Please help - my son who is 17 nearly 18 has smoked dope on and off for 2 to 3 years. When we first found out because he became very aggressive and violent we tried to help him we have always supported him. He stops for a few months then goes back gets caught we have long talks usually both of us really upset (as he has generally been agressive) and he promises to give up. This time it has changed he does not care, he has been extremely nasty to his ex girlfriend and her family (i'm talking sick nasty and i really don't understand where it is coming from as he is normally such a kind caring person) it was suggested he was schizo by a pysch 2 years ago who wanted to hospitalise him. We are sure it is the drugs causing this change - he says he gets like it 2 to 3 days after using it. We know nothing about drugs and are trying to find out to help him. Have seen doctor (he ref to go as now insists he is not addict and can stop whenever he wants) the doc recommends a pysch and hospitalising our son. We are in France and know that their treatment over here is to drug them up on something else (the first pysch gave him medication which made him a zombie - he only took for one day) we do not understand why he has to be drugged up to help with a drug addiction and want to help him the best way we can. We have 4 children and obviously his behaviour is disturbing the others so we have to put everyone's needs first having gone through a really tough time with our son during the last few years with his mood swings and smashing up our house! Please can anyone advise us?
A lot of time drug users are self medicating a mental condition. I am bipolar and was using pot and cocaine. I am on medication to treat this condition.
This must be very painful to watch your child change so drastically. I would recommend counselling for yourself to cope with this.
My husband abuses pot and I am desperately trying to give it up. A very good friend from this board has recommended the same thing to me recently and she is so right. We simply do not have the skills to deal with this alone.
My husband abuses pot and I am desperately trying to give it up. A very good friend from this board has recommended the same thing to me recently and she is so right. We simply do not have the skills to deal with this alone.
thank you wonderwoman I will read the information carefully tomorrow when son is at work
Had a good look at the sites thank you - read the story about liam how sad had tears rolling down my face as my son says the same thing 'mum you don't know me' or 'mum you think I am perfect but I am not'. Have to help my son asap - he seems happy at the moment I think because everything has come out in the open - please can anyone advise me on the sort of drugs used to help schizophrenia as I don't have a clue and would like to know and understand as much as I can to help my son. Is it possible to help him through pyschiatric treatment and homeopathic medicines or am I being stupid - I feel very scared for him as I keep relating to his friend who was treated with drugs for schizo and then almost killed himself - a bit like the Liam story - am worried the drugs to help him will push him more towards suicide. He is already telling his ex he has tried to kill himself but think it is more a cry for help really.
I really wish all of you the very best of luck in giving up the drugs - the fact that you are trying so hard is something to be very proud of xx
I really wish all of you the very best of luck in giving up the drugs - the fact that you are trying so hard is something to be very proud of xx
This may not be a very popular position, and I definately do not exclude the need for the wonders of scientific based western medicine. So i put this out there with extreme caution, and simply wish to raise that alternatives exist.
I live in Africa. In Africa schizophrenia is seen as a blessing from the ancestors. It is managed and controlled through spiritual means - this menas the person is treated by what western people call a witch doctor. This comprises the use of herbs, but most importantly the use of the ancestoral spirits. Mental illness in African culture is treated as part of dis -ease. A non alignment of present and past energies.
There are many other cultures that treat mental ilnness in this way.
I am a strong believer in alternative healing methods. I have seen depression, epilepsy, and bi polar disorder treated succesfully by alternative healers.
So by all means, try the conventional route, and let doctors try and find the correct medication for your son. I just post this to point out, that western medicine is not the only route.
If I were you i would explore all options. A lot depends on how you understand mental ilness. Be aware that we we are often told about it is based on a particular paradigm, made up of a range of cultural assumptions.
I live in Africa. In Africa schizophrenia is seen as a blessing from the ancestors. It is managed and controlled through spiritual means - this menas the person is treated by what western people call a witch doctor. This comprises the use of herbs, but most importantly the use of the ancestoral spirits. Mental illness in African culture is treated as part of dis -ease. A non alignment of present and past energies.
There are many other cultures that treat mental ilnness in this way.
I am a strong believer in alternative healing methods. I have seen depression, epilepsy, and bi polar disorder treated succesfully by alternative healers.
So by all means, try the conventional route, and let doctors try and find the correct medication for your son. I just post this to point out, that western medicine is not the only route.
