Surviving psychotic symptoms and being a single parent. Is it possible? (Success stories or any general encouragement...)

[mylittlepudding]

OK. Newly single mum to 18 month old dd. Have bipolar disorder. Also have professional job. Muddle through tbh even at the best of times.

Now hallucinating and paranoid. Psychiatrist is fab, started quetiapine which has helped pretty fast before. But it sedates me out of my mind even on lower doses. Have had to take almost 3 days off (too dopey) and a friend took dd to CMs today.

Just don't know what to do. Need this drug in my system, so I can get better, need to be awake enough to think, need better sleep, need to take good care of dd, need to take care of me. I love my girl more than anything in the world, if I could see the best thing for her I would do it in a heartbeat.

I don't think I can keep all the balls in the air much longer.

[mylittlepudding]

Bump! Help - anyone???

[mmelody]

Hi mlp.. are you seeing a cpn? Psychiatrist can refer you to one.. sounds like you need much more support than you are currently getting. What about HV? Surestart maybe could help?? Make an appointment to go back and see psychiatrist and ask for a review of your medication.. he needs to know that you are sedated and struggling to care for your daughter while on the medication..

[laidbackinengland]

Hi mlp... we have chatted about this before I think. Can you get some proper time off work to sort this out and get stable and on top of things again. I remember you said how important you job is to you - but you really need to prioritise you at the moment.

[electra]

Sorry you're having this struggle. I take quetiapine too - it makes me very sleepy, but I'm lucky in that currently I don't work. Bumping for you really...

[mylittlepudding]

I feel like work is the only thing that is holding everything together. It is predictable and manageable when everything else is not, and mostly it's good for my self esteem. It seems to make me a better mum too. laidbackinengland I must seem like a right heartsink not taking your advice - I do appreciate you talking to me, and am not ignoring it. Just feel a need to keep muddling through for just now. Prioritising me can still involve working and having a "normal" routine, can't it?

I feel safer this week, just on 50mg though which is nowhere near a therapeutic dose.

Will get in touch with HV - both she and my CPN are hard to get on with - maybe it's just me. When I've opened up to my CPN she's seemed all very uninterested and the HV goes on about DD being on the 2nd centile to the exclusion of all else...

[electra]

mlp - maybe you should ask for a different CPN? I'm being assessed at the moment and I have seen quite a few different people. One CPN has been very helpful and I feel understands me, but another sits and comes out with glib platitudes such as "you need to cut yourself some slack" (what does that actually mean anyway??)

I think it's important for you to be able to talk to someone who understands you well.

[ra29]

mlp- just wondering what your psychotic symptoms are/ have been?
Hearing voices for instance is very common and many people live very happy 'normal' lives with them. Only a minority are actually seen in the psychiatric system. If you are hearing voices then the hearing voices network is great and can give you loads of 'success stories' from people that are doing well.
Whatever the difficulties are- you definately won't be alone.