Mum With Schizophrenic Son Needs Help

[mooog]

I need advice for a friend. Her 27yr old son who was diagnosed with schizophrenia five years ago has lived with her for just over three years now and is making her life almost unbearable.
She is 52 years old and is really struggling to get through each day. The trouble is that he talks to her like rubbish,which is bad enough but when I get there he acts as though everything is fine and that he hasn't got any problem with his mum. He does absolutely nothing all day every day. He waits for me to call in to see his mum (we have been friends for over 20yrs and I see her every day) so he can have a chat.....something he does not do with his
mum. He thinks everyone to do with his treatment has once again tricked him into taking this particular medication (injection this time as we found a big bag full of his tablets that he hadn't taken) and he seems to think that there is a health remedy he can take to make him better. She has been waiting months for a lady to get back in touch with her that has something to do with help for carer's, but even after she phoned twice there has been no one back in touch. I dont know what more I can say to her. She has suffered with depression most of her life and the situation she is in is really taking its toll on her. Does anybody have any advice they can give me for her?

I didn't want this to go unanswered, dont really have any advice though. Does her son have any links with any mental health teams, that she can talk to for advice?

Hi mooog

I don't have any really advise but I have found you don't get any where until you annoy people until they do what you want. How about she calls help for carers every 3 days and if still no response do it every day until they do help.

Yes thanks, although she has been trying to get the carers to get back in touch with her after four months of trying....they always take a message....still not one person has even bothered to get back to her, I just cant beleive that these people can leave someone for so long in the distress she is so obviously in!!
Anyway, I will defo suggest she tries to get in touch with them three times a week and more if needed.
She does have links with mental health team....this is were she met the lady that helps carers who need somebody to talk to.....she gave my friend her name and number and disappeared off the face of the earth!!! But I will get her to keep trying, thanks.

Tell her to find out about the local MIND service (voluntary organisation that supports people inc. carers affected by mental health issues)

They will have a website

HTH

Oh that sounds like a good idea, I will definitely get her to get in touch with them.
God forbid the actual mental health team could have suggested that to her when she has asked them.

Is she waiting for a carer's assessment from Social Work or is it a carer's organisation she is phoning? She is entitled to her own assessment from social work, but it might not be given a high priority tbh and it could take months to come about. I would have thought a voluntary sector carers organisation would be more helpful than this. If she is getting nowhere with phoning I would put it in writing and ask that someone contact her asap. Letters always get a better response. Also, going to your local councilor and getting them to write a letter to social work and/or health board will usually get things moving.