Preparing for the Worst - Hoping for the Best

Preparing for the Worst – Hoping for the Best

Our family spent the last few days anxiously watching weather reports, buying hurricane supplies and boarding up our home. Open house for our youngest was cancelled and so was the very first day of school. Tropical storm Fay hit landfall on the western coast of Florida. It stayed mostly south of us giving us nasty but not dangerous weather. While reflecting on the last several days, I couldn’t help but think of our kids with special needs. We are always preparing for the worst while hoping for the best. We are always wondering when the next storm will arrive and if the skies are blue, we wonder if it will last. We worry about the rogue twister that may spin off of bad times. Just like a tropical storm or hurricane there are ways to prepare when we see the storm clouds swirling.

1. Being ready: Preparation is vital. For hurricanes that means having supplies on hand like batteries, flashlights, food and water. For helping kids with bipolar disorder it means having those regular doctor and therapy visits even during the calm. Making smaller adjustments when needed can be much better than waiting until things are full blown.

2. Prioritizing: When the storm clouds start looking ominous, it can’t be business as usual. Here in Florida when a severe storm threatens, many work places and schools close so that families can prepare. For parents of children with special needs this means that when we see signs of an impending storm, we may have to change the schedule and prepare. The difference is that in our case this may actually avert a storm. Reduce stress, check in with the doctor, and reevaluate to see if any outside influences are having a negative effect (new med, added pressure, family situation). We can’t keep going about our business as if nothing has changed or the storm will catch us by surprise.

3. Protecting the home front Here in Florida we sometimes have to board up our windows for protection or place bags of sand to keep water out of flood areas. If we see an impending mood storm close on the horizon, we may need to “shore up” our home. It may be time for siblings to get a break at grandma’s house and it is absolutely time to review your crisis plan. Has the doctor given you steps to follow in a crisis? Do you know what appropriate psychiatric facilities are in your community? Is there an emergency PRN medication that the doctor has recommended using?

4. Riding out the storm: Sometimes no matter how prepared you are or what you do, the storm is going to come. Riding it out safely is important. In the case of a hurricane you have to know when to stay or when to evacuate. For our children we have to know what we can handle at home and when to go to the hospital. Sometimes it’s just not advisable to ride things out at home. If the mood swing is too severe and the well being of your child or other family member’s is threatened then it’s time to head to the hospital.

5. Learning from past experience: History tends to repeat itself. If we are doing the same things and getting the same outcomes perhaps it’s time to shake things up a bit. While we can’t run from the storms in life, we don’t have to live in a flood zone either. After hurricane Charley our family did things to make our home safe. Sometimes we have to take measures that change the atmosphere of our children’s lives. This may mean a different school, a different doctor, a different medication, or a different community with better services.

Please feel free to share your “mood storm” preparation tips in the comments!

Wishing you all sunny skies today,
Tracy