Child 16 in mental health hospital. Someone help

[motheru]

Hello. My son 16 has been doing so well, as a very ambitious person he got good GCSEs, got accepted into a very good A level school and had a side 'business' going on a side as he always had good entrepreneurial skills. Week into his school he started talking strange, and week later he got hospitalised under Section 2 and now Section 3. It's now been 2 months and he is still in hospital, they manage to stabilise him and then he goes back to not being himself... I am in absolute pieces, I cry every day and my only escape is when I go to sleep. There is a possibility he is developing Schizophrenia :( I am struggling so much right now and would really like to connect to other parents or others who had been though similar situations as I do not know what else can help me through this. Can someone please help

Weed is notorious for inducing psychosis especially in adolescent boys. They did a huge research study in New Zealand and early use was a bit predictor of psychosis.

Hopefully that's all it is and he'll recover.

Lots of people say that it's harmless but the trouble is that some people have a genetic mutation which means that it does cause them harm.

Wishing you both well.

*big

@FlowerTink

Not the same age but a relative of mine (in their 20's) was sectioned on a 2 by the police then a 3 with psychosis and had an 8 week stay initially in order to get a diagnosis and for the drs to be happy with the medication and dosages. What you have to remember is that your son is in the safest place right now (he will be monitored a lot) and he's in the ideal place to get treatment. My advice would be to listen to everything the psychiatrists say and to take all the help and advice you are offered, on discharge my relative was moved on to a team that dealt with psychosis and was given specific counselling to help manage things alongside the medication. A few years down the line now and things look so more positive. It's a long long road and there are relapses sometimes (my relative was back in hospital a few times needing a medication change) but things are much better and my relative leads a normal everyday life with a job and a family.

Hello and thank you for sharing that story. I am glad he is better now and also gives me more hope that my son will be too. I heard that it is a trial and error with medications and some that work for one patient may not do for another, so was told to expect a lot of ups and downs but just didn't realise how hard this would be. He is currently on olanzapine and depakote in case anyone is reading and following this thread, but still not stable and delusional, I am hoping once he is home I will be able to do my very best to help him and spot any signs of trouble but honestly I don't even know what to expect...

@Bagpuss77

I feel lucky that my dd didn't need hospital. She got an assessment appointment via the adult mental health services (as she was over 18) quite quickly and was prescribed 2 types of medication. We were told that she also needed therapy but that the waiting list was a year.

We opted for private therapy from a psychologist specialising in teens and mental health. She had therapy twice a week for a month, then weekly, now fortnightly. It's not cheap, and we've struggled, but I'm just grateful it was even an option for us.

Thank you once again for getting in touch and replying. I think it's very important to talk things though once he is better as I believe he put a world on his shoulders and being an introvert it just got a bit too much for him. If I have to I will find the money, or do my very best to find it! How did you find a private specialist? Did someone advise you or is there a special website to look for such specific doctors? I would appreciate your advice x

@SpikeDearheart

When my brother was in his early 20s he was sectioned for a couple of months due to severe psychosis. He already had a tentative diagnosis of bipolar disorder, and at one stage they were considering a diagnosis of schizoaffective disorder. It was a very dark time, and even once he was discharged from hospital it took him a good couple of years to regain what most people would perceive as true normality.

That was 7 years ago. He is now off all medication and doing brilliantly - lives independently and has a great job that he enjoys, lovely friends and - covid restrictions aside - an active and fulfilling life. He has also used his experiences for good - last year he noticed someone preparing to jump off a bridge. Everyone else was just bustling on by, but he noticed and talked them down and then sat with them until professional help arrived. I am so proud of him.

It was shit. It was so hard. There were times when we had no hope at all. But slowly things improved, there was light at the end of the tunnel after all, and I hope the same for you don't despair, don't give up, people can and do come back from these things.

Thank you so much, it really sounds so encouraging to hear! I am glad he has gone so far and I must have been such a difficult experience for your family and a journey for him too. You should be so so proud of him! May I ask, what was the most challenging thing when he got home from hospital? What advice would you give to me and others when looking after someone who just returned home after such experience?

