America’s mentally ill children

[proud2BlibKansan]

America’s mentally ill children | Little lives in chaos
Mending Marcus
When she’s tried everything else to help her troubled son, where can a mother turn?


In 2006, studies indicate that 16 million of America’s 80 million children suffer some sort of diagnosable mental illness. Of those, as many as 4 million are severely emotionally disturbed. The truth is the voyage to normalcy for these children can be grueling, stressful and uncertain. But with therapy, time and the support of parents, it is by no means impossible.

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By age 5, Marcus had already been hospitalized for severe psychiatric problems six times. He once whipped his 4-year-old brother, Ricky, with metal tubing.

He sheared off his baby sister’s hair. He’s been booted out of day care. At home, he slams doors, smashing their knobs through plaster walls. He pummels his brother and mother. At night Kym examines her legs, sore with islands of blue bruises. Marcus also punches himself. In the head.

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“There is not a classroom, not a church, not a neighborhood, not an after-school program or day camp that does not have a kid with mental illness,” said Susan Crain Lewis, president of the Kansas City-based Mental Health Association of the Heartland.

In 1990 Kansas community mental-health centers employed eight caseworkers statewide dedicated to disturbed kids. Today Kansas has 900. Mental illness is the No. 1 reason kids age 5 to 17 are hospitalized in Kansas. In Missouri, the Division of Mental Health served 8,400 children in 1995. Today, it helps nearly 17,000.

more . . .
http://www.kansascity.com/mld/kansascity/news/special_packages/marcus/16257481.htm

[bleedingheart]

1. the pain that poor woman is going through is immense...

although with the problems her son is having...

[Ilsa]

2. Add autism into that. My son's OCD and ADHD and aggressive

behaviors make us crazy some days. We can't even henjoy his birthday because he found his gift, unwrapped and intentionally broke it before he even got to use it. THere are days when we just go through the motions of trying to take care of him because our hearts aren't in it when you are this tired. I guess technically, he has some form of mental illness on top of the autism.

PS, We also suffer from the bruises and aching backs from having to carry his intentionally limp body away. Life is hard and right now, it pretty much sucks.

[EFerrari]

3. ((((((((Ilsa))))))))))

My Aspie husband decamped in August -- after he tried to have me "put away" because in his mind, I was out of control. :wtf: Thank God I have a family around me.

I miss him terribly but I don't miss the daily strain of every kind.

/oops

[acmejack]

5. Sounds like you're the one that needs the hug.

Hope things look up soon.

[EFerrari]

6. It's been real!

Back atcha. :)

[proud2BlibKansan]

10. Hey you!

:hug:

17 years ago, I went to grad school and signed on to be a learning disabilities teacher. Then the state decided that all kids with disabilities could be served in cross categorical settings by any teacher certified in any special ed category. So now I have a majority of kids with mental illnesses on my caseload. I am a quick learner but a lot of days, I have no idea what I am doing. :scared:

I started on my own personal journey into the world of mental illness when my sister got sick nearly 30 years ago. A lot has changed but there is still a lot we don't know. And kids are a completely different ballgame.

It all has so much to do with brain chemistry. It is just amazing what the right meds can do.

[EFerrari]

12. Good lord! How many kids are we talking?

:hi:

[proud2BlibKansan]

13. About half my caseload are kids with mental illnesses

I have several other kids who have other disabilities but also have severe emotional problems. So they aren't labeled as mentally ill but they have 'issues'.

30% of my kids have been hospitalized at some point since August. One is in the psych ward right now - he tried to kill his 7 year old brother last week. And I have another one who is very sick now but his dipshit mother let his insurance lapse. He is obviously psychotic; he is very delusional. He just breaks my heart.

Then there are so many kids who have yet to be identified and get no extra help either academically or emotionally. This is a HUGE problem. I was very glad to see this article on the front page of my newspaper.

[EFerrari]

16. You have to wonder how people can observe these kids

and do nothing.

It is exhausting and it's hard to get on top of these problems but not moving on them is not an option.

And, people are fearful, imho. My own bro has a little one who will need attention and the whole family seems to be looking the other way.

:shrug:

[proud2BlibKansan]

18. In some families, they are in such deep denial

that they have convinced themselves that Billy will outgrow this, that it is just a phase. I have had parents tell me their child is just high strung or precocious. And I hear too often "he is just like I was at that age". When this parent is unemployed and obviously not functioning well, that is a pretty scary thing to hear.

