Pandora_Box wrote:
DW_a_mom wrote:
There are times to be against medication, and times to embrace it. You wouldn't deny a diabetic insulin, would you? Mood disorders can be successfully treated with medication for many people, and that can be literally the difference between making it in this world, and not. As your brother reaches adulthood, it is probably time to give this serious consideration. The related class of medications is risky in teens, and are usually better left untried except in the most extreme circumstances (IMHO), but has been used safely and effectively with adults. I know it isn't an easy decision, and I can't say when it will be time, when the potential benefits move ahead of the risks, but if it reaches a point where there is a strong chance that a pill can make life better for your brother, then it is time to try.
I know. I think he's scared. We're both scared to be honest.
He doesn't want to loose his sense of self. But he keeps saying his brian won't shut up. That it's constantly going and going. He says the only time it makes sense is when he hears his music.
He said that he's heard some people loose the creative side of themselves when they go on medication. I'm sure that's one of the reasons. He found reason and voice in his music.
I never dealt with medication. And I have become a psuedo parent for these two. I don't want him to become someone else. That sounds so wrong and rude.
The right medication at the right time should not change who one is. I went on anti-depressants after my daughter was born and they mostly just took off that edgy feeling I had been having, made me sleep more, and slowed down thoughts I hadn't wanted to have. At one point I tried a different drug because it was cheaper, and that was a mess. Move around within the class until you get one that does what you want it to, and not what you don't. No point in taking something one isn't happy with, because going on again off again out of frustration pretty much messes everything up.
Since another post mentioned brain development, that you want to wait until the brain stops growing, I should mention that I've read that the male brain keeps on growing until 25. Which leaves me wondering if it's still a little early ... But I also know things have been going on that indicate it could be time for a change. Seriously, it is an incredibly tough decision, and you all are right to be careful and think it through. In the end it may come down to instinct, the answer that feels right. Your favorite way to decide, eh? Not. I know. Wish there was a little chart you could fill in that popped out the answer when you were done.
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Mom to an amazing young adult AS son, plus an also amazing non-AS daughter. Most likely part of the "Broader Autism Phenotype" (some traits).
07 Aug 2011, 10:15 am