We were lucky with my dd's therapist as I found her quickly just by googling! It's also essential to make sure they are registered with the BPS (British Psychological Society)

At the point he was discharged he was still suffering significant delusions. The psych felt that, at that point, the hospital environment was starting to do more harm than good, hence the discharge, but that didn't mean he was stable by any means. So that period was still very hard, trying to handle the delusions, keeping on top of medication and changes to medication and chasing up appointments and trying to get him properly set up with the CPN service. It was a long haul, I can't lie. So I would say, don't expect the hospital stay to 'cure' him, but don't be discouraged by that. Recovery over a longer period is to be expected. Also, the squeaky wheel gets the oil in terms of care, I'm afraid.

Then in the medium term, as he started to get back to a more normal life, that came with a new set of worries - was he compliant with his medication, how would he cope with this and that. Constantly being hypervigilant that seemingly inconsequential things were signs that he was relapsing. It eased, eventually. Now it mostly seems like a bad dream.

Our Mum bore the brunt of caring for him, by the way. She had some therapy too, to help her deal with it, which really helped. She was amazing - and so are you.

@motheru It can take a little time for them to get the dosages right, which is why the stay will seem a long one. With my relative, he was in for 8 weeks whilst they picked a medication and changed the dosage to get it right, he was monitored very regularly (a lot of consultations with the psychiatrist) and they didn't release him until they were happy. Your son is in the best place and you want the drs to take their time and get the dosage and the medication as right as they can. Olanzapine is a standard one they use to begin with, my relative was on it but had to be changed as the side effects were too much, but for most people it works :) It can also take a little time for the medication to get into his system and start working so they are allowing for that too.

When your son comes home it can be an adjustment going from a small secure hospital to his home and there being outside noise like traffic and things. There will be people who can advise you and give support, ask them there. My relative had home visits from a support worker in the first few days and weeks to get adjusted, that might be a possibility for your son. Trust me you will get to know what is normal for your son and what is a bad day or requires further help. It can feel very overwhelming so make sure you are looking after yourself too.

What worked for my relative was the fact that he (and his immediate family) was given access to the Acute Mental Health phone line (they will give you this for your area) and he could call that any time, and they would assess and send someone out if they needed to or his support worker would call more regularly and support over the phone. People can and do live very successful happy lives and manage with a mixture of medication, counselling and different breathing/calming techniques. Since all of this, my relative has gone on to have another child, enjoys life and has a very successful job too, so there is hope for happiness and a normal life for your son.

I knew someone at school who was sectioned as a teen, after drug use. They came through it all and are now married with a good job. Just in case a positive story helps

Bagpuss77.

That happened to me at 22. I was mentally unwell for a year because of it. All through my final year at university.

And weed is considered relatively harmless...😡

@littleeggcup

I hope you are as well as can be OP.

I am a social worker working for FCAMHS. Please do not hesitate to message or ask me any questions.

Thank you so much for offering help and support, I did come across your website but there were so many other things I remember reading and then getting upset that I never got back to your page... sometimes it's so overwhelming reading literature out there, I always believed knowledge is power but in this case the more scientific information I read I found the worse it made me feel :( so I decided to turn to people who have been though similar experiences and so happy I found this forum as hearing others does give me hope. You know right now I feel like even though my son is not really back to himself, the place he is in (high dependency unit) and being so far from home is possibly having not a very good effect on him when he gets back to himself, last week doctor said that he has been very compliant and manageable and they looking to place him in an open unit closer to home provided there is bed. May I ask a question? Can I request he comes straight home? He hasn't had any home visits as yet, or open unit is what usually happens first once patients discharged from high dependency unit?

@NoEffingWay

I think it's important to understand that psychosis and schizophrenia are not the worst illnesses. Properly managed with a good medication regime, support from community teams, family, friends and a psychiatrist means that many people thrive and have very successful lives.

