Liam’s Story in a bit
Having a mental illness can be lonely,
isolating and scary. But when people share their stories of coping with mental
illness or substance use disorder, it can provide inspiration and hope and be a
welcome reminder that you are not alone in your challenges. My son had suffered
schizophrenia as long as I can remember, we had no idea what was happening and
didn’t know where to turn for help. It was hard then because we didn’t
understand the symptoms earlier. When you struggle with an invisible disease,
many won’t believe you. Early detection of mental illness and early treatment
could have prevent full-blown psychosis and improve the long-term prognosis.
There was a time he decided to get away from everyone, moving into a serene
house in the woods with a pond and vocal wildlife. He said, “I loved to gaze at
the moon and listen to an orchestra of fireflies and bullfrogs”. As do most families, we went through many
sleepless nights and periods of intense grief. I cannot express the pain and
anguish that came over me. We fought for
proper medical care and humane treatment. We did everything we could and we did
it with love, with intelligence, with experience and with a fight rivaling that
of a mother bear defending her cubs against the predators that threaten their
life. We have ALL given pieces of ourselves, sacrificed our own way of life for
him and have spent many late nights worrying and praying. Behind the closed
doors of our homes or a therapist’s office or a psychiatrist’s office we put
our heads together to decide what is best for him and sometimes most of our
choices work but more often we are less than successful. There was very little
support from friends, family and the community. I racked my brain and kept
thinking of all the things I could have done differently to prevent such a
horrible illness.
It was such a relief when someone told me about
the Mental Health Foundation of
Australia. There I found other people going through very similar situations
as me. I have dealt with shock, sadness, guilt, grief, anger and fear to name a
few. I was able to interact with our new counselor, he told me about CONSUMMO treatment
and their depot office in Australia. I finally found some respite and help.
Even though, our Psychiatrist was not in support. Don’t expect everyone to understand your
journey, especially if they have never had to walk your path. I am not
judgmental of other people- I see good in everyone. We have been using this herbal supplement for
just 6months with up-to-the-minute development, the symptoms are all gone. He stays
calm now. He can go to lectures. He has
lots of friends, many interests and is building his life again. Liam’s illness
has helped me grow to be a better person. Once again I have found balance in my
life.
I would be very happy to receive any comments
on what I have written here. It is also important to hear other points of view
on the subject. I will keep you all updated after my son complete the whole
treatment in the next 6-8months.
Amelia Wilson
old. We were made to believe his autism may be as
a because of DNA, RNA or heredity. Suddenly, our happy little boy hardly seemed
to recognize us or his sister. His behaviors became increasingly strange; he
wouldn’t make eye contact, or even try to communicate by pointing or gesturing;
make odd gurgling sounds, walk on his toes, and spend long periods of time
repeating an action, such as opening and closing doors, running up and down the
room repetitively. He would learn words but then seem to forget them easily, He
often screamed inconsolably, refusing to be held or comforted and this symptom
has seriously affected his communication and learning. And he developed chronic
diarrhea. 
