18 yr old son depressed and refuses any help

[emari]

Hi, I'm new here. I have an 18 yr old son that has depression and anxiety. Been on medications for 3 years that barely helped. Spent a couple months in a Wilderness Program then a young adult living program that he left due to getting worse while there and not feeling supported. He came home just before Christmas and has been steadily going down hill ever since. His doctor took him off all his medications since he was still suicidal on them and wanted to see how he was with out them and possible start fresh. He is very depressed with out them, so we started going to a Nueropsychiatrist that does Qeeg's to prescribe medications based on balancing his brain waves because he had lost confidence in just trying the next medication they threw at him. He has to not take drugs for 2 weeks to get a clean Qeeg. Now he has said that he won't do it because he is a hopeless case, nothing will help him and it takes too much effort to get better. He won't go to any type of program, doctor, nothing. He manipulates us to get access to my car, then uses it to find pot, throws and breaks things in the house, doesn't pick up after himself and hardly leaves his room besides to smoke cigarettes.
My husband and I are finally done offering help. We want him out of the house if he is not going to try to help himself. We have a 15 yr old too and it isn't fair for him or any of us to have to live with stress he creates in the house.

I'm thinking of just having him pack up some things, and taking him to the homeless shelter. I guess I would like to know if there are any of you that have done something similar and if you have any suggestions on how to do this, if there are any things I should be thinking of and getting handled before hand. any pit falls to watch out for.....

 

[BusynMember]

I feel it was very reckless of the doctor to take him off all medication. That does make you feel terrible if you are depressed and coming off depression medications or anxiety medication or both. I had to do that once...your body chemistry goes haywire unless it is done very slowly and with supervision. Verrrry slowly if he has been on something for years.

I dont know if Id really make him go right now. His body chemistry is changed...until he is back to where he was, my opinion, and it is only mine and due to my own experience, is that he could be prone to real suicide until he is stablized. Weaning off antidepressants responsibly can take months.

Why didnt his doctor just swab his cheek to see what medication is a good fit? He would not have needed to go off his medications for that very common test. My suggestion is having him go back on his old medications so hes not in withdrawal (yes, antidepressants can cause powerful withdrawals) and do the cheek swab test. I would take him to a different psychiatrist though. Ive had a few, great to horrible, and this one doesnt spund too good and hasnt helped your son.

Love and hugs for your entire family. Hoping for a positive ending.