I often hear from parents that their kid was on meds but the parent didn't like the way the meds made him act. So they just stop filling the script, and then the kid deals with sudden withdrawl, which is not pretty.

Sometimes I am brave enough to ask the parent if anti-social violent behavior is better than how the kid acted when he was medicated.

They also rarely admit it to us at school, but there are a few who confess to using drugs when they were pregnant. Funny thing - they don't usually seem to feel too guilty about that.

[kickysnana]

4. I can't PM you so this has to be generic

Someone we know has an 18 year old that went through all this. They did about $500,000 out of pocket plus their insurance coverage looking for help. He had to have dental work and had to be sedated to have the work done a few years ago so they took him to a special clinic at the Univ of MN. While supposedly sedated he became combative. The Dentist said that that is a very abnormal reaction and that they had other kids who exhibited the same problem and gave them the name of a doctor/researcher who was working with these kids. It is not their fault their nervous system is super sensitive.

A combination of medications and therapy has resulted in a real change in this kid's life. He participates in family things. Takes care of himself,his cat and attends family gathering and enjoys himself. He is attending school peach fully every day too.

I will try to post a few more times. so I can sent you the name of the doctor privately after I can send PMs.I changed my user name after the election as my focus has changed

[proud2BlibKansan]

9. Medication really is the answer for a lot of these kids

I get so upset when I see DUers slamming psych meds for kids. They really have no idea.

[EFerrari]

11. None. Maybe you have to watch someone get access to their own mind

via medication before you can really appreciate it.

But by the same token, it's hard to find a doc who can do a good job of prescribing, titrating and monitoring and working with the family.

[proud2BlibKansan]

14. That's very true

In my small corner of this world, I see the kids who survive these illnesses are the ones for whom the right meds work well and the family makes sure they get care.

Then there are the ones whose parents are in denial or are too wrapped up in their own survival to keep track of doctor's appointments and refilling meds. Sadly, that is closer to the norm than the kids who get effective therapy.

[EFerrari]

17. It's like having another full time job and it can be really hard

to get a collaboration going.

I know, for example, that my family member is having low level paranoia and that this would be a good time to get to the doc before it escalates. When I try to point that out to people around him, they say, "he looks fine to me". Even the therapist has pulled this from time to time.

It really does become a matter of knowing your truth and sticking to it, lol.

Those kids are so lucky to have you. :yourock:

[proud2BlibKansan]

19. We do so much for these families

We make doctor's appointments, provide transportation to those appointments and we have even picked up meds at the pharmacy for them.

I certainly don't do it alone. My school is so lucky to have services available for our kids and we can help families access community resources (when they are available). Sadly, 2 years into a repuke governor's administration, we are now feeling the cuts he implemented as soon as he took office. First items on his agenda were cuts to health care for kids.

Truthfully, the politics involved contribute much more heavily to my personal burnout level than dealing with the kids.

[EFerrari]

21. Mental health care in this country is a lot like airport security --

mostly show.

San Francisco in theory has mental health coverage for everyone but in practice it's a challenge to access services. It's still a hundred times better than Los Angeles, though. That system is downright dangerous. :scared:

[bicentennial_baby]

23. "It really does become a matter of knowing your truth and sticking to it"

You said it. We recently did an intervention on a mentally ill loved one. It was either that or bust, but it did a world of good for all involved.

:hug:

[EFerrari]

24. I'm so glad to hear things worked out.

Good for you.

:hug:

[proud2BlibKansan]

28. That is good news

It was tough, I am sure.

[newyawker99]

29. Hi kickysnana!!

Welcome to DU!! :toast:

[Ilsa]

31. My son's dentist is on top of all of this; he knows a paradoxical

reaction is likely.

My son's meds have changed our lives, but we still don't have problems under control.

And these are just the autistic kids. COnsider how many others are out there that are not autistic, just mentally ill with depression, OCD, etc.

[Karenina]

7. ((((((Ilsa))))))

:hug: MORE HUGS!!! :hug:

[Ilsa]

32. Thanks. IT was a difficult weekend.

My laptop has been on the blink. Seems like it happens after my little guy uses it. Spent all of midday on hold for gateway support, and then I turned on my husband's laptopo that he uses for work, but couldn't get on it because he has it PW protected. So I got on the kid's desk top computer to look for a way out of "Safe Mode Hell". I'm turning off and hiding this machine later today.

