Just needed to be heard for a little while

Pyxis

Did you have a nice long sleep, WaS?

jobbingmusician

Hmmm. In a way that is quite a good article (you are right, people shouldn't read it if it might trigger. But the main focus is actually a great point. It encourages us all to look after each other, and to talk to someone - if you feel up to it - if you see them looking distressed on the street!)

But I can't see how it relates in any way to the sentence about treating MI like diabetes - and in fact I do believe that MI is far better treated by social interactions than it is by drugs. Drugs have their place, of course, especially if you have a sensible psychiatrist like WaS's, who seems to have worked well and involved her in getting a good balance of drugs. But far too often people are still just given chemical coshes, or at least subdued by a drug which 'sort of' works, and no social support whatsoever

Waves_and_Smiles

I agree with you, JM. I take less anti-psychotics than I actually need to entirely stop the psychosis, hence the voices are always present and I relapse. When I was on the 'correct dose' the TD was awful, I was literally dribbling, I couldn't lift my feet properly to walk and I would never be awake for more than 3 hours at a time. Also, I had no emotions, everything was numb and I was so confused. A chemical cosh is a very accurate description. It was intolerable for me so we slowly altered my medication and dropped the anti-psychotic dose and increased the anti-depressant dose until we reached a balance I could live with. Honestly, the right dose to stop the psychosis also stops me living any kind of life and I am very lucky that I found several psychiatrists who could see that and were willing to 'break the mold'.

My latest consultant who I have seen for 4 years now was the one who introduced and trusted me with my 25mg emergency doses for when things are bad. It is unconventional but it means I am not on a high dose all of the time, just when needed. I would never want to be fully medicated, truthfully the voices are better than feeling as I did then.

Waves_and_Smiles

I did have a long sleep, Pyxis but was woken a bit earlier than planned by a very worried Milliefleur. She was panicking that carers would look in her drawers and cupboards and go through her things! WaSp reassured her that mine had never done that and she would still have her privacy. We are expecting a few of these phone calls.

Pyxis

Waves_and_Smiles wrote: »

I did have a long sleep, Pyxis but was woken a bit earlier than planned by a very worried Milliefleur. She was panicking that carers would look in her drawers and cupboards and go through her things! WaSp reassured her that mine had never done that and she would still have her privacy. We are expecting a few of these phone calls.

Yes, to be honest, I'd react in exactly that way at the thought of strangers coming in to my home and 'taking over'. Once I got to know the carers, I'm sure it'd be different. It must be so much harder, though, when you can't see well.

Waves_and_Smiles

She was talking about giving her jewellery to me to look after because she doesn't feel safe having it in the house. I am hoping that they assign her some really lovely carers who she will learn to trust and it will put her fears to rest. Her sight is worrying her, she said she won't be able to see what they are doing. If it is anything like my carer, they won't stop for breath to even attempt to look through anything. Mine is on such a tight schedule that she has no time to notice a thing, everything is quickly done to routine and she is gone again.

seven-day-weekend

I have a friend who always assumes her carers are going to steal things
I wonder why? You don't assume your plumber or plasterer are going to steal things**, why carers?

**Or at least I don't. Maybe everyone else does?

tea_lover

I'd trust a carer more than a plumber...but I know some dodgy plumbers!

Errata

Waves_and_Smiles wrote: »

She was talking about giving her jewellery to me to look after because she doesn't feel safe having it in the house. I am hoping that they assign her some really lovely carers who she will learn to trust and it will put her fears to rest. Her sight is worrying her, she said she won't be able to see what they are doing. If it is anything like my carer, they won't stop for breath to even attempt to look through anything. Mine is on such a tight schedule that she has no time to notice a thing, everything is quickly done to routine and she is gone again.

Her worries are reasonable ones. Offer to look after her jewellery, that may go some way to setting her mind at rest, reassure her that if a carer is going through her 'things' - clothes? - that may be because what she's wearing is soiled but she can't see the soiling.
As an afterthought - I'm surprised BIL hasn't flogged her jewellery to buy booze.

Waves_and_Smiles

Despite my paranoia I have never felt my carer would steal things, it would be the end of her job for a start. She honestly doesn't notice much at all about my flat, she is very focused on helping me and then hurries to her next appointment. I think the fact that MIL can hardly see doesn't help, plus her home has always been her castle and she is fiercely independent, letting that go a little is hard for her and causing all sorts of worries. She was worrying that she would have to get an hour earlier to make sure the house was pristine before her carer arrived earlier!

Thank you Errata, I will take her jewellery if it makes her feel safer. It is all new to her and after living without assistance for so long so this is a huge change.

BIL sadly doesn't need to flog her jewellery, he has her bank cards. I am vaguely thinking that something needs to be done about that, too but I will let her get used to carers first.