[Jeanne]

I have come to realise that my son Glen 16 is suffering with agrophobia and anxiety, due to how he acts. If the prozac works then it will help him, but what if it doesn't it and he's only been on the meds 2 weeks and I've heard it takes around 4 weeks to notice any real difference.

At the moment Glen doesn't want to go anywhere, i.e. clubs that he used to attend, respite, school. I just about get him to School as a taxi picks him and brings him back, if that didn't happen then I wouldn't be able to get him there. Glen only goes to respite if he goes from School or they come and get him, once again I cannot get him them. Glen refuses to go hits himself constantly, hits out at me, runs to his room, etc. So I 'give in' and keep him at home for a peaceful life basically.

Not only is there the problem of going anywhere, the other thing is, for the past number of weeks Glen has come in from School wanting curtains closed in living room and light on. If you don't do this he will then kick etc as I explained above. He then wants to lay in his room for a while, even at weekends when there is no school. If I don't 'give in to him' then as I've said he gets really aggressive. So basically I whats necessary for a quiet life. Glen even asks for curtains closed & light on in living room at weekends at the same time of day (3.45pm) as he does in the week, so its not just School days when this occurs.

You are probably thinking I am way too soft, which you are right but I have tried NOT to give into Glen and have suffered the consequences of this.

Glen is still waiting this mental health assessment, which he desperately needs. He looks and appears a very depressed, anxious individual who needs urgent help.

So if you were me and please be honest would you do what I do or would you take him to clubs where he doesn't want to go, is clearly anxious etc? I look at it like this if it was me and I was so anxious about something that I didn't want to do then I wouldn't do it. Anyway please I welcome your comments on this.

[Kim]

Jeanne,

Has anyone considered that the Prozac could be making Glen's symptoms worse? My thoughts are that although it takes several weeks for a drug to fully get into your system, if there is no change in 2 weeks then the drug won't work, or even the dosage needs to be increased.

Whenever Craig is anxious or upset, I know there has to be a reason behind it because let's face it, none of us would want to be that miserable and anxious for no reason. Something is clearly going on with Glen and it could be that the Prozac is not working for him but is making his condition worse. Not every drug works for everyone.

If it were me with Craig, would I force him to go out if it's causing him serious upset and anxiety, the answer is no. I've often found the best way to work with Craig through any difficulties is to compleltely withdraw him from a situation and then re-introduce it again slowly.

If I were you, I would insist that the assessment needs to be carried out ASAP as Glen is clearly suffering and he shouldn't have to wait until he goes to Scotland; surely they would know from all that you've told them about how Glen's behaving that he needs help and support. I know it's not ideal to have the curtains closed etc but he has something going on in his mind that is making him feel that having a shutdown at home helps him feel less stressed. If I were you, I would carry on with this until the assessment is carried out because although it's no fun for you; for him, it appears to be the only way for him to get through, or try and get through as best he can. As I said, from all that you've mentioned here, he doesn't even have to go to Scotland for them to work out that something is very clearly wrong and needs addressed.

Take care.

Kim

[Jeanne]

Well I really tried today when Glen came in from School. As soon as he took his shoes off he went into the living room and put the light on and closed the curtains. I talked to him as simply as I could saying: Mummy's room, Mummy wants curtains open etc. Glen can have curtains closed in Glen's room. That sort of thing, but Glen then became very distressed as I could see clearly in his face, he then started hitting himself, pacing up and down and then would have hit me if I didn't 'give in', which I did I'm afraid to say.

It seems to me that as the living room is the main room of the house, where Glen spends quite a bit of time, I think that come the afternoon he needs it to be 'night time', so that he knows he will not have to go anywhere else and he knows it will soon be bed time and associates all that with darkness. Hope that makes sense?

I do not want to distress him unnecessarily, so I think I will have to 'go with it' for now.