Confidence in the help we were getting for Jason had diminished quite a bit. The attempts to help Jason with his problems were not only failing to provide a solution, but he was introduced to a life of hell and the risks were becoming increasingly more dangerous. Besides a year of self abuse and hatred including a brush with death on at least one occasion, we found ourselves at Jason's bedside in the ICU recovering from an overdose of sleeping pills, followed by subsequent trips to the psychiatric ward, including 2 mandatory ones by the RCMP. Jason's suicidal planning continued off and on for about 6 or 7 months and there were no answers in sight. The psychiatrist kept adjusting the medication and his suggestions for Jason were only obvious ones. Jason didn't want to live most of the time so receiving advice on how to get well was not on his agenda and when he had a bit of fight in him, he didn't believe the advice would work.
How often do people look back on difficult challenges in their lives and ask themselves, "where did I get the strength to do that?" I asked myself that question many times and have come to realize that we are all capable of doing much more than we think we can. God loves everybody by name and we have all received the tools needed to work through the more challenging times. I didn't know how much strength was in me until I searched for it in desperation. Other times, I felt discouraged and felt very little strength, but I had friends who would listen to my heartaches and love me where I was. They didn't try to fix our problems, they simply listened and loved me, which is what I needed most. We met every week for breakfast and started this routine only a couple months before Jason's troubles started. God gave me faith and strength when I needed it and when I didn't know how to tap into it, he gave me close friends to carry me until I could.
For a long time, I had a sense deep inside me that Jason didn't need psychiatric drugs. I thought what he really needed was someone he can trust and be open with about the things that were troubling him. Then, for a couple months it would seem like he was getting well, so I would doubt what my heart was telling me and I would place my reliance on the psychiatrists and others who were sincere about helping Jason. After viewing the video I mentioned in the last blog, I was moved by the shocking testimonies of the families who lost their loved ones and it became very clear to me that action needed to be taken. The first order of business was to listen to my heart and trust what it was saying to me.
In March, 2009, I wrote a letter to Jason's psychiatrist requesting that he be taken off his medication. I described what Jason was like before his 1st visit to the psych ward - that he was a "normal" kid with the stresses and challenges most young people face growing up. I told him what my instincts as a dad had been telling me for a long time - that Jason needed good counseling, not drugs. First, I met with our family doctor to get his feedback of the letter. He didn't disagree with me and offered to call the psychiatrist to arrange an appointment with him. In the meantime, Jason had an appointment scheduled with him so I joined him. I explained why I was there and shared the contents of the letter, which I left for him. He agreed to taking Jason off the drugs and commented about how the medication had not helped so far and that it might be a good idea. I was pleased with his willingness but also shocked with how easily he went along with it. The strategy was to gradually reduce the 2 more potent drugs over a 5 week period until he was not taking them anymore. After only 2 or 3 days, I noticed a big improvement with Jason! He was more aware of his surroundings and better engaged in conversations. Improvements continued during the 5 weeks and at the end of the withdrawal period, our Jason was back! It was a long 2 years and we missed him, sometimes not knowing if we would ever see him again. We are grateful to have him back.
We also learned about a treatment known as "Brain State Conditioning". Research indicated that this treatment was yielding excellent results for issues like post traumatic stress disorder, suicidal obsessions, drug addictions, sleeplessness, etc. We also discovered it was available in Kelowna and decided to register Jason for the one week of treatment. I noticed early in the treatments that he was better able to express his thoughts into words, something he always had difficulty with. He was less anxious and he explained that he was able to think "outside the box" more. He now sees more options available to him when making decisions and is more confident and decisive when he faces choices. Some of these improvements were due to the withdrawal of medication but the brain chemistry balancing was definitely a factor. To view an interview of the founder, Lee Gerdes, click here: http://video.google.com/videoplay?docid=7416007883943269677&hl=en#.
For the past 5 or 6 months, Jason has been free of destructive obsessions and the other effects caused by the medication. Jason was obsessed with killing himself, yet he worked so hard to stay alive! He didn't want to end his life, he wanted to stop hurting. The only thing Jason ever wanted was to live a contented life and enjoy the people around him. After 2 years of being incapable of working, he is now able to do so and soon will be working full time. Jason is looking at his future more positively and is considering many exciting options. He has talked about moving to Australia, a goal he held before he got sick. He would also like to study and work as a counselor/therapist or a care aide. I think Jason would do very well in this kind of occupation with his gentle demeanor, caring heart and personal experience. Jason experienced more than most people in the past 2 years and I know that whatever he decides to do, he will succeed!
The following is a song by Casting Crowns that relates well with what Jason was experiencing: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0w39vErgIMM
In closing, thank you for taking this journey with us. Jason and I wanted to share our story to raise the awareness about the dangers of psychiatric drugs. As I said before, some people truly need this medication but I believe it is over prescribed to the rest.
Let's live loved because we are!
