Welcome to the Friends, Family and Carers Group Hub! Introduce yourself here 🙂

Hi everyone I have found the love of my life who lives with Bipolar 2 and we are navigating the challenges together.

Hey @Brainspace , 

A warm welcome 🌞 and thanks for sharing your experiences with the community!

It's wonderful to hear you've found the love of your life 💜 Sounds like whilst there are challenges in navigating the Bipolar 2, you are in it together 💞

It takes courage to share your experiences with the community, and you are being really brave reaching out to your peers 🌿. 

I'm sure that the community will have some insights to share with you soon!

Take care

Hi there, I’m new to all of this. I’m here because my brother is having some serious mental health issues, I know I’m not qualified to deal with them so I feel useless. He was released from prison early this year and on top of his mental health I believe he has PTSD of some sort from prison, he has a new found dislike for police etc, he is a good person and I’m not just saying that because he is my brother, I have other siblings, he is my favourite hands down. I just want him to get help but I don’t know how to explain to him that the people who are there to help will help him and not harm him. It’s hard when that’s what he truely believes and it makes me wonder why he thinks that, like is it really all in his head? Thankyou for listening

Hey there @Anon19 ,

Welcome to the forums!

It sounds like your brother has been through a lot. Does he suffer from delusions/paranoia at all or has he in the past?

Sometimes, a good start is to find a peer worker. Someone who has probably been through the tough yards just like he has.

Upon leaving prison, was he provided with any recommendations or supports?

Above all, please remember your own self care and wellbeing.

We look forward to hearing from you.

Hi, I’m new here. We’ve been dealing with our daughter’s (24) mental health battles for a long time. The latest curve ball has me not coping too well. She has let us know that she has 2 alters. This has come as a shock and I really need support. She refuses to see her GP or phychiatrist. She also has ASD, ADHD, PTSD and is trans. She’s complex, we love her so much and just want to support her appropriately.

Hey @Annie24, 

A warm welcome 👋 and thanks for sharing your experiences with the community!

Sounds like you're dealing with a lot in trying to support your daughter and in particular the latest curve ball where you've learned she has 2 alters - which has left you feeling shocked 😮.

It takes courage to share your experiences with the community, and you are being really brave reaching out to your peers 🌟. 

I'm sure that the community will have some insights to share with you soon!

I did also want to share some information that might be helpful 🌿

• Dissociative Identity disorder - Sane
• All about dissociative disorders - Kids Helpline
• Self-care when helping others

Take care

TunedIn🎸

Hello, not sure if this is still an 'active' discussion or not. I am the Guardian for my cousin who is living and suffering from schizophrenia,. We are exhausted and demoralised. Im seeking guidance on how we can do better for him and for our whole family.

Hi @Banjo123 and welcome to the space 😊 This is an active thread and a great place to start

Does your cousin currently have any other supports in place, or are you their sole support at the moment?

Hearing how hard its been for you all and I'm glad that you're reaching out here. I hope this can be a safe and supportive place for you

Thanks for the welcome Ru-bee. Yes he has NDIS supports now, and following a number of hospital admissions he is on a CTO and connected with a mental health team at the hospital. He is relatively safe, housed, and cared for, but his communications with family are regularly abusive and psychotic. We understand it is mostly the illness 'talking', plus his abger and frustration about the guardianship. If it's dreadful for us it must be even more so for him, but it feels very hard to stay connected and loving towards him, or to know how to make it better. Can anyone suggest any resources or even training for families trying to live with schizophrenia?