Some discussions I usually like to avoid because I hate the triggers for fear. But I am triggered myself and sometimes it is good for us to get together to talk about things we fear and our reactions.
I have come on here today because a local mum here on the Goldcoast Australia has died at the hands of her son who was diagnosed with paranoid schizophrenia.
My son has paranoid schizophrenia so when I saw the sons photo in the news it was easy to see the struggles of his lovely mum. It is a fearful predicament that I have for myself that this could be me someday. It is not easy to let go of my unwell son, I would love to be able to let go and never have to deal with it.
I am fortunate that my son is being treated and we have amazing National Disability Support in Australia that my son is participating, I would have lost all hope if I didn’t have this. My son is stable but experiencing delusions daily. But I have stuff I try to manage at the moment with him but I know won’t be able to keep up and things will become a big problem soon or later. E.g. He wants to leave the country so he can get off his medication…… can you imagine it?
I have to say it’s always difficult and I am always having to think creatively around my son.
It would be great also if after getting stable, you take him to occupational therapy and read him stories and make him tell you stories so that his vocabulary will grow and he would feel more useful
Thank you all for pointing out about the medication not being right. I agree that his dose isn’t enough but the treating psychiatrist isn’t listening
I need to ask why he doesn’t adjust the dose
What happened was they removed a drug because it was depleting his testosterone, then we noticed delusions more. A second reduction in dose was when they found too much in his bloods. Altogether he has had two reduction in the medication treatment.
I can’t get a second opinion but I need to push the matter further.
I really appreciate you for taking the time to say something
That story hit me hard when u said the mom died at her sons hand.
I have a 23 yeae old son diagnosed with SZ who has been in jail for 2 months now because he theartened to kill me in my sleep. it wasnt the first time he has told me he is gonna kill me quite grafically. But this time i knew in my heart my son meant it.And that broke me completly. He refuses to stay med compiant. i have been struggling with his SMI serious mental health 9issues for 5 years. Those 5 years have been the worst times 9in my life watching him suffer begging the mental health system to help him, me screaming at the top of my lungs from the highest mountain top for them to hear me a cry for help for my son and finally the mental health system has heard me.Although my son is suffering in jail refusing treatment my only ONLY hope is the court orders TREATMENT for my son.
I have no idea what the future holds for him or me.wil i ever have a relationship with him again probably NOT. I AM ONE BROKEN MOM. I do not even know if i am gonna be ok. i see a thearpist but who cares it is my son i want back it is my son i CRY for it is my son who i want help for, it is my son who i want to be happy and have a future,i know i will never be ok till he is ok.And quite frankly my son myself and a million others have been failed by our Mental Health laws ,professionals. The Goverment has failed its mentally ill people. And they do not hear them us anyone. THAT HAS TO CHANGE.
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Hi Marci
I don’t know where to start to explain my empathy and understanding. I have a son with sz and resistant to medication. I have had my share of drama that is common to alot of us when our adult children have schizophrenia and not treated medically properly. I have heard many stories. I do understand very much so about not knowing where I will get the strength to continue and the question am I going to survive. Well I got there and I couldn’t see any light originally. I don’t have a lot of guidance for those living out of Australia where I am. Even though we have good medical access here, it was certainly a big challenge getting it and following through with the ongoing needs. I am proud of myself as I am the mother that not many mothers get to experienced the huge inner strength we have for our child. I understand the huge decision some mother’s have to make and that is to know when to let go because they have burnt out holding on and searching for options that don’t exist. There is one thing left and with our strength of love, we can get very resourceful in anyway we can to not only survive but to carry our children too. Survival is an amazing thing when you are holding your child’s head above water. Woman are amazing and you really see the warrior in woman that have a child with mental illness. I don’t know you but all of us here know exactly what you are going through. <3
Jacquie x
Hello @jaxy and @Marci1 , yes, any mother has fear if their child threatens them, but the love of a mother continues even when the disease takes over the mind of our children. Medicine is so hit and miss, and unfortunately mostly can’t be forced on the ill person. My daughter was taken by police and ended up in jail and then a psych ward after she stood in front of my bedroom door one night and yelled “everyone in this house should die!” So scary for me, as my gentle daughter would never have said something like that until this illness swallowed her. Thankfully the court DID order her to either be on medicine or stay in jail. When she chose to be medicated so she could get out of jail, that was the start of the beginning of the new her, and her new life. There is only so much that courts and the government can do for our loved ones. It is best if their parent/loved ones fight for them too by using the system, as slow as it is, learning how to use the system CAN get wins for us getting our loved ones on meds.
NAMI family-to-family classes helped me to learn how to use the system, as well as reading posts on this forum.
Thank you so very much for directing me on how to best help my son . And I will WILL use the system to help him and all who are struggling suffering with SMI. I took the MPSS classes but was disappointed with the info in those classes it was taught way to fast and I have been trying to take the Family to Family courses. I’m am connected to the ElDorado county President of NAMI Diane Rabinowitz. She too has been guiding me . Thank You for setting me in the direction I need to go.
Yes, the Family to Family Class was the best help for me. That and spending many hours on this site reading threads from others on their situations. I got many ideas which helped.
