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Xuzi

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Everything posted by Xuzi

  1. Bluegoat, I'm absolutely with you on this. It is frustrating and heartbreaking. I'm trying to be hopeful that *some* kind of solution will show itself, but I worry about what kind of planet I'll be leaving to my grandchildren (or if I want grandchildren... I've seriously considered telling my kids to please not reproduce).
  2. Our insurance is through my husband's employer. It does not cover mental health. We need mental health coverage. What can we do? DH is going to talk to HR , but if his employer can't expand things on their end, can we? Are there supplementary plans that cover mental health? Can we talk to our insurer directly about expanding our plan? Help me figure out what to do. The therapy we're needing is expensive, and most therapy providers I've talked to won't even take on private-pay patients if we could afford it. ?
  3. Our plan isn't through the exchange. When I called our provider, even the customer service rep was surprised, because so few of the plans they offer don't cover mental health. It's ridiculous.
  4. Well, f**k. Out-patient care we can *just* about afford - 8 month waiting list. Out-patient care with a current opening for a new patient - $500/week for 6 months. ? DH is going to talk to his HR department to see if the is *any way* to get mental health coverage onto our plan.
  5. He's home. They weren't going to be able to find a bed over the weekend, and his behavior yesterday reassured the doctors that, while he had had a plan, he wasn't yet determined to die. During the day he kept fretting about not having access to his school iPad so he could submit a math assignment that was due, read the book they're reading in his English class so that he could keep up, and he used his phone access to call friends. With all of that, they believe an intensive out-patient program would suffice. All cutting implements and medicine are in a locked box now, and I've checked on him in his bed tonight as often as I did back when he was a new baby. Now we try and move forward. (And can I add how boring ER psych rooms are? We joked that if you weren't already a bit nuts when you checked in, a couple of days in a room like that would do it.)
  6. It's been hard to take care of myself, when I have my own depression I'm dealing with. I started seeing a therapist myself this week, and it was kind of frustrating that yesterday's appointment ended up focusing on my son's situation and her reassuring me about the help he'd likely get at the hospital. She probably thought that was what I needed, but I didn't get to talk about my own struggles at all. My world feels like it's disintegrating, but I have to keep taping myself together to be there for my kid. My husband is home in a couple of hours, then we'll probably be going to the hospital for a visit. Still no open psych ward beds. I've been able to talk to him on the phone. He's bored and worried about a math assignment he had due today. He could submit it from his school iPad, but it's locked up in another room because of HIPPA concerns.
  7. No news on a placement yet. Last check he was still sleeping. I'm reaching out to friends and family for what support they might offer. I might have somewhere to send the younger siblings for the weekend. But FYI: if someone in my position reaches out to you, keep your psych ward horror stories to yourself.
  8. Husband is away on a business trip. Siblings were in bed by the time I got home, so they don't know yet. They just knew I was taking him to the doctor. He didn't want a big deal made of it if they ended up not admitting him.
  9. I called the school, and he's made it to all of his classes so far. There's only one way in and one way out, and I'll be parked at that one exit before the final bell rings.
  10. The hospital we'll be going to is one recommended by the therapist, because she helped shape their youth mental health program and trusts the people there. 10 days?? My kid will go nuts if they're in there for that long. Do will I! So they allow parents to have any say in how long the child is kept?
  11. In therapy this morning my child admitted to having had a deadline set for when he wanted to die, but a close friend talked him out of it. The school counselor also called the other day to report an increase in the frequency of his panic attacks, and signs of cutting and other self harm. Child insisted on still going to school today, but we'll be going to the hospital afterward. What am I to expect? What should I watch for? How do I avoid being brushed off? Our insurance doesn't cover mental health. What might this potentially cost? I'm scared.
  12. Thank you all for the replies and PM's. I'm going to talk with my therapist about if it would be wise for me to take on a job right now. I'm living in an almost constant state of dread, like I'm watching the world end in slow motion. I need a distraction, but maybe I'm not capable of being a reliable employee just now. ETA: and I do try to get outdoors a lot, but I can't do that all day.
