I’m not sure if he truly has it or not. Reading others’ descriptions of their loved ones dealing with with that particular brand of schizophrenia is hitting all too close to home. His general doctor recently gave him a preliminary diagnosis and his mom’s working on getting an appointment set up with a psychiatrist soon so we can get an actual diagnosis and begin taking the right steps to managing it.
How do you guys cope? I can’t find anything online except people referencing this site. And at the same time, I have clinical depression and OCD. How can I maintain my general level of sanity while being his primary care taker? I’m so lost with this. I’ve been researching schizophrenia as a subject of interest since I was 12, but now that it’s effecting me, I’m at a loss as to what to do.
A lot of links on this page. Check out First Aid for Schizophrenia and Frequently Asked Questions.
These sites have helped me a lot: http://www.leapinstitute.org/ - under resources are free videos on using LEAP
LEAP is a way of communicating to build trust. Listen-Empathize-Agree-Partner. http://dramador.com/ - Dr. Xavier Amador is a clinical psychologist whose brother had schizophrenia. He is the founder of the LEAP Institute. Wrote the book: I’m Not Sick I Don’t Need Help! Can buy from his website.
Search Xavier Amador and LEAP on youtube.com and you should find some long videos Treatment Advocacy Center - under problems you will see anosognosia
Anosognosia looks like denial but is different. Bayes for Schizophrenics: Reasoning in Delusional Disorders - LessWrong - helped my understand delusions http://www.nami.org/ - National Alliance on Mental Illness. http://www.schizophrenia.ca/ - Schizophrenia Society of Canada
Getting him into an early treatment program should be looked into. The help and understanding I received through my son’s early intervention program helped me a lot.
Early Psychosis Treatment center information in these two links
Psychiatric Treatment Centers affiliated with Medical Schools in the USA
This link may help you find a psychiatrist in your area
How do we cope? We all cope differently however we do it because we need to. Yes at times it is overwhelming but we have each other, here, and that makes a big difference.
@mjseu I’m 18, going on 19 in July. I know it’s a big responsibility, but he’s lost a lot of people because of this, and now that he knows what everything possibly is, he wants to try managing it better than he was before, because in the past he was simply diagnosed with depression and a panic disorder. He’s been on medication for as long as we’ve been together. At the same time, I’ve been researching sz and helping people deal with various mental disorders for as long as I can remember (mainly depression and eating disorders) including a few of my past SOs. I know this is a completely different ball game than what I’m used to, but I want to care for him. I’m not just going to be one more person that bails on him.
@BarbieBF Thank you so much for the links. I have a lot of reading to do.
