My daughter told me over the weekend that she heard my son was using drugs. I had friends come and help me raid his room on Sunday morning. We went in there planning to put the smack down on and instead found that he had taken a ton of drugs and was trying to kill himself.

"Mommy, I think I got really close this time." ... THIS TIME? I guess that was attempt EIGHT. Six in the last three weeks. I am hoping he was trying to get my attention more than anything, there were enough pills in his room that he could have suceeded if he really wanted to do so. He told the doctor he hadn't moved to a different method because he was afraid of the pain. He told me not to confuse his getting drugs with recreational use, he was gathering them with one purpose in mind.

He was admitted inpatient, after 36 hours in emergency, and has now been there three nights. I am afraid to go back today. He was SO depressed yesterday. He said he didn't understand why he was there as they left him sitting in his room all day. When I asked why there was no therapy or anything happening, they said they don't force them to do anything and where they are suppose to be is posted on the wall.

On a good day, he isn't a self starter. When he is at rock bottom, there is no way. No one has talked him into taking a shower (guessing it has been 6 days). No one is encouraging him to come out and attend various groups. There have been NO changes to his meds. We were in the middle of med changes because we were aware things were not going as well as they should be. The level of meds in his system are very low right now because he was suppose to start new meds after lowering the dose on the others. Alas, that has not even happened.

I left him last night refusing food and begging me not to leave him there, that it was just making things worse. I know that is the best place for him now but it was all I could do to leave him there.

I'm so sorry you are in this nightmare! And I certainly am not impressed with the care he is getting. How old is he if I may ask? And what meds is he normally taking? What does your primary doctor say about his treatment?

I lost a son to suicide many years ago and I do not want you to have to go through this. Your son needs more help than he is presently getting.

Please keep talking here...

Hi drgnphlylvr,
Welcome to the NeuroTalk Support Groups. I'm so sorry it's under such worrying circumstances for you.

I also am wondering about the age of your son. It must have been really awful for you to leave him there when he was begging you. I hope you're able to talk with his doctor or nurses today so that something can be sorted out regarding his medication situation. That's partly why I am asking his age. I know there's a cut of point here where I live, where the doctors legally will only discuss with the patient and if the patient refuses to allow the doctor to speak with family then that's how it goes.

He will be 16 next month.

I do not know what to do next. I hadn't thought about calling his primary. I just called the office and the doctor is out. Yeah

My son has been in therapy for years. I am convinced he has Asperger's but the "specialty" hospital talked to him for 15 minutes several years ago (after waiting a year for the appointment) and said he was not on the spectrum. His therapist also believes he is on the spectrum.

We have done all sorts of meds for depression, mood stability, inability to sleep and ADD. At this second while preparing for new medications, he is only on 10 mg of Celexa, 1 mg of Clonipan for sleep and 20mg xr Adderall. He has just recently (last two weeks) come off higher Celexa, Intuniv and Trazadone. The Adderall makes him ill if he has too much, we removed Seroquel within the last couple of months, as well. I am furious they haven't given him something different to try and quell some of this depression.

I am so worried that they aren't going to do anything and then it will be Good Friday and the Easter weekend, along with Passover and there isn't going to be a soul around to help him.

I hope you are able to talk with his primary doctor. It's tricky with the easter break coming up so hopefully you can get on to him today about your concerns.

Medications alone will not necessarily help depression. If you still suspect that he is on autism spectrum that is something that needs to be sorted out asap. The early adolescent years can be very difficult for so many reasons. (my son has AS but is now an adult but the teen years were esp. difficult). I always disputed my son had ADHD and he was never medicated for that for that reason. What I saw was that he had "attention difficulties" usually caused by other things... preoccuption and overwhelmed on a sensory level etc.. I saw it as a secondary issue.

I was reading a paper on Prof. Tony Attwood's site regarding depression and hopelessness in adolescents with AS.

Attributional Style and Depression in Adolescents with Asperger Syndrome
G.P Barnhill and B. Smith-Myles, Journal of Positive Behaviour Interventions, Volume 3, No 3, Summer 2001, Pages 175 - 182.

I'm sorry to hear about your son... how frightened you must be.

Please call your son's primary care giver and let them know that this is an EMERGENCY and that you MUST talk to him/her NOW!!!!

They can page him/her. Beg if you must!!!! If they are not within reach via cell phone the doctor has to have a partner or another doctor to replace them while they are gone.

You can not leave your son with unanswered questions. I'm no expert but it seems to me that he needs more (additional) help than he is currently getting.

Wishing you the best.

Abbie

Hello drgnphlylvr,

I, too, am sorry that we have to meet under these circumstances. You've found a great support group here and I sincerely hope you've got friends and family helping you out through this rough spot in your son's life.

It sounds to me like they are weaning your son off his meds since you mentioned he is now on less Celexa... in preparation for different medications. I can certainly understand that taking him off slowly is much easier on his system and, that said, he's now suffering from withdrawal, too. Poor kiddo...the teen years are so tough.

I know, firsthand, what medication withdrawal can do to a person.
My heart goes out to you,
Addy

I am so sorry that you and your son are going through such a terrible time at the moment, but keep talking to us, please. You're among friends here..... people who've been where you are, or else been where your son is.

I'm pleased to see that others have offered such good advice and I can't think of anything else to add at the moment, but is there anything else we can do for you?

(((drgnphlylvr)))
I too am so sorry for what you are going through. Reading about his stay in the hospital reminded me of a conversation my therapist and I had not too long ago.

We talked about my daughter and her husband and a horrible period in her life just in the last year or so. My son-in-law wanted to see about admitting her to the hospital for her extreme anxiety and depression where I lived at the time.

My therapist said that without a doubt, never consider admitting her to THAT particular hospital! Her practice, in the very same town, always suggested to patients that if that ever occurred that they should head to one of the hospitals in Des Moines.

I wasn't surprised as I had experienced a close friend's stay at that hospital for attempted suicide. It was pathetic, to say the least.

A good doctor and therapist are so key.

Positive thoughts and prayers for you and your son.