TW Mental Health

Rainbow114

Hi there I was wondering if someone can help me. I've been having a lot of problems with my sister. She is autistic and has sever mental health issues which I don't feel right to disclose.
My mum and myself are at are wits end, we don't know what to do she has had multiple suicide attempts in the last month alone and the hospital won't admit her because of her autism. My mum is the most supportive person I know towards her and she is trying her best to get the right help for her but she won't take the help. Its causing server amount of stress and I think with Christmas coming up it'll get worse. My mum is finding it hard to cope as well as myself as I'm trying to get through uni and work 2 jobs which also looking after everyone. She has a CPN but he's no help at all.

Anyone with any advice it would be greatly appreciated
thanks

Former Member

This all sounds like a really difficult situation @Rainbow114 and it's understandable that you and your mum are finding it hard to cope as you mentioned. I wish I could give you some kind of immediate advice that would make this all better but it all seems very delicate and complicated and honestly it's a situation that I don't have any experience with. Hopefully someone else on the boards will have more knowledge on the subject and they might respond as well.

I will say it's really admirable of you to be working two jobs to look after everyone but please be sure to take care of yourself too and don't push yourself too hard. I know it can feel like it's all up to you to support everybody but there are other options out there to look at such as applying for benefits or relying on friends and family for help. If you ever need to talk about how you're feeling or even just get some things off your chest the boards are a great place for that.

In any case it seems like you and your mum are already doing all the right things, it may just be an option to push harder for your sister to get the medical help she needs, though as I said I don't have a ton of knowledge on the subject. I really hope you manage to get through Christmas without too much additional stress that you mentioned.

Former Member

Hey @Rainbow114,

Sending so much love to you and your family. This sounds incredibly difficult. I'm glad you decided to speak out about it here - we are here to support you

I'd love to echo what @Riley has said about taking care of yourself too. If you ever need anything at all from us, we are right here

I'm wondering if you've spoken to your local 'mind' service at all? They are often pretty good at delivering support as well as championing mental health needs. They can also help with advocacy - you can read a bit more about that here.

Take good care x

Former Member

@Rainbow114 I wanted to check in to see how you, your mum and your sister are doing? Also if it helpful there are two charities that I wondered if they might be able to help. https://www.autism.org.uk/. https://www.autism-alliance.org.uk/ you may have reached out before but just in case. I hope you have been able to get some rest.

Laura_tigger82

Hey @Rainbow114

I am really sorry to hear you and your family have been experiencing a really tough time. It sounds like you could all benefit from a hug and a listening ear.

As an autistic person with professional knowledge in this area too, I would recommend trying to identify the triggers for your sister’s mental health difficulties.

Often, this time of year is difficult as change is the number one trigger for most of us and there are lots of changes and uncertainties due to a lack of routine (which others may enjoy!).

I say this whilst still validating your sister’s mental health difficulties because unfortunately there is a high level of comorbidity between autism and mental health difficulties. Too often mental health services look beyond autism.

I think you and your mum are in the best place to understand your sister and what she is experiencing and her triggers. Once you have identified her triggers, it will be easier to help your sister to find alternative strategies for coping with her difficulties.

The National Autistic Society also has some useful information about managing mental health difficulties for people with autism that you and your mum might like to explore with your sister. If you are interested, you can find it at https://www.autism.org.uk/advice-and-guidance/topics/mental-health

In terms of yourself, how are university and your jobs going for you? It sounds like you have a lot of pressure on your shoulders at the moment and we are here to listen to you.

We care about you all and we are here for you all!