My word, what a fiasco! I haven't suffered that many setbacks, thank goodness, but I understand your pain. It seems like the only people who can get access to qualified care are those who can pay (a lot) for it. Here in Canada our health care system is getting spotty, but mental health care has slipped through the cracks, and it's a struggle for so many people here. I see people getting poor or improper treatment, getting bad attitudes from "professionals" that turn them off of getting help entirely, getting into trouble because of the incompetence of their care, and ridiculously long waits to get in to see someone who - finally! - knows what the heck they are talking about and what to do about it.

It must be especially hard because he's your son, and you're trying so hard to do what is best for him, dealing with your own challenges at the same time, and swimming upstream in a system where life jackets seem hard to come by these days, unfortunately.

There are so many medical "professionals" that simply do not get it or want to get it. Those are the kind of people who just want to get paid, with no genuine desire to help people, and there are too many of them these days. In a government insurance system, professionals who do care can get jaded, too, and that leaves us with even less to rely on. The other sad side to that story is that people like you and I who have been through all of this, who have done our research as lay-people without medical degrees to be informed, make better choices than the NP you're seeing now. Leaves one scratching one's head.

After finally seeking help as an adult and getting laughed at by one doctor, told to go to AA and addictions counseling by an intake nurse at a hospital on a night I did something stupid instead of counseling me, and that no psychiatrist would see me until I had been sober for six months (total crap!), I got to the precipice of "I can no longer do this. Really." and showed up at my GP in a state that was impossible to hide, and he immediately referred me (what a relief). I then waited six months for an appointment, but thank goodness I did, because I'm getting good help for the first time in my life.

Don't give up - I know you would never give up on your son, just try not to despair and have patience in the hope that the next person who comes along is the one you've been waiting for. I'm so sorry you are both dealing with this right now. I wish you strength.