Friends, Family & Carers Forum

[vmainard40]

I have been around here lately since I have been really busy. With my job as a carer for my mother and brother and working in supermarket and just before Christmas that is a lot of fun.

The main reason I haven't been here is that I have been really busy with caring for my brother. His voices are back and really bad. He has no to very little insight into his illness and his touch with reality is almost totally gone.

His voices use to have a pattern to them that Mum and I could make out. Now that has all changed and they are all over the place. Random things that are about his life and make no sesne.

There are couple of things that are really worrying me right now. My brother thinks that our nieghbor who have nothing to do with. Is in love with him and wants to go out on date with him  to get to know him, She's getting a divorce and looking for someone else.

He convinced that the voices in his head are going to attack him and resents us for not letting him call police to put a stop to it and thinks that we don't believe him. I can play the voices game to a certain degree. If he asks me if I can hear something when I can't. I am not going to tell him I can.

Another thing that concerns me is I go out of the house a lot to go to work as I have a a part time job. I am silly thinking that the voices could tell Grant to hurt my mother and then do it and come out of it and regret later.

At the moment I think I have more questions than I am getting answers for. His care team are doing the best they can to try and help. We are trying to put off hospital since it stresses him a lot. The love mum and I have for him can only go so far. I just hope things get beter soon not that I hold out much hope of that happening.

[MIFANTCARER]

Hi there, Í want to start by extending thanks to you for looking out for your brother, especially in his troublesome times. The efforts you and your mother put in assist your brother and the community in so many ways.

Im hearing you and your mother are in need of some you time to restore yourselves. Two things to look at to assist you all.

1st look into the Mind Spot Clinic for the wellness online program, funded by the government or if you reside in Darwin you can access our living well program through MIFANT. Your human and humans need time and activities to promote restoration for you.

2nd look into Aim Hi, its a beut program developed by a psychiatrist  helps with education and getting into the habit of seperating the illness from the person, also look into and set up an action plan for these times, it includes action for all of you.

Were all in this community together,  please continue to talk about whats happening and focus on the experiences you want to have.

Heres to a prosperose 2017.

[CherryBomb]

Hi @vmainard40,

It is really tough knowing how to support someone who is unwell. You mentioned you have more question than you are getting answers for. Are there any questions in particular that you feel have not been answered? Perhaps we can have a go at answering them?

I wonder if you might be interested in this thread, 'Schizophrenia', in the Lived Experience Forum. I'm not sure if you have mentioned what your brother's diagnosis is, but I think this thread might be relevant because @samt31 and @Queenietalks about their journeys to recovery, and how support and treatment has helped them. They might be able to to provide some advice on how you can support your brother.

CB

[samt31]

hi @vmainard40 i hear voices everyday. my lovely sis in law is my main voice and she commands me do things or jugdes me by what i do each day. my sister inlaw knows this but we don't talk about the content of what she is saying to me because i don't want to stress her out. recently my brother was a new voice which i haven't heard in awhile. these are examples of what happens to me.

it sounds like to me your brother isn't coping at the moment. With the neighbour could she talk to him? has he really lost reality? When i lose reality i come with up very interesting scernios but that hasn't happened to me in 2 years or so as iam on an injection every 2 weeks the dose is high but it is effective.i have been stable for 3 years now.

 i can see from what your saying hospital isn't answer for him Are his care team reviewing his medications?

hope this helps?