I can die happy

Saw the Stones tonight with my son Alex.  He's been going through some mental health stuff for about a year, and sometimes his anxiety changes our plans.  He was off his game for the first couple hours, but we settled into our seats and had a great time.  I can confirm that Keith is definitely not in the top 10 guitar players, but Mick has not lost a note.  His voice was as strong as when he was 20.  We're really not sure how well or sick Alex will be at any point in time.  Some days I don't think he's going to make it, and he will end up a statistic.  So any time I get to spend with him is special, and I'm so glad we got to do it.

Damn. Sorry to hear what you are going through. No parent deserves to go through that. Don't give up.

sharpy wrote:Since I have a TON of experience with mental illness in my family (father was a paranoid schizophrenic),  I am not going to waste time and spout pity on you but tell you to get up and make sure he is getting psychiatric help. When you had cancer, you didn't hang your head and "woe is me' it up, you sought and got medical help and are now cancer free - this is no friggin different, other than the societal stigma that comes along with mental illness.  You HAVE to get him in and get him help - no questions asked, no excuses accepted. Below is a quick link to FREE mental health clinics and services in the Chicago area - get calling tomorrow and get him in ASAP. 

https://www.bing.com/maps?osid=562422c4-f388-4378-803d-32a95e0b7118&cp=41.885265~-87.785892&lvl=11&imgid=4a1ab6a0-f9fb-4292-bd39-50195d118400&v=2&sV=2&form=S00027

Last summer, before he told me what was going on, he went to a campus counselor and only went three times and said it didn't help (I found this out way after the fact...had no idea he was going through this because he was on campus last summer as he is this summer).  He finally told me what was going on last August, and even then he only told me a little at a time.  I got him into his primary are doctor ASAP knowing that it would take some time to get into a psychiatrist as a new patient.  She prescribed an anti-depressant at a very low dose.  I was able to get him into a psychiatrist rather quickly, and she increased the dose.  It really didn't help much...he continued to have overwhelming depression and anxiety, coupled with mini-breakdowns.  In December, he was at his lowest to date.  I got him into an IOP, and he saw a psychiatrist there who doubled his anti-depressant and prescribed an anxiety medication.  In February he left the IOP, which he had found extremely unhelpful, and actually felt that it made him feel worse because he didn't speak at all in group because he doesn't like talking in front of people, and he found that listening to others' problems made him feel worse.  The IOP provided a list of therapists, and he chose one, and he actually adores her.  He's been seeing her once a week since February.  I have continued to try to get him into a psychiatrist, and his therapist has emphasized to him that he needs to get back in and get back on meds.  I have spent hours upon hours trying to get him appointments, and I made one for him near school.  The day of the appointment, I picked him up, we were on our way, and he asked me to take him back to school.  He shakes with anxiety and he said he couldn't go.  I sent him a list of all the psychiatrists I had called and told him to make an appointment with one of them.   We will hopefully be getting into someone soon.

jaywit wrote:Wow.  Sorry Blondy, that's tough, that's ultimate stress.  Grab the good times with him when you can.

Thanks, Jay and Rob.  Very much appreciate your kind thoughts.  It is definitely the ultimate stress.  I am astounded at how prevalent this is.  One of Alex's sophomore year roommates ended up in-patient for a couple of weeks around spring break of that year.  He returned part time in fall 2018, taking only 2 classes, and he didn't finish the semester.  So far he hasn't returned.  Alex's roommate in fall 2018 took a medical withdrawal from school to do a 3-month intensive outpatient program.  He did return for the spring 2019 term, and so far, I think he's doing OK.  When I took Alex grocery shopping last week, he was telling me about a girl from the cross country team who left school two years ago for mental health reasons and she just came back.  

It's been such a roller coaster.  I am very grateful that these things are talked about more openly and without shame these days.  I appreciate the commercials with Michael Phelps, and the ads with Lady Gaga and Prince Harry (or was it William?).   The more out in the open this is the better chance we have.