This is my first post on this website and I hope I am posting in the right place. I am also hoping to gain some help and support.
My son is 18 years old and on the autisc spectrum. He seems to be suffering a nervous breakdown and his own anger is really scaring him ( and me) . Last night he attacked me (not for the first time) and then asked us to get him to the hospital for help. He knows that he needs help and desparately wants it. He couldn't stand the wait in the hospital and left. His father was with him but there was nothing he could do, on his own, to prevent this. Eventualy the police found our son and took him back to the hospital. He was then sent home and told to contact his GP in the morning. We took him to the GP who refered him to the mental health emergency response team. He was told that the team would ring him within the hour. They didn't Two and a half hours later I rang the surgery and they promised to check up and ring back. They didn't. My son lost it again and as I had been advised last night by NHS Direct to ring social services for help, I decided to do so . I told them that my son was physically attacking me and threatening to kill me but as soon as I mentioned that he was 'autisic' the person at the other end said that as this was a medical condition they wouldn't be able to help. I feel totally let down by everyone except the policeman who handled my son with great skill, kindness and understanding. In 18 years I have never called Social Services and only did so because the NHS advised me to - I rang the tel. no supplied by them. In the end my husband took our son back to the doctor's surgery and refused to leave. Eventually we gained access to the emergency response team. I haven't slept at all - neither has my son. The response team admitted that the hospital should have dealt with this last night.They also told me that the surgery had provided them with an incorrect telephone number.
We need help as a family. The first GP I spoke to this morning tried to defend the hospital and said that my son was stupid to leave the hospital the first time round. If he had really needed help he would not have done this. There is no understanding - none at all. My son is on the autistic spectrum for goodness' sake. There is a full diagnosis and it is on his medical records.
