Managing Lifelong Mental Health as a Senior

Posted by georgette12 @georgette12, Jan 13, 2017

I have just started using this site so this is my first message.

Interested in more discussions like this? Go to the Mental Health Support Group.

@ihatediabetes

It's really neat that so many of us are involved in research studies. It's supposed to help people coming along after us. Maybe we're the kind of people that agree to be in research. The hardest thing that I ever experienced is being told my son had genetic disorder. That happened at Mayo Clinic Rochester after weeks of testing. It meant my son would never grow up. Then we got all the paperwork to consent to including our son in research cohort for that particular genetic syndrome. But I do remember how it felt driving home with that information - care and support needed for child's entire life and he was only three years old. Now it's 20+ years later and we did survive. But it was hard, very hard. No family vacations. Looking for son constantly because he wandered away. Social services. Special education. Parental fees. Non stop. But we did survive and younger sibling survived, too. She's college student now. Now I'm middle aged with own chronic conditions. That's why I am doing healthy living program with nutrition, exercise, and resilience. I agreed to be included in research cohort for this intervention. I do know I am high maintenance for them. But so far they are sticking with me and all my so-called "complex psychosocial history." So my experience is keep putting one foot in front of other foot and LIVE. There is a time to die. But there is a time to live, too. Death comes fast enough. I think we should live while we still can.

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@ihatediabetes Thanks for your post. You have offered us a lot of inspiration. Teresa

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@brit It has been a while since you have posted. I hope that all is going well for you. Let us know how you are doing. Teresa

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Hello old friends...and hello to new people to the forum. I did not know the best way to check in after a few weeks so i am just starting here. I know our moderators will guide my post along the Connect line.
I was at CROSSROADS in durango, colorado. It is through the Axis Mental Health System. Check the web please for details. When my son killed himself in august, i did not get treatment. I was admitted with a diagnosis of PTSD TRAUMA . i did not have email so i wanted to at least let you all know i am still alive..and i am being carefully and dillegently guided by a group of caring professionals and a grief counselor who specializes in complex trauma. As she calls it. I can just do a little bit each day and i am sleeping constantly. But i am just now starting to get in touch a bit at a time. My message is... WHEN YOU KNOW YOU NEED HELP...GET TREATMENT. DO NOT EVER LET OTHERS STAND IN THE WAY OF GETTING THE HELP YOU NEED. This is especially true of mental illness...as we have all pretty much discovered. My own story really reminds me of this....
The old guy died...and on his tombstone...were these words...."I TOLD YOU I WAS SICK."
Many hugs...

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I am doing great. For some reason my tongue problem just went away and I am feeling so much better. I was using a lot of Listerine and maybe that had something to do with it. My sister in law is a doctor in eastern medicine and for my mood swings I went to see her yesterday she gave me some simple exercises to do and also gave me a accupunture and it has really helped. She is a dr of eastern medicine, dr of pharmacy and a md so I am real lucky to have her and she wants to see me in two weeks. Will let you know how I do.
Thank you for caring and GOD BLESS to all Patti

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@brit

I am doing great. For some reason my tongue problem just went away and I am feeling so much better. I was using a lot of Listerine and maybe that had something to do with it. My sister in law is a doctor in eastern medicine and for my mood swings I went to see her yesterday she gave me some simple exercises to do and also gave me a accupunture and it has really helped. She is a dr of eastern medicine, dr of pharmacy and a md so I am real lucky to have her and she wants to see me in two weeks. Will let you know how I do.
Thank you for caring and GOD BLESS to all Patti

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@brit Hi Patti: I'm so pleased to hear that you are feeling better! It sounds like you have some good supports in place for yourself. Teresa

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@georgette12

Hello old friends...and hello to new people to the forum. I did not know the best way to check in after a few weeks so i am just starting here. I know our moderators will guide my post along the Connect line.
I was at CROSSROADS in durango, colorado. It is through the Axis Mental Health System. Check the web please for details. When my son killed himself in august, i did not get treatment. I was admitted with a diagnosis of PTSD TRAUMA . i did not have email so i wanted to at least let you all know i am still alive..and i am being carefully and dillegently guided by a group of caring professionals and a grief counselor who specializes in complex trauma. As she calls it. I can just do a little bit each day and i am sleeping constantly. But i am just now starting to get in touch a bit at a time. My message is... WHEN YOU KNOW YOU NEED HELP...GET TREATMENT. DO NOT EVER LET OTHERS STAND IN THE WAY OF GETTING THE HELP YOU NEED. This is especially true of mental illness...as we have all pretty much discovered. My own story really reminds me of this....
The old guy died...and on his tombstone...were these words...."I TOLD YOU I WAS SICK."
Many hugs...

