Phycosis? schizophrenia? possable ASD? Drug use, any advice please?

[Marne]

Hi, i have posted on here about my step son in the past. 6 months ago he had a breakdown after being depressed and smoking weed. He was phycotic, showed signs of Schizophrenia and depression. We also suspect that he maybe on the autistic spectrum as both my dd's are diagnosed with ASD (looking back at dss's childhood he showed a lot of ASD traits and possable ADHD traits).

Anyway after a few weeks he seemed to be doing well, was having therapy and taking anti-d's, then he started disapearing (from his mothers home) for days/weeks at a time, we found out he was not taking his medication and had got involved in a bad group of lads. Last wed he had another break down. Before the breakdown he had taken out loans using his mothers account, borrowed money from family and friends, apparently he was buying drugs to give to these lads as he wanted them to be his friends, he was also taking them shopping to buy clothes etc. We know he has been taking drugs (possably coke but i'm not 100% sure), a few days before the breakdown he had come home and had apparently come off the drugs and was back in touch with the mental health service.

He's now phycotic again (hearing voices, doesn't trust anyone) and has been givenseveral different medications, he's at home with his mum as the hospital has no space for him.

We dont know where to go from here, we strongly susspect he has ASD but we are worried he will be diagnosed with schizophrenia because of the phycosis and we are worried that this will keep happening and each time it will get worse, we are worried we will lose him .

Mental health services are visiting him every day but they only really seem to be treating him with medication and not actually looking for the cause.

Dss is 19, i have known him sinse he was 10 and he has always been different, never happy, never thionks about how his actions will effects overs, self harmed from a early age and hardly talks unless its a subject he is obsessed with (football or x-box).

Any advice welcome x

Hi Marne, just wanted to say it may be best to post on special needs section, for either children or teens. There is more traffic there. good luck.

Thank you x

Just wanted to send you info regarding recovery from psychosis
-it is really great he is on meds and slowly on the road to recovery
-the longer he stays on the antipsychotics for as long as his psychiatrist recommends, the more likely he will not relapse a third time
-each time there is a relapse, the more severe the psychosis is likely to be

The medication is really, very important to a good recovery from psychosis and getting back to as stable and symptom free as possible for life.

it is really important he never uses drugs again as this may promote a relapse also. Very hard for you guys to educate him until he is well, you may need the nurses and psych to drum it into him.

My relative relapsed many times due to going off her meds and became more severely ill for longer by the fifth time. After a lengthy recovery (many years) she now is on meds for the rest of her life, but back to work full time and leading a happy life, now married with lovely hubby.

With the asd, when he is well again, you could have him referred for assessment as he does sound likely to have different needs (visual processing disorder/auditory processing disorder, too?)and possible therapy.
Best wishes