I am full of sadness and grief at my son's choice to reject help from my husband and I, and instead become homeless.
I used to come to this site years ago to read and find support. Here is my story. Son has been severly bipolar since age 15 and is now 28. He had been doing well recently, living at home, working part time, taking a couple of college classes, generally pleasant and helping out around the house, participating in extended family events. He was fine at Easter.
Then suddenly one night at the end of April he was manic and psychotic. He wouldn't go to the hospital and law enforcement wouldn't chapter him. He ended up with disorderly conduct charges due to an altercation with my husband which we were shocked at because he never acted out that way before. He was sent to the local detention center then after a week to the state mental hospital for suicidal reasons.
After a month in the psychiatric hospital the DA dropped the charges because it was a mental health not a criminal issue. So yesterday he was released from custody. My husband was there to take him to the local shelter, I arrived also. Son refused to get into either of our cars and instead took off on foot clutching a huge bag of prescription medications he was released with. He wouldn't talk to husband at all and only had negative disparaging comments to me. He is still very manic.
We have seen him through many hospitalizations, college semesters that turned into manic episodes, periods of recovery at home when he couldn't work or go to school. Always with a lot of understanding and support from husband and me.
But this time is different. Episode was sudden and severe, son wouldn't voluntarily go to the hospital as he often has, and he acted out against my husband who was trying to prevent him from destroying property in our home.
I cannot save him from himself. Until 6 weeks ago he and I were very close, now his bipolar mind is in contol worse than ever. You moms who have been at this point longer than I are so strong. It is a fresh wound for me and I don't know how to cope. Thanks for reading this long, sad tale.
I used to come to this site years ago to read and find support. Here is my story. Son has been severly bipolar since age 15 and is now 28. He had been doing well recently, living at home, working part time, taking a couple of college classes, generally pleasant and helping out around the house, participating in extended family events. He was fine at Easter.
Then suddenly one night at the end of April he was manic and psychotic. He wouldn't go to the hospital and law enforcement wouldn't chapter him. He ended up with disorderly conduct charges due to an altercation with my husband which we were shocked at because he never acted out that way before. He was sent to the local detention center then after a week to the state mental hospital for suicidal reasons.
After a month in the psychiatric hospital the DA dropped the charges because it was a mental health not a criminal issue. So yesterday he was released from custody. My husband was there to take him to the local shelter, I arrived also. Son refused to get into either of our cars and instead took off on foot clutching a huge bag of prescription medications he was released with. He wouldn't talk to husband at all and only had negative disparaging comments to me. He is still very manic.
We have seen him through many hospitalizations, college semesters that turned into manic episodes, periods of recovery at home when he couldn't work or go to school. Always with a lot of understanding and support from husband and me.
But this time is different. Episode was sudden and severe, son wouldn't voluntarily go to the hospital as he often has, and he acted out against my husband who was trying to prevent him from destroying property in our home.
I cannot save him from himself. Until 6 weeks ago he and I were very close, now his bipolar mind is in contol worse than ever. You moms who have been at this point longer than I are so strong. It is a fresh wound for me and I don't know how to cope. Thanks for reading this long, sad tale.