Photo by Rosie Hardy
One year ago today I wrote my first post for this blog. I remember thinking at the time that I wanted to try and post almost every day but wondered how I would possibly think of something to say or post every day. Oddly, it really has not been a problem. In [...]
The Good News: After a few days at home, Rye is back to himself. Perky, animated, grounded. His usual bouncy self.
The Bad News: The cause of his mental distress was and is his school situation.
This will have to be addressed.
This is the direct result of our state pushing for and insisting on mainstreaming all kids [...]
Dear Mismanaged and Underfunded Public Middle School,
Please excuse Rye’s absence from school yesterday. Due to the fact that you insist on mainstreaming bipolar children and refuse to acknowledge children with emotional disabilities as being worthy of any significant amount of additional assistance in the public school setting, Rye is now completely stressed by your school [...]
So, as you know by now, we have a few difficulties with the school Rye attends. And that would be a gross understatement. Without going back over it all, suffice it to say this is not the most enlightened, progressive, or proactive public school in the world. Or, even in our county (which, by the [...]
So, it dawned on me yesterday when re-reading my post that perhaps I should elaborate on what I mean when I say that Rye is stable.
After all, what is ’stability’?
I’ll be honest, I don’t know. I mean, what is stability to others? I don’t know. We are learning as we go over here and all [...]
If you have a bipolar teen and are a part of any kind of bipolar teen support group, you will hear stories of kids having some unsavory behavior. Not all kids, of course, but definitely some. It’s pretty much inevitable. I mean, after all, these kids live a little more on the [...]
I like the therapist. I like him a lot.
It’s interesting, though. He is very much a behavior based therapist. In other words, he minimizes the effect of medicines as he believes they don’t control you. You control yourself, regardless of medication. Now, as much as I would like to believe this is wholly and completely [...]
The boy beneath the mask
Is not as he may seem
An illusion to the world
Himself left to redeem
The path from which he
Once had veered
Now in the mirror
Is closer than appeared
The road is long
And winding yet
But others are watching
Helping his step
The boy will find his way
In life
He will be happy, healthy
Despite forthcoming strife
He is a mystery
To those [...]
Well, it’s been 2 weeks and we are now home from Rye’s inpatient hospitalization. What a ride this has all been. In fact, we got home yesterday and my head is still spinning and I’m not even sure I can write a decent post. But here goes…
What was good about the hospital?
It seems to have [...]
As it turns out, Rye could not follow the rules of the house so we took him to the hospital. We could not get the Depakote level high enough, fast enough to stay helpful once his body adjusted to it and we just could not keep him safe. From himself.
It’s kind of a weird thing, really.
I’m [...]
Some thoughts on psychiatric medications and children:
I’ve been reading a lot of articles lately of recent accounts of children dying from taking pharmaceutical psychiatric drugs. In one case the child’s body system shut down due to overdose, in another the child had a heart attack, and in another the child hung himself.
And all I can [...]
