Last November, my son told me he was hearing voices and seeing shadows. He said he saw a hand come over the car and one that came out of the wall in his room. A week later, he revealed his plan to kill himself as we sat in the car in my driveway. He told me if he was left alone after school that he would hang himself. I admitted him for observation at a mental health facility that night. In January, he told me he was really hungry but the "other" boy wouldn't allow him to eat. If he ate, the "other" boy may hurt people. In his mind, my son was starving himself to keep everyone safe. My son finally confessed to me he wasn't in control anymore. I admitted him a second time.
My family's journey to recovery has been overwhelming and exhausting at points, but there is hope. Staying bottled up doesn't help. I want to rip the lid off mental illness. Dump out the shame and fear. Open up without judgement. I know that together we can support each other. Together we can get the ones we love help.
You can find me on myfamilyunbottled.weebly.com.
Parenting a child with a diagnosis.
1. CARRY YOUR CHILD DIAGNOSIS: Carrying the paperwork adds credibility to the circumstance and saves a lot of time.
2. FIND A DOCTOR WHO WILL LISTEN: Get a psychiatrist that listens to you and your child. Even better is to find one that has rights at the local hospital in your area. They can get your child help faster so everyone can be safe. Some hospitals are staffed with Locum or "traveling" doctors and can leave in the middle of your child's case. You want someone with past history with your child and that can make the call if they need a longer stay for observation.
3. FIND OTHERS WHO WILL LISTEN: Ask the psychiatrist who he would recommend for counseling, support worker for your child and a parent advocate for you. Find a support group for yourself. Others are going thru what you are going thru. The hope will grow in you as you meet others that have already walked the path of recovery.
4. MAKE A CRISIS PLAN BEFORE THE CRISIS: The time to plan is when your loved one is at baseline or doing well. Work together so when another episode happens, you both know the steps to take to communicate and get the help they need. I will be posting more blogs and pictures of things I carry every day in case of crisis.
More info: myfamilyunbottled.weebly.com
myfamilyunbottled.weebly.com
