I’ve posted here before. I think my last post was when my son beat me up and put me in the hospital. I’ll start from the beginning, he stated showing signs of mental illness at age 15. Never graduated high school. In and out of hospitals. I got involved with AOT, in my county. Ended up going to court, against AOT. The judge was shocked that nothing had been done to help my son, who by then, had a long history of hospitalizations. He called the residential facility in my county, within 2 weeks, my son was living there. He’s been there since March 2020. He likes it there and they like him. He’s taking medication, getting therapy, and (most importantly) is happy.
I cared for him for 6 -7 years through his mental struggles as this disease ravaged his brain. My house destroyed: holes in walls, windows broken, computers smashed, mirrors shattered, etc… but I never gave up.
Now, finally he is in a place where he is happy.
There is help, keep fighting to get your loved one help. Good luck
Great to have some good news! So glad your son is taking meds and is in a good place and that you have some space to heal. I believe I have a little ptsd from going through the MI will my son.
Oh definitely! PTSD is there. So hard to explain, but I know you can all understand. There is also the sense of loss that will never go away. A sense of sadness deep inside that will always be there. But my point for posting, was to tell everyone to continue to reach out to your county, the courts, your Out Patient Treatment program. See if your country has caseworkers who can be assigned to your loved one. Don’t give up! Good luck!
Wonderful news we all hope for and use…yes…never loose hope or give up. We get so worn out from the emotional toil …but never give up
Cher, So glad to hear a good outcome. I get the holes in walls, broken windows, dishes etc… I wish my son would be medication compliant. There is hope! BTW, what is AOT?
So happy for you and your son! Thanks for sharing.
Thanks Cher. Hope springs eternal and love always win. I feel your pain with many of the same high level facts. It’s an impossibly tough road. Good to hear that people are surviving the journey! Thanks again for sharing.
So glad for you and your son. I am still looking for that day to come for my son.
What is AOT? Is your son now an adult. He is in long term residential care?
AOT is Assisted Outpatient Treatment which is offered to people with mental illness. Check with your county to see if they have one. I’m in California.
So nice to hear. My son, was diagnosed at 19 and he just turned 25. I was on the forums off and on a lot (NAMI, therapy, etc) and my son is also doing much, much better. He is unmedicated, we tried and tried, but finally gave up and went another route. He had HEAVY negative symptoms (neglected teeth, hair, etc.) from depression, but all of that is coming back. He just started his own little business which has been great for learning new skills. Autonomy in small doses…
@luv_books, what was the other route that worked for your son and family?
Nothing planned or organized. His dad and I started working more closely with him (his dad and I can’t stand each other, so that’s been fun), staying extremely consistent, tons and tons of outdoor activity (he self-disciplines now and has learned where to go and what to do when he feels angry/upset). In fact, he walks me through my own episodes when I blow things out of proportion and feel stupid afterwards.
Boundaries. I can see it coming when a boundary has to go up and I start early. The slower the better, otherwise I comes off as controlling and lose all ground. And I do often, but we pick back up pretty quick. It’s like playing a constant chess game of keeping my sanity while making him feel important and valued.
It’s hard for me to see the change, because we’re together so much, but others do. I have to remember sometimes when he would “word salad” me and I would nod, pretending I understood- those days seem distant. We’ve tried very hard to keep the stress level low and with age, he is healing. But we never stop moving forward. Fall down, get back up. That’s pretty much it. The med struggle was harder for me, and him, but I have seen so many get better with them. It just didn’t work for us.
I’m curious also. Feel free to private message,if that’s possible.
My son is med compliant but it breaks our heart that none of the APs are helping with his symptoms. Besides, these meds have horrendous side effects. There are days when he says he doesn’t want to take the APs anymore. Are you able to share what worked for your son? Maybe some supplements? Thanks for sharing!
I only realised this year that I have ptsd from the last three years 
can I ask did you see anyone about this?
I just saw this. I saw a talk therapist and took sarcosine. I am a regular exercise person - mostly outdoors. My son is stable at the moment and I’m not quite as shell shocked. I took several months off of work to recover. I hope you are doing well.