It has taken 7 years but my son has achieved some success in finding a balance in his life. He is compliant with his medication which is a hurdle we overcame. Although the weight gain is uncontrollable he has leveled out. The voices are still there but not a threat to him as they were. He is involved with a CBT therapist helping him with these remaining symptoms. In January he is moving into a bridge housing facility with others dealing with mental health issues. There he will learn skills to eventually live independently. We can only hope he keeps on his medication. This is the key.
Happy New Year and better times in 2022 with our loved ones.
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Hopefully where he is going with monitor his meds.
This instilled some much needed hope. Do you mind me asking how old your son is? And what some of the milestones looked like over the last 7 years in getting him to this point?
My brother is currently ambivalent about medication and therapy. He would do well in a supportive housing environment but I don’t know how he could get to accepting that level of help.
My son is 28. He has had 3 hospitalizations, the last one about 2 years ago. My feeling is he wants to stay compliant with his meds as he doesn’t want to end up on the streets, terrified of voices, paranoid, scared of lights and cops who are really not following him. He has been on several medications which he has stopped using on his own accord and therefore relapsing.Now that he has found one he is comfortable on, he is willing to try the CBT therapy and we have a therapist through our local mental health system who has been marvellous with him and instrumental in getting a placement in a group home. At this point he is like any other 28 year old who wants his own place on the way to becoming independent. Some of the other support people have not been good at all. My suggestion is to keep looking for the medications that work and social workers who are sincere. It takes time, persistence and patience. Listening to my son’s experiences has helped him be an active participant in his coping and recovery. My next fear is when he moves to a group home will he experience anxiety that overwhelms him and puts him on a road to relapse. One step at a time.
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It seems like he is willing to work on his recovery and definitely it helps to have a therapist that he likes and who really puts all effort to listen and validates his concerns. I’m glad for you and everyone’s concerned. One day at a time!