Worried mom

[Jusbeingmom66]

Hi I'm new to this site,just wanting some feedback. My 20 year old son has a few different diagnosis, schizophrenia being one with depression. I work 3rd shift and he stays home, he has no friends, he is trying hard to get a girlfriend with no success but he constantly tells me he's tired of being alone with nobody to hang with or talk to that understands what he's going through. I keep telling him that it's ok I'm here for him but it doesn't make it easier on him.. I'm lost and feel bad for him but don't know what to do, I can't quit my job. Sorry for the long post , any suggestions?

[AlexSZfutureRN]

No problem at all, welcome! The good news is that schizophrenia when diagnosed early has a much better prognosis, a prediction of someone's quality of life. I would recommend looking for a support group for other individuals with similar diagnoses- you'll find that schizophrenia tends to be grouped with bipolar disorder and schizoaffective disorder. There, your son will find people who are struggling with similar problems, and will likely gain helpful skills to cope with his mental illness. It's also worth looking into a similar group for yourself- caretakers of loved ones with serious mental illness. Being a caretaker is hard, albeit rewarding work, and the people in such support groups will have better, more personal recommendations than I could make.