[restoreme]

My 12 yo son has been diagnosed with depression and ADHD. He's being treated with zoloft and focalin xr and is seeing the psychiatrist every 4 weeks or so (it used to be less frequent but lately he needs it).

For the past few months now he has started having pretty severe emotional outbursts/breakdowns. He gets highly irritable, frustrated, worried, overwhelmed and angry all mixed into one. He feels trapped and helpless and powerless. He will go up to his room and slam around, slam doors, kick things, throw himself around physically, hit himself, cry, etc. I try very hard to acknowledge his feelings and listen without giving advice (unless he asks for it) but try to discourage the hitting/kicking/throwing stuff part. When he talks to me he will rant and rave how everyone is bothering him and criticizing him. He says he can't take all the tension in the house (his younger 9 yo brother is a source of huge stress for all of us...more on that later). He is just extremely distraught and obviously in a great amount of stress. The best thing I have found so far to do is to get his mind off of it. That requires him being willing to try some distractions though and sometimes he is unwilling. He also has increased his picking at himself and has scabs all over his thighs, upper arms and on his scalp. He says he can't help it.

For the past 4 visits or so to the psychiatrist we have talked about this. She changed his dosage, then changed meds, then changed the dosage on those meds...no difference. He sees a therapist 2x a month which doesn't really help much. I am really at a loss as to what to do.

To make matters even worse, my kids are due to visit their father out of state for six weeks. They leave beginning of June. We have a visit scheduled with my son's psychiatrist this Thursday but I do not foresee her wanting to make any med changes if he's not going to be under a watchful eye. My ex-husband is not a watchful eye. He won't even give the kids their meds and leaves it up to my 15 yo daughter. Both my son and I are worried that he is going to have these episodes while with his dad/family and have no outlet or help. Another constant stressor I mentioned above is his younger 9 yo brother who has severe behavioral issues and takes a lot of them out on his older brother. It is true that the house is in a state of some degree of tension at all times because of him. He is just over the top defiant and oppositional and all that good stuff.

I dont' know what to do about all this. I have my youngest in counseling 2x a month plus psychiatrist visits plus meds. And as I said, my 12 yo in counseling and seeing a psychiatrist and meds. I have severe depression and other mental health issues as well so it's a really big mess. But I'm mostly just wondering if anyone has any opinions on my 12 yo. Nothing is helping him and I'm afraid to let him loose with his jerk father for 1/2 the summer. Help!

[restoreme]

Anyone??

[Victoria'smom]

My son has the picking behavior and himveral other behaviors you have described. I would make sure that your sons has a weekly appointments with a therapist in his father's area. ask him to keep a journal so that he has a place to write down all the things that happen before and after his feelings got to extreme for him. you may want to make lists ie. morning list: wake up, make your bed, have cerial, take your medicine, shower, get dressed, and have a great day. Destraction list: when you feel likes ???? : take a shower, read a book, color picture, play video games, and anything else you like to do.

I would really look into getting him into occupational therapy when he gets home.

[googley]

Your children need to be in therapy more than 2x/mo. They need to be in it weekly. You should look into something like Parent Management Training (PMTO). You need to support your sons, but you also need to set limits on their behavior so no one gets hurt. As they get older and bigger, this problem will be bigger if you don't get them the help they need now. Also, if you aren't in treatment, you should get your own treatment.

[Heather11]

It could be that the Focalin stimulant is too much for him. Stims brought out terrible behaviors in my "ADHD" child and he had depressive tendencies as well. We tried several stims and then switched to Strattera which was a world of difference. I had a regular kid for a while until he hit the teens.
My experience is that doctors are just playing with a chemistry set in one's brain. It can be hit or miss. I really believe that my son has underlying anxiety which caused the ADHD type behaviors. If it was true ADHD wouldn't stimulants have helped is what I always thought to myself..

[-jimi-]

SSRI's often make kids impulsive, anxious and out of control. Do they just toss them at kids or do the kids get other help 1st?