Connect with people who understand what you are going through, seek advice and surround yourself with support. We're free, anonymous, and professionally moderated 24/7.
LLCasual Contributor
My son who has always been a depressed person recently escalated and his live in girlfriend relayed he has suicidal thoughts. I arranged a call from a mental Health Triage and subsequently he was admitted to a mental health ward and held under section order. He is angry at me and we haven't spoken all week. Otherwise he and I have always had a good relationship. I need help as to how to approach him
In response to: Adult Son angry at me because I initiated a Section 32
RiverSealModerator
Hey @LL, thanks for sharing your experiences with the community!
It sounds like you are going through a tough time with your son, and it must be really hard for him not to be talking with you. You are being really brave sharing your experiences with your peers and being vulnerable with the community.
I am diagnosed with schizophrenia and have also been hospitalised by my family while having multiple psychotic episodes and losing touch with reality. I can understand his perspective, but I also appreciate yours. I believe that you have done the right thing for your son, and I don't think we can expect a parent to act in any other way than wanting to protect and support their child.
When we have mental health issues we are still responsible for our actions and have to accept that our loved ones my act on our behalf to get us the support we need if we do not have the insight to help ourselves.
I'm really sorry to hear that he is not talking with you but I'm also happy to hear that you have gotten him on the path of receiving the support he may need. Even thought is a harsh outcome the alternative is much worse if he acted on his suicidal thoughts.
I believe the community will have their own insights to share with you and thank you for reaching out!
Take care
RiverSeal
In response to: Adult Son angry at me because I initiated a Section 32
JynxModerator
Hi @LL that's such a tough situation!
All I can offer is encouragement to take this whole process slowly, maybe even hold off on any bigger conversations about it for a time. I say this cos when I have had loved ones experiencing really severe mental ditress like this, they have not had the capacity to think logically about the situation or see any nuance, and trying to have emotional conversations often resulted in conflicts.
It's not their fault!! Quite literally when we are in crisis, we can become so focused on survival that it is impossible to even consider another person's feelings, let alone their perspective. If he's super mad, or blames you a lot, or anything like that, try not to take it too personally.
Like @RiverSeal said, you were making the best decision you could with the info you had, and all in the interest of protecting your son. We can hold onto the hope that he will be able to see that side of things in time 🤞
In response to: Re: Adult Son angry at me because I initiated a Section 32
LLCasual Contributor
Thank you for your responses. I am hoping he realizes that with all the information he was in crisis and I did call in help to help him. I just don't want him to think that I've abandoned him. I hope if he goes back to therapy he may heal and see a way to speak to me again. I just don't know if I have the tools to what to say to him
In response to: Re: Adult Son angry at me because I initiated a Section 32
JynxModerator
It can be very tricky @LL especially if the person is still quite reactive or defensive, which is also common when we're in that survival headspace.
It's not entirely relevant to your situation at this point, but we have this guide for having difficult conversations with a loved one, maybe some of the steps might help?
In response to: Adult Son angry at me because I initiated a Section 32
K9MummaContributor
Sounds like you did what you had to do. If you believed he was at imminent risk of harming himself, then you really didn’t have another option.
That being said, I probably wouldn’t speak to anyone who did that to me. I know it is an impossible position to put people in, but it is pretty impossible from the other side of it too.
I hope for both your sakes he eventually finds a way to forgive you and see your actions as that of a desperate and loving mother, who will do whatever she has to do to keep her son safe… even if that goes against what he wants in the moment.
In response to: Adult Son angry at me because I initiated a Section 32
CarryOnPorkChopContributor
You know the real him. Don't take it personally at the moment because your real son isn't angry at you. His mental illness wanted to end his pain the only way it knew how. You have given him the chance to get himself back and he's lucky to have you. You acted on his behalf when others couldn't and he/them are safe because of it. Unfortunately his pain continues due to your intervention and that is why he's angry. Just keep turning up and be patient. Not everyone is lucky enough to have parents that care so much. My parents do but when I have been suicidal in the past I didn't believe they loved me. My stepson literally attacked me when he was in crisis and I was the one getting him to hospital. I'll never get an apology for his behaviour because he wasn't in control of it at the time, it was his illness lashing out.
Help us push aside the stigma and discrimination surrounding complex mental health and change the way people talk about, and care for, mental illness.
SANE acknowledges the Traditional Owners of Country throughout Australia and recognises the continuing connection to lands, waters and communities. We pay our respect to Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander cultures; and to Elders past and present.
SANE values diversity. We are committed to providing a safe, culturally appropriate, and inclusive service for all people, regardless of their ethnicity, faith, disability, sexuality, or gender identity.
Help us push aside the stigma and discrimination surrounding complex mental health and change the way people talk about, and care for, mental illness.
SANE acknowledges the Traditional Owners of Country throughout Australia and recognises the continuing connection to lands, waters and communities. We pay our respect to Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander cultures; and to Elders past and present.
SANE values diversity. We are committed to providing a safe, culturally appropriate, and inclusive service for all people, regardless of their ethnicity, faith, disability, sexuality, or gender identity.
You’ll soon be able to use one secure login to access all SANE services.
For added security, members are now required to log in with their email address and password - member names are no longer supported for logging in.
If you had a Forums account before 19 May 2026 and haven’t set up your new login yet, you'll be prompted to set up your new secure login when you sign-in.
Fields marked * are required