  13. My kids are all back in public school, and for the first time in 14 years I'm dealing with an empty home. I've also been recently hit by a heavy bout of depression. The silence of my home feeds the "doom loop" my brain keeps wanting to sink into. I don't have friends that I feel I could call up randomly for lunch and a chat. I started therapy this week, and will be seeing my doctor next month to discuss possible medication. I need a job and/or a hobby. I'm thinking of applying for a retail job, but I have no clue where to start. I haven't had a job since 2003! I have no college degree. I don't know who I could put down as a reference. I haven't done a cover letter, ever, and wouldn't know what to put on one. A grocery store job I'm looking at is requesting one. What would they want to hear?? Help??!
  14. I dealt with this a few months ago. What helped the most was icing it a few times a day (literally stuck an ice pack into my sock so I could still do things around the house), and massaging it a few times a day. There's some youtube videos on a type of tendon massage you can do for that area of the foot. It's painful to do at first, but it made the biggest difference. I also wore compression ankle brace (looked like a sock with no toes). I also didn't stop exercising entirely, but I did lessen my intensity. I was doing step aerobics at the Y at the time, and I stopped putting bricks under my step. I stopped running, but still went for walks. When I did workout DVD's I'd modify the really jump-y moves of the cardio workouts, or if the pain was really acting up I'd do strength training. It took about 3 months to completely go away.
  15. I see one here on the forums, but it requires a password? If it's still active, or if there's another one I failed to notice, could someone please direct me to it? Thanks. :)
  16. A friend of hers who also has panic attacks taught DD the "5 things" tactic. I don't know if she's used it yet, but it's in her "tool box", along with her fidget bag and breathing techniques. :)
  17. Her doctor recommended she go down to a half-dose of her antidepressent, and her therapist recommended she put together a "fidget bag" of things like squishy balls and fidget cubes to help her distract herself during anxiety attacks. She's much improved in the past couple of days, and isn't hiding out so much. She *loves* her fidget bag. We also have a referral for a child psychiatrist. However long that takes.
  18. No artificial sweeteners, no recent illnesses. The depression has been around since April. The anxiety attacks started before the first dose of Lexapro. I'll call in the morning and see about a thyroid check and some anxiety meds.
  19. She doesn't feel ill. She had a regular check up a couple of weeks ago and had her heart listened to, but nothing checked in regards to her thyroid. I could bring that up at her follow-up appointment.
  20. She's 13. She had her first panic attack about a month ago. The ones at camp were only for a few minutes each time. These long-lasting ones just started two days ago. The rapidly increasing intensity of them is what's most worrying to me.
  21. Oh really? So she wouldn't need to have an additional appointment? We already have an appointment scheduled to see how the Lexapro is doing a month from now.
  22. I'm not sure what to do. Earlier this year my daughter admitted to feelings of depression, social anxiety, and two incidents of self-harming. A few weeks later she had a couple of brief panic attacks (lasting minutes). She's been seeing a therapist weekly for a couple of months now, who's been working with her on how to handle the depression and panic attacks, and just this Friday started on a low-dose of Lexapro. Before starting the medication she spent a week at an over-night summer camp where she said she had a panic attack each day for the last 3 days. When she came home she had a several-hours-long panic attack (feeling a strong sense of anxiety, rapid breathing, and shivering). When it finally stopped I gave her her first dose of Lexapro. That was Friday. Saturday she continued to have several panic attacks, and hasn't left her bed much at all. She's still shivering, and feeling anxious. If the panic attacks had started *after* she started the Lexapro I'd been tempted to call the doctor about immediately discontinuing it. She had fun at camp, and says absolutely nothing bad happened while she was there (no abuse, bullying, etc). But maybe the constant socialization was too much? Is her body just working through that constant barrage of socialization, or could this be a sign of something more serious? Should I take her to the ER? What would they do to/for her if I did? I will for sure be bringing this up with her therapist this week, and her physician at her next appointment in early August.
  23. There's a button near the bottom, right in the middle that says "theme." There's only one other option, but maybe it's better than the one that's currently bothering you. :)
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