He sounds incredibly unhappy and I'd try to figure it out. I had a miserable childhood. I was incredibly Unhappy and a lot of my anger and actions were a result of that. I wish my parents had cared about my happiness but they were instead more focused on my grades (which were good!) and meaningless rules. I'd do everything I could to try and figure out what's causing your son to act the way he is. My problem was I wasn't allowed to have friends (unless my parents approved of them which typically didn't) and I was monitored closely day in and day out. It was like being in prison. |
OP, the behaviors that you describe from yesterday indicate that your son has moved from obstinacy and defiance into deliberate and escalating instigation. This is very concerning.
You should contact the therapist to alert him/her as well as to gain guidance. You should schedule an appointment for your son with your pediatrician for a physical asap - you may want to alert the pediatrician ahead of time about why. You should meet with his core team teachers as well to get a handle on what they are seeing: meaning, is the behavior isolated to the home environment or are they seeing the same changes in behavior? Something is going dramatically wrong and you need to move swiftly to determine what it is so that you can help your son. |
Thanks and we have already done most of these. Pediatrician - says its hormones, typical teen. Therapist - Aware of the issues and has been working with him for about 3-4 months. We also go as a family and separate from him. Psychiatrist - Has prescribed intuniv which thinks will help take away some potential anxiety. He has had violent outbursts in the past in which has destroyed property and hit us with hands and thrown objects at us School - Until recently grades have been holding steady. Recently, he has essentially given up. Didn't bother turning in a project last week. Spoke to counselor who spoke with all his teachers and no problems in class other than being too social at times. Friends - Plenty of friends and no issues. Very outgoing and everyone seems to like him and gravitate towards him. Coaches - No issues, gets along with all. Sibling - Gets along well with older sister. Although, she is tired of his non-sense as well. He sneaks on her computer when left unlocked to watch porn. Not sure what else we can do. We take away privileges when he does not listen or follow rules and give things back when he does something well. For example, when he texts girls ask for nude pics we take the phone away. Last Sunday, he asked for a game on his phone which I proceeded to download while doing that a text came in with a photo of the math homework, which he asked a friend to send. He sneaks out of his room in the middle of night to go into basement to watch tv, so we put controls on the tv to limit hours. He has stolen credit cards and gift cards from my wallet and racked up several hundred dollars on xbox. We then put parental controls on hist account so he could not buy anything. He then used my work laptop left on the kitchen counter one night to log into my xbox account and changed the settings to allow him to purchase again and then took gift cards from my wallet and added to his account another $300. He has called a phone sex line and racked up $200 with an expired credit card he found. They sent a collection agency after me. |
Fork Union Military Academy |
With apologies for repeating myself, this catalog of behaviors is cause for concern.
Reasonable people can disagree, and capable MDs do not necessarily have any special expertise in teenage behavior. In this case I disagree emphatically that this is "typical teen" behavior. Intuniv (generic: guanfacine) is generally indicated by AD/HD, not anxiety, according to my experience with kids who take it and according to its manufacturer. I am not a therapist or medical doctor and cannot give advice about prescriptions, but if this were my child I would seek a second qualified opinion about whether that medication is 1) indicated and 2) a sufficient intervention in light of the behaviors you list. What you describe does not square with my school-based experience with the common presentations of teenage anxiety. I urge you to consult a psychologist about a psychological evaluation — specifically a behavioral assessment. I agree with a former poster that a male is desirable. It sounds like you live in DC, where I know fewer therapists, but based on your description I would unhesitatingly recommend Dan Wojnilower in Bethesda. Dan is on Democracy Blvd. near Montgomery Mall: 301 530-5100. I don't doubt that there are many other able therapists; Dan's one of the best of those with whom I've worked in challenging behavioral situations with boys. There are good signs in your son and that's promising. A good therapist can help you play to those and will have many ideas beyond those that might occur to a parent. But this board is not the place for the advice you need — from me or anybody else. Please ... see a qualified professional. Best wishes, and good thoughts for your family. Peter |
Tom at The School Counseling Group on MacArthur Blvd. in DC--a summer program may be a good option |
A second for the recommendation that you speak to Tom Harvey at the School Counseling Group. He specializes in placements in therapeutic boarding schools and other therapeutic programs. He knows the options very well and IME works very hard to match the particular issues/needs of a child with specific programs. Plus, he's a kind and empathetic guy. You might want to do a consult call just as a start. |
I am so sorry your son is having so many problems and making your life miseable. But a see two very important positive things: he likes baseball and apparently functions well as part of a team and he has friends. To me these indicate that his social skills are good. I am a grandma and raised three kids, 2 of whom were horrible teenagers and did the stuff you described. The are both now successful adults with lovely ( and sometimes mouthy ) children of their own. This may seem like a stange suggestion but you might try one of the good parochial schools that is super focussed on sports and then board him at Prep where there is very good baseball coaching.In the meantime try to let him do what makes him happy. The Catholic schools are firm but less insitutional than MCPS. In one sense the kids are freer and there is much less academic pressure. I would suggest spending more time with him, not less. I know he will complain but take him to sports events. Take a friend of his along and go out to eat and just sit back and listen without comment to their conversation. If you like the outdoors take him camping or fishing with a friend or two even if he says he doesn't want to go. He is scared and angry about something and you need to de-escalate the tension between you. He needs you. Alot of people will now post that I am suggesting rewarding bad behavior. What Im suggesting is just quietly being with your son and trying to enjoy his positive traits. |
NP here. I'm so sorry this is happening to your family. The thing is, however, a kid this angry and destructive will find himself expelled from a regular boarding school very quickly. I would suggest a summer program instead. |
Consider hiring someone to monitor him after school -- do homework, stay out of trouble, etc. Maybe a college student. |
I don't think shipping him off for someone else to deal with him is the answer. Being a parent means getting in the trenches and working through things with your kids side-by-side. Please rethink this and be a parent and try to help him. |
You are looking for a therapeutic boarding school--you might try the Special Needs board but you will have to work closely with his psychologist to find the right fit and find a school that will take him. |
+1. This brings me back to my unhappy childhood. I simply wanted to be loved and accepted. |
You get him a full neuropsych and figure out what is going on. Or, at least a second opinion with a different psychiatrist. He is at the age where mental illness can show up and better if it is caught and treated early on. |
He is scared and angry because his parents are threatening to send him away. He is being taught that love is conditional. The child would certainly benefit from therapy. But to me it sounds like his parents need it more. |