Kids / Children with schizophrenia

Hello,
I am brand new here. I am desperately looking for more information on children with schizophrenia. Is there a specific area
on this board that tackles these issues.
I have adopted a child who is being considered for the schizophrenia diagnosis, but was previously thought to just have bipolar. I am trying to find resources. thanks very much

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Welcome to the forum.

I am part of a Facebook group Parents of Kids with Schizophrenia that you may find useful: Parents of Kids with Schizophrenia | Facebook

There is another link but it appears to be down at the moment. Will post it later when the main schizophrenia.com site is back up.

thanks I will try to join it but I want it to be private - there are so many judgmental people in my family and friends that want my daughter out of my house , I dont want them to see this group. The sad part is people are actually afraid for my safety but instead of being more supportive the way I would like them to be they want me to make a dramatic move to hospitilalize
her . One of her biggest triggers is separation from me in any way shape of form.

Hi

We have a lot of information about childhood schizophrenia here at the site - we used to have a discussion forum for just that, but have since merged it into this forum because the traffic was too low (its very rare in children) so you are in the right place.

Here are some links that may be of value:

http://www.schizophrenia.com/child/archives/004672.html

http://www.schizophrenia.com/child/archives/004672.html

I also recommend you read up on this:

By the way - This lady (below) is widely considered the number one expert in childhood schizophrenia (it is very rare - so most psychiatrists don’t know much about it). She also does a lot of research on this topic and so has free programs for children. I highly recommend contact her, and see if you can get recommendations for doctors in your area, if you can’t visit her directly:

Judith L. Rapoport, M.D.

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Hello. Please google the name Jani Schofield. Poor kid. :cry:

thanks thanks thanks hey we had a bad two days. She choked my throat yesterday and left a lot of marks this time and I lost some airway breath til we got her hands off of me. She continued to slam things around for about 20 minutes and then all of a sudden she went behind the recliner and her affect changed, I asked what was wrong=- she said Lukas is here he wont stop follwing me I feel scared, and she physically shook like 30 seconds or so. I tried to talk to her to make Lukas go away. We heavily medicated her so she would sleep. Today she seemed better. So She asked to watch a video of a hold we had last week and she told me while watchign it she wanted to choke me again. I asked her a lot of tell me more about that questions and she said to surmise that she doesnt want me to hold her hands at all when she is being unsafe, which led to well what would happen adn she said I would get hurt if you didnt hold my hands -so I asked her to tell me more and she told me that she wants to hurt herself and asked her why and she answered right away she wants to die. I did admittedly cry in front of her. I have never ever heard her verbalize these thoughts but I have seen her try to harm herself prior to the hold but had no idea she felt so unhappy My heart is broke but I am also in shock. I pray they change her meds- I did call her psychiatrist today and we are on an emergency cancellation list - We are definitely in crisis. Its hard because developmentally she is at a second grade level but she is developing at a regular 13 year old level . I am so depressed myself because I had no idea she felt like taking her own life -

You probably don’t want to hear this however I’m wondering if it wouldn’t be safer not only for you but for her also if she was in a hospital setting. They could give and adjust medications a lot easier with the constant monitoring. Doing this outpatient can take a lot longer. While inpatient I think they can give higher doses therefore possibly get her stable much faster. Regardless of her mental level she is still physically 13 and can do herself and you a lot of damage. She is a danger to herself and you. I don’t think this should be ignored.

I almost forgot about them, just shocking that happens.

Do her a favor and treat it as what it really is, i can still remember shaking physically, i looked up from where i was sitting and they looked at me from their seat of power.

It felt so horrendous my bones literally shook.

There they were just staring me down from on high, from up in the sky, and if you thought that people were bad you don’t know shit, their evil is infantesimally greater than all of ours put together.

They might try and keep her quiet but try and ask more questions about lukas and what is going on in her head.

thanks I brought her today and she was not saying she wanted to hurt herself or die -her mood today was much better so they had her see someone in crisis and sent her home. What they saw and told me was they don’t know how they could hospitalize her without me because she goes completely off when separated and can’t deal with reality. When she was 7 or so I stayed with her when she wass hospitalized and she was good.

It does sound like she needs inpatient psychiatric care. She is at high risk of hurting herself and you. That meets the criteria for hospitalization. Where are you located? There are some pediatric psych units that allow parents to spend that night with patients.

Brooke

I think you should reopen the early onset section it is very needed and im sure traffic would be enough with just the few of us please rethink

that would be great to have that reopened - there is very little support online – SHe hasn’t been sleeping well so I have had very little sleep lately nor time. I am in an anxious state. BUt I will look later. The psychiatrist today changed her meds to adding zyprexa - We had to pay out of pocket but I am so hopeful this will be the med change we need and she will be better. She did talk to the psychiatrist today about how she feels sometimes but she doesn’t feel that way today, (self harm or dying thoughts). thanks to everyone here you are so wonderful for all the help

we are in nys - I remember looking a few years ago and didnt come up with many around here if any that would allow parents to stay. I think a lot of times they feel parents contribute to the problem and they want to see the child without the parent - but seriously in this case -I don’t know how we could do it any other way. thanks so much
My big issue is coordination- I have another adopted child he is 10 but developmentally he is about 2-4 years old and needs a careful eye. So If I stay overnight with my daughter It will be costly because I need a lot of help for my son. I think it can be done but it is one more tough hurdle the way things are right now but hey you do what you have to do when you love someone. Unfortunately my family is not keen on helping and tend to be afraid of helping the kids sometimes.

I’m in NYS too. What county are you in? I’m in Orange and I have a list of respite care facilities that might be able to help you.

I will message you thanks so much

I hope and pray the ur daughter is doing better.

Hi fibromom,

I try not to think about it but I have the same concern. One of my daughters is schizo-affective and her partner has schizophrenia and they have two small children. Right now they seem very healthy, however they are only 2 and 6. I don’t spend a whole lot of time thinking about it because I don’t want to borrow trouble but I hope and pray my two little grandchildren will be spared their parents mental illness. I hope you find what you are looking for and find an excellent psychiatrist.

WOW!! The same with my son. I can leave for a specified amount of time, but that’s it. And no…don’t return to work. That creates an entire new world of worry.