Let's Talk Life: Concerned for my son's future

Yvonnie Bailey- Davidson, Contributor

Dear Counsellor,

My son is 19 years old and has been diagnosed with schizophrenia. He takes an injection every month and tablets daily. If he misses the injection, he will become aggressive and lash out at me.

It, therefore, means that I have to ensure that he gets his injection each month.

He was diagnosed with mental retardation as a child and schizophrenia was added when he was 14 years old. Now that he is out of school, he is working on a farm. The owner knows that he is mentally and intellectually challenged. His workload is not heavy and he likes what he is doing. He saves his money and likes to go shopping. He doesn't have any friends, but he accompanies me to church.

I am always worried about him. He is functioning under my supervision, but I always worry about the future. What will happen to my son when I die?

There should be a home run by the Government for people who are mentally and or intellectually challenged and who don't have family support. I don't want him to become a street person or a beggar. I know that there are private nursing homes, but my salary is small, and I cannot save enough to pay these expenses. I would like to make arrangements with Bellevue to take him when I die.

I am concerned about the mentally ill street people and would like to know about the care of these people. They should be at a residential facility and so would be cared for. I would like to see my tax dollars put into such facilities.

The mentally ill seem to be voiceless about their needs. Relatives will not always be around, and provision needs to be made for their care. We need advocates who can lobby the Government and the private sector to take better care of the mentally ill. Family alone can't help these people.

They are in an unfortunate position and will be marginalised and their rights will be taken from them. I do a lot of research on the Internet about the treatment of the severely mentally ill. We need to look at best practices and implement them in our society. I pray that when my eyes are closed, Bellevue will take him.

- Mary

Dear Mary,

The issues that you raised are immediate and of great importance. I see these problems daily and am quite aware of the dilemma that relatives face with their mentally ill family members.

Many times, the patients are living with their sick mother, who is the only one willing to make the sacrifice to take care of them.

The voice of the mentally ill needs to be heard. The patients are not sick all the time, so they need to speak out about the injustices and disenfranchisement. Each group has to be prepared to carry its load and get things done. There is a Jamaican saying; the creaking wheel gets oiled.

We need to work together to help the needy ones among us. Mental illness is no respecter of persons. Anyone can be afflicted.

Email questions and feedback for Dr Yvonnie Bailey-Davidson to yvonniebd@hotmail.com or call 978-8602.