If I were you i would explore all options. A lot depends on how you understand mental ilness. Be aware that we we are often told about it is based on a particular paradigm, made up of a range of cultural assumptions.
posted by calabash
While some cultures do think that schizphrenia is a sign of connection to the "otherworld", there are others who think its a sign of demonic possession or negative physical and moral character and these people are ruthlessly persecuted. We have a friend who did cultural anthropology in New Guinea and the persecution in the Upper Sepik River area of people affected by schizophrenia is especially bad.
In either case, either they are persecuted or are given their own special place in society. They do not function in that normal sense of having familes and such.
and..
I do believe there is some merit to that. For depression and bi-polar disorder talk therapy and cognitive behavioral therapy (especially for chronic depression) there is some success. They have found for chronic depression, a combination of anti-depressant medication and therapy works better than either alone.
It can even help epilepsy as emotional states do affect vulnerability to seizures. However, it usually won't stop them completely. There is a type of "epilepsy" that is completely stress linked. However, there are others (such as my brothers), due to brain damage that have such a physical/organic etiology, that medication is not only best, its the only thing that works.
Now this...
it is true, and non-western methods do work for things like hypertension, stress, long-term chronic pain, and other things.
But you got my chain jerked here, not you personally, not at all, but the fact that you are from South Africa, home of a man I truly, truly detest, Thabo (spelling?--is it Thebo?) Mbeki. If I saw that man, I WOULD hit him. I consider him guilty of genocide.
[rant]
He is the one who has this absolutely bird-brained notion that HIV does not cause AIDS. There are a few other in the ANC who seem to also back that opinion. His inaction, and sometimes outright refusal and obsufication to fund, promote and educate on prevention of AIDS has left your country with the dubious distinction of having the highest rate of AIDS infection in the world. He did nothing to encourage the importation of cheaper anti-retrovirals and absolutely refused to implement a program that would lessen the chance of HIV transmission from HIV positive pregnant mothers to their unborn children. We won't even get into the rate of orphan generation in your country.
And some of his solutions included divination by traditional healers. HIV vs. divination? I know who I am betting on. Nelson Mandela himself had to get in and make statements to try and shame the ANC into doing something. P.W. Botha himself could not have devastated the black population of South Africa more than Mbeki. God, what a crime and I would call him a murderer to his face.
[/rant]
There, I am better now. I hope you don't take that personally, it is just something that gets me. I am now working with a group here in Madison, Wisconsin called African Youth Organization (AYO). The purpose of this group is to provide housing, health care and education to orphans generated by this AIDS pandemic in southern Africa.
| QUOTE |
I live in Africa. In Africa schizophrenia is seen as a blessing from the ancestors. It is managed and controlled through spiritual means - this menas the person is treated by what western people call a witch doctor. This comprises the use of herbs, |
While some cultures do think that schizphrenia is a sign of connection to the "otherworld", there are others who think its a sign of demonic possession or negative physical and moral character and these people are ruthlessly persecuted. We have a friend who did cultural anthropology in New Guinea and the persecution in the Upper Sepik River area of people affected by schizophrenia is especially bad.
In either case, either they are persecuted or are given their own special place in society. They do not function in that normal sense of having familes and such.
and..
| QUOTE |
I am a strong believer in alternative healing methods. I have seen depression, epilepsy, and bi polar disorder treated succesfully by alternative healers. |
I do believe there is some merit to that. For depression and bi-polar disorder talk therapy and cognitive behavioral therapy (especially for chronic depression) there is some success. They have found for chronic depression, a combination of anti-depressant medication and therapy works better than either alone.
It can even help epilepsy as emotional states do affect vulnerability to seizures. However, it usually won't stop them completely. There is a type of "epilepsy" that is completely stress linked. However, there are others (such as my brothers), due to brain damage that have such a physical/organic etiology, that medication is not only best, its the only thing that works.
Now this...
| QUOTE |
I just post this to point out, that western medicine is not the only route. |
it is true, and non-western methods do work for things like hypertension, stress, long-term chronic pain, and other things.
But you got my chain jerked here, not you personally, not at all, but the fact that you are from South Africa, home of a man I truly, truly detest, Thabo (spelling?--is it Thebo?) Mbeki. If I saw that man, I WOULD hit him. I consider him guilty of genocide.
