I think we were so lucky to find out about Amador’s book when we realized that something was seriously going on with our son. You are brilliant to be using his drivers license and car to keep your son motivated - we should have done that back in the beginning. While the LEAP method reopened communication right away, I was surprised how long it took for us to figure out what would motivate him.
My son keeps his place nice as well! He actually keeps his place much nicer than his brother keeps his place. During the bad cycles cleaning can get away from him, after the cycle lightens, he cleans it again.
I love hearing that your son made food for you when you were feeling ill:):)
This spring I got to see my son in person for the first time in over 2.5 years. So wonderful to hug him again. He told me, “Mom you look good” and of course I burst into tears.
When I was describing my son’s puzzling behavior to a new friend, she suggested I look at the NAMI website. (She had a friend who struggled with bipolar) NAMI.org used to have an excellent forum before they changed the entire website and dumped the old threads. I believe that is where I learned about LEAP and Dr Amador’s book.
Everyone on the caregiver forum pushed the book and the Family to Family course. The book’s methods worked immediately on reopening up communications, I was impressed. I called the local NAMI office to sign up for Family to Family - it was an odd office, a machine answered, I left a message and didn’t get a call back until several months later when the teacher called to schedule me into a class. I hadn’t followed up after leaving a message as my MIL had just moved into hospice care and I was her primary family caregiver. The teacher called the day after my MIL passed away. She asked we were available to start class the following month. (Well, YES, our schedule was suddenly wide open) That class and LEAP were the best things we could have done. Later when we needed more help, this forum and several of the longtime members became lifesavers for us.
I hope NAMI continues to expand offering Family to Family online - we had to travel 95 minutes one way to get to a class. A lot of people don’t have that kind of time in their schedules.
Lucky you on the personal meet up and the signature! After listening to Dr Amador on the healingmindsnola.org talk, I am hopeful again that someday my son will accept meds that will give him some relief from his psychosis.
Understood completely. Besides every case being different, the extreme varying degrees of the illness and severity of many does and can make communication virtually impossible for some (complete catatonia comes to mind…)
FYI, the NAMI support groups and Family to Family class are being offered via Zoom in my area at this point in time and and I presume in many places around the country. It is likely that some use of Zoom with these programs will continue post-Covid due to the success I have seen. If not being offered in a particular area, a person could investigate other NAMI locations. It doesn’t matter where you live when you are using Zoom, although local is helpful when discussing local resources, state laws, etc.
That was lovely to read !!! 
