How many of you have an unmedicated family member and what's happening today?

I’m glad she ate and didn’t yell. Lol at “delivery service for dinner”, that’s cute.

Thank you for your support. I think everyone here is so strong.

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I can’t get my son to take meds either. He has done well working with therapists, so that’s something. Do you work with a therapist?

That’s great that he works with a therapist. My dad wouldnt see a therapist. I’ve been seeing a therapist for the last few months and he gets mad about it and thinks I’m insane because of it lol.

What kind of excercises does the therapist do with your son?

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They worked on Cognitive Behavior Therapy. He had stopped grocery shopping for himself years ago - he couldn’t handle everyone yelling at him in the stores. My son confabulates that actual people are yelling at him when its actually his voices. He has continued to use the therapy to work part-time and be out living on his own.

When we attended Family to Family years ago, I really couldn’t figure out why they kept stressing that caregivers needed therapy as well as their ill family members. After everything I have learned since, it makes perfect sense. We end up with a lot of our own struggles due to their brain disorders.

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My daughter was released from the hospital after a 51/50 and I really thought too early. (4th one this year) Some confusion about her medical (medi-care) card that was for Los Angeles County and not Orange County, so they released her instead of transferring her.
I am trying a tougher approach this time and told her that she can’t drive unless she has taken her meds or naturopathic supplements for at least three days and then keeps taking them. I got a lot of push back but I am holding my ground. Normally I let her after she gets out bc she is so cognizant that it made sense, but I told her that since she has been in the hospital so many times that I wouldn’t do it anymore She took her supplements and thought I would give in that instant, but I said no, it needed to be 3 days first. She got over it and the amazing thing is two hours later she was speaking her mind in complete thoughts, instead of laughing to herself and asking me questions instead of just sitting there. We will see what tomorrow brings. I only had her take the Black Seed Oil that I bought from Amazon. She will not take meds, so I may as well stop pushing that for now. I keep telling her that I am trying to help her maintain her independence and not get stuck on a conservatorship and that if she takes care of herself she can maintain her freedom, which she cherishes more than anything.

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Hi Margi, I am sorry you are going through this. I understand due to my own situation. I am paying to support my daughter almost fully, and she also has no insight into her illness and won’t stay on medicine. There are many of us on here who understand. Just because of that fact, I don’t feel so alone. I hope you can take some comfort from this site.

Is your son’s house close-by where you live?

I am just trying to get by one day, one week at a time. I wrack my brains trying to figure out a better solution, but I have sort of decided that I can’t find a better solution because there IS no better solution to my situation. I am doing the best I can. I am betting that you are doing the best that you can too. Try to do some nice things for yourself.

Hi Meridee68, I didn’t see your response until now, thank you for writing back. Many loved ones with schiz don’t see that they are ill. And it is almost impossible to get someone who doesn’t think they are ill to see a doctor and take meds. So we try to force them. I’ve not had success with that either. It has been six months since I last forced her into the hospital, and she quit the medicine within days of her coming home after each hospitalization.

I suggest that you read as much as you can on this site, and make your own posts. We learn from each other here. And we care. Be nice to yourself.

Many people have had the tougher approach work well for them. Glad you have figured out what is the most important thing to her and are using it for leverage. How is she doing today?

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@oldladyblue - have you gotten any sleep lately?

How do you make her take the shot with guardianship. I’ve been told guardianship (by the doctor) is only for finances here in CO.

The capability of guardianships vary so much from state to state, and even county to county within the same state. Ya’ll this thread is intended as a place for people who have unmedicated family members. I think it would be nice for us to have a place here on the forum.

Oh no, I think its a nice reminder for future posters.

Agreed, the forum needs this chain. Sorry @hope - I was just reading the post. (my error for not paying attention to the subject line) @NeverTooLate - I’ll shoot you a private note. : )

Thanks for understanding DianeR!

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Sometimes, however, the medication that works only comes in oral form.

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Supposedly 40% of people with scz don’t have anosognosia. I suspect we don’t hear from a good sized group of family members who do successfully have family members on meds by their own choice.

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Hi, NeverTooLate,

I don’t mind that you replied about medicating your daughter in this thread. In fact, I am glad that you did. The fact that she is unmedicated, doesn’t mean that perhaps she would be better off on medication. I tried to force her onto meds, but my state basically does nothing to force continued medication after release from a psych ward unless someone is actively dangerous. I simply am not in any position financially to afford guardianship, or the cost of monthly injection medicine, or moving to a more cooperative state. I am happy that you found a way to help your daughter and that she has finished college and is working. I cry daily that my daughter is in such a “useless” state and will never have a life outside of her room, most likely. Her lack of insight hasn’t changed, but then again, she has never stayed on medicine long enough that it could have worked long term, for perhaps her to gain insight. Thank you for telling us your story.

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Hi, Hope, thanks for asking. Not much sleep, no, although a few nights of 8 hours total (broken into 2 sleeps) and one miraculous 8 hour in-a-row night. I am so exhausted. How are you? How is your son?

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Hi oldladyblue, I feel tired for you just thinking about the sleep deprivation involved on your end. My son seems to be thriving, thanks for asking. Hasn’t been evicted yet, didn’t reply to my texts but did do what I needed him to do. His sibling saw him briefly and reported “seems fine”.

Mainly, I think we are trying to relax and enjoy this respite. So far, there has always been a new normal on the horizon. Trying to get some sleep to be ready for it.

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@NeverTooLate Have you read the book “I Am Not Sick; I Don’t Need Help?” if you believe that medication would help your loved one. The stories of unmedicated persons with SZ who do well are pretty rare, I think. But each person is different and it is good to investigate all possibilities for quality of life.