Son's mental health

[Janet_21011]

Hi, my son has mental health problems and has been under the Early intervention team for a couple of years now. He is calmer with a depot injection which he gets every two weeks but he still has his problems. He becomes nervous surrounded by people, for example, on a full bus, he will start to laugh to himself. He is very vulnerable and he needs alot of support from me. His depot injections are aripropazale and sertraline. He is very childlike for his age. Autistic traits have been suggested and he is on a waiting list but he was absolutely fine at school. All of this started in recent years when he had horrendous anger outbursts, involving smashing things etc. Has anybody else experienced similar. I always wonder about his future.

[Melly1]

Janet,
the routine and structure of school may have enabled him to cope and mask. When he left school and the structure that provided things might have started to unravel. A diagnosis of autism may enable him to get the support he needs.

Melly1

[David4]

Hi Janet

I developed mental health problems when I was about 14 years old and these led to my dropping out of school at the end of the fourth form. Between 15 and 25 my life was very difficult and I suffered from confusion, isolation and anger. Eventually I attended a 5 month group therapy course and this was helpful.

Can I ask how old your son is? It's a great shame this virus has interfered terribly with people's medical treatment, not least for mental health problems. I don't know what's available regards psychiatric help these days but, with strong support, I really believe it is very likely your son can make a good recovery.

Best wishes, David

[Janet_21011]

He is receiving treatment. He gets medication from the Early intervention team but his groups that he enjoyed have stopped for now. He's on a waiting list regarding autism but he was fine at school, shy but no obvious problems except towards the end. He wasn't enjoying the end of school at all. He was hearing voices at one point. He is receiving benefits which obviously helps him but I just wonder about his future. His psychiatrist mentioned the fact he was coping at school but couldn't cope with a job he had( he heard voices saying everyone hated him) was like you say, his personality traits which are quite childlike at times stopping him from dealing with adult life and work.

[Janet_21011]

He's 26