Hello and thank you for your message. I agree, things can be so much worse and are for many people, some people I spoke to have me examples of others they know who are terminally ill in order to cheer me up... as much as I felt grateful at that moment that my son is at least alive but not in his right state of mind, it did make me feel terrible that I am happy. Almost guilty that others are in worse situation and at least I am not... I guess that's why As bad as it sounds and I know it's a terrible reality for some people, I try to concentrate on positive stories from others to keep me going and this forum has helped me so much already, so I want to say thank you to all of you once again ❤️

@bitheby

Weed is notorious for inducing psychosis especially in adolescent boys. They did a huge research study in New Zealand and early use was a bit predictor of psychosis.

Hopefully that's all it is and he'll recover.

Lots of people say that it's harmless but the trouble is that some people have a genetic mutation which means that it does cause them harm.

Wishing you both well.

Thank you for your input. Indeed, I have heard that it affects some people badly, but I guess I always dismissed it as so many people I know smoke it and they are fine and it's a first time I come across a situation where it really affected me, from reading more into it, I really wish I didn't dismiss it as 'it just affects some people badly' because had I done more research and read into it I would have learned that it's lined to psychosis and schizophrenia development especially in adolescent males ... I would have shown it to my son and may be this would have not happened ... I do not know ... I try not to dwell on this as I feel I played part in him being unwell you know... but instead I need to figure out the best way I can help him to get out of this... I read a lot about drug induced psychosis, and from what I gathered it affects some people as they smoke it... I only found one article I think about post quitting smoking psychosis.... my son quit about 2 weeks prior his symptoms started to show, he was going though withdrawal as I remember couple days prior he came to us and said ... mum I haven't slept in 35 hours ... insomnia really didn't help him with all the other things that were on his mind

[quote FlowerTink]@motheru It can take a little time for them to get the dosages right, which is why the stay will seem a long one. With my relative, he was in for 8 weeks whilst they picked a medication and changed the dosage to get it right, he was monitored very regularly (a lot of consultations with the psychiatrist) and they didn't release him until they were happy. Your son is in the best place and you want the drs to take their time and get the dosage and the medication as right as they can. Olanzapine is a standard one they use to begin with, my relative was on it but had to be changed as the side effects were too much, but for most people it works :) It can also take a little time for the medication to get into his system and start working so they are allowing for that too.

When your son comes home it can be an adjustment going from a small secure hospital to his home and there being outside noise like traffic and things. There will be people who can advise you and give support, ask them there. My relative had home visits from a support worker in the first few days and weeks to get adjusted, that might be a possibility for your son. Trust me you will get to know what is normal for your son and what is a bad day or requires further help. It can feel very overwhelming so make sure you are looking after yourself too.

What worked for my relative was the fact that he (and his immediate family) was given access to the Acute Mental Health phone line (they will give you this for your area) and he could call that any time, and they would assess and send someone out if they needed to or his support worker would call more regularly and support over the phone. People can and do live very successful happy lives and manage with a mixture of medication, counselling and different breathing/calming techniques. Since all of this, my relative has gone on to have another child, enjoys life and has a very successful job too, so there is hope for happiness and a normal life for your son.[/quote]
Thank you so much for this, I truly hope for the best and reading stories and your family's and others does put that smile on my face ❤️ they halved my sons olanzapine two weeks ago and he was ok for few days and then relapsed so they put it back up to max dose again From last Tuesday and only today when I spoke to him there were so many positive signs he was coming back to himself. They halved that med as he was very sleepy on that. Did your relative have other side effects as you mentioned it didn't work well for him? Thank you also for your advise on post hospital, I hope there will be that support as right now I feel like there is not much information and I am trying to prepare myself the best I can without knowing what's coming next but it's very useful thank you!

