Compulsive stealing and Lying with my troulbed teen
I am a mother of 4 boys, my eldest is 16 he was diagnosed with ADD at the age of 4 after bad behavior in Pre-school.
He was put on dexamphetamine for his behavior until they had no affected after a few years on them, then switched to Ritalin, which had some good affects until he became withdrawn and depressed, he showed no signs of personality.
I took him back to his pediatrician, he suggested putting my son on an antidepressant which I declined, after being on antidrepressant myself I didnt want that for my child. I took him off all medication and tried the diets for ADD children and a natural medication, which help him get back his personality but! He is now become a compulsive stealer and lier, he has ran away from home now more than 3 times (when he can't get his own way or has done something he doesnt want to face up to) sometimes he is gone up to 6 weeks.
One of the times police called to say they had him at the station because they had caught him stealing at the local plaza, they found him in an abandoned house where there was needles and alcohol bottles everywhere.
And that one of the older guys that were staying in this abandoned house had Hepatitis C and was HIV positive, I was so scared for my son and took him to the doctor and checked for everything, lucky he was save from drug use and disease.
This isnt the 1st time my son has been faced by the police for stealing, he has been cautioned more than 3 times. He has no remorse, while he was on the streets he would break into our home during the night and steal money and items he wanted such as phones and smokes and his brothers motor bike while we were sleeping.
He is back now and he is living in our lock-up garage, this he asked to do I excepted as it had to be better than living on the streets and also he doest have access to our home to steal from us.
Although I just recently discovered that he had been coming in again through our toilet window and going through our things I guess trying to find money, which I take in my locked bedroom now.
He had an apprenitship but after 2 months started stealing small amounts of money so they put him off for mis conduct. My neigbours motor bike was stolen and my son said he knew nothing, then my neighbor seen a boy on it and asked him where he got it, he had a receipt with my sons name on it.
Now my other neighbor has a sub (for the stereo) missing out of the back of his car and he said that it was the only thing taken and that whoever took it knew it was there, my son knew it was there. He also said he knows nothing about it, we are yet to find out about that one.
Then today I checked my bank account and there is money taken from there Cash withdrawn and a transaction at a fast food place. I asked him did he have my savings card he said he didnt take it, after yelling and auguring about it he agreed that he had taken it, and that it was in his wallet and that his wallet got stolen from him today.
I have tried everything, I have tried the positive parenting which is hard I must say when there isnt a day that he doesnt do something, couseling, scare tactics such as police talks.
I dont believe this is a behavioral problem I think it is a mental problem.
Most of which I have spoken about has been all in the last 3 months and all this has put a huge strain on all the family and pressure has built up to the point that my husband hit our son like a man, and that didnt stop him either, I am scared for his life , if he dont stop this he will be hit by someone who wont stop and he will be killed as he pushers and pushers. Please can anyone tell me how to deal with this and if there is somewhere I can go for help PLEASE I am desprerate?I feel like I am losing my mind!!
