My dear friend is off her medication and letting the voices and unusual beliefs run her life, what can I do,how do I tell her she must get back on her meds?
She is a veteran so she has access to help but is not following the doctors advice because of her unusual religious beliefs. (god talks to her,now she thinks she is gods wife)
I am afraid if I tell her its not real she will run away from me.
Do I go behind her back and tell the doctors shes off her meds?
**I dont know if the doctor would be able to do anything about it. They legally cant force her to take the meds or anything unless she becomes a danger to herself or others.
Does she have family? Maybe you can talk to them.
The best thing you can do is listen to her. **
that is what I do, I listen and try to understand what it all means to her interjecting my own thoughts hoping that I can get her to see the truth… lately I can see that I cant keep her grounded anymore, I see her drifting farther and farther.
I just don’t know what to do.
These links may help you to understand what you are seeing and perhaps build some trust with your friend.
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
http://ourhealthyminds.com/family-handbook/communication/Building-a-collaborative-relationship-leap.html
Building A Collaborative Relationship “LEAP”
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
I am so sorry to hear that. Talk to her parents or someone who has direct influence on your friend. Brief them the matter and see what do they decide. If nothing happens, talk to your friend how unreal this belief is. Talk about the illness. You mentioned that she stopped taking medicines. Means she knows she had some form of schizophrenia before…Maybe if you’d speak how unreal her beliefs are, she’d be able to see her condition. At the last yes talk to her doctor about this. This is I guess the most you can do. If everything worked well you’ll have your friend back!