My son had is worse melt down yet. He threatened to kill himself an me numerous times. He said he had 6 voices in his head an ea was telling him a different way to kill me. I threatened to call the police but did not bec they would b rough w/ him, admit him to a mental hospital etc.He had run all his friends off by mking them angry w/ him. He hates when I ask if he has taken his meds but i ask anyway. He said he took one at 9a,2#12n,2@3p an a sinus pill. Then his sister an niece came an he was able to function ok but when they left he started again w his threats. He had thrown his new phone an broken it. He wanted me to replace it but I just bought it. He took the sim card out an put in his old phone an it worked. Next day when he is calmed he expressed his sorries.I told him that if he ever hit me he could not live here etc an he said āwell, I didnāt hit uā just trying to get thru ea day.Prayers needed
Prayers sent for you and your son, really want you to be safe.
@mem Yes, agreeā¦want you and everyone on here to be safe! Only because I have learned from others in my professional and semi-professional support team, I have to ask: What would be so bad about going to a mental hospital? Especially if there are expressed thoughts of harm to himself and to you (or anyone). I know that a mental hospital often does not solve the problem, but it can be a start. It took multiple times, but eventually got our son into a treatment program. I could not have done that on my own. Even going to jail, as tough as it is, can be the bottom of the barrel which eventually results in the person getting needed help. I have personally talked with two persons with SZ who are doing well now and told me that they had to hit bottom before they realized the help they needed. Both were girls, interestingly enough. A 3rd situation I know about is from the manās mom. If medication is not working well, can you report that back to the doctor (even if doctor canāt give you information due to HIPAA)?
My son is going to another concert this evening, this time with TWO of my co-workers, as well as the college age daughter of one of them. So grateful for good people!
Son is moving to transition house today. He was 19 days in the hospital. Now has had the first two invega shots. I am thankful! It has been a rough three weeks for me.
I imagine the first hospitalization is always the worst, but hopefully this will be the last one for you all. If not, itāll get easier. We learn to detach.
Weāve had 4 long hospitalizations so far. Iād like to think weāre done. Hereās hoping.
Is the transition house close by? Will he be on 156 mg for a while?
Yes it was rough. The threat of sending him to Denver or farther to State hospitals was a real wake up call. All he has is a traffic ticket but because he didnāt show it turned into a real mess.
Anyway, the transition house is 2 houses away from the hospital. 10 minutes from my home. It is closer to town so he can walk to parks and stores for food. They will walk him over some time this afternoon. I told him stay with the program and stay out of jail so I hope and pray that this will work. The first shot was 234 mg, then the second (a week later) was 156 mg and the doc said the next one will be 117mg. I was so thankful to know what he was talking about (from learning here). He has a little āslowingā for now but the doc said that should decrease in a week or so. He told one volunteer at the hospital that he had a good experience in the hospital. Iām sure he doesnāt want to go back, however.
I understand what you mean about the detaching. You have to. Iām not at that point. My son really doesnāt want us around but heāll have to start communicating with me as after that transition house he will likely come back to stay with me. Did you son talk to you while he was in the hospital?
@vallspdn and @Diane R. It is very good news you both share about your sons. Rey happy for you both. May these positive steps continue for you, and for us all.
Thank you! My son called me to pick up the food he had brought from the hospital (they canāt keep it) and I got a glimpse inside this House. They have a very nice kitchen with a long table where they share meals. He will have a roommate. And he seemed like his old self. He was reading the rules but actually interacted with me nicely. I pray it lasts.
We havenāt Skyped since February. He wonāt respond to email or US Mail. I sent him a birthday gift. A mutual friend said he has posted his passport photo on FB and says he is going to Havana. I am concerned that he is going there away from his supports. He knows I feel this way. I suspect that may have something to do with this sudden shut down of communication.Going to NAMI tonight to a support group. Feeling a lot of loss.
I am sorry to hear this. I bet the nami group will help you tonight. Is your loved one a friend or a relative if I can ask?
This is all such good news- detachment is hard. It was so hard for me to realize that being around his dad and I made it so we couldnāt help him as much since we became the focus of the paranoia and delusions.
Really hoping yours becomes one of those wonderfully successful stories on this forum.
Hope
Thank you! I sure hope so but there are so many many variables. Next we have to get him to have the competency eval for court. And he has to follow the rules at the Transition House to stay there. Fingers crossed.
Hi, I had a worrisome day with my 23 year old sz son today! He is very paranoid because a shooting incident happened in our suburban town. He is now afraid to go out and has a dog and is nervous to take it out to the bathroom. I was at his apartment a lot of the day to help him and walk his dog, and had to leave to go back to my home. I told him to call me later when he has to go out with his dog. I hope he can manage this, the dog helps him so much with his anxiety and lonliness. I already help him so much with his dog, and canāt take any more dog reponsibilities. Just when I thought we were doing better! Any thoughts!
Hi Diane. Sorry for the delay in response.
Even if you know your son doesnāt want to go back to the hospital (Who would?), it sounds like he felt the hospital was a safe place for him to be. This is really positive info that might be very helpful to all of you in the future, as you may at some time need to encourage your son to go back.
Our series of unfortunate events were:
Hospitalization 1: Forced due to first major psychotic break while at college. We had nothing to do with this.
Hospitalization 2: Forced Hospitalization due to me calling 911
Hospitalization 3: Voluntary hospitalization due to us encouraging him to go back.
Hospitalization 4: Voluntary hospitalization due to him saying he wanted/needed to go back. (It ended up being involuntary due to a severe physical and verbal non-responsiveness, but hey, at-least he tried)
Our son did talk to us while he was hospitalized, but our son was just 19 when all this started. Heās still only just about to turn 22. Even though itās tragic that he was hit with this illness so early, we still had a parent/child relationship. Maybe this has helped us save him? I imagine a younger person would have a very different level of willingness to accept help from a parent than an older person would.
Who knows whatāll happen in the long run, regardless of how it all started, and regardless of what age. I imagine weāll all struggle for years to come, going in and out of dark periods.
Hi Irene. We too deal with a lot of gun-related paranoia. Our son often hides from doorways and windows for fear heāll be āsnipedā. Itās a terrible way to live. Our dog is always ready to explode by the time I get home from my part-time job.
Hi Day to Day, I also feel my son was young enough to maintain a parent child relationsip because he also had his first psychos at 19, It took a many scary months to get him help. Now at age 23 he lives close to me in a subsidized apartment, he move in there in October 2017 and he really was excited to move on his own. It was so sad for me to see him move in there as I thought how it seemed so depressing and not the life I dreamed for him. I am his best friend and the only person he goes out with, mostly to run errands. I always remind myself that he has been much worse and there are many with sz in much worse places, I feel so bad that he isolates and is so paranoid about such irrational things. Hope you and your son had a good day.
@DianeR I have been thinking about you. So glad to get this good news about the transition house.
@Vallpen That is an awesome story! You are such a sweetheart! Itās sad to know there are SO many people with SZ and other MI, but at least WE can be helpful to others at opportune times.
Son is back in hospital today with ābeginningā of catatonia. Perhaps because he started refusing ECT (heās just tired of memory issues he has been experiencing for a couple of months now and he also attributes probably cognitive issues to the ECT). Sad to see especially after he was doing so well in early stages of residential treatment program. But it is not unexpected while the combination of Invega and ECT is being worked out. At least we now have psychiatrists from 3 different facilities who have all seen him in recent months at various āplacesā in his illness and there is intentional conversation among them to address his situation. Hoping he bounces back soon. Prayers for wisdom of medical staff!