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Mental health

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Original poster

Teen psychosis

37 replies

Notagoodnight · 29/01/2022 08:56

So my lovely DS(14) was admitted into hospital last night after he tidied the kitchen of knives in case he slept walk (he doesn't sleep walk) and because he is convinced he is a clone. This morning he is avoiding breakfast in case either I or the nurses poisoned it. It gets worse.

I need to tell someone how upset and worried I am. Literally all my family and friends have other medical (terminal cancer, recovering from stroke) stuff going on.its shit and truly shit.

Were waiting on camhs this morning. Can anyone tell me what might happen next?

OP posts:

Girliefriendlikespuppies · 29/01/2022 08:58

Hi I'm so sorry that's happened to your Ds, has anything changed recently? My nephew had a psychotic episode as a side effect to antibiotics he was taking.

Did they section him?

overthethamesfromyou · 29/01/2022 09:05

He's in the right place. Just wait and see how they treat it. Was it brought on by anything specific?

Original poster

Notagoodnight · 29/01/2022 09:06

Atm we are just admitted on a regular childrens ward. Im hoping hoping they didn't hear hi this morning. He has a rare physical condition that hasnt been very good since early December. We were looking to switch about his meds but nothing had happened yet

OP posts:

Original poster

Notagoodnight · 29/01/2022 09:08

I really dont know. Other than he thinks he had an electric shock in his sleep a couple nights back. At the time he accepted it was a bad dream, hes not so sure now

OP posts:

nomorefrogs · 29/01/2022 09:10

Gosh op. This must be so worrying for you. Please don't hide what he is saying and doing from the professionals otherwise they cannot risk assess him properly. Make sure they know everything!

Original poster

Notagoodnight · 29/01/2022 09:11

Hear not hi

OP posts:

onepieceoflollipop · 29/01/2022 09:16

This is so hard for you all. Ask CAMHS if there is an Early Intervention Service he can be linked with - if he is diagnosed with psychosis then in most areas age 14+ should be referred quickly to EI

On a practical note and in the short term might he agree to eat or drink something in a sealed packet so he can be reassured it is not poisoned, e.g. carton of juice that he opens himself, cereal bar etc.

cassandre · 29/01/2022 09:18

My DS had a period of psychosis when he was 14. He responded very well to a low dose of antipsychotic meds. He saw camhs on a regular basis and also a doctor at the local NHS early intervention psychosis centre.

His delusions gradually reduced and now at 16 he seems absolutely fine (and has been so for awhile).

onepieceoflollipop · 29/01/2022 09:21

The info on this may not be needed for you. Possibly he may be having a ‘one off episode’ perhaps caused by his physical health, infection, stress or similar - the assessing clinicians should explain more to you and him when they assess him.
If the professionals do diagnose psychosis then the info may be helpful x

ChurchlightJane · 29/01/2022 09:25

My child at sixteen spent two years in and out of psychosis. Weirdly it occurred like clockwork every two weeks. Saw various workers and had Respiridone. At eighteen symptoms started to decrease and now in perfect mental health for the last eight years.
Hope your lovely boy gets everything he needs and can feel better soon.

cassandre · 29/01/2022 09:25

Sorry posted too soon. I wanted to add that it was terrifying for all of us when he was going through it but it's apparently much more common in teens than most people realise. In his case it seems just to have been brought on by anxiety and stress.

Early intervention is very important and if he does get help straight away the odds of his making a full recovery are high.

They told us psychosis is a symptom not a diagnosis. It can be associated with a whole range of conditions from personality disorder to adolescent stress. But in many cases it's just the latter.

One thing I was grateful for is that at least with psychosis, the symptoms are so severe that he got immediate help. Camhs is very overstretched so lots of troubled teens have to wait ages to get help. So it was a kind of silver lining for us that at least the doctors took his distress very seriously. The NHS and the early intervention psychosis team were marvellous.

Best of luck to you and your son, he will make it through this!

nomorefrogs · 29/01/2022 09:30

Op just a question. Has he been smoking weed? There is growing evidence of a direct link between this and teen psychosis.

Original poster

Notagoodnight · 29/01/2022 09:34

Thank you. This is making me feel a bit hopeful. May I ask how siblings coped?

