Wendy is a rambunctious and irascible 16 year old. Her parents have virtually thrown up their hands in trying to connect with her and/or provide any kind of discipline for her. There have been times when she has told her mother to 'fuck off;' she has run out of the house and stayed out all night; she narrowly escaped being arrested when she was 15, and she just seems out of control in general.
Dan and Sierra are exhausted, and don't know where to turn. They are fairly certain that the medication Wendy was on when she was younger has had permanent effects on her physical and cognitive functioning. They briefly considered a lawsuit, but after talking with friends, they gave up on that possibility. Another turning point, however, was just around the corner.
Wendy had gotten particularly interested in the opposite sex and continued to attempt to find ways to be get out of the house to meet up with friends. It was one night in April that Wendy got stuck on the idea that her parents just had to let her go to a concert with her friends. They said, 'no,' but Wendy kept pushing - they just didn't understand! The group that was playing at a local club was HUGE, and Wendy just HAD to be there. Dan and Sierra held firm, and Wendy stormed out of the house. Trying not to escalate the situation as best they could, they let Wendy know, as she was leaving, that they would call the police. She told her parents to go screw themselves.
When the police located Wendy, she was drunk and in possession of marijuana. Because she kicked the officer and scratched his face, she was placed in custody until Dan and Sierra could go get her. She was charged with possession of marijuana, resisting arrest, and assaulting an officer. This outcome was bad enough for Wendy, but, little did she know her life would be forever changed as a result of decisions she made just before she was found by police.
* What is likely to happen to Wendy now with regard to the juvenile justice system? Outline what will take place given her charges. Be specific, thorough, and comprehensive.
* In your group's opinion, should Wendy's is Wendy's behavior better dealt with as a juvenile justice issue or a mental health issue? Describe the differing outcomes given each manner of approaching Wendy's behavior.
* From a family systems standpoint, provide your best guess as to what is happening in the Marianna family at this point.
DECISION POINT ::: Does Wendy go to detention? Why or why not? What happens as a result of her charges?
Monday, March 26, 2012
Week Ten
Week Ten is courtesy of the Ahmad Nassar group:
Now that Wendy is 13 she has been
off of the Respideral medication for 6 years now. Her tremors are still present
but not as severe. Her mother has also decided to look into getting a new
psychiatrist who is more involved with the therapy track rather than the
medical track. During this therapy session they have now identified her
insecure attachment with her mother as a child. They have now resolved their
differences and mom has agreed to be more involved with Wendy’s life. Since she
is not on the medication anymore she is lashing out at her mother and step father
for the smallest things and sometimes won’t leave her room for days. Other days
she will be bouncing around the house and be extremely talkative. She is also
having trouble making adequate relationships at school because the kids think
of her as an outcast or “weird” due to her tremors and her mood swings. Her
grades are also going down due to her depressive episodes. The relationship
between her and her sister has also gone downhill because she is tired of
dealing with the severe mood swings and they fight often. The psychiatrist
recommended extracurricular activities to help stabilize her mood and maybe
help her find friends. She is now involved with the stage crew for the school
play and is enjoying that. With her
constant mood variations her mother does not know whether to go back on the
medication or to possibly look into a inpatient treatment school.
Sunday, March 11, 2012
Week Nine
Sierra and Dan married when Wendy was 5 1/2, and, in general, this has been a good thing for the family. With more money from month to month, some of the stressors have been removed, and life is much different for Sierra and Wendy in that regard. However, at age seven, Wendy continues to demonstrate behavior that is hard for Dan and Sierra to understand: she is often distant and then seems, out of nowhere, to throw a tantrum for reasons that are hard to identify in spite of the medication she is on.
Sierra had taken Wendy to a child psychiatrist when Wendy was 4, almost out of desperation. The psychiatrist prescribed medication for Wendy, and Sierra began giving her Risperdal. This seemed to calm Wendy most of the time, and Sierra did not give it much thought. Some relief was all she was looking for at the time, and she trusted the psychiatrist. It wasn't until Wendy started having her episodes again that the psychiatrist increased the dosage of the medication, a process that took place 3 times. By age 5, Wendy was taking what seemed to be a significant amount of the drug. Sierra started to notice that Wendy developed tremors in her hands, and Sierra worried that there was more wrong with Wendy than she thought. She continued to give Wendy her medication at the urging of her psychiatrist who also ordered some additional tests.
Now at age 7, Wendy has a hard time feeding herself because her tremors are so intense. Sierra is beside herself with fear and worry. What could be causing such terrible symptoms in her little girl? She and Dan did not know what to do or where to turn.
* Describe developmental milestones for a typically-developing 7 year old. Based on what you know about Wendy this week and in the last post, how atypical is her development?
* Is the drug Risperdal approved for use in children? How is it that a child psychiatrist is able to use this drug? What diagnosis would support the use of this particular medication?
* What are the known effects of the drug Risperdal including those that are not the primary/desired effects?
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