<p>
	Frank had to take a protection order out against his son</p>
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	A 70-year-old man whose son has mental health problems has said he is &quot;broken-hearted&quot; after having to take out a protection order against his son.</p>
<p>
	The man, named Frank, spoke to Joe Duffy on RTE Radio One&#39;s Liveline, about his family trouble and said he is at a loss at what to do to get his son, who is 40, help.</p>
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	He is frustrated at the lack of services available to his adult son.</p>
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	&nbsp;</p>
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	Frank&#39;s son was diagnosed last year with paranoid schizophrenia and has been hospitalised twice. Recently his son stepped out in front of a car.</p>
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	Last week Frank had to call garda&iacute; to remove his son from his home.</p>
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	&nbsp;</p>
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	&quot;I didn&#39;t feel safe in the home with the verbal and psychological abuse... so I got a protection order,&quot; he said.</p>
<p>
	&quot;He was taken away last week. He got very angry and got aggressive and was banging things and trying to injure himself. I didn&#39;t know if he was going to try and injure me or what.&quot;</p>
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	&nbsp;</p>
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	The garda&iacute; took his son from the home in handcuffs.</p>
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	&quot;I feel broken hearted... to have to do something like that. I&#39;ve cried my eyes out since,&quot; he said.</p>
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	&nbsp;</p>
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	He is now in the city centre and his dad believes he is in a B&amp;B.</p>
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	His son recently called to say he got a &quot;bang of car&quot; and Frank believes his son deliberately walked out in front of the car.</p>
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	&nbsp;</p>
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	&quot;He does be sending me messages saying he is going to do these things and he done it this time,&quot; Frank said.</p>
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	His son was brought to hospital where he given stitches but he was not seriously injured.</p>
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	&nbsp;</p>
<p>
	He is taking medication for his illnesses but Frank said that his son&#39;s symptoms flare up every so often and, while Frank praised the hospital staff and garda&iacute; who have dealt with his son, he feels more should be done for him.</p>
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	The worried dad frets about the future when he is no longer around to look out for him.</p>
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	&nbsp;</p>
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	His son has fallen out with other family members and does not have friends.</p>
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	Frank was recently widowed and he said his late wife was a companion for his son.</p>
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	&nbsp;</p>
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	&quot;She was better at handling it,&quot; he said.</p>
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	&nbsp;</p>
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	Now on top of grieving for his late wife, he said the situation with his son beginning to cause him to pull away from his own support systems:</p>
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	&quot;I&#39;m beginning to isolate myself from a lot of the, I&#39;m getting withdrawn myself and feeling what&#39;s the point in continuing on?&quot;</p>
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	&nbsp;</p>
<p>
	&quot;I know they&#39;re doing the best but it&#39;s terrible that I can&#39;t get him into some kind of a programme... but I need help now,&quot; he said.</p>
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	&nbsp;</p>
<p>
	&quot;I&#39;m at the end of my tether... I feel like I&#39;ve nothing, that I&#39;ve worn out everything I can try and do for him. I know that the services that are there are good but they are not sufficient,&quot; he said.</p>
<p>
	Host Joe Duffy urged Frank not to withdraw from his support systems and to try to realise he is not his son&#39;s only hope.</p>
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	&nbsp;</p>
<p>
	&quot;You&#39;re not his last hope and you&#39;re not his only hope,&quot; the broadcaster told him.</p>
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	&nbsp;</p>
<p>
	(Published by the Irish Independent on the 1st August 2017)</p>
<p>
	<a href="http://www.independent.ie/irish-news/health/im-brokenhearted-dad-70-in-plea-for-help-after-taking-protection-order-against-adult-son-with-mental-health-problems-35989885.html">http://www.independent.ie/irish-news/health/im-brokenhearted-dad-70-in-plea-for-help-after-taking-protection-order-against-adult-son-with-mental-health-problems-35989885.html</a></p>
