Just need help finding a diagnosis.

Lisa, first let me say how sorry I am for all the problems you and your son are going through.  If it is psychiatric, sometimes it does take time to figure it out in someone so young.  Unfortunately MRI's and CAT scans won't show anything if it is.

Back in 1995 my daughter starting showing the same symptons, she was 15 then.  It was referred to as onset schizophrena, and saddly she spent the better part of the year in the hospital.  It was so frustrating to sit by and not be able to do anything to take the pain away.  It took this long to find the right combo of meds to treat her, and to safely allow her to come home again.  Even on meds she still struggled with her everyday life and wasn't able to return to school.  We tried home schooling, but this was almost to much stress on her.  She would go through the house ripping things out of the closets and drawers to create things...trying her best to show us the monsters she was dealing with in her mind.

So many things for her to deal with and changing meds over and over.  We would go out to dinner once in awhile, then suddenly she'd start screaming and curl up in a ball and cry uncontrollably.  Have you ever tried to pick up and carry a 15 year old...it's not easy.  Then just as suddenly as it came on...about 3 years later it came to a stop.  It was like turning off a switch it was gone that fast.

I wanted to share this with you..because my daughter is now 30 and a mother of 2.  She has been sympton free for so long that we have let our guard down.

The answer is out there, don't give up trying to find it.  My family kept saying that she was faking this at first, that she only wanted attention.  Listen to your mothers hearts and search for answers...even if the answer is the hospital to find answers.  If it's schizophrenia...you will be catching it early and starting meds.  Saving your son and yourself alot of heartache in the years to come.

The brain is such a world unto itself with so many unanswered questions, just like our children.  Is there any mental health problems in your family?  Search back to aunts, uncles, cousins, grandparents.  If there is, start there and work yourself forwards.  Your answers may be waiting there for you to find.  Remember this was a taboo subject and wasn't talked about, so use your own expericences of being around these people.  It could have been anything but schizophrenia for one or some of them.

Please keep us informed.  Remember that I am a parent, but I am also Bipolar, and am in no way a doctor...just someone who wants to help maybe save you a few steps in finding the answers you are searching for....The best of luck to your son and to yourself.