Caring for Your Hurting Teen

Should we Call the Therapist or the Psychiatrist?

“Pay attention to your teen’s current appearance and habits, observing posture, hygiene, and level of awareness.”

When your teen’s symptoms spike, it can be difficult to tell whether it is an emotional issue or a medicine issue. Many times I found myself wondering whether to call the therapist or the psychiatrist. Along the way, I found it useful to ask myself a few questions.

Has There Been a Change in my Teen’s Medicine?

Begin by asking yourself whether your teen has missed any doses. This is where a seven-day pill dispenser comes in handy. If your teen is symptomatic, you can easily check to see if any medicine was forgotten. Next, ask yourself whether your teen has been getting their medicine at the same time every day, since regularity is important. Any of these issues are easy to correct at home.

On the other hand, if the doctor has changed your teen’s medicine or dosage within the past two weeks, suspect the medicine and call the psychiatrist.

Has There Been a Change in my Teen’s Routine?

If your teen has been on summer break for several weeks, the lack of structure may be affecting their mood. Think about your teen’s days and whether there have been significant changes, such as the end of a sports season. Lack of exercise can lower a teen’s mood or make them sleepy. Travel, or even having a guest come stay at the house, can unsettle a teen’s sense of well-being. This is especially the case with bipolar disorder–irregularity is the enemy here. Teens with schizophrenia need some alone time each day, so if your family is vacationing in hotel rooms and your teen does not have a quiet, private place to de-stress, anxiety and other symptoms may become more prominent.

Is My Teen Under New Stress?

Teens will by more symptomatic when experiencing a conflict at school or with a friend. Also, times of transition can bring on stress, including the start of a new school year or semester, exams, or graduation.

Conclusion A: It’s Time to Call the Therapist

If you ask your teen whether there is something the therapist needs to know about, and the answer is yes, call immediately. If your teen won’t talk at all, call the therapist. When you get there, go in for the first few minutes and explain what you’ve observed at home. Let the therapist take it from there.

Conclusion B: It’s Time to Call the Psychiatrist

If you conclude that your teen isn’t experiencing any new stressors or changes, suspect the medicine. Pay attention to your teen’s current appearance and habits, observing posture, hygiene, and level of awareness. Think back to the time before treatment with medicine began. For example, if your teen walked with a slump and seemed confused before treatment and you are seeing this again, call the psychiatrist.

While you’re sorting things out, ask your teen’s opinion about whether this is an issue for the therapist or the psychiatrist. Often, their instincts will provide the correct answer. It’s also a good idea to involve your teen in the decision so they can figure it out on their own in the future.

Caring for Your Hurting Teen — Comments Off
04
Nov 24

Are Vitamins Better than Psychotropic Medicines?

“…adding a vitamin where there is no deficiency will not cure a disease that has a different source.”

Sooner or later, it seems like many parents of mentally ill teens ask themselves this question. When the medicine seems to bring only miserable side effects, it’s natural to ask ourselves if maybe we’ve missed the obvious. Even if the medicine has brought your teen relief, you may be dissatisfied that it hasn’t brought greater improvement.

A couple of summers ago, I browsed through a book on holistic medicine while I was visiting my mom. It said that people with bipolar disorder don’t absorb sufficient B vitamins, especially B12. Since my son has bipolar disorder and I was always looking for new answers, I went to the health the food store and bought some vitamin B. After all, how could it hurt?

The B-complex I bought was called something like “Stress Tabs.” The irony of the name was lost on me until about a month later when my son complained that his anxiety was worsening. After a month of no improvement, I became suspicious of the vitamins and removed them. Within a couple of weeks, his anxiety had come back down. I’m glad I didn’t buy him a B12 shot as the book had suggested! The following summer, I had all of my son’s vitamin B levels checked during his blood work. To my surprise, they were all on the high side–including the B12. Lesson learned. I should have started with blood work and gotten some real information before rushing to buy something that seemed harmless.

Severe vitamin deficiencies can cause all sorts of symptoms. But adding a vitamin where there is no deficiency will not cure a disease that has a different source. If you suspect a deficiency, ask your doctor to test for it during blood work.