i am a single mom to a boy just 13 this week …we have 5 family members with schizophenia/affective four on his dads side and one on mine His dad has a diagnosis two aunts and grandpa .My son has schizophenia and aspergers I am alone or are there any other similiar families out there ?
Hi,
I just want to make the comment that I’d make sure your son takes fish oil (and eats high omega fish like sardines, or salmon, etc.)
OMEGA-3 FISH OILS TESTED AS PREVENTATIVE APPROACH TO SCHIZOPHRENIA, WITH POSITIVE RESULTS
wow, that is a lot of sz for one family, sorry to hear that and sorry to hear that about your son he is lucky to have a loving mum.
take care
There is some mental illness woven into our family. I have an Uncle who is Sz. He has one son who is also Sz and two sons who aren’t. My Grandfather had a mental illness. My Dad doesn’t have any.
It’s in the tapestry of the family just like every thing else.
Thank you and yes he has omegas in 2 chewie gummies a day funnily i craved oily fish when i was pregnant with him it was as if he was asking for it !!!
No you are not alone. My son is diagnosed with sz.
You aren’t alone, but I am the “lucky” one out of the family.
Wow, that is some strong family history. My dad has two cousins with schizophrenia, and I happen to have it. My sister is Bipolar, too. Family history is common, in fact it’s uncommon to not find schizophrenia somewhere in the family tree if you have it.
I’m the only one in my entire family. I am kinda glad that no one else has but me. except for you guys of course.
I have a cousine with sz. And two uncles that has “disappeared” without anyone knowing what they do or where they are. Maybe it’s sz there too.
No one in my family with SZ except me, but lots of other mental illnesses.
I am the only one in my extended family with schizophrenia. My Mom occasionally struggles with some depression, but not too bad.
To my knowledge, there is no one else in my family or my husband’s family who has sz.
But I do wonder about one of my cousins (Michael) who paid me & hubby a visit when we were first married, back in the late '70’s. He seemed a little out there (but we all kinda were lol) and got in some trouble and put in jail, two times. My dad bailed him out once but would not get him out again. I don’t know what ever happened with him. Their whole family lived in Florida, and my dad and his sister (the boy’s mother) never got along so there was really no communication between us all.
It’s kind of odd, but just last week Michael’s older brother (Joel) just moved to Georgia, about 10 mins from me and we met for lunch. Knowing what I know now, I asked Joel what ever happened to Michael and he said he didn’t have a clue – had not seen Michael for over 30 years, didn’t even know if he was dead or alive, very strange. I asked him if Michael suffered from any kind of mental illness and he said he didn’t know.
Joel is planning a family reunion of sorts this May and my aunt will be there – I’m going to pick her brain about this.
We are going to go to partake in a sz research at NIMH for further assessments and possible new treatments They want to his dad on board as well grandpa wants to come too … They are interested in genetics especially in kids diagnosed before 13 My son had a breakdown at 11 and hasnt been to school in 20 months complete self isolation cant even speak on the phone to his family members .He keeps the blinds drawn so no one can see him and he cant see them He denies its paranoia .He stays home at all times and only goes out to see his doctor…and then by car Im outta my mind with it all A different but precious boy but i am mourning as well This forum is great Thank You
Yes, family history, genetics, thats funny to me having seen what i’ve seen, it’s an impossibility for this problem to run in bloodlines and genetics.
People should look other places on that one.
At times shaman pass the spirits down to their children.
My son is diagnosed, now for 6 years, with Schizo-affective Disorder. Up until he got sick I was totally unaware of the mental illness world, so to speak. But I discovered as I went along that I had been living with mental illness for a long time and just didn’t know what I was dealing with. Knowing what I know now, I feel that my son’s father has Bipolar Disorder, and my dad did suffer from an undiagnosed mental illness as well. Most people, including of course his wife and daughters, had tremendous difficulties getting along with my dad. And looking back on my own life, I would say that I myself have some schizophrenic tendencies. Living with my son’s father was very difficult, and of course now that I understand better, I regret that I didn’t provide more help and support for him.
So, yes, I feel that mental illness runs in families, at least the tendencies towards it. I can’t help but feel that early recognition is extremely important. I notice that many of us mothers have said that we saw early signs but didn’t really know what we were dealing with. And the stigma of mental illness ultimately keeps many people from actually seeking help.
I’m sorry Heidi, for your son’s condition. I understand the mourning you speak of. And, yes, this forum is a life-saver. It sounds like you have lots of family support, which is so important. When family members work together I think you will ultimately succeed in treating him. As so many have said, your son is in there, you just have to find him.
Morgan
My son’s fathers mother had it…I wish I had know what she had,but for years it was hidden from the family as to she has depression,but one night I saw here out in the dark and she told me she was waiting for a sign from the dj on the radio,that should have been a flag to me, but I had never heard of sz…
My family is the same way. My dad has it, I have it, I have cousins that have it, great aunt, great grandpa. Its on both sides of the family.
Goodness i am not alone… is your family large ? I hope that you have some support for yourself and your family members My sons dads family are Irish 11 siblings on both his grandparents side in was common then to have huge families
My family is large, yes. Those of us with it kind of isolate ourselves. I haven’t seen my dad in quite a while and might talk to him on the phone once a month. I won’t/don’t like to go to any family functions, neither will my dad. As far as support networks I have the psychiatrist, a therapist, and my wife and my dad has the same minus the therapist. But sadly we are not that supportive to each other.
My wife and I have decided not to have children because we don’t want to bring someone into the world and then get this destructive disease, since I am an only child, the schizophrenia stops with me in my immediate family. I know a cousin has a child, so hopefully he doesn’t get it. Definitely a genetic link to it.