Hello, I am new here and dont even know where to begin. My son is 6 and is becoming increasingling rigid in his behaviour, not to mention strong - he is tall, slim and wiry, which now makes it difficult to remove him from situations. We have an appointment next week with pediatric neurologist to talk about Risperdol. We'll see how it goes. My other question is do alot of you parents sometimes resort to anti anxiety medication or alcohol just to deal with your child and the consequences it has on your other family members? I also have 2 exceptional girls age 10 and 8 who are starting to become more affected by his behaviour.
Thanks for listining
If you feel that you need
If you feel that you need anti-anxiety medication, talk to your doctor. Mine gave me some Xanax to use sparingly. I find that it is good to know that I have them. I have rarely taken them, though. A friend of mine needed something more, so her doctor prescribed Zoloft, I think it was. She loves it.
About alcohol, I would say it's far better to indulge in a social drink or because you have an appreciation for the beverage for its own sake, at an appropriate time and place. I don't think I would habitually drink to dull my senses or mellow myself.
Sorry, I think I may have
Sorry, I think I may have mislead everyone and worded my original posting to harshly. I do indulge in an occasional social drink, say, a glass of wine at a wedding; but I do make a conscious effort to avoid taking any kind of drink the moment I find myself saying that I need a drink to relax. When I find myself feeling like I need to relax or to relieve anxiety, instead of reaching for any kind of alcoholic beverage, I have a cup of tea and resort instead to the same relaxation techniques we tought to our son.
When I became so depressed shortly after my son was diagnosed, a psychologist and I discussed medications and I opted to "hold off." Ultimately, I found I didn't need them; but this certainly is not the case with everyone. However, I have "lost" acquaintances and friends who have committed suicide because of depression - some were resisting medication and some were on meds at the time. When is the "right" time to resort to perscription meds for anxiety and depression? It is never an easy question and the "right" answer is different for everyone, I think.
As you said, the "right"
As you said, the "right" answer is different for everybody. I've had chronic depression even before I had my children, so I had already been going the anti-depressant route. It seems to help me, though I have to change meds every 2-3 years when my brain gets too used to the current one, thus it no longer seems to help.
Bottom line, it's something to try if you feel it might be of benefit, particularly in non-medication options don't seem to be sufficiently helping. You may have to try different ones though to see which ones work for you.
My son was recently put on
My son was recently put on Risperdal. He is 4. I have seen some changes in him.
I am 22, and since I had my son (at 18)I think I have had alcohol less than 10 times. If I think I could proabbly name each time. I am so terrified of becoming an alcoholic. So I refuse to buy alcohol and have it my my home. If I have it here, I know I will find myself needing it when things get tough. And believe me as a single ma they get tough alot.
Your girls cannot have a drink or medication when it gets tough on them with your son. So thi think using the same rule for them as yourself will help you get through.
I suggest family counseling so that your girls can be taught about why your son acts the way he is. Let them be little experts on Autism. I realized the more I learned about it, the less his behavior affects me.
My son is now all grown up
My son is now all grown up and while I certainly know first hand that the tress levels in raising a child with an ASD are "enough to drive anyone to drink," it was the very same reason that I became a confirmed "tea-totaler." I knew that there was a chance that my son would need me to look after him for many more years than normally expected - perhaps for his (or my) entire lifetime. Therefore, I had to look after myself and be "on top of my game" to ensure that I would be there for him whenever he needed me. Unlike an athlete, I couldn't rely on a drug to ready me for a next performance because I could be called into action at any time. I fought off symptoms of depression the same way.
That said, I realize that not every person is able to do the same just using this logic and will power. I think it is best to keep a good support network around you, including, if necessary, a good personal psychologist.
As for your child's needs (i.e. Risperdal or other meds), I really cannot offer any advice. My son was very high functioning and we were able to manage his behaviors, anger, etc. using meditation (as opposed to medication) and other relaxation techniques, such as Tai Chi. These were, by no means, easy to teach him; but the effort has paid off with tremendous dividends for him and his long-term health.