Edited 17/02/2021
Helpless
white christmas
February 2, 2018 17:20
Our AD had her first ever bout of psychosis last Summer and had to have intensive care in a mental health hospital for four weeks followed by two weeks on a more general mental health ward. Her susceptibility to psychosis is based upon early life trauma and genetics. The trigger for the episode was most likely cannabis use. Since coming out of hospital she seemed to have a new positive attitude and took her anti psychosis tablet each day, wanting to stay well and out of hospital. She has a mental health nurse who sees her once a fortnight but her post adoption support therapist is on leave for a few months at present. This week I discovered that she has not been taking her tablets for a few weeks, is using cannabis again and is claiming that the doctors are wrong in their opinions. I tried to make her see sense and understand the risks but she will not listen to any other opinion than her own. I understand how she is trying to keep her flashbacks at bay by self medicating but I cannot understand how quickly she has decided to forget the terrible experience of psychosis and its aftermath when she gradually became more lucid and scared of being shut away in hospital. I keep in close contact with her and try to do activities with her, like a session of badminton today, but I am feeling helpless and frightened. I lost my lovely mum on the day our AD came out of hospital. I am battling with grief. I feel like I am losing my lovely AD too.
Pear Tree
February 2, 2018 17:37
Itâs a terrible thing. Cannabis is a much bigger issue for our ac who have got such trauma related vulnerabilities. I think the whole process of smoking dope is exciting/ happy for them whereas taking pills is boring and the effect can be very long term Blossom refused to take her meds for her psychotic episodes absshe much preferred to act on them and Get the various thrills involved with that and drugs. Iâve discovered that nothing is a good idea unless she has thought of it.
Edited 17/02/2021
Pear Tree
February 2, 2018 17:38
Can you get dd a reassessment for her mh? Young minds area big help
Edited 17/02/2021
lilyofthevalley
February 2, 2018 18:13
So sorry to hear about what you are going through. My AD has suffered from mental health problems over the years. My advice to you would be that you should pass on your concerns to your daughter's mental health nurse, the GP and psychiatrist. They will probably not be willing to share information with you due to confidentiality but you need to inform them about what is going on. I have had to liaise with the GP and psychiatrist at various times such as informing them that, when she was being weighed as a result of her anorexia, she was weighing herself down with weights in her pockets to make herself appear heavier than she was. If it is seen to be essential that your AD takes the medication to avoid relapse it may be possible to supervise her medication. For a few years I worked as a carer and we used to visit a young man who suffered from psychosis and who had been prescribed medication to take. He had a history of non compliance. The carers visited at set times and witnessed him taking his medication. Lily x
Edited 17/02/2021
white christmas
February 2, 2018 18:54
Thank you. I will inform all I can but as far as I know, the nurse already knows about the cannabis use and sporadic taking of tablets though she may not know the extent of the issue. Our AD keeps saying that the nurse is not too worried and understands why she decides to use cannabis. I will have to see if this is an accurate account. I am not sure about a reassessment but will ask about it.
Edited 17/02/2021
Archived
This topic is archived. New posts are not allowed.