[rant]
He is the one who has this absolutely bird-brained notion that HIV does not cause AIDS. There are a few other in the ANC who seem to also back that opinion. His inaction, and sometimes outright refusal and obsufication to fund, promote and educate on prevention of AIDS has left your country with the dubious distinction of having the highest rate of AIDS infection in the world. He did nothing to encourage the importation of cheaper anti-retrovirals and absolutely refused to implement a program that would lessen the chance of HIV transmission from HIV positive pregnant mothers to their unborn children. We won't even get into the rate of orphan generation in your country.
And some of his solutions included divination by traditional healers. HIV vs. divination? I know who I am betting on. Nelson Mandela himself had to get in and make statements to try and shame the ANC into doing something. P.W. Botha himself could not have devastated the black population of South Africa more than Mbeki. God, what a crime and I would call him a murderer to his face.
[/rant]
There, I am better now. I hope you don't take that personally, it is just something that gets me. I am now working with a group here in Madison, Wisconsin called African Youth Organization (AYO). The purpose of this group is to provide housing, health care and education to orphans generated by this AIDS pandemic in southern Africa.
I have been very open here. It takes an incredible amount of trust. Thank you.
I can tell you for sure that without the Seroquel (anto-psychotic which is used for the treatment of schizophrenia but was prescribed for sleep) and without pot (during meditation) I have had experiences that would be considered crazy by western standards. On one level it scares me, and so I repress it with pot. (At least that is what I've figured out). On another level I have great comfort in knowing I have "spirit" with me and the excitement my studies bring me gives me so much joy. I can spend hours researching with passion. I have never been more driven about something in my entire life. It is the best high I have ever had. I kept a journal between September and March of this year. My six months of sobriety. Re-reading it now, there are things that have manifested in present days that I had written long ago. It has amazed me what can appear when I am not stoned.
I am getting ready to completely let go. I simply do not "need" pot in my life. I only need understanding.
Don't we all ?
Love and light,
Diana
I can tell you for sure that without the Seroquel (anto-psychotic which is used for the treatment of schizophrenia but was prescribed for sleep) and without pot (during meditation) I have had experiences that would be considered crazy by western standards. On one level it scares me, and so I repress it with pot. (At least that is what I've figured out). On another level I have great comfort in knowing I have "spirit" with me and the excitement my studies bring me gives me so much joy. I can spend hours researching with passion. I have never been more driven about something in my entire life. It is the best high I have ever had. I kept a journal between September and March of this year. My six months of sobriety. Re-reading it now, there are things that have manifested in present days that I had written long ago. It has amazed me what can appear when I am not stoned.
I am getting ready to completely let go. I simply do not "need" pot in my life. I only need understanding.
Don't we all ?
Love and light,
Diana
You are so right Diana. If ever you want to off load do email me I think you are doing so well and the fact that you are so open must help so many people.
Can you tell me more about bi-polar depression as that was also suggested for my son.
Thanks
x
Can you tell me more about bi-polar depression as that was also suggested for my son.
Thanks
x
Hello Mathilda,
I only know from my experience that my Aunt was very violent, drank heavily for many years, had much trouble in school and abandoned her children when they were teens. She was not diagnosed with this disorder until much later in life. She is also a survivor of the suicide of her son when he was 37. I'm sure bumpsnomore would be willing to share her experience with this diagnosis.
The family board is amazing, I recommend you check that out as well. Cynical Ones posts are always insightful.
Peace,
Diana
I only know from my experience that my Aunt was very violent, drank heavily for many years, had much trouble in school and abandoned her children when they were teens. She was not diagnosed with this disorder until much later in life. She is also a survivor of the suicide of her son when he was 37. I'm sure bumpsnomore would be willing to share her experience with this diagnosis.
The family board is amazing, I recommend you check that out as well. Cynical Ones posts are always insightful.
Peace,
Diana
Elim, the service you provide in this life is admirable. :-)
My Doctor is from South Africa. He is precious to me. He is very intuitive and kind and I have recently learned he is also working with hypnosis with patients as well.
I wonder if there is much success with addictions and hypnosis ? I can always ask. :-)
Take care,
Diana
My Doctor is from South Africa. He is precious to me. He is very intuitive and kind and I have recently learned he is also working with hypnosis with patients as well.
I wonder if there is much success with addictions and hypnosis ? I can always ask. :-)
Take care,
Diana
Bumps,
I apologize if I assumed to much regarding my note to Mathilda. You have been open about your condition in the past, I thought it would be helpful.
Love and light,
Diana
I apologize if I assumed to much regarding my note to Mathilda. You have been open about your condition in the past, I thought it would be helpful.
Love and light,
Diana