OP posts:

Original poster

Notagoodnight · 29/01/2022 09:40

Has he been smoking weed?
No He has been shielding due to being CEV due to his physical problems. He cant really get anywhere without an adult, usually me so at least I dont have that element to worry about

I just look at him and see him in so much confusion and pain. Hes usually fairly needy of me especially if we have hospital appointments which he has had a fair number of over the years. He's really struggling not feeling able to trust me

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Original poster

Notagoodnight · 29/01/2022 09:42

cassandre
I'm reading and rereading hes been up most the night as hes terrified of going to sleep so I'm going slow taking stuff in

OP posts:

onepieceoflollipop · 29/01/2022 09:44

Hi OP
I am a mh nurse and a parent so my advice is from that perspective hope that is ok.
Re siblings, usually it is best to be open in an age appropriate and reassuring way. So for example saying that x isn’t well at the moment, or perhaps describe that his mind is playing tricks on him if it is a younger sibling.
The sibling may like to be involved by choosing a gift or making a card or similar would perhaps help them feel they are supporting their sibling in some way. If parents are (understandably) spending more time with the unwell child, then think about how to make the sibling feel reassured perhaps spending more time with a grandparent or friend even if they are of an age where they can usually be left for short periods. Even an older sibling may be feeling quite unsettled or worried by their brother being mentally unwell.

cassandre · 29/01/2022 09:45

I'm glad you're feeling more hopeful!

My DS has a younger brother and it was definitely difficult for him too. He didn't understand why his older brother didn't want to hang out with him like normal (DS14 was just completely wrapped up in his own world, he was like a different person). We explained that his brother was ill because of anxiety and that the doctors were helping him get better.

That's probably not very helpful but my younger DS did seem to take it mostly in stride.

Original poster

Notagoodnight · 29/01/2022 09:45

On a practical note and in the short term might he agree to eat or drink something in a sealed packet
I'll try this, but I think he thinks I could get to it somehow. The painful side of usually being very competent in his care is he seems to think I'm capable on everything. He was up for eating when the nurse took him to get breakfast himself until he then decided I got to the nurses

OP posts:

Original poster

Notagoodnight · 29/01/2022 09:54

DD is 16. Hes alternating between being worried he's hearing her being attacked to thinking she going to attack him and I need to chose whether to help her or him. I'm a horrible mother for telling him it's not true and it's his brain playing tricks. I really dont want her to hear him but I know she wants to talk to him to see if hes ok. I'm just wondering how long I can stall. She was the one who caught him tidying away knives

OP posts:

cassandre · 29/01/2022 09:56

Poor you OP. It sounds like you and your DS have been through a lot already. I hope both of you can get some rest.

Quetiapine is the medication they put my DS on. It has a mild sedative effect so he would take it before bedtime and it helped him get to sleep.

I also have vivid memories of my DS wide awake in the night telling us that he had communicated psychopathically with Trump and convinced him to resign. !!! Just sheer nuttiness. He also rang 999 at one point because he thought he could hear someone across the street being murdered.

It's good your DS is safe in hospital now. His paranoia will eventually pass. In the meantime focus on taking care of yourself. It's such a scary thing for a parent to go through.

cassandre · 29/01/2022 10:01

Gosh your poor DD. At 16 I think you can be quite open with her about what's going on (while also reassuring her). He's not himself at the moment and it's distorting his normal view of the people he loves most. Hugs

KurtWilde · 29/01/2022 10:05

OP I'm sorry you're going through this. I had episodes not unlike this at 17. My parents didn't have a clue how to handle it, in fact my dad pretended it wasn't happening and my mum just got an out of hours GP to give me a sedative when I had the first one.

I know your DS will be frightened. It's a frightening thing. But he's so lucky to have you. He WILL trust you again, he just needs a minute.

I have no practical advice, just wanted to pop on and tell you you're doing a great job of supporting your DS and I hope the mh team can get him the help he needs soon

Cookiedough123 · 29/01/2022 10:07

My brother has psychosis yet he is in his 20s. It has been going on for 2 years now. One thing that shocked me is actually how sick someone needs to be to be sectioned. It got to the point where my brother was threatening to harm other people until they finally sectioned him. I feel bad for him as we are 2 years down the line hes currently in a psychiatric hospital and we are no further on. We've been told he might be like this for the rest of his life having various episodes or he might recover. What I find so sad is that apart from him being given olanzapine there hasn't been much else going on, over the two years he has gotten worse and worse. It is a bit like being on a rollercoaster, he is so up and down. I hope that because your son is younger more help will be available to him. Sorry to not have anything more positive to say but it's very exhausting, deflating and sad and take the occasion good days to rest and recover yourself x

cassandre · 29/01/2022 10:08

Btw when you have the time, I would contact your DD's school to let them know that her brother is going through a severe mental health crisis and that she may need extra support and someone to talk to. And tell your DD that you've let the school know, and encourage her to talk to a counsellor at school if she wants to

cassandre · 29/01/2022 10:16

That's so sad Cookiedough.

I think that young adult psychosis has its own set of complications in that the sufferer is an adult so you can't force them to do anything short of actually managing to get them sectioned. At 14 my DS was still a kid so I suppose it was easier in a sense, we could make sure he got to all his appointments (even though he talked to us frustratingly little about how he was feeling -- it was only after he started to get better that he opened up and talked).

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