I wrote in the past about my great-niece that is 23 y/o and is suffering from Schizoaffective Disorder, ptsd and is bipolar. She is receiving treatment by a psychiatrist that she only sees once a month. In the last 2-3 months, she says she is suffering from cramps.. I don't ever hear her complain when she is with me and we are having fun, it is at night when her father and step-mother get home from work or on the weekends. She has had every ultrasound, x-ray, scan and last Monday even had a laproscopy to see if she had endometriosis, she has had an endoscopy, the list goes on and on...no doctor can find anything wrong with her. Yesterday, the day after the laproscopy, I stayed with her during the day and we watched cartoons, talked, went outside and she was fine...no complaints. Then her Dad walked in the door and the first thing out of her mouth was "daddy, I am nauseous"...could this be connected to any of her mental illnesses or hypochondria? We are all at our wits end and I have to take her to have her stitches out next monday to the ob/gyn and I am so afraid when he starts asking her, have you had pain, have you had nausea, have you had.....that she will answer "yes" to all of them...could Factitious Disorder or Hypochondriasis be a part of her problem?

I honestly believe yes this could be a problem.
Is there anyway you could get her some therapy where you could involve the whole family to discuss your concerns?
bizi

I can try, I am so afraid if I bring it up she will have a meltdown and then her parents will be mad at me for bringing it up. The last time we had family therapy everyone just sat there except me and wouldn't even talk except for totally unrelated topics so as not to upset her.

what about a group home? somewhere supervised but yet with a group of people with similar issues, are there such places?
bizi
I am sorry, it sounds frustrating.
sorry I am not being much help.

The business of walking on egg shells around her brings to mind what could be borderline personality-type issues.
Perhaps she could benefit from Dialectical Behavioral Therapy.

Maybe regarding family therapy -- it might be useful for the three people caring for her to have their own group therapy session with the therapist (nephew, wife, and you). That way there would be a chance of helpful communication.

Mari

Hi Skippy. I'm Brokenfriend. This is very complicated. These are very hard to live with. I'm sorry that she is going through this.

I get pains in my stomach that use to make me feel like I was having a heart attack. At times my stomach area would spasm. It's a build up of anxiety. I also have gotten nauseous recently. Please be patient with her because she probably feels like she is going through a maze. This is also very confusing for the care giver,and the person who has these conditions. It's very complicated,and doctors could not find out any of my problems with EEG's,and tests like those. If I had a PET scan,that may detect the OCD.

All of these conditions together are very burdensome. There's false guilt,fear,self confidence problems,fealings of rejection,not wanting to be around people,fear of the future,and present,and the list goes on,and on. No one understands these mental health issues that are in a combination. Sometimes if you help one problem,another problem pops up,leaving everyone around them perplexed.

My parents didn't know what to do because it also manifested as a learning disability when I was in elementary school on up. It's like dyslexia,and attention deficit disorder. When I was a teenager I went to a military school to deal with these reading problems. I did better,but by Spring I had a major panic attack. So one thing gets dealt with,and then another problem comes up.

If you could be a good listener that would be great. Be patient. No one will know what's going on if it is anything like what I've been through. What she's probably feeling is happening inside of her emotions,cannot be seen,and is probably not hypochondria,or hypoglycemia.

I know that this is misunderstood,but she may not be able to help any of her problems. I've been through more then a dozen psychiatrists,and agonized over my condition.

I hope that this has helped. I feel stigmatized,and humbled by all of these challenges.

The one medication that they added to my other three is Seroquel. That has helped me allot,but it causes weight gain in most people. Brokenfriend

Skippy

The one thing I would take from all the doctor's at this point is they aren't locating anything wrong.

Next, when you are with her again and he walks in. And she makes
a statement like this. Maybe ask why she didn't tell you.

Not to be argumentative or anything. Just a statement, why didn't
you tell me. We could have gotten you some crackers and seen if
it helped.

Donna

Thanks so much for your insight. She is such a sweet child and none of us want to have her go to a group home but want to surround her with love and caring. I totally understand what you are saying and it has been sooooo very helpful! God Bless You!

Yes there are a few group homes in our town but they are deplorable. All of them allow the residents to drink, smoke, wander around town. She is so immature and vulnerable that it is terrifying. She tries to fit in but in the past, they have done more harm than good. What really worked was an Adult Day Care where she had time with others while her parents worked and could learn social skills but after one month our State said they erred and since she gets SSI they had determined that she received $1.30 too much for eligibility! I have spoken to everyone at our State Health & Human Services office to no avail they simply won't continue to allow her to go unless she pays for the entire daily program which we cannot afford. Both her counselor and psychiatrist pleaded her case to the State but to no avail. How this cannot be a travesty is beyond me!

Skippy

Those aren't the right kind of group homes you are so right.

Keep working with her. And just remember as you have stated.
She is fine till they come around.

She maybe after the attention it gets.

Donna