(March 20, 2020) The Treatment Advocacy Center asked family members with loved ones with severe mental illness to share their stories about how COVID19 is affecting them.
Below is one of these stories:
“My 35-year-old son lives in a nearby group home. He was diagnosed with severe bipolar and psychotic tendencies at age nine. He has had over 30 hospitalizations, during an eight-year period of psychotic hell while refusing meds. Three years ago, he turned it around. It was a miracle.
Although my husband visits daily and usually buys our son his supper, there have been changes in my son’s routine that concern me. First of all, his day program at the clubhouse shut down. My son was going faithfully for three days a week. That was pretty much his life and his socialization. Now gone.
It also served the purpose of getting him out of the group home, which has been important, especially since filing a complaint about a staff worker. But now life has pretty much stopped in Massachusetts, combined with an already broken system, which leads me to believe I won’t be hearing anything for a while. And the worker, who has been verbally abusive to my son, is still employed in that group home. In fact, they are short on help, and she has been working triple shifts, which is not supposed to happen. They have her on a different floor, but there is still contact and that is how it remains.
I realize my son’s stress level can affect his mental health. I also realize he can have an episode, even if he is on his medications, if the circumstances are setting things in motion. In other words, I fear the “perfect storm” possibly developing, and it’s not a good feeling.
So many things have to be in sync in order for my son to remain stable, from meds being available, nurses being available for his monthly injection, and so much more. If something upsets the apple cart, there’s no telling what will happen.
So I have an uneasy feeling right now. I also realize that my son’s situation is so much better than most others, especially those facing homelessness or incarceration. And, for that, I am thankful.
Like everyone else, we just have to wait and see how this plays out.”
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