My dad is schizophrenic, he’s never actually been diagnosed by a dr but thats because he wont go.
My grandpa and aunt&uncle tried to force him to by taking custody of me they gave him meds for depression. He pretended to take them, we found the stash when He left one day and didnt come back.
we didnt hear from him for 4 yrs. he didnt believe his dad was his dad…to make a long story short he eventually came back and has been back for about 8 yrs and for the most part has been able to support himself except the last yr and half.
He lives with my aunt right now which is wearing on her, hes very paranoid he feels people hitting him he thinks its whoevers around. Or the neighbors or people driving by.
Over the yrs hes called the police hundreds of times trying to catch these “criminals” that shoot him with vibrations . Or sting his legs or his back. Or hitting his lungs so he cant breath. He thinks the neighbors throw there voice in the room to make it sound like there right next to him.
I was trying to make this as short as possible, my point was i dont know what to do. I dont know how much more my aunt will put up with. I try to have patience and it just doesnt work he can be such a dick even when hes not trying to. I get so mad so quick sometimes And cant bite my tongue we just end up arguing.
I know he cant help it but i dont even know how to calmly respond to him constantly accusing me of hitting him or asking me why im such a shit for helping these criminals ruin his life. I dont want to push him away he gets mad if u even incinuate theres no one hitting him.
But i dont know how to help him day to day, such as simple replies to his delusions, but i know me flying off the handle doesnt help i cant imagine how hurt he must feel that his family doesnt have his back but how can i let him know we have his back without feeding the delusions.
That sounds like a really difficult situation. There is an approach that does work which doesn’t feed the delusions, which is to empathize with how he must feel. Think about how you would feel if you did beleive what he believes - and empathize with his feelings, without confirming or denying what he believes.
Here is a document we call “First Aid for Psychosis” - which is basically an instruction guide on how to deal with these issues.
Share it with your family and work to incorporate these into your life.
And as far as treatment for your dad. Work slowly on things to help him get what he wants. Perhaps he wants to work again - but the voices are preventing him from sleeping. Try to get him to see a psychiatrist about his sleep problems then - and slowly let him see the value of help.
I’ve dealt with tactile sensations myself and I recommend that you get him to a hospital. He is a danger to himself, because he could die from a lack of sleep. Really, he is not living right now. He is under Schizoprenia’s dark grip. You can help him be freed from this if you tell the doctors at the hospital that you think he is a danger to himself. Otherwise, the doctors will turn you away.
This is not something to be angry at him about. This is something that requires immediate action.
I sincerely hope you get him help soon and that they find medication that works. I’m on Risperdal and I am going back to school. He can recover, but you have to act swiftly and without remorse.
Where I live it’s really hard to get treatment; I hope that is not the case for your father. Be persistent and don’t wear yourself out. Try to be patient and steady, kind to yourself and all involved.
Day to day I go with the basics: food, shelter, whatever is needed that can be given. No arguments or confrontations, lots of down time. If I become impolite or unreasonable, I leave the situation in as nice a way as possible (I’m going outside or I’m going to make some tea or I’m going to watch tv–with an invitation to join if it seems okay to ask).
Psychosis is unnerving for everyone. For a variety of reasons, lots of people who are definitely experiencing debilitating psychosis are not hospitalized even when they themselves or their family members seek treatment. Keep trying to get your father helpful, consistent support.
Depending on where you live, there are doctors, state or local crisis hotlines, social workers, even CIT (crisis intervention training) trained cops, all kinds of people who might be able to intervene on his behalf; it’s not up to you what happens, but you can contact them and tell them what has been happening (just as you described in your post) and why you believe he requires treatment. Get in contact with local resources ASAP