Our Son has tried to take his life on a few or more ocassions despite my Husband and I and our Son's continual care. If anyone of us saw him attempting suicide we would stop him.
We had no help or support from any of the services. The last time he overdosed which was last year, we took him to the local Hospital where he waited over half an hour to be looked at. My Husband and I were exhausted mentally and physically and made this clear to the staff. We explained that they would have to find a place for our Son to have respite because we desperately needed a break but a member of the mental health team saw him before he was discharged and we did not get the rest we were desperate for, nor have we ever had a break from caring.
We have had 4 Carers Assessments in 21 years of caring.
Recently matters got worse. My Son and I saw a new Consultant at the clinic he went to for his 3 monthly check ups. After seeing the Consultant on about 5 occasions she made clear that due to the severity of the way my Son's illness affected him (paranoid Schizophrenia) he needed a CPN but our Son refused. Sadly the CPN we had who supported us died suddenly. My Son does not cope well with strangers.
This Consultant then decided to send our Son for an epilepsy test explaining that his illness could be due to that and not Schizophrenia? The test was negative.
The next consultation the Psychiatrist was rude and abrupt to my Son and I was shocked by her attitude.I went to the next consultation alone and explained my concerns but like always I was assertive but polite. She didn't want me there. My Son was so upset by his experience that he decided to not see her again.
She then sent a letter to our Son which read:
I have reviewed your case notes and I am unsure of your diagnosis of Schizophrenia. I have always tried to investigate other possibilities and you are aware of that.I believe that you have a long term problem that started in your early teens or maybe earlier. We are not sure if you need your medication Olanzapine and I have written to your Gp to have your medication reduced and then stopped.
My family and I were appalled by the content of this letter which we found to be irresponsible, dangerous and damaging.
We then were sent to see the Clinical Director for this area. Our Son saw her alone for about 40 minutes and then ask my Husband and I to join them. As we walked into the room the Consultant said, "look he is talking," and repeated this 3 times. My Husband and I were bemused and then our Son sat there and it was clear he was confused and upset. She ask him his diagnosis and then explained the he musn't get caught up in labels and then she said he had a diagnosis of PD? She said she would have him working and attending college amongst other things.
There was no explanation to any of us. We were told and not ask! If the change of diagnosis was explained and then ask us about our concerns or anxieties then fair enough but there was none of it. We then left feeling confused and upset.
I saw our family GP who had a totally different letter sent to him. There is no other Consultant that can see him in this area and we were offered to go back and see the consultant that we had but after having a family discussion we decided that this would not help our Son.
The only support we have is our GP and of course ourselves.
We saw our Son develop this illness and saw him without medication and it is frightening to think that this consultant wanted to stop his medication. Our Son still takes Olanzapine and our GP thinks it wise.
We had no help or support from any of the services. The last time he overdosed which was last year, we took him to the local Hospital where he waited over half an hour to be looked at. My Husband and I were exhausted mentally and physically and made this clear to the staff. We explained that they would have to find a place for our Son to have respite because we desperately needed a break but a member of the mental health team saw him before he was discharged and we did not get the rest we were desperate for, nor have we ever had a break from caring.
We have had 4 Carers Assessments in 21 years of caring.
Recently matters got worse. My Son and I saw a new Consultant at the clinic he went to for his 3 monthly check ups. After seeing the Consultant on about 5 occasions she made clear that due to the severity of the way my Son's illness affected him (paranoid Schizophrenia) he needed a CPN but our Son refused. Sadly the CPN we had who supported us died suddenly. My Son does not cope well with strangers.
This Consultant then decided to send our Son for an epilepsy test explaining that his illness could be due to that and not Schizophrenia? The test was negative.
The next consultation the Psychiatrist was rude and abrupt to my Son and I was shocked by her attitude.I went to the next consultation alone and explained my concerns but like always I was assertive but polite. She didn't want me there. My Son was so upset by his experience that he decided to not see her again.
She then sent a letter to our Son which read:
I have reviewed your case notes and I am unsure of your diagnosis of Schizophrenia. I have always tried to investigate other possibilities and you are aware of that.I believe that you have a long term problem that started in your early teens or maybe earlier. We are not sure if you need your medication Olanzapine and I have written to your Gp to have your medication reduced and then stopped.
My family and I were appalled by the content of this letter which we found to be irresponsible, dangerous and damaging.
We then were sent to see the Clinical Director for this area. Our Son saw her alone for about 40 minutes and then ask my Husband and I to join them. As we walked into the room the Consultant said, "look he is talking," and repeated this 3 times. My Husband and I were bemused and then our Son sat there and it was clear he was confused and upset. She ask him his diagnosis and then explained the he musn't get caught up in labels and then she said he had a diagnosis of PD? She said she would have him working and attending college amongst other things.
There was no explanation to any of us. We were told and not ask! If the change of diagnosis was explained and then ask us about our concerns or anxieties then fair enough but there was none of it. We then left feeling confused and upset.
I saw our family GP who had a totally different letter sent to him. There is no other Consultant that can see him in this area and we were offered to go back and see the consultant that we had but after having a family discussion we decided that this would not help our Son.
The only support we have is our GP and of course ourselves.
We saw our Son develop this illness and saw him without medication and it is frightening to think that this consultant wanted to stop his medication. Our Son still takes Olanzapine and our GP thinks it wise.