My 38 year old son has schizo affective disorder. He has stopped taking his meds and is self medicating with alcohol and drugs. He is in constant mental torment as he sees people that are not there and hears things. The police visit the house where he rents a room frequently but they rarely take him to the hospital. When they do take him in he is usually released in a day or two and it starts all over again. His doctor won’t commit him and there aren’t any mental hospitals around anymore anyway so he keeps continuing to get worse. My heart is breaking for him. I feel so helpless. Thank you for listening.
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Kmcgu4332, I hear you…may son also had visual and auditory hallucinations. With medication he now only has auditory hallucinations.
He has been severely compromised from being in untreated psychosis so often when stopping his meds. He also used alcohol and drugs in the beginning and still smokes weed and really believes it has no effect on him. I have felt hopeless many times and for many years I found being involved with advocacy helped with the hopelessness and seeing changes take place with advocacy was great.
Advocacy is not as helpful for me anymore because I don’t really have the personality for dealing with politics and found it too stressful so now I will put my time into non political advocacy.
Are you involved with a peer support group in your area? You are not alone, there are many of us out there having to fight the good fight.
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I am so sorry @kmcgu4332 but am glad you posted here. There are many good people on this site trying their best to help fight this horrible illness in their loved one. It IS heartbreaking. Feel free to browse and read as many stories as you can. From them you might find a solution that will work for your son. Never give up hope. Be kind to yourself.
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Hello I understand how you feel. My 38 yr old son quit taking his meds over a year ago . He’s currently in jail for trying to fight a cop. I’m afraid he’s getting worse there. He doesn’t call or write. I’ve written several times . I feel if he was on meds I’d hear from him. I feel helpless .
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I have been where you are @JenJen and I want to offer some kind of hope. My daughter was psychotic for 2.75 years: wouldn’t stay on medication, in and out of hospitals, jailed twice. However, an arrest, an understanding judge, and a 5th hospitalization where the doctor had his nurse contact me about which medicines worked in the past, led to her being successfully medicated for 1 yr and 2 months now. Schizophrenia is the hardest battle I have ever had to help fight. It wore me down terribly. Try to have hope, forgive yourself if you feel like you are failing, eat well, sleep when you can and come here to vent and find support.
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Hello. 7 years after diagnosis, My son was jailed and it was the best thing (?) that happend to all of us. He got off the streets, he got off drugs and they did give him meds while incarcerated to treat his schizophrenia. He’s now in a residential hospital program for one year. After this, hopefully on to another supervised program. Thankful one day at a time. I just feel it a miracle that he was saved from the street, street drugs and alcohol. He still suffers from audio and visual hallucinations. After years of reading I’m not sure he will ever be completely free of these. Today, he’s safe, clean and fed. Today, I’m hopeful and that is along way from where we’ve been. Everyday, I tell myself, don’t give up hope.Thanks for your story…
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I am so very glad to hear that things are looking up for your son and you. This mental illness, hallucinations and delusions, turn everything upside-down. What used to be my worst fear (police involvement) turned into our road out of terror and confusion. Who would have thought I would one day feel great about my daughter being jailed. I do hope that your path continues in an upward trend.
December will mark 2 years without psychosis for my daughter. Four years ago I thought there was no answer. Hopelessness turned into hope. I hope that all who are suffering find some resolution and a new normal.
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