for anyone who may have info or advice to share. My dd 9 has been having a series of pretty serious facial and body tics for the past 6 months (not turrettes). We have been seeing a doctor, and since she had a seizure 2 years ago and we have a history of neurological issues in my family, both he and our family are taking this pretty seriously. Her MRI came back clean (thank the LORD), and she is now scheduled for a peds neuro consult in October, and a psych eval at the end of August. The psych eval is the one I have a question about as I have never been to a psychologist or psychiatrist and I want to better prepare my dd on what to expect (she is seeing him in case the tics are stress or anxiety related, and how she can deal with it, if it is not purely neurological. We are trying to avoid drugs.) Has anyone had a child go to in for a psych visit for general mental health help and can tell us what to expect? Some of the questions they asked me on the phone were horrifying! (no, she is not cutting herself or drinking --- she is 9!! That's is just crazy, it seems to me!) Any advice or tips would be greatly appreciated! Michelle
My son (who has Tourette's) saw a child psychiatrist for his diagnosis when he was 7. We had a wonderful older doctor who was great at getting the kids to answer questions he had to ask without it coming across in a way that implied he was accusing them. For instance, when he had to ask Ds about any criminal activity, he would instead ask if he had robbed any banks in a humorous way so that Ds was relaxed and giggling. To my understanding, they are required to ask certain questions each time because some of the patients they see are prone to self-destructive behavior and they would need to intervene as soon as possible. Is it possible for you to find out what they will be asking in advance so that you can prepare your daughter? The doctor Ds saw used a standard form with a checklist of all sorts of things about the child's behavior. We had to fill it out in the waiting room each time before our visits. You may be able to find a form like that online, or the office you are going to may have one available to look at. At the very least, prepare your dd for the kind of questions she may be asked and let her know that the doctor she is seeing wants to help kids. Some kids need different kinds of help than other kids, so they ask all kinds of questions. Hope this helps.
3 ADHD boys in the house, 2 of them have been to mental health clinics on a regular basis because it's the pediatric psychiatrist who treats them. The horrid questions they ask you on the phone is a means of triaging the patient. If the person is a suicide risk, they're seen much quicker. It's part of the overall mental health psyche and the reason why they ask that (and other equally horrible) questions. When I did my pediatric rotation a couple months ago I was mortified during morning report to hear the history of a 14 year old girl... admitted with Tylenol overdosage and history of cutting for 4 years... 4 years ?? She was 10 years old when she started cutting In a healthy home, that is absolutely unheard of and gut wrenching but sadly not all homes are good healthy homes and this is a reality for some people. When you go for your appointment, they're going to ask you that same question again and other questions that make you, as a mom, squirm in your seat. During that first appointment, they ask you everything in the world (I'll look for my book with questions they will likely ask and put them here when I find it... it's packed right now). They ask these questions because they're screening for many diseases and disorders... not just depression. They watch body language, watch for tics, etc. Stress CAN cause tics, and it can ause seizures. Try not to let it bother you, they're actually an amazing team of specialists who do amazing work.
I have no advice about the appointment, just wanted to say that your daughter is in my prayers. I hope they find the cause/cure quickly!
Thank you all for the feedback and advice (and the prayers)! I think this will definitely help me prepare her. Brooke - your Dr sounds great! I hope ours is like that. And you didn't get an flack or weren't worried they something would be taken the wrong way because you homeschool or anything?
My 13yo boy sees a psychiatrist semi-regularly and it's been great for him. The man he sees is very mellow and good at helping kids relax. On the first visit he talked to both of us, then he talked to me alone for awhile, and then he talked to my son. But he warned me that treating kids is different from treating adults. You can't just dive straight into therapy with them. You have to take it slow and earn their trust, first. I can tell you, he didn't ask my son any scary questions. He was very tactful with him. FWIW, my son gets a lot of physical symptoms when he's stressed and/or exhausted. He gets a tic under his eye. He gets eczema-like rashes. He gets stomach aches and head aches. His legs will hurt. He loses his appetite. Before we went the first time I told him sometimes our minds can do funny things to our bodies, so we needed to talk to an expert to see if that was the case. I had a hard time convincing my husband that he needed to see a psychiatrist, but now my husband says it was a really good thing. After the initial testing, we found out our son had high social anxiety and borderline levels of most other kinds of anxiety, too. After six months of talk therapy appointments his physical symptoms were gone, and his tests showed that his anxiety was down in all areas. The only one that's now even "borderline" is the social stuff, and the psych says that's pretty normal for a teenager. Think of it this way - so many people suffer undiagnosed mental troubles their whole lives. If it turns out your daughter's problems are caused by stress, she'll learn terrific coping skills that'll stand her in good stead her whole life. It's no reflection on your parenting either, except that you're obviously attentive, on-the-ball kinds of parents who are willing to step up and get your daughter the help she needs. Whatever that might be! Best wishes to you and your daughter. P.S. The psych we saw never brought up our previous homeschooling at all, except to say that he thinks public school is a good thing for my son right now as he needs to learn the skills to cope. (Plus, my son very much wants to remain in public school, so there's his desires to take into account.) But I do know this psych was actually the one who convinced a friend of mine's husband to pull their kid out of school and homeschool him. So ours is open to homeschooling, when he thinks it's good for the child/family.
Ds's psychiatrist was patient-focused, too. When we first went to him, Ds had been in public school. The psych. originally diagnosed him with ADHD and Tourette's. His anxiety level was very high and stress was making his tics really bad. After a year of homeschooling, he said that Ds was not presenting any symptoms of ADHD and reversed that diagnosis. Turns out that much of Ds's stress was environmental. That can happen when a teacher decides a boy has ADHD and won't rest until said child is medicated. :roll: But I digress. In our case, homeschooling was a non-issue other than the doctor stating that it was a wonderful choice for Ds and he marveled at Ds's ability and desire to sit down and talk with an adult. I think if anyone in any profession is able to have come to a genuine conclusion about the benefits--as well as the potential pitfalls--of homeschooling, it would be a child psychiatrist. Don't sweat it. Go in with confidence in your ability to discern what is best for your child with no apologies. Your dd will need you to be confident for her as well. (((hugs)))
Don't Fret. They will screen and screen some more. It is their job. They ask alot of questions to eliminate possible directions to pursue with more questions. They need to accertain if there is immenent danger to the patient whether by self harm, or due to the home or school environments. Remember that you are not a criminal, you are a mother who is seeking help for your child's medical symptoms. This is no different than going in with a kid who has a fever and bad cough. You are proactive parent, therefore this is not neglect and nothing to be ashamed of. If you do not like they way you are treated after inteacting with the physician and are not pleased with the follow up communication, or the communication that takes place when you ask questions, you as parent can elect to see another practitioner. I say these things not because you will need to change doctors, but to remind you that you are in charge, not the Dr.s. Stay Strong..Prayers Sent. PS, I have know a couple kids who were ticking hard due to energy drinks they were getting away from home.
