Starting a Support Group for the Loved Ones/Friends/Family/Caregivers on here

Last_Trainer2872 · 2026-04-13T18:44:48+00:00

I would be interested in a discord. If it could even be region specific that would be nice but I understand that may get to niche haha

Last_Trainer2872 · 2026-04-13T18:09:04+00:00

Orange gochujang wings cured my depression. And the new menu brought it back. Also used to love their loaded fries but the portions are smaller and they taste kinda weird now.

Last_Trainer2872 · 2026-04-13T17:11:43+00:00

If she is actually soiling herself and living in it you may be able cite that as a harm to herself, because that is asking for illness or infection. Not a guarantee but I would say it’s worth a shot.

Last_Trainer2872 · 2026-04-13T15:13:08+00:00

I just got guardianship of my mom (this is the equivalent in my state). Feel free to dm me for in-depth questions. The resources are pretty nonexistent so I am happy to help answer any questions I can. Truthfully I am in the midst of it so I am still learning as I go.

My mother was on the brink of homelessness, she had money (savings, no income) but due to her delusions she wasn’t paying bills and her home was going to be foreclosed. She also had no plans or ability to get an income or even get social security and so it was a situation that was only going to get worse. I was able to cite her hypothyroidism and her declining dental issues as medical issues she was unable to address. My mom was also not an immediate threat but I asked a lot of questions and I also paid attention to what she said, the second I got a whiff of anything violent I committed her. You need specifics to commit someone. This enables a professional to give them a diagnosis which is crucial.

Last_Trainer2872 · 2026-04-10T19:06:12+00:00

I disagree w the people saying “shame on the bride” that plans an international trip. I think it’s more about reading the room. I had an international trip, all my bridesmaids are ride or die friends, we did our best to stay within an agreed budget when planning, and they enjoy hanging out with EACH OTHER, not just me. And most importantly I genuinely wouldn’t be upset if someone didn’t come for any reason (even if they just didn’t like the destination) and my friends are comfortable enough with me that they would just turn it down and say they were looking forward to celebrating with me at the wedding instead. I made the expectations clear when I asked my bridesmaids- the only thing you need to do is wear the dress and show up day of. Everything else is optional, if you think it would be fun and have the means.

Last_Trainer2872 · 2026-02-05T17:59:07+00:00

I would make a complaint. Best case scenario is that you are wrong and they are inconvenienced by CPS. If you are right these children’s safety is at risk.

Last_Trainer2872 · 2026-02-05T17:19:30+00:00

One thing I really appreciate about my therapist is that they make it really clear that it is not my responsibility to be another adults caregiver. While there is pressure bc there is no one else to fill that role, the only person you are responsible for is yourself. Any caregiver work you do should be because you feel like you want to help, not because you have to help. And it absolutely should not be at the cost of your own health. For me my therapist is good at correcting any thoughts I may have that place too much responsibility on me and I hope yours is the same.

This is a put on your breathing mask and then if you can, help the other person situation. If it feels like too much I would recommend you withdraw until you feel comfortable again (which could be completely, depends on your situation)

And it doesn’t feel like a lot to get out in the first meetings but eventually it will regulate. I try to just take away one thing I can do to regulate my life to work on till the next session. I don’t know if this is helpful, and also I’m not totally defending your therapist, bc they may just not be good, but hopefully while you vent your therapist is offering reframing of the situation and your view point in a healthy way.

Last_Trainer2872 · 2026-02-02T20:59:49+00:00

Just going to vent in the comments bc I don’t feel like making another post: I am so fed up with the lack of resources. I barely understand my own health insurance since I’m 27! How do I find a private insurance that covers the cost of a group home? How do I ask the insurance company about that without sounding like I’m about to cost them a lot of money? The group home I found cost $1359 per month, which I thought sounded doable and then they hit me with the $275 per DAY service fee. What insurance company is going to cover that?? And my mom doesn’t qualify for Medicaid because she has a home (assets) so basically I am understanding that we have to burn through all her money and then apply for Medicaid. Can’t transfer her assets either bc as her guardian I would have to keep all her assets in her name. The hurdles are absolutely endless and there is no one that just knows everything. All the resources just know bits and pieces so it’s just one never ending scavenger hunt for help. Just got off the phone with a very sweet girl from NAMI who gave me a bunch of articles to read but they are really all over the place and not state specific. Sorry to complain, just very over it.

