Psychiatrist Update

We had our appointment on Saturday with the psychiatrist. It went really well. I am very pleased with who we were recommended to see. She was very thorough and it went so well. I really didn't think we'd be able to have the conversations we needed to have with our guy in there with us but she made it work. She asked him lots of questions and got to know him. She got to know what causes him to worry from his own lips. He was open and honest. Then she talked to us as he was playing (and listening) in the room. But it was all okay. We were there for right at 2 hours. We have a diagnosis: Generalized Anxiety Disorder. He started medicine this Sunday morning. We are starting with such a low dose this week that she thought we probably wouldn't notice a difference until maybe next week. So far I haven't noticed anything. Next we will slightly increase the dose and try that for 2 weeks. Then we go see Dr. S. again to make sure things are going okay with no problems. Our sweet boy asked me when he "got" to start his medicine. He is tired of feeling this way. I told him we'd start it Sunday morning. So Sunday morning he asked Andy for his pill.

Our decision to try medication has come as the last thing we can do to try and make life more enjoyable for him. Dr. S. has a plan for tapering off med- a whole plan she told us about that makes great sense. Kids are still developing so we can re-train his mind and help him learn how to deal with his feelings/anxiety in a healthy, manageable way. So that as we taper off he will be able to handle how things make him feel. Andy and I have basically tried to avoid things we know that cause him anxiety whenever we can. With the medication (when we find the right dose) we will need to start trying the things we've avoided.

Dr. S. also wanted him to start taking Omega 3 & vitamin D vitamin supplements in addition to his multivitamin. She told us all the benefits and we were sold. Now Andy, Luke, Wilson, and I are all taking those vitamin supplements! I wish I could get Ty to eat a vitamin...