My family member is in the process of being diagnosed & his doctor thinks it’s SZ. He shows all the signs for it but is not on any medication yet. He has been able to hide and control his symptoms from his friends in order to feel “normal” He’s been invited to join his friends at Cedar Point but we are not sure how he would handle the large crowds and intense rides. Has anyone ever had problems with their loved one at amusement parks? He’s going on his own and he’s never been big on roller coasters.
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There is no way to know for sure. Mental illness can be very unpredictable, especially if untreated. Stress can very often be a trigger. Are you able to talk with your family member about his symptoms and possible challenges a trip to Cedar Point might create for him? I would be concerned were it my son but my son seldom will go places without me, we do go to the State Fair together every year, but then my son has been stable on meds for a long while and he hates the rides, we just go for the exhibits and the fair food, the crowds can become stressful and we just leave when it gets too much. It would be good if your family member had a way to leave if things got bad for him or if he would be willing to postpone the trip all together until he is more stable on a treatment plan. If he is sz and untreated it will be extremely hard for him to make consistently sound decisions on what is in his best interest.
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I always just help our family member do any positive or neutral social activity they want to do. Lots of times I have thought things would go wrong and they didn’t. Sometimes things went wrong.
Relating socially is normal and healthy for a young person (as long as they are sober) and is actually one of the goals of treatment.
I like @Catherine’s idea of him being able to leave early if sensory overload or other stress occurs.
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Even after 3 years of stability, my son and I talk about an exit plan if he is not doing well He is under treatment and has a PRN (as needed) anti anxiety med that helps in times like this. He is comfortable to share his diagnosis with friends and always takes the PRN med with him.
Once he flew home with no PRN he managed but it was very hard handling the airport without the anti- anxiety meds.
Go with him and be prepared to leave if it is too much. Then talk about what went right or not and make a better plan next time, Good luck!
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I went to cedar point after being diagnosed with schizophrenia of coarse I was on medication. I didn’t have a problem with crowds but the rides kind of scared me. I don’t think I would go back.
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