!!!
So for the next 2-4 weeks, I am going to totally focus on me. What makes me happy. What makes me feel good. What is good for me and my health.
I bought myself my own Blue Light for SAD. It is portable and rechargeable. so today I did 15 minutes with it around 1:30pm at a #2 intensity. I need to do it in the morning as I have been having really hard times getting up. I want to start exercising in the AM again at the Y. Food so far is good today. I also took my vitamins today, including my extra D. If I can get my exercise done in the AM, boost my energy level, I will then start getting back into my Fluenz Spanish classes at night a couple of times a week.
I have some fun things coming up: Penn State Blue White weekend in April, Easter, my birthday in May, my Stepmom comes to visit in May and I take a day off to go shopping. We are going to see Cirque du Soleil show in June and I am also going with my mom to Cape May NJ in June for an overnight stay at Congress Hall on the beach. I want to look and feel my best!
Last night he was throwing things again and called me F ing fat ass. I wanted to smack his face. I wanted to cry. He was off school today. I have been in my office all day with the door shut. Paul and I are in agreement that at least for the next two weeks, I will have very little if any contact with David. All I wanted to do last night was throw all of his stuff in garbage bags and take him to the homeless shelter for a week. He did NOTHING all weekend here. He went out with friends. Ate all weekend. Watched tv. Played video games. Refused to do any chores. Asked him to take the dogs out last night and he screams he lives in an F ing prison!!!!
So for the next 2-4 weeks, I am going to totally focus on me. What makes me happy. What makes me feel good. What is good for me and my health.
I bought myself my own Blue Light for SAD. It is portable and rechargeable. so today I did 15 minutes with it around 1:30pm at a #2 intensity. I need to do it in the morning as I have been having really hard times getting up. I want to start exercising in the AM again at the Y. Food so far is good today. I also took my vitamins today, including my extra D. If I can get my exercise done in the AM, boost my energy level, I will then start getting back into my Fluenz Spanish classes at night a couple of times a week.
I have some fun things coming up: Penn State Blue White weekend in April, Easter, my birthday in May, my Stepmom comes to visit in May and I take a day off to go shopping. We are going to see Cirque du Soleil show in June and I am also going with my mom to Cape May NJ in June for an overnight stay at Congress Hall on the beach. I want to look and feel my best!
Replies
Oh wow, Yvette -- what you, Paul and David have gone through over the years. Yes, be very, very good to you.
I\'m so glad you have good things planned.
((hugs)) shared
:-) Patricia
If David is truly bipolar, then taking him off of Focalin and Abilify is the absolute BEST thing that the doctor could do. As you probably know, Focalin is a stimulant, and Abilify, while a mood stabilizer, is one of the most stimulating and anxiety-producing out there. Hopefully, Seroquel, which is much more sedating, will help him. It helped control most of my dad\'s rages once he reached a high enough dose.
When I read your post in the Friends and Family group, what struck me was the fact that you and your hubby aren\'t on the same page. You essentially ARE a prisoner in your own home. As long as David realizes that he can act the way he does and essentially get away with it, the behaviors will continue, with or without meds. What consequences have you and your hubby put in place for the bad behaviors? Have you removed the TV from the home and the video games? Removed the door to his room? Taken away cell phones and access to a car? I know that this will likely cause more outbursts, at least initially, but it seems he is playing upon the fact that your hubby (and maybe you) will let him slide because you don\'t want to deal with his rage.
I really, really hope my comments won\'t upset you. I think so highly of you for adopting David (and as a friend), and I absolutely don\'t want to make you feel worse. It\'s very easy for me to sit here and make judgment calls when I\'m not dealing with the yelling and property destruction. I get that. I just really want things to be better for you and your family.
I\'m glad that you are taking some time for you. I hope you enjoy the events you have planned in the upcoming months.
Hugs,
Judy
So you are at a new \"starting place\" with David. I pray it works...OMG it has to work this time! How much more can you and Paul endure. I can agree with lots of what Judy wrote...tough love needed. I know, easy for me to say when you are the one dealing with it. Sending hugs and much love for all of you!
I too hope this works with David.
I am glad you are taking care of yourself. My heart goes out to you. know i\'m thinking of you.
Abilify is an anti-psychotic drug and so is Seroquel. There are many. Each one works differently with different people. Unfortunately, it\'s trial and error. My bipolar disorder didn\'t get better until I tried Zyprexa. I had been on Seroquel very briefly. It made me very physically sick with vertigo. Not for me! Abilify made me feel like a zombie. Zyprexa allows me to feel like ME, just not crazy! Some doctors have the notion that Depakote, which is actually an EPILEPSY med, helps with bipolar. Was tried on that, too. I got very depressed and ultimately had a rage reaction. If Seroquel doesn\'t work for David, try Zyprexa. As for my generalized anxiety, Cymbalta helped with that. Xanax did nothing but addict me, and I was still having panic disorder. I\'m a new person because of Zyprexa and Cymbalta! Best of luck in stabilizing your son.
I\'m kind of encouraged by the new diagnosis. The old one and the old treatments were obviously not working. And imagine how great David will feel if he gets a diagnosis and treatment plan where he can feel calm and balanced. He must feel like his world is spinning out of control and he just wants to take everyone and everything down with him. I hope this is the beginning to a path of lifelong healing and improvement, and I hope your life and self become whole again. What a rough ride it\'s been and what a patient and strong woman you are.