Question for parents of older kids(16 to 21) RE: drugs for violent behavior - Autism Spectrum Message Board

mango2 · 05-20-2006, 09:42 AM

My son is always in different phases which seem to coincide with growth spurts/hormones. He can get violent and my wife and I find our lives getting worse all the time. We're becoming hermits and there seems to be no help for us. We're in the guardianship process because we want to keep our only child and can't accept life knowing he was somewhere where he would be unhappy or worse.
What drugs have you tried as things have changed over the years?

Our prayers are that when he becomes full grown this behavior will improve.

marissamm · 05-20-2006, 04:50 PM

hi my son is 17 1/2, he too is very violent when he wants to be, he was awful turned our lives upside down, he put us in the poor house, he was a suicidal and homicidal maniac, he calmed down finally after years of all kinds of med changes in and out of psych hospitals, he is 6 feet 250 lbs,one of his violent attacks was he tried to stab me i was bymyself and had noone to help so i hit him as hard as i could,to get him off me now he knows i will fight him back i will not be afraid of my son he is also on meds he is on lamictal seraquel and remron and depakote,he is not violent anymore 2 things meds and me fighting back he knows i mean business, i even called childrens services for help and told them that i hit him they said he was too violent and couldn't do anything to help so i called dept of mental retardation for help thru them i get a personal assistant 60 hours a week behavior support and next year he will be going into supported living and supported employment, i too am in the proccess of guardianship over him he still cannot make decisions for himself, we too lived like hermits after years of his abuse i am in the proccess of healing and trying to figure out what i want in life since my life has been on hold for 17 years i just thank God that my husband of 10 years didn't leave me, he is one hell of a guy.good luck.

SuchGreatHeight · 05-21-2006, 01:51 AM

Sorry for the short post...

But many meds may help. More than likely, Antipsychotics are the best way to go for violent tendencies. Such medications include Seroquel, Risperdal and Geodon. Medications can definitely help, but therapy is also a good idea along with meds.

SGH

mango2 · 05-22-2006, 11:17 AM

Thanks for the respones.

We have tried Seroquel, Risperdal and Geodon. He takes Geodon and Klonopin at this time. It works for a while. We changed our appointment with the Nuerologist to see if we can try something different, or at least get more Geodon.

We're more than eligible for services, but it's so hard to find a provider that can deliver them.

marissamm, I'm sorry for what you have to got through. I know what it must be like. When I'm ready to give up, I try to think of people who have it worse, like you.

My house and yard get no attention because I take my boy fishing on my days off to give my wife a much-needed break. I'm lucky to have access to a boat. We fish all day and I'm so tired when we're done. He always gets violent when we get home. I immediately give him the drugs, get him a good shower, and then my wife feeds him until he's about to explode. Then he's an angel. Then I go right back to work the next day

Luckily he's still smaller than me, I'm the only person who can control him.
.

marissamm · 05-22-2006, 03:49 PM

mango, are you in the states? if so call your dept of menal retardation for services if there is a waiting list put him on it and ask what other services are available, do you have an agency called youth villages where you live? they can help with behavior as well.the magic combo of pills for us was lamictal that works great and my son isn't a zombie either. he functions well on his meds he even gets out his own meds from the bottles now if only he can learn to do his laundry.with my son unfortunatly intimidation works with him when he starts i get up and stand right in front of him with a look neither know he towers over me lol.than he stops.