Well we did it!!! OK so HE did it!! After 5 days in patient and 4 weeks with partial inpatient to intensive outpatient therapy and he graduated today.. I am soo proud of him!!! Yes I cried during his little ceremony. He picked out a prize and everyone went around the circle, held the prize and said something nice/positive about Jake. He is so happy too, it's so nice to actually hear him tell me that and I can see it in his face. I am hoping he will be able to maintain and keep up on all the things he's learned without the help of group therapy 3 days a week. Being around people who understand him, who know what he's been through. I know that this whole thing is far from over and this is just a "band-aide" but I reallt hope this one sticks for swhile. This is our seond trip to the hospital in 3 years and we are only a few years away from those "teen" years. We are not afraid of the hospital anymore and know it's there for us whenever we need it. We are meeting with 2 differnt therapists over the next few weeks to see which one is a better fit for him now that he is going to move on to 1 on 1 therapy. I am hopeful we can find a support group for him since he did sooooo well in the group dynamic. He's never been a big fan of the 1 on 1. Even if this one meets once a month or so and is for the whole family, that would work too.
As I was driving to pick him up from his last group session today from St Vincent Stress Center another one of my brilliant save the world ideas popped into my head. Too bad that this is not treated a little more like they treat alcoholism. You go thru the program and everything, go thru detox-- which he did.. a major behvior detox!! So my thinking to this was.. he needs a sponsor. Someone he can call when he's having a bad day, or feels like he wants to break something.. Not only that but he should get a chip for every "behavior free" day..(He would have his 30 day chip currently!!!) He made some good friends in the program and built a trust and a relationship with them.. and won't ever get to see them again. He barely has any friends as it is.. and especially none who really "get" him.. I know it's the hospital policy but it still kinda stinks..
So now begins the real test for him. I have faith in him and know he's going to try really hard and I will continue to do everything I can to help him, get myself educated more so I can arm him with everything possible. I am looking into advocacy classes, and I have put in an application to volunteer with CABF and I am waiting on a call to see if I can be on their Family Response Team. I have been pretty active on one of the CABF support groups recently and it's a great bunch of people. OH and I did find a facebook page for bipolar kids so I am hoping he will get involved in that too!
2 comments:
HurraY!!!!! Congratulations to you both! I think the token a day system is great if you can hook it with a reward that he is invested in too. Also, before you mentioned CABF, I thought what about finding a "sponsor" through there somehow? What if there is a network of others out there for him to connect to? Is there?!
I am checking into it but I think it's more parent based. Wonder if I can get enough of the parents in the support groups to see if we can get one started for kids..
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