u/when-will-it-stop

Im wanting to change the name of my boy, he was named under different circumstances and now that he is fully mine; i am thinking of renaming!

For context, before becoming an RBT, I was a RDA. Given my clinical judgment, I believe oral hygiene is one of the top discoveries to report.

Why are we directed to report any bruising or scrapes but when it comes to bottle rot, maxillofacial deformations, visible cavities and tartar build up; we are questioning the legitimacy of the neglect?

Oral health is tied directly to life expectancy. Poor oral health can lead to ear infections, tmj, non toleration of certain foods (hot/cold, hard foods).

Especially when I see it happening to a client that is non verbal. They cannot always communicate what they are feeling. We are supposed to be their biggest advocate but the two ABA companies (1 being corporate and the other being a private)- I have been told it is not something for us to “worry about”.

The first time I can across this epiphany was at my previous corporate ran company. I typed up a mandated report and too it to leadership for a meeting. I was told that “we need to assume the parents have their best interest”. And at my new private ran company, I was told “to let leadership handle reports”.

We as RBTS are MANDATED to make a report within 24-48 hours if I am not mistaken. Now I understand the slippery slope of not knowing what will happen to the child after submitting a report, maybe they will get pulled from ABA, maybe CPS gets involved, etc. I completely understand the what if’s? But here we are talking about a client’s health and how it not only impacts their future- but CURRENT learning process.

Please someone give me some insight- I know bruises and discovery reports are done, but why can we not report rotting teeth that can lead to sepsis ??

So I have exhausted my options and my last resort is to self taper.

Here is what I have done so far:
5 days ago I went into withdrawal. I was able to dose 1mg of a script Xanax. I am used to 2mg daily of pressed farmas. Every day since, I have been okay with an abrupt 1mg cut. Back on 1mg pressed pills until today. I was able to get 8 script .5mg kpins, and farmas from mex. 30 ct.

Today I dosed 1mg of kpin. Feel tolerable. This whole process is shit, but better than missing a dose.

I plan to use the pressed pills til extinction, and then the kpins to lower down the specific dose. (Break in halves, fourths).

Is there any other recommendations or advice on how I can taper with what I got? In the best way possible. I currently work full time and cannot do a horrible rapid taper, but also will be more susceptible to relapsing if I take too long of a taper.

TIA!

(EDIT) My psychiatrist blacklisted me and now I am on my own to taper. Detox is not plausible for my circumstances..

I am used to taking 2mg of pressed Xanax ( I know ) daily for the past 3 years recreationally. Mainly to help me knock out and stay asleep. Sometimes if I have a rough day at work, I would rely on the euphoria to help me regulate my own nervous system. I genuinely never had a day without a dose and last night was the first night I had zero funds, and zero pills. I crashed HARD. My brain already knew what was coming, as I was extremely emotional through my work day. I just started my new company as a registered behavior technician and I work with children diagnosed with autism. I genuinely cannot afford to go to detox and lose my new job and I do not want to taint my image with this new company. I am scared because I have gone cold turkey and know what this hell is like. I feel it will be worse this time because I am anticipating it. It took me less than 24hrs after a spiked dose (2.5mg) to crash and obtain symptoms of Suicidal Ideation, Benzo belly, Akathisia, disassociation.

I was able to dose 1mg of PRESCRIBED Xanax to which I ended up throwing up, but immediately felt some placebo relief as well as immediate physical relief. I still feel like shit, because of the cut. But it did save my life last night. I would have ended up admitting myself into the hospital for help, knowing they can’t necessarily dose me / help me long term. I am seeing my psychiatrist tomorrow morning about this. Well, his assistant. He is the first and only doctor to really see my baseline as he was my psychiatrist in the adolescence ward years ago. It has been years since I have seen him. I plan on a urine analysis to see if the pressed pills have made me dependent on any other substances that I would need to treat for as well. I plan on talking about a long taper- one that I will not go into extreme withdrawal over hence me still needing to work. I find my job difficult, especially going through my own crisis. I am afraid of gabapentin dependency if I am put on it. I really want to advocate for myself and ask for an extended release benzo to taper from since I was not taking prescription benzos to begin with. I may need some zofr** to help aid in my eating, I have zero appetite and now it is hard to actually chew on food. My appetite faded long before I went into withdrawal. I have tried traz to help with sleep years ago and it never worked out.
I guess cheers to my new chapter starting tomorrow.

I have enough to get me through tonight, I dose again in some hours, but I am wondering if I need to dose accurately to my tolerance, or continue to the 1mg cut.