3 posts shown.
I honestly feel like there are times when people dealing with certain mental health issues shouldn't even be told their full diagnosis. Take someone who had a "benign" tumor, for example—sometimes knowing the specifics doesn't actually help anyone. I really think that in some cases, especially with folks struggling with severe depression, it might be better to withhold certain details if that info is just going to put their life at risk.
I don't know, man. It really just depends on the situation. Maybe the real answer is just softening the blow with the truth... 🤷
My dad just came home after suffering his second stroke... All they told me was that he has to be on a strict diet—no fatty foods, no high salt intake—but honestly, I have zero clue what that actually looks like in practice. I’ve been scrolling through stuff online saying to avoid greasy meats, processed deli meats, salt, and dairy, but now I'm stuck. I have no idea what to actually put on his plate.
Breakfast is the biggest headache because how am I supposed to feed someone who's spent their whole life eating heavy, greasy meat and won't settle for anything less? (And here's the kicker: he deals with mental health issues too, so my long-winded lectures about how fat ruins your arteries go completely in one ear and out the other). So, does anyone know if there's a way to make breakfast healthy but still filling enough? Especially since he's also diabetic... (I mean, how am I supposed to convince a 240-pound guy to just eat a tiny bowl of oatmeal, an apple, and some low-fat yogurt?) Help me out here... 🙂
Also, totally separate from the food thing, why do they need to keep checking his potassium levels after a stroke? Is that part of the stroke recovery or is it related to something else? And what else should I be watching out for while he's recovering?
The doctor gave me this super blunt, clinical explanation of everything, and I was honestly in such total shock that I couldn't even bring myself to ask follow-up questions. I'd really appreciate any info you guys can share about this—anything at all. I don't have anyone else to turn to for advice, and I don't know a single person who's gone through a stroke before. Thanks...
Both of my parents are living with schizophrenia. My dad has been battling it for 30 years now, and my mom has been dealing with it for about a year. I’ve seen people posting on these forums saying that folks with schizophrenia usually hate life and just shut themselves off from the world.
But honestly? That’s just not my dad. He is one of the most positive, genuinely happy guys you’ll ever meet. He wakes up with a grin on his face and goes to bed the same way. And let me tell you, he hasn't had it easy—on top of the schizophrenia, he’s fighting diabetes, high cholesterol, and blood pressure issues. He’s even survived a couple of heart attacks and dealt with prostate cancer. But the guy never quits. He’s always buried in some book about circuit boards or whatever 😉 and spends his time soldering chips together. Basically, he’s a total electronics whiz and fixes all the electrical stuff for the neighbors. Up until recently, he used to drive everywhere, but he can't anymore because he lost his ability to see colors—yeah, colorblindness—so he can't make sense of the traffic lights.
With my mom, though, it’s a completely different story. Ever since she got sick, she’s totally checked out. She stopped talking to people, then slowly stopped talking to us, too. Now she just locks herself in her room and hardly ever leaves. She’s basically drugged up on meds and sleeps through the entire day. I’m reaching out to any professionals reading this thread—if there are any out there—to please tell me what I can do to get her out of that bed. I am seriously at my wits' end here. The doctors aren't helping one bit; they just hand out prescriptions and send her right back home. Please, if anyone knows anything... help me. Thank you...