Thursday, September 08, 2005
Jon here, with an update.
Really not much to report. Kyle is still living on his own. He's still not working, although he is making as much of an effort to apply for jobs as he can. He was over to the house about 2 weeks ago, and I pulled up a website for him to apply for a job. I know he wanted this job, it was customer service for a major cable TV and internet provider. I got him started, then left him alone. He COULD NOT do that application. He just couldn't do it. It wasn't possible for him. I don't say this in a negative way, he just couldn't do it. I ended up doing the app myself for him. Maybe that's why he never got called...
His girlfriend is paying his rent. I keep hoping she'll get tired of him and leave him. That means he'll move back, but that I wouldn't mind right now.
Karen called me to the computer last night to read a web page. She said "this is Kyle exactly". It was about Borderline Personality Disorder (BPD). It fit me exactly, also, but that's another subject. As we've blogged in the past, Kyle never had the same diagnosis twice in a row. Everyone he ever went to (and there were plenty) always gave a different diagnosis. He's so incredibly smart, he told them what they wanted to hear. Well, that's BPD exactly. Bad or damaging relationships, seperation anxiety, risky behavior - it all fits. You can also have BPD in association with Bipolar Disorder, or other ailments.
Unfortunately, it's not really treatable. Counseling and therapy are the only things known to help. Drugs can be prescribed to treat certain symptoms, but nothing is known to keep it under control. I know I'm taking Cymbalta right now, and while it helps with certain things, most of my BPD symptoms (if I do have it) aren't affected.
Any readers have any insight on BPD?
On the positive side, Kyle is wonderful, as always, to have around. His cell phone was turned off a few weeks ago for non-payment. He was frantic as he was job hunting. Karen rented a carpet cleaner, and brought him over to clean our carpets. NOBODY cleans like Kyle. He was at it all night long, for about 12 straight hours. What a job he did! In payment, Mom paid his phone bill, and now she can contact him again. Significant stress lifted from BOTH of them.
I'd like to have more to report, but with Kyle, no news is the best news, in most cases.
The rest of the family is great, the oldest boy graduates from college in May, the youngest boy is a senior in high school and has been accepted to one of the best trade schools in the region. The girls are doing great in grade school, and Karen and I are as happy as we've ever been. We're still broke, probably always will be, but as Karen says to me from time to time, "It's been a hell of a ride!" And she's right - I wouldn't trade our life for all the money in the world.
Really not much to report. Kyle is still living on his own. He's still not working, although he is making as much of an effort to apply for jobs as he can. He was over to the house about 2 weeks ago, and I pulled up a website for him to apply for a job. I know he wanted this job, it was customer service for a major cable TV and internet provider. I got him started, then left him alone. He COULD NOT do that application. He just couldn't do it. It wasn't possible for him. I don't say this in a negative way, he just couldn't do it. I ended up doing the app myself for him. Maybe that's why he never got called...
His girlfriend is paying his rent. I keep hoping she'll get tired of him and leave him. That means he'll move back, but that I wouldn't mind right now.
Karen called me to the computer last night to read a web page. She said "this is Kyle exactly". It was about Borderline Personality Disorder (BPD). It fit me exactly, also, but that's another subject. As we've blogged in the past, Kyle never had the same diagnosis twice in a row. Everyone he ever went to (and there were plenty) always gave a different diagnosis. He's so incredibly smart, he told them what they wanted to hear. Well, that's BPD exactly. Bad or damaging relationships, seperation anxiety, risky behavior - it all fits. You can also have BPD in association with Bipolar Disorder, or other ailments.
Unfortunately, it's not really treatable. Counseling and therapy are the only things known to help. Drugs can be prescribed to treat certain symptoms, but nothing is known to keep it under control. I know I'm taking Cymbalta right now, and while it helps with certain things, most of my BPD symptoms (if I do have it) aren't affected.
Any readers have any insight on BPD?
On the positive side, Kyle is wonderful, as always, to have around. His cell phone was turned off a few weeks ago for non-payment. He was frantic as he was job hunting. Karen rented a carpet cleaner, and brought him over to clean our carpets. NOBODY cleans like Kyle. He was at it all night long, for about 12 straight hours. What a job he did! In payment, Mom paid his phone bill, and now she can contact him again. Significant stress lifted from BOTH of them.
I'd like to have more to report, but with Kyle, no news is the best news, in most cases.
The rest of the family is great, the oldest boy graduates from college in May, the youngest boy is a senior in high school and has been accepted to one of the best trade schools in the region. The girls are doing great in grade school, and Karen and I are as happy as we've ever been. We're still broke, probably always will be, but as Karen says to me from time to time, "It's been a hell of a ride!" And she's right - I wouldn't trade our life for all the money in the world.
