Coping mechanisms

I've mentioned before that Sam struggles with anxiety. He's always been a little tightly wound, but after he started having asthma attacks at night, he really started getting panicky if I wasn't right there with him. Honestly, I don't blame him. I cannot imagine how terrifying it would be to wake out of a sound sleep and not be able to breathe.

When I took Sam in for his six-year well-child visit, I mentioned the nightly panic attacks to the doctor. I also talked about his strange moods (when he is upset or embarrassed, he lashes out and can become almost violent, he is so angry at whatever he's feeling). I also talked about how rigid he is with routines...to the point where he has to do things in a certain order, or he can't function.

I love our doctor. She always listens carefully, instead of dismissing me as a paranoid mother. She suggested we try a mild anti-depressant. Primarily, she wanted to help stop the panic attacks. But she also felt it could help his mood swings and his OCD.

So, Sam takes a very small dose of a liquid antidepressant at night. He can't stand the way it tastes, so we have to bribe him with apple juice. At first, I wasn't sure it was working. I'm still not convinced we have the dosage right. But my brother-in-law, John, (the pharmacist) advised me that since this is a behavioral issue, not a chemical imbalance, it can take a few months for the medication to work to its full potential. That made me feel better.

And we are seeing some improvements. Sam has slept through the night the past two nights. He didn't wake up, convinced he was going to be sick. No screaming, crying, or pounding on doors when he can't find a parent.

We are also learning some coping mechanisms. If I leave Sam in his room at bedtime, he gets up repeatedly, worrying that he is going to be sick and that I won't be there to help. So, Bill and I have been taking turns simply sitting in his room after the lights are out. Sam doesn't have a reason to worry and he goes to sleep within minutes.

Sam has also discovered that additional light is soothing to him. So, as you see the in picture below, he went ahead and decorated the bunk beds with all of his Christmas lights. It is insanely bright in there, but as you can clearly see, he is sound asleep. I unplug the lights before I go to bed.

Bill asked Sam if he was sleeping in a disco. I asked Sam if he felt the runways were lit properly. TJ grumbled that it was too bright. Then he fell asleep.