What to expect when...

We have all seen the book "What to Expect When You're Expecting".  It is an awesome book for mothers to be! I read it.  However, there is no book out there like that for a parent on what to expect with multiple mental illnesses.  Each child is different. 

Here are some expectations that I would like to share with you from parent to parent:

 Expect unpredictability.  Even with careful, thoughtful planning, these children are unpredictable.  Just remember this.  Most of the time, a severe out burst, melt down, or mood swing will come out of no where.

 Expect Hormonal changes to create chaos.  Because each child is different, when puberty starts it can and often does affect medications.  Don't let anyone tell you differently.  When those hormone chemicals start changing in their bodies, their bodies react differently to how they are absorbed and released.  This is an issue you should bring up to your doctor. 

Expect Coping Strategies to change.  Sometimes the strategies you use to help them cope just abruptly stop working.  An example;  we used to use the brushing technique to calm him down even when he was older, and for some reason, it just noticeably stopped being effective.  Obviously age plays a role here, too.  Another area of strategy change for us was when he was about 14 years of age, I could no longer bring him back from a huge meltdown.  All the years that I had spent with him in sessions, being prime care taker, we came to quickly understand that his dad was the only one who could do it from then on out. 

 Expect the unexpected.  This was the hardest.   We had to unexpectedly admit him into a pediatric pyschiatric hospital the summer he was 13.  I didn't know to expect this kind of a thing.  We were in the process of diagnosis and just innocent I guess.  We were people of faith and never, ever expected this to be part of our journey.  I didn't sleep for a week.  The mental stress was almost unbearable. If only someone would have told me to expect the unexpected.  It sounds so simple, almost negative, but it is not.  We have gone through another hospitalization in the past year, it was somewhat easier, however, again I was caught off guard, it didn't make any sense. It doesn't make sense!  We are dealing with mental illness.  We just need to realize, unexpected things will happen.  


Thanks for stopping by,


Lynne