Two weeks ago yesterday, we took Porter to see a psychiatrist. I thought that day wouldn’t come soon enough. Difficulties were escalating. He was consistently sleeping in the hallway or bathroom. He was having meltdowns at school as frequently as every other day. We were fighting with him at home about home work. He seemed forever “grounded.” This was no way to live.
Clint, Porter and I sat down with the good doctor and related the events of our current situation as well as past examples of Porter’s anxious and compulsive tendencies. He took notes, of course, and came up with three areas of concern. First, anxiety and worry. Yep. Next, sleep. Definitely. And lastly mood, though not as much of a concern as the first two.
He recommended that we immediately start Porter on a medication for his anxiety, which would also help with sleep. Great, a twofer. We discussed our concerns over putting him on medication such as, would it change his personality? Because as you know, Porter has an exceptional personality. Nope, should be no change there. Good. We also wondered how long he’d have to be on it, the answer was: to be determined. After the doctor finished explaining about the medication and what it was intended to do, Porter shot his hand in the air, and enthusiastically said, “We’ll take it!”
And we did. We went and immediately got the prescription filled and he started it that night. By Sunday, just two nights later, he was sleeping in his own bed, which is where he’s been since then (with one exception, but I’m not going to complain). I asked him one morning how he felt and he said “Fabulous!” At school his behavior and performance made a dramatic improvement, and I even got a call from one of his teachers wondering what possibly could have happened. Win win all around.
More than anything, he seems more calm, less worried, and happier. Truly, a miracle pill. We have a follow-up appointment in about 2 weeks. I’ll keep you posted on his progress.
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