THE FIRST WEEK BACK FROM THE MENTAL HOSPITAL CAN BE HARD!

The hardest part of putting your loved one is NOT the time in the hospital.

At the hospital there are doctors and staff that monitor their ups and downs.

NO, the hardest part is when they come home.

Here's a sample of what we had to take care of on our first week back:

Day 1:

Saturday, Feb 8th

Arrives back home at end of day.

Talks about very random things...FBI and skin masks/ people sending messages to his mind/ friend watching bad movies/ hospital conversations.

To a family, all this can be alarming, but usually this is debriefing time. Imagine the conversations you'd have if you suddenly came back from a different planet!

I

Day 2:

Nothing special...new medicines seem to be working

Day 3:

Friend and his brother come over to hang out and talk. No problems.

Day 4:

Our son lies about taking the medicine on his own. Instead of taking it, we discover that he put it in his pocket that night. This is VERY bad since he is also in a manic state and stays up all night.

Day 5:

I take off work to enroll our son in a PHP (out patient hospitalization) program.

Of course he is asleep almost the whole time of the interview.

The people are very nice and he stays for treatment.

Our son arrives home full of anxiety. Says he doesn't want to go back because he can't breathe in that building.

Of course, this is anxiety, but we already know the battle is lost.

Day 6: 

I take off work to UNDO all the application process for the first PHP program. I feel like an idiot, but they are very nice and understand.

My wife takes off work to enroll him in the PHP program that he was in last summer.

Everything goes well.

Day 7:

The night medications are hard since the hour after he takes him, he becomes agitated, accusative, and calls us all kinds of names. It's hard for a family to bear since all we have done the entire week is sacrifice our time to get him help. We get NO thanks, nor do we expect any.

Day 8:

Our son's blood pressure is high this morning and we have to decide whether or not to give him his morning medications. It's always something.

***

For today's 5 minute break

here's a nice song by Yuki Matsui...Flying to the Future:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oznwHp-QzcM&list=UUfy5pDNFUIpyXiqKn-CB2gg

from our garden

HOSPITALIZATION #4 IN A PSYCHIATRIC WARD

This past summer our son was hospitalized 3 times for mental problems and medicine stabilization.

For 5 months we have managed to make it through every emergency without resorting to the hospitalization route.

But...

for the mentally ill there often comes a breaking point...

and the family has to make that TERRIBLE decision to call the police.

Fortunately, our city has a non-emergency number besides the 911 number.

When the police arrive, there's also a team that specializes in mental health calls.

Along with the uniformed officers, there's also a non-uniformed social worker.

Both will be part of the evaluation team and will determine if taking your loved one to the mental hospital is necessary.

In our case, it was an easy decision.

After a week at the hospital and a change in medication, our loved one is doing a little better.

Still we live day to day.

Time for a 5 minute break.

***

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=F90Cw4l-8NY

A SLEIGH RIDE

Here's a nice 5 minute break.

It's an orchestral version of Sleigh Ride performed by the President's Chamber Orchestra.

Enjoy your 5 minute break!

David/:0)

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0fcVW3UI2jE