sjs40

Hello Everyone! Let me first say.... What a relief to come to this board and share with others & get some comfort and/or advice!

My 14 year old son has been on Risperdal for a host of difficulties he has. Some of which are Autism/PDD, Bi Polar, anxiety.... He has been on this drug since he was 2, and it has allowed him to function normally in life.

Now that he is a hormonal teenager, he has deceitfully not taken his nightly dose of his medications. He simply wants to stay up and watch TV and eat.
The Risperdal helps him sleep at night, but makes it difficult to get up in the morning. I told him that we could try to ween him off the Risperdal and try something else, but at the time being, we just changed his ADD medicine to Concerta. This has helped him tremendously, but we haven't gotten the dosage right yet, because he's not taking his other meds regularly.

Without the Risperdal, in particular, he becomes irrational and thinks of elaborate fanciful ideas of how he will survive in life. He says he'll run away and live in a warehouse and for food he will hunt. The first response to that statement that I get from other people that don't deal with special children, 'oh kids just say that, they don't actually run away.' This child has actually run away. Twice.

When my son does take his meds, you would almost never know that he's autistic. He's an honor roll student in school. He is supposed to start vocational school in his Sophomore year (next year).

He will always need adult support/supervision in life. I am so stressed right now, that may health has suffered severely. I was told I have no immune support & was a candidate for getting cancer because of my current health. .

Of course the whole family (he has 3 siblings) is impacted. But my husband is hardly home to see the emotional abuse that goes on. (He only usually sees a tired wife that hasn't gotten around to fully cleaning the house) My son is brutal when he's not in his right mind. Because I am mostly the one that sets up structure in his life, I'm the one that gets the turmoil.

Yesterday, however, my son had one of his lowest days, and my husband heard it over the phone. (Because he took my husband off guard and snuck his medicine in the nearest garbage that night, then didn't sleep at all)
In desperation, my husband made a plea with our church leaders to help our son. To just show the extra care and concern is all we can ask. - Though in the back of our minds, we have thought of sending our son away.

My prayers go out to all persons and families that face life's challenges in extraordinary ways. May you feel Our Heavenly Fathers warm embrace. There is a reason we have these special people. I, myself, know that God doesn't give more than you can handle. In that light, I am honored to take on so much.

I have a plaque with a quote from Mother Teresa

"I always Know God won't give me more than I can handle but there are times I wish he didn't trust me so much."

On that note, God Bless!