mental health - April Chapman

Tag: mental health

29
Apr
2013

Ignite Phoenix

So much going on! This weekend I was able to present at Ignite Phoenix 14 on the topic “Parenting A Mentally Ill Child.” Ignite events are held all over the country and have become increasingly popular. Anyone can apply to be a speaker on a topic they are passionate about, but they only choose eighteen. The catch is you only have five minutes to speak, so your message needs to be focused and powerful.

There were a few reasons this event was so important for me. First, as many of you know, I have been a speaker for years on social media and mobile technology, but this was the first time God gave me a platform to speak on something from my personal life. I feel like it is God’s true calling on my life, with my big dream being to speak to women encouraging them in their faith, regardless of circumstances.

The second reason I was excited to speak at this event was because it is so far reaching. It was a sold out event, filling 850 seats plus it streams live to many more. After the show, they post everything on YouTube, which also get a lot of views. I felt like my message could really get out there. Don’t worry…I will be posting it here as soon as it is up on YouTube. (UPDATE: It’s already been posted. I’ve included it at the bottom of this post.)

The night of the event went really well. We had some crazy and funny topics being presented such as Chicken Personality Disorder and OMG Fighting Back Against Hyperbole. I was near the end of the event with one of the more serious topics. As much as I love to make an audience laugh, my topic was the one that made them cry.

After the event I had the privilege of meeting other families who have faced similar struggles. It’s encouraging to speak on a topic that seems to be “taboo” in our culture and yet find so many people that either relate or who are filled with compassion and an eagerness to help.

I also want to update you all on how Jerilyn is doing in Texas. Fabulous! She got to use the Rope Course last week and, of course, impressed everyone with her ability to climb absolutely anything. Most days I talk to her she sounds stable and she really enjoys the school there. She is still having her ups and downs and hasn’t been able to hold on to a roommate, usually because she ends up getting upset at them. I know she still isn’t participating in group therapy sessions either. However, she is doing better overall, which is the goal. Baby steps, baby steps. Thank you again for all your prayers.

I want to end this post the same way I ended my speech: “Let’s stop the silence. Let’s start talking about mental illness. My daughter needs this conversation to start. Don’t let it end here.”

please install flash

20
Mar
2012

Home Again

categories: April

Jerilyn is home again. She is doing wonderfully. It makes me so uber-grateful for places like St. Joes that work with children that are struggling, providing the extra help they need to stabilize again. What a blessing!

She isn’t exhibiting any oppositional behaviors and, although happy at the hospital, she was also happy to come home. I had a meeting this afternoon with her Family Child Team the therapy case manager set up. The state department that has approved us for respite/habilitation services (DDD) was there as well. It was great, because we all know it takes a village to raise a child…and those of us who have special needs children know that it takes a village with tons of money and services as well!

I’m hoping some of the changes we are making around here will help keep Jerilyn in a good place emotionally. I made a huge

ChooseHappiness — I just liked this picture!

schedule mimicking the schedule at the hospital (color coded even…I know…you’re impressed.) We also have a music corner for her now. She is pretty amazing on musical instruments lately…she will teach herself to play a short piece by ear and then transfer it between the piano, recorder, xylophone, drums, and her keyboard.

I’m also excited because although we got approved for services, I hadn’t found the right fit and I think I may have now. I got a call today from a woman who sounds like a good fit. Heck, she even came right out and said that she wanted to let me know that she was a Christian who often prayed with her clients. Amen, Sister! Things are looking up. The pendulum is on the rise once again.

My other girls left for Florida this last weekend to spend Spring Break with their father. It’s always hard to see them go, but I’m jealous that they will get to go to the beach this week. 🙂 Actually, I will get to go to Florida to pick them up next weekend…so maybe I’ll get a glimpse myself.

Let me close with just saying thank you so much for all the prayers this last week…I know that they made the difference. May God bless YOU for your faithfulness.

15
Mar
2012

Readmitted

categories: April

So, let’s just go over the last week. A week ago tonight Misty was still here on her visit. Seems like much longer than a week ago, but this is what the calendar actually tells me. A week ago we were sitting in the family room around midnight talking about how we should go to bed since we had to get up to leave for the airport at 5:00am. Then I hear a crash and my mom screaming at me to come in the other room. Daisy had sleepwalked out of bed and slipped on the tile, busting open her chin.

Instead of going to sleep, I end up taking her to the emergency room where she gets four stiches. By the time I get back home it is now close to 3:30am and I probably don’t actually make it to sleep until close to 4:00am. A whole hour of sleep before I am waking up again to take Misty to the airport and Ainsley to school, because of course, she had a field trip that day where they had to be at school by 5:30am. I swear….never a dull moment around here!

Later that afternoon Jerilyn goes missing. For those of you who know my daughter, I’m sure it is no shock that she was wandering around outside of the boundaries I had set for her. However, this time, there was no finding her. After over an hour of us looking she reappears. She won’t tell me where she was or what she was doing. Of course, we reemphasize why disappearing is dangerous and why it worries us.

I straight up told her that if someone had taken you…in an hour, you could be out of Phoenix. By the time, the cops would be called and they would start looking for you, you could be out of the state. “Doesn’t that scare you?” Her answer is “No.” Well, of course it is no, one of the more difficult things for autistic children to grasp is stranger danger.

Anyways, three days in a row of her disappearing for long stretches of time, and I start running out of ideas. If my eyes aren’t on her constantly, she can give me the slip. When I found her on Saturday I told her that I didn’t know what to do to keep her safe. I told her we may have to go back to the hospital. She immediately began begging me to take her in. Saying she had wanted to go for a few weeks.

Honestly, this is when I know that I know that Jerilyn has needs bigger than what she can handle on her own and what I can help her through. When your child WANTS to be an inpatient, you know that they are crying out for help. She came home, went straight upstairs, packed her bag and came down with a lightness in her step I hadn’t seen in a while.

I honestly still hadn’t come to terms with whether I was taking her in or not, I was trying to process it. It’s such an emotionally hard decision to make. Unfortunately, Daniel is in Florida right now and logistically it can also be difficult to have her in, because I want to be able to visit her but the other girls wouldn’t be able to come. A visit ends up taking 2 – 3 hours out of the day. Anyway…these are the thoughts going through my head.

Thankfully, my mom who was scheduled to go back to California on Sunday night offered to stay the next couple weeks, which would make it easier to manage. I decided to call the hospital. I was told there was a four-page waitlist…FOUR PAGES! There is really only one other hospital in town that can take in children, so on Sunday we made our way over there to go through the ER and see if there was a bed available.

After an ER doc heard what had been going on (BTW – her running off was not the only thing going on that would qualify her for admittance) he agreed that she needed to be admitted, but they didn’t give me the feeling they actually had space for her there. While waiting in the room, St. Luke’s Behavioral Health Hospital called me and told me that they were holding a bed for her. This was the hospital that Jerilyn was in last time and they are familiar with her history. They managed to figure out a way for her to jump the end of the four-page list to the top and secure a spot for her. Praise God!

So, a mere 10 hours after arriving at the first hospital that day, she was finally admitted. Yes…that’s sarcasm. 🙂 For now, she is happy to be there. They are going to readjust her meds and hopefully we will see an end to some of the behaviors that are putting her in danger. She will also get around-the-clock care and therapy, which I’m hoping help heal the broken pieces no one but God understands.

Keep us in your prayers. Bipolar is not a kind or gentle illness and I want the best quality of life for Jerilyn and our family.