Purpose of this site:

My goal is to provide information that may be helpful for family members, caregivers, and friends of those who suffer from severe brain disorders (severe mental illness) and who are at various stages of intervention, treatment, and 'recovery'.

You are not alone!

This site is designed for posting articles either written by myself or others that contain helpful information in managing our lives while caring for others. Also, to provide information about how to help those we love who suffer from a severe brain disorder (severe mental illness).

This site is a 'Take What You Need and Leave the Rest' approach to shared information. Some links may come from pharmaceutical companies, elder care sites, advocacy websites, etc.

Some of the information you will read will be applicable to your needs and some may not. All information is useful. It's in what you do with it.

If you keep an open mind, find what might work for you and take just that information and see how it fits in your situation, I think that you'll find merit here.

There is no magic bullet for these illnesses. I don't believe in blocking any path that could lead to relief for anyone. Everyone has the right to be well.

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Friday, November 1, 2013

What works for you when your loved one's symptoms hit a high note?

What works for you? When our son's symptoms are in the forefront.... Ever since my grandson had a fall which resulted in a minor concussion with vomiting, we noticed our son's symptoms have started to return. As he was very stressed over the wellfare of his most beloved nephew. His hygiene has been neglected, he's irritable, his attention has dropped dramatically, and he's been isolating himself. Plus, his smoking has increased. So, my husband (who is the most acceptable to our son when he's like this) approached him about laying out his medication for the week. We also had suspect before this, that he hasn't been taking his full dose of Clozapine. We don't want to challenge him by confronting him about it, nor do we want to cause him a sense of failure by overseeing or taking back the daily medication responsibility. So my husband just let our son sit at the table on his own and put his medication in each container for each day of the week. Then he went over and checked to be sure everything was in one of the containers (as the contents for each looked the same) and gave him a pat on the back and said, 'Well done!' We've since seen some improvements in his symptoms, but we're keeping the tone of the house very low stress right now (we used some suggestions from the Sidran Foundation) and some issues that we would bring to his attention to change (like not completing his chores) we're letting go. Our main goal is for him to have his symptoms come back down before we get back on track with the other goals and issues. We give him a lot of positive feedback when he showers and when he does do something around the house. It's not about the end product, it's about the process and any effort on his part right now. We understand it's hard for him. The one symptom we address is his irritability. We just make a comment like, "Are you feeling ok? You seem irritable." And then he usually will adjust by talking or going into his room for a little while and calming down. Yesterday was better. Today he's helping my husband with a major chore. So we'll see how well he is able to cope. We have long understood that our son's illness has ebbs-and-flows that vary form day-to-day. What do you do when your loved one's symptoms are running high? How do you support them until the illness subsides again?

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