http://www.generationnext.com.au/blog/?p=1012 Australia’s Leading Experts on Children & Teenagers in one Event Wed, 08 Sep 2010 23:20:12 +0000 hourly 1 http://wordpress.org/?v=3.0.1 http://www.generationnext.com.au/blog/?p=1012&cpage=1#comment-786 Robyn Tue, 23 Mar 2010 10:57:38 +0000 http://www.generationnext.com.au/blog/?p=1012#comment-786 Our son commenced cannabis at 14.5 years and now at 17.5 years he is suffering from acute pyschosis. He left our residence at 16 years old. To have him assessed we applied for a JEO Justification Examination Order with the local Magistrates Court. When the Court signed off on this order it was then sent to Child Youth Mental Health Services for their consideration. Thanks go to a local Doctor who spent the time and effort by writing to CYMHS advising them our son was suffering from a mental illness and a regular user of a variety of drugs. This supported our case. CYMHS visited our residence within 48 hours and assessed our son. Four Police officers and 3 CYMHS staff attended. Our son was classified as an involuntary patient and admitted to hospital in a secure ward for 4.5 weeks. Unfortunately after two weeks of being an outpatient he smoked hydroponic cannabis. The symptoms returned immediately and over a period of 3 days his behaviour deteriorated. CYMHS and police attended our residence after conversations over the telephone of his behaviour with his CYMHS caseworker. He was readmitted to hospital and currently is still an inpatient after 15 days. Unfortunately the mental illness causes loss of insight where he doesn't understand that if he continues illicit substance use and/or does not take medication he will not improve. He actually doesn't even believe he is ill. His prognosis is unknown at this stage. Our son commenced cannabis at 14.5 years and now at 17.5 years he is suffering from acute pyschosis. He left our residence at 16 years old. To have him assessed we applied for a JEO Justification Examination Order with the local Magistrates Court. When the Court signed off on this order it was then sent to Child Youth Mental Health Services for their consideration. Thanks go to a local Doctor who spent the time and effort by writing to CYMHS advising them our son was suffering from a mental illness and a regular user of a variety of drugs. This supported our case. CYMHS visited our residence within 48 hours and assessed our son. Four Police officers and 3 CYMHS staff attended. Our son was classified as an involuntary patient and admitted to hospital in a secure ward for 4.5 weeks. Unfortunately after two weeks of being an outpatient he smoked hydroponic cannabis. The symptoms returned immediately and over a period of 3 days his behaviour deteriorated. CYMHS and police attended our residence after conversations over the telephone of his behaviour with his CYMHS caseworker. He was readmitted to hospital and currently is still an inpatient after 15 days. Unfortunately the mental illness causes loss of insight where he doesn’t understand that if he continues illicit substance use and/or does not take medication he will not improve. He actually doesn’t even believe he is ill. His prognosis is unknown at this stage.

]]>