I'm losing it

@Gemima, hi I read your cry for help and I don't know a great deal about your sons disorder, but I know what it's like to watch some one you love suffer and not know where to turn to for help, that I completely understand.

So tell me please, who besides the doctors are the organisations you contact for help?

Do the doctors and support groups advice or guide you? What sort of support if any do have?

I see a psychologist, over the years I have found I need to speak to an impartial human being, "apps" will never do it for me. Also I learned that speaking with people who had lived through what your experiencing or who still are living in a similar situation to your own are the best help, who else can better understand than those who suffer like you do.

I really feel for you, I know what it's like to cry out for help and not know where to turn, we will help you on here

Hello @Gemima

That sounds extremely tough, I can't imagine how hard it is for you to see your son not coping well with his schizophrenia, it is a shame he has not yet found treatment that has allowed him to get better as many with schiozphrenia do manage to live a happy life. The best you can do is look after yourself in all of this as you can't control your son and his recovery at this point, but you can work on ways to support him without burning yourself out.

It would be good if you could talk to someone and get some counselling right now through Mental Health Carers Australia:

Mental Health Carers AUS

1300 554 660

http://www.mentalhealthcarersaustralia.org.au/about-us/

This might be the most you can do for right now by talking to someone so you do not feel as alone in all of this, thinking of you,

Lunar

Hi @Gemima

Giving you a cyber hug Gemima, sometimes I feel like crashing too... but we have to pick ourselves up and moving right along. We need to support the people suffering from MI in our family. If we don't... no one else will. Its not easy doing it when you are in pain yourself, give yourself plenty of 'me' time and say politely 'no' if the demands are too much for you. You're doing a marvelous job! Looking after your dad too, with your sore back and all....

There is only one 'you' - be kind to yourself.

((HUGS))

Hi @Gemima

Like @Former-Member, I also kept (and keep) a history of dates, meds, etc... It got really long, so there's now a summary version. It's useful when dealing with new med staff who haven't acquainted themselves with the notes or when attending a new hospital.

I'd recommend the book "Surviving Schizophrenia" by E. Fuller Torrey to help with understanding the illness. Another book is "The Family Guide to Mental Heath Care" by Lloyd Sederer, though it's not specific to schizophrenia.

When my son first had FEP (early 20's) and for a long time afterwards, the situation was "all tunnel and no light", a very difficult an intensely worrying time. It took years to get the meds sorted and they are still being changed. However, six years after FEP, the situation is generally stable. The illness didn't go away and we're stil dealing with it.

Like @Sissy88, I found that seeing a psychologist is very very helpful, especially a psychologist who has experience with Sz. That's probably as good as talking to a professor.