What do you when you don’t a strong support person in your life to help you with your illness?
I want to get an ACT team to help me, but I’m unsure about how to get it. I looked up info about the local ACT, but it didn’t say. Does your pdoc or therapist have to get it for you? Is a history of hospitalization required?
well i have my mother to look after me and support me.
but for a couple of years i had a support worker from the mental health centre and she was a really good help. she would take me out once or twice a week she would take me for coffee and sometimes we would do things that make me anxious so that i felt i had achieved something having done those things. she really made me well but then the doctor altered my meds and i went downhill again. am better now though
I have absolutely NO idea what I would do without support. I make it through my day to day with help. Somedays… easy and no glitches…
Other days… I’ve used up everyone’s batteries. My family lives close and I share an apartment with my 18 year old kid sis as she goes to college.
Getting a case worker, visiting nurse, ACT team sounds like a great idea. I don’t think your Doc has to get a ACT team FOR you… but he would probably have some ideas on where to begin looking in your area.
I wouldn’t think you would HAVE to hospitalized to get an ACT team. But I ended up in a day hospital with vocational training and that helped me out a lot. Also, if you live near a university that has a good psych research program… they might have some ideas on resources too.
I don’t think I myself can live without family and friends, and online community plays an important role in my life since the popularity of newsgroup. Unsure if alt.xxxxx.schizophrenia still in existent until today?
Hi,
I think ACT is available to anyone who needs it (in those areas that have it - not all do). I recommend you call your local NAMI office and ask them if your area has ACT support:
NAMI Offices:
http://www.nami.org/Template.cfm?Section=Your_Local_NAMI&Template=/CustomSource/AffiliateFinder.cfm
Without support I do the best I can. But I do have support. Support I’ve found is crucial to me. Family, peer groups, friends…these are all crucial to my well being.
And I’m not someone who even requires a whole heck of a lot of socializing. But regardless of this I do need support in place to live in this world.
Can I ask where you live and I can try to find what is available in your area.
I’m not positive but I think you need to be referred by a medical professional. This should include pdoc, therapist or even your GP.
I live in Madison, Wisconsin.
I can’t remember what ACT stands for in my area but it’s only for seriously ill and difficult patients. It’s pretty intensive and only takes people who are a poor fit for the other services in the area. Most of the people I’ve known who had an ACT team were pretty ill. I’ve never had an ACT team and I’ve been, at times, pretty difficult and non-compliant.
EDIT: Found some info.
Clients served by ACT are individuals with serious and persistent mental illness or personality disorders, with severe functional impairments, who have avoided or not responded well to traditional outpatient mental health care and psychiatric rehabilitation services. Persons served by ACT often have co-existing problems such as homelessness, substance abuse problems, or involvement with the judicial system.
Yes alt.support.schizophrenia still exists.
Yes - but its mostly spam, and other junk. Not good conversations.