We have had a roller coaster summer. My son was hospitalized at the end of June and meds were changed. This change was not successful and his positive symptoms came back. He had a tough time with this and went back to his previous regimen which controls the positive symptoms but leave him feeling “flat”. At times he self medicates to deal with this. He Dr. won’t change the regimen until he quits doing that and he tries to comply - can go about 4 weeks and then uses alcohol or something else because he feels so unhappy. He does have a friend who has a lot of friends, so he is around guys his age frequently. He attended a party and did some type of substance that caused the positive symptoms to be more noticeable but he says they are more positive and he feels good. That lasted a few days. I am a spiritual person and I have prayed with him a few times but I am tentative about it because he has questioned how that is different from his experiences and is angry at God at times so I don’t push it a lot. At my mom’s he saw the book Jesus Calling by Sara Young and started reading it. He wanted his own copy - he got the one where you can write notes. He says this book has provided more peace to him than anything in his 5 years of treatment. He is calmer - he spends quiet time. He feels like he can handle what happens. He is still having some positive symptoms but he says this book helps him to acknowledge what they are and dismiss them. He attended church with me last week and wants to come tomorrow. I am Lutheran and belong to the warmest, most loving group of people. A true welcoming and judgment free zone. This had been a lifesaver. Prayer, meditation, Jesus, God and the saints are a huge part of my life and mental health, overall health. I am so happy for him. He is also seeing a Reiki master Monday who was recommended to him by a very respected couple in our community. I will post if this is positive for him. His doctor says I have been too lenient and that I should take him to a shelter and tell them I will not let him live with us anymore. I can’t do that. He is compliant with meds, pleasant to be with, never violent. I know, together, we can do this. Sorry for the length - hope it helps someone out there.
How wonderful to hear that things have settled down after your “roller-coaster” summer. I don’t know why a doctor would say to take him to a shelter unless he was violent or not taking meds and that was causing problems. (I have become convinced the “shelter” option, or the threat of it, is very appropriate in some situations.) Like you, our family has a strong faith, including our son. However, I did not want to push that during his illness because I know that delusions often build on aspects of faith, among other things. However, when our son was in a serious stupor at home for several weeks and I read the “Jesus Calling” out loud to him daily where he sat at the kitchen table and he did not say a word or make any kind of acknowledgment of it, he later told me “You don’t know how much that meant to me!”. When he was homeless living out of a car for 3 months, we later found that book, well worn but bookmarked to the date that he was found and hospitalized. And even now, after much of the last year in and out of hospitals, he has recently picked up a Bible or that same devotional and asked someone to read it to him. I trust that it is a source of comfort as he is very disoriented right now.
I am glad you have the resources from your church and you are right! Jesus and God are a very big part of mental health. And glad your son came upon that book. This will be a big help in his road to recovery.