He sort of "undid" all my plans for his birthday. Tantrums. Destroyed his gift (a DVD) before it was played even once. That's the OCD component. And I have no one to get mad at. But instead of taking it on the chin, I sulked and blew the rest of the day off, when I was supposed to be throwing him a party. Neither my husband or I could get into it. And today I feel like a rotten mother for not having done more for him.

Shit.

[proud2BlibKansan]

8. Sounds like you need a hug

Wish I could do more :hug:

[bobbolink]

15. Let me join in the hugs.... {{{{{{{{{Ilsa}}}}}}}}}}}}

:pals:

Parenting is hard on the best days, but your road is a dooosy.

Thanks for sharing, and my thoughts are with you.

[davekriss]

30. I have two adopted girls

One has classic autism, moderate in severity. After years of hard work she speaks (very oddly) and is now mainstreamed, but getting her there wasn't easy. The other is early-onset, rapid-cycling bipolar disordered and has consumed more than $2 million in healthcare (hospitalizations mostly) since 2000, but she too is doing very well now and is about to be re-introduced to regular school (she's in special school district right now). I got them when they were one and three; they're 13 and 15 now.

We're about to foster with the intention of adopting a 6 yo boy who has been severely neglected and has been labelled RAD (reactive attachment disordered). If the latter is true, my understanding is it's even more intractable than bipolar disorder (at least with the latter medicine does help). We hope we don't take on too much, especially after such good progress with our two daughters, but we shall see. My wife is out of town now at the TPR hearing and may return with the boy before Christmas (what a Christmas present!).

Kriss and I know how difficult "difficult children" can be. Don't give up, though, because the reward in the end is so truly rich! :)

[LWolf]

20. Are more children mentally ill these days,

or do we just do a better job of recognizing it, or both?

If the numbers of mentally ill kids are rising, why? Where are the source/s, and what can we do about it?

Meanwhile, what are we doing with them right now? I guarantee that leaving Marcus in the "least restrictive environment" long enough for him to prove to all concerned that a regular public school setting was not appropriate sure didn't make for an appropriate learning environment for the rest of his class.

How tragic, for all concerned.

[proud2BlibKansan]

22. I think it is a combination of both

When we were kids, these kids were locked up and ignored by society. Mental illness was not a topic of conversation.

I also think we are putting so much garbage in our environment that is affecting all aspects of children's health. Asthma is a huge problem in urban communities. The number of inhalers in our nurse's office has way more than doubled in 10 years. It isn't a stretch to hypothesize that environmental pollutants may be aggravating mental illnesses too. The most reliable research about autism is pointing to environmental causes coupled with a genetic predisposition.

As far as what we can do about it, the first step is awareness. Then we need to remove the shame. And once again, I will jump on my health care for all bandwagon.

[EFerrari]

25. Amen, sistah.

And thank you for this thread.

One out of ten of everyone we know is dealing with these issues. Let's be smart and listen up and move in the direction of health not denial or demonization or neglect.

We can do that.

:kick:

are->is

[LWolf]

26. Health care as a right,

mental health included. My bandwagon as well.

Even in rural areas, there is a surprising number of kids with asthma. Working now in a rural school, as opposed to suburban, about 1 in every 7 or 8 kids in my classes has asthma the two years I've been here.

[proud2BlibKansan]

27. That's interesting

Children's Mercy Hospital in Kansas City did a study about 10 years ago that linked asthma to tire particles in the air. Since we have such poor public transportation here, we have way too many cars and way too many kids with asthma, especially in the urban core.

It really is scary that so many kids have asthma today. I remember ONE when I was growing up.

[HiFructosePronSyrup]

33. If our priorities were together...

then the mother could turn to the government.

There are schools and hospitals that are equipped and staffed to handle cases just like this, there just isn't any room because they haven't got the financial resources.

[kineneb]

34. speaking as one who was a mentally ill child...

Thank goodness for my medication!

I don't think there is a larger problem now than in the past, only that now we can give a more accurate diagnosis. The kids with bipolar illness are sometimes easier to notice, but I am sure that kids with depression are often overlooked.

I started having depressive episodes when I was about 4 or 5. No one knew why I was so sad, but at least my family was supportive. In the 60s, no one thought that children could suffer depression. By age 12 I was suicidal. Grandma got me into talk therapy, which helped, but did not control the depression. Years later, when Hubby and I sought couples counseling, the therapist insisted that I see a real psychiatrist. She was able to diagnose my illness correctly and perscribe medications that started to help. I will never be free of the illness, but I can have some control through the medication and therapy.