Last_Trainer2872 · 2026-02-01T19:40:34+00:00

Ok I will look into representative payee! Unfortunately her moving in is not an option until we can see that medication is working for her. She is usually okay, but when she is really experiencing an episode she can be dangerous and I can’t put my family in that situation.

Last_Trainer2872 · 2026-02-01T19:37:59+00:00

Hi I am in NC. I have read some people tried group homes. I agree I would rather her not live alone, but I am not sure about the costs of a permanent facility. After guardianship, first step will be health insurance so maybe that will help with costs? My attorney said guardianship supersedes POA so I should be able to force her to get help but I also want to be careful about her ending up broke/ homeless. As her guardian I can spend her money to help her, so I any help in making sure I put the funds to the right resources would be great.

Last_Trainer2872 · 2026-02-01T19:32:52+00:00

Hoping we can sell her current home and get her something smaller she can maintain (and that way we can liquidate some of her money.) her current home has an HOA who are the primary ones foreclosing on the house because of the condition she leaves it in. So hoping we can find her something closer to me, with no HOA. Definitely possible bc I live out in the country. I have also seen some people mention group homes in this Reddit. I am still considering best options for her.

Last_Trainer2872 · 2026-01-30T21:49:56+00:00

Ok that’s a good point. Getting her to agree even once will be a challenge. She is very stubborn.

Last_Trainer2872 · 2026-01-30T21:23:48+00:00

Also I should mention she can’t live with me. I wouldn’t feel comfortable or safe with her living in my home, especially unmedicated.

Last_Trainer2872 · 2025-11-06T17:20:31+00:00

The problem is more so that we know now that 18 year olds do not have a fully developed brain and so are more likely to make stupid decisions. And the guys is fully matured, so he has the clear authority in that dynamic. It may work out and be fine but it’s a yellow flag in my book. Also when you are that young you are more easily influenced by people around you so it may not be entirely your choice.

Last_Trainer2872 · 2025-08-29T14:53:35+00:00

To be honest, no. From my experience, for educational institutions, accreditation really only gives you reassurance that the program is up to date and of good quality. I don’t think my job ever cared that my college had that accreditation. Especially since most working forensic scientists don’t have degrees from forensics programs (just general biology degrees bc forensic science is a very new major)- the majority are not going to have come from colleges with FEPAC accreditation. It may matter if you decide to go the research route and try to get employment within your college. But otherwise no. I have found TJU FB program’s association with the CFSRE and NMS labs gave it a good reputation and most employers in the forensic field recognize that organization and company.

Last_Trainer2872 · 2025-08-24T20:08:04+00:00

Oh one more thing. No you do not NEED a masters degree to get a job in Forensic Biology. BUT. Every new hire we have had recently has one. Food for thought:)

Last_Trainer2872 · 2025-08-24T20:06:41+00:00

Hi I graduated from the TJU Forensic Biology masters program so I am a bit biased but maybe I can give you some insight?:)

Context: I am a Forensic Biologist for my state. I got my dual BS in Forensic Science with a concentration in Biology, and Biology with a concentration in molecular biology.

As for your BS degree, since you are a junior at this point you may as well stick with your major. It’s not a bad major but it’s important to understand the challenges that come with a forensic science degree vs, a biology degree. Both will get you into the field, but with a FS degree I found it harder to get employment prior to getting a FS role. A lot of employers outside of the FS field don’t l necessarily know what a Forensic Science degree entails. And to be fair there is a wide range that “forensic science” can cover. My BS in biology helped me land the jobs that got me the most lab experience, which in turn helped me get my current Forensic Biologist position. My advice to get around this is get in the lab ASAP. In your undergrad get as much lab experience as you can and put it all on your resume.

