Mental health

Hi @Jypcleigh welcome to the forums. I'm so sorry to hear about your son, that sounds incredibly scary for you both to be going through right now. I can only imagine the added layers of complexity that comes with being in another state, too.

What's your relationship like with your son? Have you been able to chat to him about what he's going through? It can be really hard to feel helpless to do anything to support the ones we love, and if he's in a mental health facility, there may be little that you can do at present. When my loved ones are having a stressful time, I usually ask them what they need from me. Sometimes even the little things, like sending funny videos or little recordings of me talking nonsense, has meant the world to them.

Do you have much in the way of support for yourself along the way? Be it friends or family or mental health professionals, do you have people with whom you feel safe to talk about what's been happening for you? Sometimes, being able to get stuff off our chest can do wonders for our mental state. It can be very easy to end up putting all of our energy into worrying and wanting to do what we can, that we can easily forget our own self-care along the way. Is there anything you can do to practice some self-care and self-compassion?

You can always give the lovely counsellors on our support line a buzz if you want to chat about what's going on a little more deeply - 1800 187 263 (Mon-Fri, 10am-8pm).

Thank you for replying i thought i had a really good relationship with my son but i have been finding out he has kept alot of things from me i haven't spoken to him yet the mental health team is doing their intake today i wishe would open up to me i would do anything in this world for him, I don't have any support at all i also have mental health issues i am lost

Aww @Jypcleigh that would be so hard, not knowing what is going on with him and having to wait to hear from MH team. I reckon he's in good hands and perhaps when you and your son have a chance to see each other, you can have a conversation about what he's been going through, and how best you can support him.

It would be extra challenging to go through this when you've got MH issues of your own to manage at the same time. You deserve to have a safe space to talk about everything you're experiencing. Could be worth looking into, and if you're not sure where to start I am happy to share some resources.

Thank you for listening I would greatly appreciate any help I can get please I live in Melbourne thank you so much I really really im great full

@Jypcleigh of course, my pleasure.

In terms of one-to-one support, you can always visit your GP and ask for a mental health care plan (MHCP) - they should give you a referral to a psychologist, and sessions should be rebated at least partially by medicare. You can also seek out a therapist on your own using online databases, which can be a great way to find someone who is a good fit. You can narrow your search by location/issue/type of service too. They may also offer a MHCP if you ask for it, you'd still need to visit a GP but you can get the GP to email the MHCP to your new psych.

Databases:

APS Find a Psychologist

Psychology Today Find a Therapist

You can also see if you're eligible for SANE's Guided Service, which provides six sessions of free, ongoing counselling via phone. Find out more here.

I also found a few support services for parents and carers:

Mind Family & Carer Services Melbourne

Tandem Support Groups Melbourne

Monash Health Parents, Family, Friends Support

I hope this helps you in taking some steps forward and getting yourself some support to help you through this difficult time. I hope your son goes okay and you get to talk to him soon 😊🤞