Hi all,
Thank you for all your support and words of wisdom. It really does build my confidence up when reading your experiences. I do not have a very good support system of my own. My family just doesn't understand mental illness at all. As a matter of fact, my step-mother's reaction to the news of my difficult child going in to the psychiatric hospital was "maybe they can figure out what's going on with him, and fix him". LOL... yeah right! She also asked if they were going to look at his brain to try and figure out why he is like this! ((sigh))
Ilove turtles - Thank you for your prayers!
LittleDudesMom - Yes, the wave did get to me. And your right! He was trying to be a brave little soilder when I left.
WipedOut - Thanks for the HUGS! I'm glad that I have your support. And I really do think that he will like the structure of the psychiatric hospital.
Andy - My boy is the same way, he has never spent a night away from home except fr a couple times at grandma's house when we lived back in Oklahoma. He hate it when we even leave the house for more than an hour. His home is his safe zone. He is not like other kids as far as being away on activities. He doesn't even like to play outside. We can never even plan a day trip or weekend trip with him. He hates it and he has so much hostility and anxiety. He will just keep saying "I wanna go home, I wanna go home".
I bet that was so hard for you with leaving your difficult child at the psychiatric hospital for 2 weeks. Gosh, I hope they don't keep my son in that long. ((shivers))
Good Idea about finding out what his routine is while in the psychiatric hospital, so that I can continue some of it at home to make the transition better. Thanks!
BusyWed - Thank you for the hugs! =)
Fran - OMG! You hit it right on the head........
I couldn't stand the pain that comes with knowing you somehow failed your child
I have incredible guilt right now, just feeling that I have somehow gotten weak or failed him. I can't help thinking that I could have held on a little longer... or been a little stronger. Honestly, I have been thinking about this day for a couple years now. I KNEW this day would come. I had no doubt about it, so it was no surprise. I just didn't know when it would happen. I thought...maybe when he was a teenager that I would have to put him in a psychiatric hospital, but never intended for it to be at such a young age.
If I take a step back and look at the past few years. I have really indured more than many parents would be able to take or tolerate I think. My teenage daughter and I have really went through a lot of verbal and physical assault from him. It has been an emotional roller-coaster. And after each episode over the years, there comes feelings of failure, guilt, saddness, and fear. When I say fear, I don't mean I fear my son... but more like I fear for his future.
I'm not sure if any of you have seen the HBO documentary movie "Boy Interupted"? But if you haven't, please go to YouTube and take a look.
When I watched that show, it made my mouth drop open! I could not believe how much that little boy was just like my son! It was like watching my son's life as a boy and a teen play out right in front of me. It showed me the path that I believed my son is on, and what his grim future could easily be.
In the movie the boy always talked about death, and killing himself. Then at the young age of 15, he took his own life.
It scared me to death! Thinking that my son could be just like this boy. Because my son always talks about death,, and killing himself too.
Jal - wow, your son was in the psychiatric hospital for three weeks? That must have been so hard. I'm curious why he had to stay in so long at age 6.
The therapist from the psychiatric hospital called me this morning to talk about my son, and he did mention about the followup out patient care called wrap around that you mentioned. That sounds really great! My son could really benefit from those services. So I am really looking forward to the additonal support that we will get once he comes home.
Slsh - I really like that "A positive forward movement". I am going to use that! That is the best way to think of this. Thanks! ((Hugs))
JJJ - I will try to get some needed rest! I do have my sleeping pills ready! And thank you for your encouragement!
SusieStar - Thank you for the Hugs! You had a great idea... i think I will take my daughter out for a much needed night out while my difficult child is in the psychiatric hospital. We have lost a lot of our bond over the years as the focus was always on my son and his behavior problems. Great idea!
Thank you all....