Dan & Jason
How often do people look back on difficult challenges in their lives and ask themselves, "where did I get the strength to do that?" I asked myself that question many times and have come to realize that we are all capable of doing much more than we think we can. God loves everybody by name and we have all received the tools needed to work through the more challenging times. I didn't know how much strength was in me until I searched for it in desperation. Other times, I felt discouraged and felt very little strength, but I had friends who would listen to my heartaches and love me where I was. They didn't try to fix our problems, they simply listened and loved me, which is what I needed most. We met every week for breakfast and started this routine only a couple months before Jason's troubles started. God gave me faith and strength when I needed it and when I didn't know how to tap into it, he gave me close friends to carry me until I could.
For a long time, I had a sense deep inside me that Jason didn't need psychiatric drugs. I thought what he really needed was someone he can trust and be open with about the things that were troubling him. Then, for a couple months it would seem like he was getting well, so I would doubt what my heart was telling me and I would place my reliance on the psychiatrists and others who were sincere about helping Jason. After viewing the video I mentioned in the last blog, I was moved by the shocking testimonies of the families who lost their loved ones and it became very clear to me that action needed to be taken. The first order of business was to listen to my heart and trust what it was saying to me.
In March, 2009, I wrote a letter to Jason's psychiatrist requesting that he be taken off his medication. I described what Jason was like before his 1st visit to the psych ward - that he was a "normal" kid with the stresses and challenges most young people face growing up. I told him what my instincts as a dad had been telling me for a long time - that Jason needed good counseling, not drugs. First, I met with our family doctor to get his feedback of the letter. He didn't disagree with me and offered to call the psychiatrist to arrange an appointment with him. In the meantime, Jason had an appointment scheduled with him so I joined him. I explained why I was there and shared the contents of the letter, which I left for him. He agreed to taking Jason off the drugs and commented about how the medication had not helped so far and that it might be a good idea. I was pleased with his willingness but also shocked with how easily he went along with it. The strategy was to gradually reduce the 2 more potent drugs over a 5 week period until he was not taking them anymore. After only 2 or 3 days, I noticed a big improvement with Jason! He was more aware of his surroundings and better engaged in conversations. Improvements continued during the 5 weeks and at the end of the withdrawal period, our Jason was back! It was a long 2 years and we missed him, sometimes not knowing if we would ever see him again. We are grateful to have him back.
We also learned about a treatment known as "Brain State Conditioning". Research indicated that this treatment was yielding excellent results for issues like post traumatic stress disorder, suicidal obsessions, drug addictions, sleeplessness, etc. We also discovered it was available in Kelowna and decided to register Jason for the one week of treatment. I noticed early in the treatments that he was better able to express his thoughts into words, something he always had difficulty with. He was less anxious and he explained that he was able to think "outside the box" more. He now sees more options available to him when making decisions and is more confident and decisive when he faces choices. Some of these improvements were due to the withdrawal of medication but the brain chemistry balancing was definitely a factor. To view an interview of the founder, Lee Gerdes, click here: http://video.google.com/videoplay?docid=7416007883943269677&hl=en#.
For the past 5 or 6 months, Jason has been free of destructive obsessions and the other effects caused by the medication. Jason was obsessed with killing himself, yet he worked so hard to stay alive! He didn't want to end his life, he wanted to stop hurting. The only thing Jason ever wanted was to live a contented life and enjoy the people around him. After 2 years of being incapable of working, he is now able to do so and soon will be working full time. Jason is looking at his future more positively and is considering many exciting options. He has talked about moving to Australia, a goal he held before he got sick. He would also like to study and work as a counselor/therapist or a care aide. I think Jason would do very well in this kind of occupation with his gentle demeanor, caring heart and personal experience. Jason experienced more than most people in the past 2 years and I know that whatever he decides to do, he will succeed!
The following is a song by Casting Crowns that relates well with what Jason was experiencing: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0w39vErgIMM
In closing, thank you for taking this journey with us. Jason and I wanted to share our story to raise the awareness about the dangers of psychiatric drugs. As I said before, some people truly need this medication but I believe it is over prescribed to the rest.
Let's live loved because we are!
Dan & Jason
WOW, what a read. What a great read. I am so thrilled to hear that Jason is now doing so much better. I'm so happy that you listened to your heart and trusted it and did what you knew you had to do to help Jason. Thank you for sharing your story with us. It means so much to me to know what Jason (and the rest of you) had gone through, and how you dealt with it and came out on the other side. I love you guys and so look forward to seeing you in a few months time.
ReplyDeleteIt was really nice meeting you and your story is like a movie! I think the worst thing they could have done was call the police on someone and have them be so aggressive. I don't think that's very helpful to anyone in that kind of situation.
ReplyDeleteThank you for sharing your story.
JG
I have to tell you Dan, I think I experianced every emotion to man kind while reading through these pages! Eye opener to say the least!
ReplyDeleteThe love of ones child, a strong faith, and a great support system, are powerful tools to stay strong. Jason must be so grateful that his parents carry these tools. My Love to you all and may the power of the lord keep you well!
We are blessed and sometimes hard to understand, everything happens for a reason. xoxoxoxo