Sunday, August 14, 2011

Art and Therapy



Just thought I'd post a painting I did a while back. It wouldn't all fit on my scanner so I scanned it half at a time and then stitched it together. Not the best stitch job in the world, I'm thinking about redoing it. The plan is to open a shop on Zazzle, I thought that might be a neat idea. Easier for me than Etsy, I think. I've got a few other paintings I've done plus I can use cropped parts of this one to make different designs.

We've been having a pretty hard time with my daughter (19) lately, she's had periods of what I call "hissy fits" (emotional outbursts, lashing out at the family, etc) that have been becoming more frequent and intense the last few months. It's gotten to the point that she has been in a therapeutic day program for the past week and will stay there for another week or so. The people who run the program have suggested putting her on medication, but I'm feeling like this is a very bad idea. My son is on a similar medication (atypical antipsychotics, prescribed for "mood disorders") and has had some very unpleasant and worrying side effects. He even said to her, "don't do it, do you want to end up like me?" The people running the program keep encouraging me to give it a try, but I feel like we tried it with my son and it didn't turn out well. It's like, I let him down I don't want to do the same with her, you know? She's a sweet lovely girl when she's not having a meltdown, and one of the things that happened with my son is his personality sort of "flattened", if that makes sense. I don't want to lose her to the drugs too.

UPDATE: Got my Zazzle store set up last night, I've put a link to it in the sidebar if anyone would like to check it out. DD seems to be doing better and is finishing her program today.

8 comments:

Small Town Mommy said...

Your painting is beautiful. I am so sorry your daughter is going through such a tough time. I hope everything gets better soon.

Ruth said...

Thanks. She wants to go to NY for her birthday next month but the way things are going I don't know if we can. I'd hate to disappoint her but at the same time I don't want her having a meltdown while we're away from home.

Brenda said...

I really like your Zazzle store! I've never heard of Zazzle before, I'll have to look at it some more(I also sell on Etsy). I'm sorry about your daughter. I have a friend that's going through a day program too, so I know how hard it can be on a family.

Classic NYer said...

That's a lovely painting, stitch job or not.

Petronela said...

I agree with your entirely reasonable and healthy thought that medication at a very young age is not the best choice for these kind of...problems. Maybe we are supposed to be depressed, angry, confused for a reason. But again..I am not a mother, and a mother knows what;s best for her child. Kisses Ruth.

Rick (Ratty) said...

I like your painting a lot. It looks like colorful birds to me. I hope everything works out well for your daughter no matter what you decide.

Catch My Words said...

Just because the drug didn't work for your son doesn't mean it won't work for your daughter. Everybody is different. Besides, once you put her on it, if it doesn't work, can't you just take her off. Would it hurt to try?

Joyce
http://joycelansky.blogspot.com/

OLLIE MCKAY'S ~ A Chic Boutique said...

Wow ~ I really LOVE this painting!! Hope you framed it and hung it up or sold it??!!