Hi:
A little backstory: My mom has been suffering from Psychosis for the past 23 years of my life (I’m 23) and now that I’m older, I was finally able to help my father get her help. Unfortunately, the county that I live in, and the state that I live in is just trash with mental health, and the way to get her help was so traumatizing. After she was hospitalized for a week (her first time being away from any of us, or being alone), she was finally taking meds - zoloft and risperidone.
However, she stopped taking them about 2 weeks ago (so she was on them for 5 months). Throughout that time, I really repaired my relationship with her, and she trusts me a lot more. She has tremendously improved. A few examples:
- I call her and she doesn’t pick up. In the past - “Who did this to my phone? I always pick up” (even though she never did). Now - “Oh. Maybe it was on do not disturb mode?”
- We go shopping anywhere, and she never ever says that someone is following us, or anything like that
- Just other things. She’s doing so much better.
A few things I don’t think I’ll ever be able to help her with:
- She thinks all of her family is here hiding from her. All of them are still in India, and we are the only people here.
- She thinks she’s been working the past 20 years and someone took her money. She has never worked a day in her life. She has a masters’ in history and just never got to use it.
I guess what I need help with:
I’m moving in two months across the country. I need my mom to open a checking account. I don’t think I’ll ever get her to do that - because that results in the question of “well where is the money going to come from? your dad? how does he get his money? his job? he doesn’t have a job. I have a job. and I still don’t know where that money is.”
Do I just give her a debit card with my name on it, and tell her she has x amount to spend a week? Any advice from any children who are taking care of their parents?