I DREAMED A DREAM...TO FIND A GREAT STEP DOWN PROGRAM

When your loved one is released from a psychiatric hospital

the next step is to find a psychiatrist that will 

take care of ongoing medication needs.

BUT also,

there will be the question of WHAT NEXT?
Do we just take them home and watch them go back to their struggles?
****

We had never heard of a day program for mental health.

The term used by doctors and staff

is
 INTENSIVE OUTPATIENT PROGRAM
or IOP.

Wikipedia does a good job describing one:

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Intensive_outpatient_program

In our case, the profile is a bit different since our son had become addicted to caffeine and panax ginseng extract and other stimulants in teas and energy drinks.

Most IOPs have programs dealing with alcohol or strong substance abuse.

Still, most of the places we visited took ENERGY DRINK ADDICTION very seriously.
IN MY OPINION,

energy drinks and their cocktails of high octane stimulants have the potential to

wreak havoc on people taking medications for

bipolar disorder, schizophrenia, OCD, anxiety disorders, or depression.
I would also be very cautious about mixing ADHD medications with energy drinks and high levels of caffeine.
Stimulants are STIMULATING! Just check your pulse after drinking a MONSTER and you'll see.
****

Our loved one is depressed beyond measure that he cannot control 

this aspect of his life and will need help.

I'm just glad help is out there.

***

Today's break is from a fabulous violin player.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=F0IBPeuLGWc

OCD & CAFFEINE

It should be called Caf-FIEND!

Caffeine isn't all that bad if you have a little

and you don't have OCD.

But add any stimulant to your OCD brain 

and look out.

With our 23 year old son with severe OCD

the results are profound

and not pretty.

One night I watched our son reach in and out of our refrigerator

14 times in rapid fire movements

and then not take anything out!

He had had an energy drink and he could 

not make a decision.

On another night I heard him scream in the living room.

I thought he had cut himself accidentally.

Instead, he was screaming at the TV remote

because he could not stop surfing for channels.

Caffeine ramps up OCD....make no mistake.

He can have 1 or 2 regular soft drinks (about 34 mg of caffeine each)

and be OK.

But what about these? How much caffeine starts to affect OCD symptoms?

Kickstart = 92mg of caffeine (bad)

Starbucks Doubleshot Energy = 145 mg of caffeine (brutal effects)

Monster KHAOS= 160 mg of caffeine (OCD goes crazy)

Rockstar Zero Carb= 240 mg (Run for your life)

All of these take his OCD off the charts!

And thankfully, I won't tell you how much in fresh brewed coffee...our

son hates the stuff and we are delighted.

***

For today's 5 minute break, you get to enjoy Sam Tsui

using his energy to bring you this hilarious video.

David/:0)

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MISSION IMPOSSIBLE....IF YOU CHOOSE TO ACCEPT IT

....is to get your children off

of caffeine

and

...off of sugar

Both are not the friends

of an OCD mind.

Both promise

much

but deliver little...

except to

get the mind racing even more

and to put (at least in our son)

his invasive thoughts 

in overdrive.

We find it's the fastest road 

to a meltdown.

***

Here's the "Mission Impossible"

theme featuring

Lindsey Stirling and The Piano Guys.

Thanks for stopping by!

David/:0)

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9p0BqUcQ7i0

the raccoon in our back shed

n