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Hi there. We have our late-20's son living with us- he has a diagnosis of schizophrenia and can be very hostile and verbally aggressive. He was an award-winning student, had a uni degree and has previously worked but now his illness makes it very difficult to work. He insists TV's are turned off because of the messages coming from the TV, has auditory hallucinations, and is an absolute pig in the house. Some days it is very very hard to cope with. He rejects his diagnosis, smokes drugs daily - which contributes to his paranoia, and dabbles in other drugs when he can [edited by moderator]. We dont want him to end up in the police system because he would be so vulnerable, so tolerate his behaviour - with a fair bit of argy-bargy. Anyone out there with a magic wand?

hiya @HappyEmu!

i'm so sorry to hear about how poorly your son has been treating you. i don't have lived experience in this area unfortunately, but i do hear you. i can see that you care about him heaps. i'm wondering if it would helpful to set some boundaries with him? maybe build some new routines so that he's being productive at home - i imagine not having a job/routine can make it hard to feel motivated at times too.

has he gotten support around his addiction/mental health before? would it be possible to encourage him to give it a go? i wonder if reframing it as 'talking to a doc about the addiction and/or behaviour towards family members' rather than the diagnosis could help encourage him.

abuse is never ok, and i imagine the drugs make it worse at times. i wanted to link 1800RESPECT, please do reach out to them whenever you need. you deserve to feel heard and supported too. i'm also linking Turning Point here, as they have some resources and services for both carers and the person dealing with addiction.

i have heard that for some, voluntary hospital admissions and recovery/rehab programs can be helpful - but these would require your son to acknowledge his diagnosis and reach out. i wish i had a magic solution for you, but for now, i offer you a listening ear and some gentle hugs. 💙

p.s. just letting you know i've edited your post to remove specific names of drugs. this is in line with our 'limit detailed descriptions' guideline, which you can read more about here. if you have any questions about it, feel free to reach out 😊

no worries at all @HappyEmu i'm glad you could get that off your chest, it is a lot of carry on your own!

there's also this thread here: Hearing voices and psychosis 🗯️ - SANE Forums

there's members on there who share their experience with hearing voices, some with addiction too. feel free to tag those members for a chat too if you're interested.

to tag, you can use the @ symbol and type the username. when you select it, it'll turn blue like this @HappyEmu, this means the username tagged will be notified of your response - hope this helps 😊

Living with someone with suicidal ideation and self harms

Looking for someone in similar situation

Hey @Amplify, thanks for sharing your experiences with the community!

It sounds tough supporting someone who is having suicidal thoughts and you obviously care about them deeply. It is really brave of you to reach out to your peers here on the Forums and be vulnerable and share your story.

There are some great support numbers that I will list here who can support you and the person you are living with. It can be really beneficial to reach out and chat with someone when we are in the moment or for help in supporting someone. I will list a few numbers here and you may want to added them to your contacts in your phone:

Lifeline: 13 11 14 or Lifeline Chat

Beyond Blue: 1300 22 4636 or Beyond Blue Webchat

1800 RESPECT: 1800 737 732, www.1800respect.org.au

Suicide Call Back Service: 1300 659 467 or Online Counselling

Samaritans: 135 247 (24/7)

Listen Well: 1300 111 500 https://www.wellways.org/our-services/listenwell-warmline/

If in immediate danger: 000 www.triplezero.gov.au/triple-zero/How-to-Call-000

I encourage you to continue to reach out to your peers here on the Forums as they may have similar situations to share with you too!

Take care

RiverSeal

I have been looking after a sweet young girl that had nowhere to go

We have been on the mental health merry go round for a year

Trying very hard to get some real help

Definitely she has a good therapist now and we are in the system seeing a psychiatrist to determine if medication could be an option

There are good days bad days and some days are unbearable

She was doing really well then.......

TW: Mention of SA

Honestly some days I just want to give up

Just like everyone else in her life has

I understand that all situations and people vary incredibly

She has a big appointment tomorrow

She arranged for me to talk to her therapist next week

This was a huge backtrack

I don't know what to do

Hi @Amplify,

Gosh this really does sound so overwhelming and confronting for you... I can hear you are doing your absolute best to be there for her, but I can also hear that it's impacting you in a big way.

The fact that you will be talking to her therapist actually sounds like quite a positive, because you will be included in her care and gain a better understanding of what's happening. At the same time, I understand how this would all feel like a lot to hold.

I am curious, what do you need right now to feel supported and cared for? 💛

I don't really know

i have just sat and talked with her for the last couple of hours

She's sleeping soundly now

I just get so tired

I know I need a break

I don't know how

No one has ever looked after this person

She has never felt safe in her whole life

I am the only person she trusts

Sleep will help

Her and me

Hi I'm new here. My daughter has recently been diagnosed with bipolar. We are both still learning about it. She has been prescribed medication which helps. I am not sure what I can do to get help & support for her & me.

I am lucky because she is very open about everything. But those dark depression times scare me as she is so flat & unresponsive.

I've joined to understand bipolar & what can be done to support my daughter.