@mbheart I get it from Brainvitaminz which is advertised on this site. Shows how much we don’t look at the ads : ) It is where this recommends eww get it. You can also get it online on various sites. Here you go https://brainvitaminz.com/ It’s not very pricey either. You can also get profrontal from them (I’m pretty sure) which some have used for sz and had some luck.
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@swillis, yes, yes, yes! Strong support from family, friends, doctors, and the right meds!! Every possible avenue that they can receive support from!
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@DianeR, thank you! Is sarcozine used for sz as well? Are they having any luck with this? At this point I’d be willing to try some supplements for my son, in addition to the AP drugs. If it means his brain will improve by even a quarter ounce… 
@mbheart Yes so they say. http://schizophrenia.com/?p=740 That and profrontal. https://profrontal.com/
Sarcosine I read (somewhere) was also goof for severe depression.
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@mbheart exactly! I actually lost many friends after my son was diagnosed with scz due to the extremely small number of those that have hurt others. Most people with scz aren’t violent, there just very sick. My son was and still is a kind, gentle person that was hit with a hideous disease. He was on his way to medical school to become a neurosurgeon.
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@blueivy, me too! People ran for the hills, including family and friends when they heard the word “schizophrenia”. I just get so angry @ the stigma, and then the anger turns to sadness.
Like your son, my son was always kind and has a huge heart. I see many strange behaviors and hear many strange things that come out of his mouth, but the kindness underneath is still there. His kind soul is still in there. I can’t visualize him hurting anyone or anything and I’m not just saying that because I’m his mother. I would know if he exhibited a dangerous streak.
I think a lot of people on this forum are dealing with some sort of aggression or violence from their loved one, and that is very sad and scary. But so far, this has not been my case and I do feel lucky in that respect.
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@mbheart we seem to have very similar young men. Mine son turns 27 on Monday and has been sick since 2012 as a junior in college. I’m blessed that he has never hurt me or screamed at me but he can get quite grumpy at times. He won SSI in 2017 which took 3 years with an attorney.
I was taken aback when a close friend that had 4 littles under the age of 5 started making excuses to keep me from coming over to visit her and the kids. She would say “I’m still in my nightgown” or some such excuse; not remembering that she lived with me for a while so iv’e seen her nightie before! On my last visit my son came over while I was visiting and I knew he needed me so I left. From that day on I got her excuses so I’m sure she’s afraid my son is going to harm them. The stigma just kills me too!
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You are absolutely right. I wrote on this topic myself awhile ago. And there is always hope.
Bob
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@blueivy, this is such a sad story about your friend. I’ve experienced the same.
For me, I now can only relate to people who are either suffering from sz or the caregivers. I know no other world. I want to hear other people’s stories and share their joys and pain. I want to dedicate my life to my son, it will no doubt get very depressing, but it will make me happy too, if that makes sense. It does my heart good to know that I will do all I can for him, even if the outcome turns out bad.
Hugs to you and your beautiful boy
@oldbobrobert, so happy to hear a father’s input on here. I hardly ever see men posting. I’m sure you must be a wonderful father.
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I know what you mean. Two weeks ago my niece got married. I was invited to the wedding and parties but my MI daughter was not. The two were best friends in high school and the niece was a bridesmaid at my daughter’s wedding the following year. It’s so sad. In defense of my niece I imagine my daughter wasn’t all that nice to her after her illness set in. But she is family and should at least have invited her to the wedding. I didn’t tell my daughter she wasn’t invited, but now she wants to give her a special gift. I’m sure at Christmas she’ll want to thank my niece for inviting her. Oh what a mess we weave!
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My son has shown great benefit from weekly dinners with a young family that has 4 small children. The children don’t see him as ‘different’ and will hang out and talk with him. I am so grateful to this family who decided to open their hearts and their home to my son!
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Though I would never abandon my daughter I have experienced the sense of hopelessness that cause some to give up. Hope, Faith, and Love are vital so often for getting through the next hour, the next day and days to come. We have a special calling and we often need special care ourselves.
Aside from being in danger or their adamant refusal for help, I cannot think of 1 single reason why I would walk away or ever give up. My son is my life, I have NO life without him, and I need to know daily that I’m doing the best I can where he’s concerned
I have often wondered what I’d do, should some tragedy besiege him. But this is just me, though.
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The same thing happened to my MI daughter in September, her best friend got married and she called to explain to me why my daughter couldn’t be asked to be Maid of Honor. She did send a wedding invitation, but my daughter never asked to go, and never asked to buy a present. They had known each other since they were 9 months old in day care, and were only 3 days apart so they celebrated birthdays together for years… Now they no longer speak.
Do you think it’d be wrong for a girlfriend to leave a boyfriend who has schizophrenia? Because it’s too difficult…
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It is so sad, but it seems that sometimes moms (and dads) feel the rejection more than they do. We want our children to be loved and accepted.
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It is definitely difficult to understand the ability of others to walk away from a sick family member. My husband was diagnosed as bipolar in 2002 & has now had “schizoaffective” added to it. He is terrified. We talked last night & I asked him how he is any different now than he was last week & he admitted he wasn’t different. I pointed out that with the new diagnosis, his doctors can medicate his paranoia (he was just recently put on Clozapine, which has stablized him) as well as his mood swings. That talk helped calm him. He is highly intelligent & cognizant of his paranoia most of the time.
To your point, I am utterly devoted to him & love him deeply. We have been married for 15 years & it has gotten us through the tough times. We’re lucky that his family is very supportive & wants to include him, even though he often doesn’t feel up to visits. We just play them by ear.
I’m so glad this forum is here. Thank you for posting & just for being here.
AW
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I don’t think its wrong to leave a relationship with someone who has scz.
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Leaving would be really difficult, if it was a long term relationship that was going well otherwise, and if the only reason for leaving were the sz-related behavior of the boyfriend. The girlfriend might want to talk things out with a therapist, if she needs help making a decision.
Imo, there is no right or wrong in a moral sense. The circumstances of a particular case would determine whether the girlfriend should or shouldn’t leave, and maybe to what degree she should leave.
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