a day in the courthouse (my legal guardianship)

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Well, not a whole day. I spent about an hour in a courtroom.

First, listened to a couple of other cases. Then mine came up.

Years ago (after many year of repressed anxiety) I was diagnosed with schizophrenia. Then I later it was schizophrenia plus major depression. Then came schizophrenia plus obsessive-compulsive disorder (mostly pure obsessional, along with depression). Later it was schizoaffective disorder plus OCD. Late last year and early this year, the diagnoses were changed to a type of ASD/PDD called Multiple Complex Developmental Disorder plus Major Depression, with intense anxiety.

I was in a hospital psychiatric medical unit with a lung abscess and psych med changes, and things had really deteriorated before that. The people at the hospital (social worker and I guess the psychiatrist) said I needed a legal guardian. But that was approximately when my life turned around, so I hardly needed one after that.

I didn't attend the first court hearing, but I did attend this one. I saw the first petition: "Has schizophrenia, has poor hygiene, takes his meds improperly" (or something very close to that; the wording may be slightly off). I just went with it even thought I did not want to, and tried to be cheery about that and moving into an adult foster care home (also not very needed by then).

Stayed at the AFC almost 3 months. It sucked. (Lived with someone who later murdered a guy for no real reason...)

The guardianship really didn't do much good. I really felt like I was not living my life, but my dad's life.

I tried to get the guardianship modified/limited or removed several times. My dad would not talk with me about it much at all, but when he did he would say that to him it doesn't mean anything--it's just a piece of paper. Then came time for renewal of the guardianship, and he had it renewed without talking with me about it, and had reasons listed, such as his desire that I get part-time work.

My thought is, if it doesn't make much difference to you, why did you get it renewed without saying a word to me?

Well, today we finally had it modified. Good. Yay.

Got very nervous waiting in the courtroom for someone else's case to be heard. Didn't really want to hear the dirty laundry of somebody else's family. The mother wanted to be co-guardian of her daughter, and a Department of Human Services representative said that the mother had substance abuse (alcohol and perhaps illegal drugs) problems. Very sad an nerve-wracking to listen to.

I'm not going to give the details of my own case much. Maybe later. But, we did discuss my diagnoses. The judge seemed to think unlikely that I had a PDD/ASD because I attended a regular K-12 school and graduated from a college/university without special ed. I think he is wrong. I have intelligence, but the social aspect of much of school was a nightmare. There are a lot of out there with PDDs/ASDs whom have attended regular school systems.

Enough for now.

Yay for you!! !

As an aside, I know what you mean about having to listen to the cases that precede yours. I once had to go to court because my driver's license expired, and I had to listen to a bunch of hit-and-run indictment cases before mine. Very nasty business, and I was embarrassed for everyone there.

You're very kind, mv. Thanks.

For those curious about the modification of the guardianship:

The SSDI/SSI shall remain in his name, and if there is any serious mental health conflict in the future not resolved with community mental health, the psychiatrist, and myself, he can step in. Also, if I get a brain injury or something like that he can make a decision.

Wow congrats!

BTW that is some interesting history and guardianship.

Supported independence is the ultimate freedom I think. But one needs to take it one step at a time.