Friends, Family & Carers Forum

[Dadcaringalone]

@greenpea 

Thanks for your kind understanding Greenpea! It really means a lot. I’m on a disability pension as a carer and that’s all I can get at the moment. It’s sad to face, but it’s the reality I face on a daily basis. My son’s mentally high functioning with his schizo affective biopolar type. His current medication regime knocks him out completely and he sleeps most of the time and it’s terrible to see your son sedated! A component of his disorder is that he has a type of delusion surrounding being labeled with a disability which I understand being a young man and having his whole life ahead of him. Money is tough at present but I can just about survive if we are careful. We own our own apartment so there is no rental payments so everything just goes towards bills and food and other daily expenses. If I get a bit of casual work every month it helps a great deal. My son is really generous when he has money and now both of my kids are on the youth allowance for the next few years. I’m just living every day at a time. I try to socialize when I can and have a break when I get carers burnout. I enjoy my footy so that’s a great break and I only really need to get fit then I’ll feel much better.

Thanks so much for your awesome support through thick and thin! You are a great person and coping very well with a very tough situation. Your  messages are a highlight of my day.

Take care and enjoy your Thursday evening. XX

[greenpea]

@Dadcaringalone  Hey Dadcaringalone thank you for your compliment re highlight of your day 🙂 what a lovely thing to sayxx. I would have to say the same thing re seeing your messages as well. Just having a connection with another who gets it, is a wonderful thing :). 

Great that your children can now get youth allowance. It makes such a difference doesn't it. I understand completely that you son has a delusion re being labelled because of his mi. It is a huge burden to carry around in itself without others knowing. 

Which footy team do you barrack for? I go for Parramatta and the Swans. I also like watching local club rugby union.  Haven't been to a footy match in years .... I really should go sometime :). I really love watching ice hockey if ever I get the chance that is perhaps my favourite game of all. Love greenpeaxx

[Dadcaringalone]

@greenpea Morning Greenpea, yes it’s great to have someone else who also gets it! I also like the lack of prejudice because when I mention anything to do with mental health both family and friends change and they treat you differently. One of my good friends says that a lot of people and also doctors like to blame mental health on the family rather than just accepting that it’s something that just happens for a range of reasons. I find it pretty condescending when doctors try to educate you about mental illnesses when we have lived experience which is far different to their usual academic experience!

Yes, it’s a relief to know your kids are getting some type of financial support while they are studying. I would like to try and get my son on a disability pension and he said that he’s ok about that but I will need to lead that whole process because it’s very triggering for him. Today’s a big day for him because he has the 1st part of his final exam. Because he’s registered with disability services at Sydney uni he gets a private exam room and they break exams over 2 hours into 2 separate exams. He has the first part this afternoon and the last part tomorrow morning. Because his medication knocks him out completely in the morning we have pushed very hard to get all his exams in the afternoon except tomorrow but I will drive him in for that and just wait around for him with a coffee. I have to get him up shortly so he can go into uni and study before this afternoons exam. I will drive him to the train station because it’s freezing at the moment and he’s particularly sensitive to temperature changes. Not many people realise how much I do for him and it often peaves me off when people comment how high functioning and well he is doing and completely disregarding all the caring going on behind the scenes! I keep doing absolutely everything for him and hope one of these days I will get a break. I love him dearly and will always be there for him even though sometimes when he’s sick because of his lack of insight it’s a real struggle keeping going because he’s like another evil person and all the treating clinicians treat me like I’m the root cause rather than the only person who’s still there to support him. 

So you are also a bit of a swannies supporter, another thing we share in common. Not really into Rugby but love AFL. I used to play so I appreciate all the technical aspects of the game. Just got this pretty cheap membership so I can go to as many home games as I like and I’m sitting with the correct crowd if you know what I mean. I like watching all the games as I’m more interested in the technical aspects and really love a very close even game. Been to a few Giants games but they are not the same as the Swans. Just got this Sports App called Kayo and I really love that because you can cast the content on your big screen or watch it on your mobile device. Looking forward to watching Ash Barty in 

wimbledon very soon. 

Gotta run because gotta have some healthy fruit before getting my son up. Gotta a bit carried away writing to you. Have a awesome day Greenpea and hope it’s very happy for you. XX

[greenpea]

@Dadcaringalone  Hey Dadcaringalone I am pretty lucky I have only had one instance where a so called professional (psychiatrist) made light of my son2s situation when he was very young about 6 or 7. My son2 started to show signs of schizophrenia when he was very small and we would take him to see various psychiatrists and others for help. This particular doctor called my son2's visions as 'weird and wonderfulls'. I so wish this particular jerk could see my son2 now and hear what journey our family went on to get him there. He was so dismissive of our concerns luckilly for us all the others took son2's symptoms seriously.

I hope your son does well in his exam. It is great that they can accomodate him in a private room that would make all the difference for him. You are a great dad with all the things that you do. A selfless dad who truly works hard at making his son's life a better place. I am so happy that you have some free time to visit the footy (I get what you mean about where to sit lol).  It is so important isn't it.  You used to play! Wow so you would get the techical stratergies compared to the rest of us.

I also love watching the tennis. My mother is a huge tennis fan I must ask her about her feelings on Ash Barty. She will be up all night watching wimbleton lol and she is 83!. 

Good talking with you. Take good care of yourself. Speak soon. Love greenpeax

[Dadcaringalone]

@greenpea Morning and thanks for your kind message. Just dropped my son off for his final exam!  He was pretty volatile on the way in but I think that was probably because he was nervous, so I just let it go. Just having a coffee in Newtown waiting for him.

Thanks for your kind words about being a supportive father! I try my best. My mum is also a tennis addict. 

Enjoy your weekend and take care

XX

[greenpea]

@Dadcaringalone  wow Newtown great area for cafes and restaurants :D! Been awhile since I have been in that area of the woods. Hope you son is happy with his exam effort. At least it is over and done with for him. Now both he and you can relax a bit:). Have a great weekend too. Love greenpeax