Being sent home from hospital too early.

@Former-Member Thanks so much. I'm okay. I've learned a few 'tricks' re care of myself over the years so I put them into practice whenever I can. X

Hoping that some joy can come your way and for your son also.

write when you can xxx

@Former-Member Hi, sorry to hear things have gone pear-shaped after your holiday. In my case, when I have gone away for a short holiday with my son, both he and myself have 'unconsciouly' breathed enormous sighs of relief just by being away from the scene of day-to-day anguish and drama. And 'consciously' embraced new experiences eagerly/happily, even though they just comprise walking the streets of a country town, wandering along a river, eating out and sleeping in a motel or whatever. Nothing glamorous. Just 'different'. My son loves it and so do I. But when we return, my son often sinks into depression. I assume that this occurs because of the return to reality. The depression can worsen and he can turn to alcohol for relief and then that in turn leads to more problems. It's like they've been given a temporary new life, then had it taken away from them. Does that make any sense?

Hi @Former-Member and @Jo, I was interested to read your comments about holidays or time away. I've made three attempts over the past few years. One precipitated a relapse (on the highway two hours from home) and it took him months to recover. The other (fly-drive, interstate) trips were OK but we were very limited by the illness and his many anxieties. We now just do occasional short trips of a few hours.... and generally to the same places. @Jo it's refreshing to read that you and your son can really enjoy being away, and you have a way to escape the illness for a while.

Hi @Former-Member, our fly-drive trips were for 5 days. The only planned activity was getting there and getting back. Everything in between was flexible, and there were some days when we seemed to be completely stuck in a motel room or picnic shelter. The road trip should have been OK but I involved him in the planning, packing, dropping the dog at a friend's place, etc... which made it all too complicated. Packing the car for a few days away turned into a nightmare as more and more items were deemed necessary. At that point I should have given up... but didn't.

I still think we can do some travel, when the time's right. I need to do all the planning quietly by myself, keep the travel steps as simple as possible, be flexible with schedule, and keep the trip relatively short. Sounds like you've dealt with more than your fair share of difficulties, 10/10 for resilience and determination. Maybe you can do several short trips during your LSL.