Picture this: One day out of the blue, a call from a long lost adult child, it’s been years sense you have heard his voice, you spend many sleepless nights worrying about this young man and now, at last the phone call you’ve been waiting for is here at last. There is a significant change in his voice a certain void in the tone—the words spill out, words you only see on a news. and giggle about because, this could never happen in your family. Your child is ranting on, about demons, of an arrest because he took off his clothing and paraded into a courthouse.
Unfortunately, today, there is a grave need for mental health resources; many caregivers are at a loss. Finding contacts when there is a crisis, which organizations are available when our loved one is out of control and what about local support groups? Living with a mentally ill family member is frustrating enough, but trying to find the necessary resources can be exasperating; which adds to the stress of the caregiver and the mentally ill family member.
Some mental facilities instruct the caregiver to call 911; it does not always help. One incident, 911 was called, the police officers responded, assessed the situation, and could do nothing to alleviate the issue. The term, fifty-one-fifty is defined as: A danger to oneself or others; this does not include what the caregiver considers as such.
What are your rights, responsibilities, and whom can a caregiver turn to for advice and assistance? I have been in the trenches and have some answers. I research every day for more information and will continue to do so until the end. When something this catastrophic enters your life, you learn how to get what is needed—survival of the educated!