@SpikeDearheart

At the point he was discharged he was still suffering significant delusions. The psych felt that, at that point, the hospital environment was starting to do more harm than good, hence the discharge, but that didn't mean he was stable by any means. So that period was still very hard, trying to handle the delusions, keeping on top of medication and changes to medication and chasing up appointments and trying to get him properly set up with the CPN service. It was a long haul, I can't lie. So I would say, don't expect the hospital stay to 'cure' him, but don't be discouraged by that. Recovery over a longer period is to be expected. Also, the squeaky wheel gets the oil in terms of care, I'm afraid.

Then in the medium term, as he started to get back to a more normal life, that came with a new set of worries - was he compliant with his medication, how would he cope with this and that. Constantly being hypervigilant that seemingly inconsequential things were signs that he was relapsing. It eased, eventually. Now it mostly seems like a bad dream.

Our Mum bore the brunt of caring for him, by the way. She had some therapy too, to help her deal with it, which really helped. She was amazing - and so are you.

Thank you once again for coming back to me, it does mean a lot! You know, what you said about hospital doing him more bad than good I kind of feel this way now, as my son when he is better does mention that sometimes he feels like he is going crazy in there ... even his doc said that once he was on two meds that they found worked for him (but did make him very sleepy) he was ok and very manageable. That's why she suggested this place he is in he should not be there anymore (but that was before the last relapse when they halved his olanzapine). He can't do things that would normally keep him sane... luke listen to music as he can't have wired headphones because others are in danger of suicide :( , he is very tall and they have a basketball court which he loves but they don't allow him as the fence they feel he can jump over it and escape (as he did make attempt before when unwell but from a room he was in not the court), today we tried taking and poor girl there was screaming as I think she was having an episode but we couldn't even hear each other on a phone. I honestly understand why there are so many rules and restrictions to protect others (as my son was one of them and may still be) but almost feels like once he is better the environment where he can't do anything that would relax him drives him back into darkness ... Was your brother in high dependency unit first? Did he have to go to open unit before coming home? Thank you for telling me that it wasn't easy once he got home too, I think it's important I don't expect too much progress too quick as I made that mistake before and falling back into reality really did hurt me!

@Onceuponatimethen

I knew someone at school who was sectioned as a teen, after drug use. They came through it all and are now married with a good job. Just in case a positive story helps

Hello and thank you for your positive story! They truly do help ❤️

@TheEmojiFormerlyKnownAsPrince

Bagpuss77.

That happened to me at 22. I was mentally unwell for a year because of it. All through my final year at university.

And weed is considered relatively harmless...😡

I am sorry to hear that, and thank you for sharing that, I hope you are better now? They tell my son not to touch it again and I completely agree after all that happened. I assume you never came back to that either ? Sorry if I am being too personal or invasive ... I hope I won't have to convince him after this experience not to go down that route again... if you did stay away, what made you ? May sound like a stupid question and I am sorry if it does , just sometimes I doubt my son realises just how serious the situation is for his health but may be he is still not capable to truly understand as he is not yet out of being unwell

@Bagpuss77

We were lucky with my dd's therapist as I found her quickly just by googling! It's also essential to make sure they are registered with the BPS (British Psychological Society)

Thank you once again for Being here and sharing what you know! I will do that as well once I am told he is ready to be back home, as I find when he is able to speak, just talking he changes, he sounds more calm and we can just chat and chat with him... he was never much of a talker to be honest which didn't help the problem and always kept a lot inside so I think going to a therapist will benefit him ❤️

Hi motheru, for some reason the quote function isn't working for me, but to answer your questions as best I remember, I don't know if the terminology is the same between the adult and adolescent services, I just remember that he was on a ward in a closed unit. He wasn't moved to an open unit before discharge, but he was allowed a couple of days releases home and then at least one weekend release that I remember, to see how he coped.

Evening all. We're just popping on here to say that we'd had a fair few reports about this thread - and just wanted to have a quick chat with the OP off the boards so we took the thread down temporarily. Having now spoken directly to the OP, we're happy to reinstate the thread.

Thanks so much for your patience, motheru and best of luck with everything.