I’m just a month short of being 23 years older than my son, and I plan to live a really long time for the same reasons.
Our bedroom is upstairs & his is downstairs. When he’s really ill he likes to sleep up there. This past Saturday, I had to lay there and hold his hand - and promise I wouldn’t let go while he was sleeping. Anything to get him to sleep at that point, but it only lasted about 4 hours - which meant I slept less than that.
Very similar to us. My son when he’s in that mode wants me to hug him and he deliberately takes my hand and holds it when my arm is around his back. I don’t know if it’s right or wrong but how can we watch them scared like that and ignore it. Hang in there slw , thinking of you.
What was his personality like before? Did he have friends he did things with? When my son was on the injection, he also took oral abilify which seemed to make him more sociable and outgoing, more like his normal self pre-diagnosis.
I was planning to post a separate subject asking parents to share ideas on how to make sure our children stay safe and financially secure after we, their parents and often their only caretakers, are gone.
I will still post this question once i get my other priorities sorted out.
My son as a child was happy, social , popular and had friends. From mid teens he sort of detached , finding faults, problems with friends. He dropped out most social events. He got his degree from university in 2014 but wouldn’t attend the gradation ceremony. We never got to see him graduate. He just didn’t want or, I thought at time it was stran but thought maybe he was just stressed and relieved the hard work was over (think that was a contributing factor) his last year was very stressful.
He has no life by himself now that’s why I try to do stuff with him if I can every day.
It’s one of the primary symptoms. It’s called avolition, which means ‘absence of wanting’ (to do anything). It’s because the dopamine reward system is not working very well. This is what derails their lives even when they are not psychotic. My son is better since he has been on Abilify injections. He studies a bit and tries to do more things. The other thing that can help is the sarcosine that is advertised on this website. There is a thread about it on the Diagnosed board. It works really well for some people. Less well for others. But they say you need to keep it up for six months to start getting the full benefit.
I think you are wise to restate the rules. I was thinking today how I am reluctant to correct and I need to more. Honestly, I guess I’m afraid a little.
Excellent news! Congrats!
Thank you so much!!! 