Finished my NAMI Family to Family class!

[TerryJ2]

We had our last class Monday night and a nice party. 12 wks. Whew! And on the same day that difficult child has his NILD class. Lots of running around in rush hour traffic. Glad that's over!
Everyone brought food. There were 4 presenters. One had bipolar, not sure what the other one had, except that she said she was on drugs for awhile and she couldn't get a good diagnosis until she was clean (shades of my niece).
Every time someone announced that they were diagnosed, on medications, and working again, there was a round of applause.

I am definitely handling my difficult child better, but not quite as much with-my cousin. She's okay with-me, but the day after I see her, she acts up 10X worse with-her Visiting Angels caregiver and the staff. Don't know if that's a Rebound affect or what. And she can't learn, because she's got memory loss; difficult child can learn. I see progress, if only a little bit. It helps with-my frustration level. Yesterday I got a call that there were cigarette burns in her sheets and blankets, and the nurses tried 4X, with-4 sets of people to get her washed and dressed in the a.m. and she refused. When the head nurse came in, she was buck naked and arguing that she could do it by herself.

I'm going to go back and re-read the entire curriculum, and then letting a few people borrow it. I think I'll give it to the Visiting Angels person first. She's usually in the front lines.
I'm going to try ONE more time to get husband to read just a few pps, on a weekend, when he cannot possibly say he doesn't have time. And then I'll give up.

 

[recoveringenabler]

Terry, congratulations on completing the class, that's an accomplishment which will give you good tools to use with difficult child.

 

[DDD]

Way To Go, Terry. I hope you reap the benefits. Fingers crossed that husband gives a little time to gaining understanding. DDD

 

[Star*]

AWESOME JOB TERRY!!!!!!!!!!!

Never stop learning!!!!!! I'm proud of you - that was a long class, but it seems like it will be well worth it.

 

[Tiapet]

NAMI classes are good and worth going through. Yup, they take time but it's time well spent! Congratulations!

 

[TerryJ2]

Thank you. The person I carpooled with is having an awful time with-her daughter, who is bipolar. For whatever reason, she doesn't take her medications, or they don't work. So she has had to skip two classes to stay home and be at her daughter's side. I know the feeling, but luckily, it's only been for a couple of days, 5 yrs apart, with-my difficult child.
They have a new dr and I hope this one knows what's going on.

 

[buddy]

Very Impressive! Will you miss having a dedicated time to get away with people who get it? Maybe tell your family you're going to part two and meet the lady you car pooled with at your favorite place to sit and relax? Smile!

 

[crazymama30]

I took the family to family class. Then I got more involved with the NAMI family support groups, and than I was approached by some of the board members about joining the board and eventually teaching the basics class. I cannot wait. I am on the board, and my clas to learn how to teach the basics class is in April. Sometimes it just helps to be around people who don't think you are off your rocker wehn you explain what your loved one did. At the last meeting I went into? One of the lady's sons is in Portland, and he wore all white and said he was a sperm and he was going to impregnate all of Portland. He is about 20yrs old.

 

[TerryJ2]

Yes, I can still see them; they meet in a different bldg for a support group every Wednesday night. I will go every other Wednesday.

A sperm! lol. Alrighty then.
One lady in class has a daughter who is schizophrenic and sent back a pizza delivery guy twice because she thought someone peed on the pizza. It was the bubbles from the yeast. When he came back the third time, the mom kept the pizza, paid for all three, and told him not to come back or take their calls any more. All in a day's work.

Her daughter was also talking to Prez Obama to show him how well she was making her bed.

Another one's son thinks that there are still slaves in the U.S. Never mind that we have a black prez.

Sometimes my problems seem petty; but when difficult child blows up and I come into class late and my hair is sticking out all over and my eyes are red-rimmed, they are the first to give me hugs.

 

[BusynMember]

Terry, I think that's GREAT! I would LOVE to do the same as you did, but there is no NAMI office near us and the classes are an hour away. Big kudos!!!!

 

[TerryJ2]

Thank you. This class was nearly 1/2 hr away and a PITA to get to in rush hr traffic, but I am so glad I did it.