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Facility Question and Answers / Heritage RTC
« on: January 10, 2008, 06:05:11 PM »
I am still here and I appreciate the posts. We are an intact two-parent home with three daughters. We have been trying for two and a half years to avoid placing my daughter in residential treatment. We have worked intensively with therapists and have done everything we can to deal with our daughter's issues in a positive and caring manner. Without detailing everything that has gone on, our child is 14 years old and refuses to attend school; is continually verbally abusive to others (primarily me and her 7-year-old sister); and reacts to any attempts to set limits with behavior such as going to the kitchen, retrieving a knife, and stabbing a couch cushion, kicking furniture over, and other such behaviors.
In my family of origin, several people have depression and anxiety disorders. In my heart, I believe my daughter is suffering from depression and anxiety and perhaps even panic disorder or something like that. I have a sister who is now 37 years old who has suffered with these issues since her early adolescence. I have seen over the years that she manifests many of the behaviors that my daughter manifests. My parents were always unable or unwilling to get her help. My sister believes her problems are entirely biochemical. Her journey has led her to be addicted to klonopin, to abuse prescription drugs, to be extremely promiscuous. She is physically abusive to my parents and has stolen from them. She has NEVER held a job. As an adult, she has refused all advice to seek treatment. The most recent incident occurred when the police found her car blocking both lanes of a busy residential street, and she was asleep in the car. She refuses to believe that most of this happens because she generally cannot remember her conduct when she "comes to." My biggest fear is that my daughter will end up like this.
So, although I know that most of the people posting on this forum come from a place of feeling that these places are dangerous to the kids, I cannot bear that my child will face a future like this and I want her to get help. We absolutely do not want her to be away from us. We do not want her to be coerced, abused, badgered or treated in anyway other than a calm, caring way. Nevertheless, we have tried and tried and tried to help her. How can we help her?
By the way, and I may do another post about this, her treatment team is also recommending a place called Teton Peaks in Idaho, but unanimously think that Heritage is better.
In my family of origin, several people have depression and anxiety disorders. In my heart, I believe my daughter is suffering from depression and anxiety and perhaps even panic disorder or something like that. I have a sister who is now 37 years old who has suffered with these issues since her early adolescence. I have seen over the years that she manifests many of the behaviors that my daughter manifests. My parents were always unable or unwilling to get her help. My sister believes her problems are entirely biochemical. Her journey has led her to be addicted to klonopin, to abuse prescription drugs, to be extremely promiscuous. She is physically abusive to my parents and has stolen from them. She has NEVER held a job. As an adult, she has refused all advice to seek treatment. The most recent incident occurred when the police found her car blocking both lanes of a busy residential street, and she was asleep in the car. She refuses to believe that most of this happens because she generally cannot remember her conduct when she "comes to." My biggest fear is that my daughter will end up like this.
So, although I know that most of the people posting on this forum come from a place of feeling that these places are dangerous to the kids, I cannot bear that my child will face a future like this and I want her to get help. We absolutely do not want her to be away from us. We do not want her to be coerced, abused, badgered or treated in anyway other than a calm, caring way. Nevertheless, we have tried and tried and tried to help her. How can we help her?
By the way, and I may do another post about this, her treatment team is also recommending a place called Teton Peaks in Idaho, but unanimously think that Heritage is better.