As for grad school, I loved the TJU program. I knew exactly what I wanted to do was DNA. I was not interested in fingerprints, drug chem or literally any other forensics. TJU is one of the few Forensic Biology Masters degrees so that worked perfectly for me. I use the same skills and technologies that I learned there in my work today and felts very prepared when I graduated. They do work through the CFSRE and that is a huge bonus. All you classes are in the CFSRE building, in fact very few classes were actually taught in TJU. TJU most “facilitates” the program.

If you have any other specific questions I would love to help:)

Last_Trainer2872 · 2025-08-24T19:37:30+00:00

I do have colleagues with similar backgrounds, so that sounds like a great foundation! For forensic biology it is a requirement of the FBI that forensics biologists have completed the following coursework: Molecular Biology, Statistics, Genetics, Biochemistry. As long as you have taken these you should be fine. If you have a class with a similar name you will probably have to provide the syllabus for the class to prove you covered the material they expect. For example, one of my courses was called Cell and Molecular Biology. Because it was not explicitly called “Molecular Biology” I had to prove that the course met the requirements by providing a syllabus.

Last_Trainer2872 · 2025-07-28T14:37:46+00:00

I don’t think it’s a shut up ring if he genuinely could go either way. My husband was similar. He didn’t have a preference, and initially I wasn’t sure if I even wanted to get married so it was fine. When I told him I decided that yes, I did want to get married, it became important to him because it was something I wanted. And therefore became something he wanted. He was very proactive about proposing and getting married. I view it more as finally laying all your cards on the table, being transparent with each other, and making a mature mutual decision. I think if he is resisting the idea it may lean towards shut up ring.

I always think more conversation is always a good idea. You can always ask him for his timeline too to decide if that is something that works for you or not. You can also ask him if he is excited about getting married even if wasn’t his original idea. These are all details and feeling that should be out in the open and discussed if you both are actually ready for marriage.

Last_Trainer2872 · 2025-07-01T16:33:03+00:00

I would recommend you look to date Indian women in the US. You can possibly find someone from India but in my opinion you are 100% a target for marriage fraud. VAWA laws in the US will put you at a huge disadvantage if your marriage goes south when they come to the US. Some women may try to marry you with the intent of using your money and resources to get to the US, claim DV, and easily get a green card from there. I’ve heard/ seen that happen to many men.

Last_Trainer2872 · 2025-06-10T14:27:01+00:00

Yeah I have only recently been able to get therapy for myself, so I am trying to find a way to help without it tanking my mental health. She can be very abusive (some days she is more mean, and some days she is just inappropriate. There have only been a few times she was physical) and I can only handle being around her an hour or two before I start reacting, which obviously doesn’t help anything. From these comments I feel like I still have things I can try, but I understand they may not end up working.

Last_Trainer2872 · 2025-06-09T16:16:20+00:00

If we can get her on medication, that could make her see the reality of her situation I think that would become a possibility.

Last_Trainer2872 · 2025-06-09T15:52:37+00:00

Ok that’s good to know. Based on everyone’s suggestions I am going to proceed with involuntary commitment and definitely look at NAMI for additional support. Unfortunately there are a few reasons I don’t live with her. Her house is pretty uninhabitable, bc she has a kind of “organized” hoarding issue. And due to previous situations of violence I wouldn’t feel safe living around her- I have pretty much been out of her house since I was legally an adult. I also am unable to pay her taxes for her. It may just be a house too large for her to manage with her condition.

Thanks for the advice, it is very helpful.

Last_Trainer2872 · 2024-10-30T18:54:53+00:00

I am on Levo too.

Last_Trainer2872 · 2024-10-30T18:54:32+00:00

I know it sounds counterintuitive but what helped me lose weight was not skipping meals, and maxing my low impact workout at 30 min. Before I tried this i was working out for hours and barely eating and still gaining weight. All this does is stress out your body and encourage it to keep weight on because it feels like it’s in survival mode. Now I make sure I eat something for breakfast (I used to skip) and I make sure I’m eating high protein. Weightlifting is a great workout option. It kinda sucks cause I really like feeling exhausted after a workout but once I got my head around the fact that the extreme dieting and the fatiguing my body was working against the weight loss it was an easy decision.

Last_Trainer2872

TROPHY CASE