There is a lot going on to catch up on

[jill]

There is a lot going on right now sorry everyone it has been a year. I have a lap top now along with our home computer so two can be on the intronet I also use my phone a lot.

To get to it Annette has been struggling a lot this year and we are in process of a Psychiatry Referral yes that serious. We have been noticing her obsessive behaviors for years and her Old Psychologist says no anyways due to recent problems her Pediatrician recommended counseling to help and if that does not work a Psychiatry referral to follow.

The presenting problems her anxiety is so bad she is clingy with me is terrified of being home alone (what she used to love) and goes everywhere with us. Her fear what if someone tries to break in. At her IEP meeting last month we learned she organizes her desk just so and if something gets moved by accident or a teacher does it to help her she gets upset and has to replace it to where she had it immediately or she will shut down. Also discovered her processing has slowed down they have to give her more time to process what is being said to her so next year in High School, yes high school she will have an aid in a few of her classes to help her. Then we had her parent teacher conferences and learned her Nose Picking habit is back in full force every teacher reports she does it in all classes. The school implemented a plan to help her stop as well as us and Nothing works she is so obsessed she gets it but cannot stop herself. We offered her hypnotism but she is afraid of that so that is when I went to her Pediatrician and started her in counseling again for all of the above. Her therapist feels cognitively does he get it is where the problem lies and she recommends the Psychiatry referral. Then the last piece her group of friends the leader or bossy one has been in her face and basically bullying her and now she is isolated which I have addressed with her school since the girls mother has not my kid syndrome.

My heart is breaking for her and the psychiatry referral scares me for I do not really want her on a lot of meds it took a long time to be comfortable with the Ritalin idea now I love it for her. She is now 13 so hormones are changing. I am finding myself crying for her every day when she cannot see me and at work I struggle it has been H-ll for me as of late another issue. I am also setting up for her an allergy appointment for she says her nose itches to rule out medical. Any ideas welcome . The positive is she did awesome on the swim team and came in third place the one meet and has beaten her score a few times.

[charliegirl]

Jill, please don't be afraid of meds for her. The right med can literally change her life for the better. I don't advocate meds for everything but there are issues that therapy can only help so much. She is so pretty and talented that it would break my heart to see her give up because life is too hard if meds can help.

Hang in there! Our thoughts and prayers are with you.

[bugsmom]

Jill...my heart goes out to you, because I too, have had many days that I just cry when you watch your kid suffer and there's not much you can do. We've definately had periods of that over the years, so I'm sending you big hugs!

As for the psych eval, I agree wholeheartedly with Barb. Don't be scared of an evaluation. It by no means means that you have to medicate. It's a great tool to find out what really going on and then you can make a decision. My hope is that you have access to a great psychiatrist...they are very hard to find. My advice to you is that if you don't feel your doctor is "getting it", move on. It's most important that you find someone that is a good evaluator and understands your kid. Sometimes, that's not the first one.

The anxiety I understand. I've always said the ADHD is much easier to deal with than the anxiety...and that is so true for us too. Josh has big issues with being alone and he's (almost) 17! We've been going through a tough bout with the anxiety for almost 6 months. We haven't had issues for years...so I feel for you.

Please keep us updated on what's going on. Hang in there my friend.

[misty]

I agree the anxiety is worse than all the rest. Shannon has social anxiety & is on Zoloft, which has helped immensely! So much so that her volunteer job at the Science center (where she has to hand out flyers & talk to patrons) has become fun for her & she's loving it! So I wouldn't completely count out meds. When kids have the right combination of support & meds, it can make a world of difference.

[jill]

Her Psychologist we were using I kept him in the loop even though she outgrew him he gave me a referral to associates he knows well. I have an appointment set up already for March 1 at 3:30. I am doing better now for I want to help her. I still have to notify her counselor and school counselor of the date. I do think besides the anxiety showing its face more she has OCD. I will keep you all posted for the appointment is not far away in fact just realized we got in pretty quick.

[jill]

I took her to her allergist on Monday to rule out medical and she tells the doctor her nose feels fine nothing is bothering her. The doctor took a look and found nothing. I did notice her nose was red underneath when I got home from work thinking does it mostly in school and once in a while at home nerves or Borden or both.

[bugsmom]

I'm glad that the allergist ruled everything out. It sounds more like an anxiety issue to me. My son's a picker, and when his anxiety is really high he'll pick anything. Last couple of months it's been his face....arrrgggg. It drives me nuts. He can have a little tiny zit and when it scabs over, he'll pick at it for weeks. He doesn't even know he's doing it. When I tell him, he just gets angry and says he didn't realize he was doing it.

[jill]

Well she was on zoloft for a couple months and it did not appear to help and the dose increased and all that did was make the symptoms worse. Now she is on Prozac since Saturday and I hate it was told it takes awhile to build up in the system but let me tell you she is acting out of character very moody, whiny, agitated and miserable to be around. Is it pre hormonal or the medication side effects which I did read and the symptoms listed are on there. I am at a loss and cannot take her moods now she is not acting like my sweet girl grrrrrrr! I am also thinking about another opinion for this lady wants to just use meds and the dose gets higher and higher now another med! I am disgruntled.