I haven’t been here in a while. My son was on a monthly injection for almost 2 years. He was living with us, working and doing pretty well for the most part. He moved out and was doing ok for a while but in December he went off his shot and psychosis crept back in. After much convincing I got him to go back on it and found him a place to stay for a month while he stabilized. After we got him in the place he refused his next shot and blocked me and his dad from contacting him. This after we payed almost $2k on him. He just left the place we got for him after the month ended and was told he left it completely trashed. We are now on the hook for cleaning expenses, understandably. Now he is homeless. He showed up yesterday at his grandmother’s house after walking miles. When she didn’t answer he just laid down and went to sleep in the common area of her neighborhood. We had to cops tell him he had to leave before any neighbors complained. I don’t know where he went after that. He absolutely cannot come back to our home mainly because this younger brother was and still is so traumatized by this happening to our family he is now in therapy. So here we are trying to live with the fact that our son is living on the streets alone, cold, hungry, and completely out of his mind. He refuses to go to a shelter. If he was our only child we would be more inclined to bring him home and deal with him but we cannot risk it with our younger son. We’ve already lost one, we can’t lose the other. I’m not sure how we can ever be okay like this.
I’m so sorry you have to deal with this. We have been thru very similar situation- except my son has threatened to kill me. We don’t know if he’s still in his apartment - we’ve had to go “off the grid” so he can’t find us. It’s heartbreaking but after many phone calls to police, psych hospital, and agencies we discovered no one can do anything- until he hurts someone. The mental health system is so broken and I dont have any fight left in me to try and affect change.
God Bless you…,
You are doing what needs to be done to protect your younger son.
This is very hard and I hope you and your husband are getting some therapy as well as your other child. I have four children the younger girl and the younger boy both have schizoaffective disorder the younger boy is stable on his meds living with my husband and I, the younger girl was on medicine but has gone off her meds and refuses treatment . We have little contact with her and dread the day the police officers show up at our door . She was a productive individual a good nurse a positive force , but now she is paranoid, and it is scary being around her . We have no recourse we tried involuntary commitment but they kept her less than 24 hours and so she is so angry with everyone who was trying to help her I will send prayers for your son because at this point only God may help sincere and heartfelt hugs to your family this is so devistating in so many ways
Sorry that you are going thru an impossible situation. My 27 year old son has been off meds almost 3 years, has spent most of last 2 years in jail on 3 different charges and has finally been admitted to State hospital. I am hopeful that he can be stabilized, gain insight and have a better life. It’s unfortunate that we don’t have a better system to treat people like our children. Letting people live in psychosis and the chaos that comes with it because they don’t want to take meds is unreal. I don’t have a solution. I just do what I can and let the rest go - a hard “pill” to swallow but had to let go some in order to maintain my own sanity, But still fighting for my son, always. The reality of not being in control is very evident when dealing with SMI person. We can only do what we can do. Wishing the best for you and your family.
Thank you bringing the absurdity of allowing our SMI people who don’t even know there ill or what they’re doing half the time can refuse treatments. My son has been off his meds for almost a year now. He had an apartment for 20 years and subsequently lost it due to his unconscious behaviors, naked outside, yelling, frightening people, banging on doors all night, and escalating to him harming 4 people and a police officer. He’d been in and out of the hospital refusing treatment and was in jail refusing everything.he’s paranoid and delusional. He was discharged from the hospital Monday and called me to get him applications for housing. I told him subsidized housing list are long and he needed a plan while waiting. I don’t know where he is. Hoping he went back to the hospital for help. I was his caregiver and driver when he was well because he has one leg and uses a wheelchair. It’s so frustrating t not being able to get help because he keeps refusing. I am working on letting go but it’s so hard. When he’s medicated he’s fine and can take care of himself. May all be well with you and your loved ones.
I am so sorry, this must be so hard for you.