Some days, I feel like a hostage in my own home. Held hostage by mental illness. 
Seriously. David had a couple of really good days. Mom took him into the city, he spent time with his favorite Aunt. Life was good for him.
Then there are days like today. If it isn’t his way, then he will hold the whole house hostage with his behaviors and tantrums.
Pretty sad day, when one of the boys leans over and asks me how long we have to deal with the behavior David exhibits before something can be done about it.
In reality, it will be a while. Why? Need documentation of his behaviors and mental health issues.
Facility staff.. If you are reading this, whether or not you ever worked with my son, it is imperative that you document – document – document, every behavior. I know it feels like tedium at the end of a long shift, but it will be incredibly helpful to the patient, and their family. Sugar coating things by leaving them our doesn’t help the patient or their families.
Sure, one could say that these things I am writing about are just negative or bad behaviors. And in a way they would be correct. But it is so much a component of his mental illness that we can understand why people think like this.
The other piece. Paranoia.
David was interfering with my phone call tonight because he was afraid I was calling the Sheriff.
So for half an hour, every time I tried to dial out, he would do something to another phone extension in the house. Once I got all of the other phones secured, it wasn’t difficult to make my phone call to his sister. Sad reality, some days the paranoia overwhelms him.
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