Published on 12, July, 2020
Hi, I have just joined this community and feel that it is something that I should have done some time ago. It is difficult to parent a child with special needs and the added support is invaluable. My son is 20 and has had additional help at school since pre-school. Unfortunately no-one ever advised me to investigate further or where to turn to for extra help, hence the fact that he has only just received a diagnosis. He did really well at secondary school and had extra support from the SENCO and his head of year, he has passed his automatic driving test and got himself a part-time job at a supermarket and is planning on going to university this year.
We went to the GP last year and he has been prescribed Fluoxetine for anxiety which has helped, but his biggest problem at the moment is racing thoughts at night. Whatever we try does not help and the usual things such as meditation, sleep apps etc., don't help him.
Has anyone experienced this and have any recommendations please? He is struggling to sleep and is permanently exhausted at the moment which is compacting other problems.
Thanks in advance
Debbie
Fluoxetine may be causing the insomnia, I am saying this from my own experience as an individual with both autism and ADHD.
When I was on it, it slowed and disrupted my ability to process information which resulted in slowed down cognitive ability, brain fogginess and stuck processing the same information which would keep me up at night. I’ve tried most anti depressants and mood stabilisers and anxiety medication and they made me worse, some worked for a short period but I eventually became tolerant of the highest dose possible.