Yvonnie Bailey- DavidsonDear Counsellor:
MY ADOLESCENT son has schizophrenia and the family has a difficult time coping. He refuses to take medication and sometimes gets aggressive and agitated. Please help me to deal with him.
Jamie
Dear Jamie:
YOU HAVE been given a parenting challenge that requires patience and perseverance. Schizophrenia is a medical condition in which there is a problem with the brain and this problem affects the functioning of an individual.
Some people hear voices and see strange images as well as becoming afraid of other people. This condition is treated by medication and family counselling. It can be difficult to get an adolescent to comply with taking medications. However, there are injections which are given on a monthly basis which will keep the patient well. You should contact your psychiatrist who will arrange for your son to get the monthly injection.
The family needs to be educated about schizophrenia. You must be able to recognise early warning signs so that you can take him to the doctor early without waiting until he becomes aggressive, agitated and ultimately uncontrollable. Some people require hospitalisation to stabilise the brain so that the individual can function at home.
If the adolescent is treated properly he can finish his education and get a job. It is recommended that an individual see their doctor monthly to get therapy so that he or she can function normally. If an individual becomes aggressive then he will need to be restrained and taken to the emergency room for immediate treatment. There is a support group called Mensana which you can attend to get support, help and information. My advice to you is to follow the suggestions and write back to me to say whether your situation has improved.
Yvonnie Bailey-Davidson
Parenting hyperactive children
Dear Counsellor:
I HAVE a seven year-old-son, who is hyperactive and has difficulty learning in school. The teacher thinks that he has ADHD (Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder) and a learning disability. I am bewildered as to what to do and I am seeking information about these conditions.
Melody
Dear Melody:
PARENTING IS a challenge at the best of times and can sometime become a nightmare if the child has special needs. ADHD and learning disability are common conditions that co-exist and cause school failure. These children have low self-esteem, low self-worth and lacks confidence because of the school failure, difficulty
learning and parenting style. As a parent you have to learn certain skills to deal with your child. You need to see a psychiatrist who will make a definite diagnosis of ADHD and learning disability. He will also need to get his eyes and ears checked to make sure he is not deaf or visually impaired. His nutritional status need to be assessed as well and basic blood tests done on him. We need to be clear as to the diagnoses and the issues involved. As you can see it requires the services of several specialists and will require time, effort and money.
You will need to keep the appointments and follow the instructions given. The main features of ADHD are hyperactivity, distractibility, inattention and impulsivity. Learning disability is when a child is functioning academically below his age and intelligence. Parenting these children requires that you use rewarding disciplinary strategies to get the child to confirm to rules. You have to be a motivator, a teacher and a mother. Teaching the child will require time-dependent activities, patience and tolerance. Medication may be needed which will improve attention and concentration as well as behaviour.
EL Shaddai Medical Centre, 94 Old Hope Road,
Kingston 5; 9274824;
yvonniebd@hotmail.com.