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@georgette12 Thanks for checking in with us! I'm so glad that you found good treatment. Keep in touch with us as you can. Teresa

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@georgette12

Hello old friends...and hello to new people to the forum. I did not know the best way to check in after a few weeks so i am just starting here. I know our moderators will guide my post along the Connect line.
I was at CROSSROADS in durango, colorado. It is through the Axis Mental Health System. Check the web please for details. When my son killed himself in august, i did not get treatment. I was admitted with a diagnosis of PTSD TRAUMA . i did not have email so i wanted to at least let you all know i am still alive..and i am being carefully and dillegently guided by a group of caring professionals and a grief counselor who specializes in complex trauma. As she calls it. I can just do a little bit each day and i am sleeping constantly. But i am just now starting to get in touch a bit at a time. My message is... WHEN YOU KNOW YOU NEED HELP...GET TREATMENT. DO NOT EVER LET OTHERS STAND IN THE WAY OF GETTING THE HELP YOU NEED. This is especially true of mental illness...as we have all pretty much discovered. My own story really reminds me of this....
The old guy died...and on his tombstone...were these words...."I TOLD YOU I WAS SICK."
Many hugs...

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Hello again @georgette12, thank you very much for your update. Like you said, I "guided" your post back to the Managing Life-Long Mental Health discussion where you were posting before. I did this because I wanted everyone you were in contact with before to see your update.

I also moved it back to this discussion because I think your willingness to share updates on your journey is in no doubt an inspiration to the other members of the Mental Health group. I admire your courage to share and your willingness to seek help. Thank you again for updating the group, please keep doing so!

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Hello gailb. And of course a hello to everybody on the forum who i have missed for two weeks. I think my last post was about my not saving my son from suicide. And your kind response was/is appreciated . i did post a note on the "create a discussion" section today because i didn't know where to post that i'm back.
To galib...thank u for sharing your story about your son. And at the time he was telling you this, i remember that it was not at all an easy thing...to be gay...much less admit it. So you actually DID save your son's life! You did something a lot of parents could not do. You accepted him just the way he was/is. I have friends...and yeah they are still friends i guess...who will not support their son being gay. They keep it a secret and it hurts him. I am his adopted aunt. I made it a point to give him my personal support . his mother is a serious religious person and he is now certain he is "going to hell" .... His words...not mine.
There is something not right here. I don't want to offend anyone reading this...but that is another discussion anyway.

Gailb...it does occur to me that your son might want a chance to save YOUR life. It might be good to see how he feels about your plans for the future.
I will post this before it gets too long. But you sound like such a loving and caring person...i imagine your son would be just like you!

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Dear jimhd...it does not feel good when people say the worst things possible. We all know what those words are. I have come to the opposite conclusion that some of us have. I don't look kindly upon it. And i don't really care about why they resort to these insufferable comments. They don't know what to say. They try to make themselves feel better...and on and on...and on...
So jimhd...i am with you on this....it is irritating. What happens to me, is that i eventually move away emotionally from these people anyway. It just becomes a matter of time. Gonna post this and write one more. I wish you the best you could be, at least for today. Sending a kiss.

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So i guess the very last post was my lack of recovery over my son's suicide. Then i ended up at CROSSROADS ACUTE CARE TREATMENT CENTER in durango, colorado. Part of Axis Mental Health. System in Colorado. I had totally neglected my self care. I did'nt care whether i lived or died. So i was admitted to CROSSROADS for PTSD TRAUMA . i didn't try to kill myself... But i was on the edge and a grief counselor specializing in "complex trauma" wanted to have me in a "safe" environment. I have to sign off just to go to sleep and wilo finish tomorrow. I am ok but sleep quite a lot. Hugs to all.

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