Dual Diagnosis - Can't believe he had this kind of insight

I haven’t been here in a long time. Relatively speaking things are going well for my son. He has a few minor delusions that he doesn’t have any insight into, but otherwise, he’s well. Social anxiety has been a problem well before any psychosis, and still there, but a touch better. It still holds him back.

But, he said something the other day that I was so proud of that I wanted to share - and no one else would get it like the people on this forum.

Along his journey, he got into opiates. First from friends at school, not that he had many, then stealing them from his dad after he had an accident. It was a bad addiction and took a long time to somewhat get over it. He still has cravings and will use Kratom about once a month as a substitute - it’s not perfect, and he’ll always be an addict. It just is what it is.

He has attended a psychosocial clubhouse in the past. He’s thinking about going back and maybe getting them to help him find a job. I have serious doubts that it’ll happen, but it’s good he’s thinking that way, so I’m encouraging it.

He then mentioned that one of the other people there got a job through them helping old people in nursing homes fill their pill boxes and things like that. I said, that’s nice, but I don’t know if it’s a good idea for you - if you steal pills, you could go to jail.

He didn’t even hesitate - he said, yep, I’d be too tempted, that’s why I’d never take a job like that.

It’s a tiny thing, but I was so proud of him. That’s a long way from when he used to come up with ways he could break into a pharmacy without getting caught.

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Oh it sounds like a wonderful insight to know that he’d be tempted if he had a job filling pill boxes. I don’t think that’s a tiny thing at all, it’s quite a statement for him to make. Heck, a lot of people without schizophrenia would be tempted! (and would never admit it).

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Hi. Thank you for sharing your son’s insight that he wouldn’t want to take that job for those reasons. I don’t know him, but I feel proud of him, too!

It’s these things that count. I have a brother with the brain disease schizophrenia and I know how good it feels to hear him come to a good conclusion independent of me or anyone else pressing him to conclude something. It kind of takes a small burden off of me, if that makes sense.

I hope he has other good insights and you enjoy the hope that it brings when he does.

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