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

Family
451

My son ran a huge scam in which he attempted to fool an -experienced with scz- psychiatrist into signing off that he could work without meds. His first psychiatrist- that only did severe mental illness, had said “I have to work to keep a step ahead of him”. Jeb hasn’t been hospitalized yet he had success manipulating the second doctor until I contacted her and he had to go see her on short notice - instead of waiting for a better day and making a same day appointment. The first doctor was on to him from the start. I think he chose a female doctor on purpose for his scam - he can be quite charming with females.

Wow - so the other patients clued your son into the early exit tricks - Dr Amador says they learn them, no one has mentioned that the other patients teach them.

3 Likes
452

I have had the privilege of speaking to several doctors as to the side effects of the medications and they always confirm that it is the meds that cut the life short.

1 Like
453

It has been 13 days now of my daughter taking the homeopathic and she improves every day.
I read able to have a doctor guide me in treating her through homeopathy.
https://www.drhomeo.com/?s=Schizophrenia+
I am not counting the days to need to get her to a hospital anymore, I only worry is getting her to take the homeopathic remedy. Since she doesn’t think she is sick I put it in her herbal tea.

1 Like
454

I get you want your daughter better but please be prepared for fallout. If she has paranoia and finds out you have been adding something to her tea, no amount of drugs–anti psych or homopathic will repair the trust damage.

455

Good point about poor diet, no exercise and other bad habits. And we sometimes forget this is a brain disease and that alone, much like heart disease or diabetes, is a major illness which can on its own shorten lives.

456

Think, too, about the vulnerabilities and dangers many of our loved ones are exposed to because of their illness. Wandering, homeless, taken advantage of, shot for trespassing. I am certain that these things also contribute to average shortened life spans. If you have ever seen someone catatonic, not eating or drinking, or with Formal Thought Disorder and so mixed up they can’t function independently at all, these are situations where you weigh the side effects of APs to having any quality of life, or having life at all.

3 Likes
457

Yes, all of the things that make life terrible for those with the illness. Everything you just mentioned. I fear all of that for my daughter and she had already been trespassing and received an eviction notice. Since she doesn’t think she is sick she will not take the anti psychotics. The homeopathic is what I have resorted to, and she is having great results. She has great results with the Profrontal too, but now refuses that as well. She says God will make her better and to take anything will show Him that she doesn’t believe. It has been a revolving door at the mental hospital for the past 6 months and I have to make it stop before she ends up homeless. So I did what any mother would do and get her on something whether she knows it or not

3 Likes
458

I just happened to be reading about Clozapine and thought this was interesting (from a 2014 article in The Pharmaceutical Journal, a British publication): The impact of second-generation antipsychotic agents on risk factors for cardiovascular disease (CVD) such as obesity and diabetes has been a cause for concern. People with schizophrenia die 20–25 years earlier than the general population, and 60 per cent of the excess mortality is due to physical conditions, such CVD and pulmonary disease. However, research has shown that long-term use (7–11 years) of any antipsychotic treatment by people with schizophrenia is associated with lower mortality than no drug use and clozapine is associated with lower mortality than other commonly used first- and second-generation antipsychotic agents[11].

“People with schizophrenia, like the rest of us, need to be mentally well enough to manage their physical health. Effectively treating psychosis reduces disorganisation, allowing people to make choices regarding their lifestyle options and physical health,” says Dr Gaughran.

1 Like
459

Hmmm, perhaps I could get my daughter to accept herbal tea after dinner at night. I did look at the homeopathic site you posted. I may order the insomnia remedies for myself and the schiz remedies for my daughter.

1 Like
460

Our thoughts about meds were a struggle to define. Whether true or not, my husband and I have come to agree or accept these thoughts between us. This is our own opinion, how much of it is for our peace of mind - well you can all be the judge.

We believe the previous version of our son would want to be medicated. We know the current version of our son does not currently want to be medicated. We do believe that a large percentage of his decision is due to anosognosia and other factors of scz.

If you held a scale up and had symptom risks on one side and drug risks on the other side you would really need a big scale.

A lot of today’s drugs (non APs) are advertised on television and have warnings that sound (to us) like the old Saturday Night Live joke commercials’ risk list for the “Happy Fun Ball”. Long term effects take a long time to find out, its their nature:)

What works? I don’t know. None of the drugs cure schizophrenia. They all attempt to alleviate the symptoms. As Nick (Peer to Peer instructor and trainer - scz) once said regarding meds, “there is something wrong with a very tiny part of your brain and they try to shoot these drugs at your whole brain”.

Our personal conclusion? We think the drugs are trying to sedate the brain the best they can to alleviate symptoms. Some people respond marvelously and have sunshine lives on meds (sorry @Vallpen, could not resist;) others get some relief and others get no relief. To keep any of them on meds long enough so they can actually adjust to the med and try to have a life around its side effects that they find worth taking the meds, can be extremely tricky.

I think homeopathic drugs could work for some of our family members. I know my son does really well on large amounts of caffeine.

I have never given my son meds secretly yet he is quite positive that I have put meds into his groceries. When this accusation showed up - we said to each other “and he thinks this because why??” Because he has a brain disorder, thats why. Looking back, wish I had tried slipping meds into him, just because I would like to have tried everything possible short of lying about him to get him into a courtroom or jail - just never did feel 100% about that idea - though lots of people push it.

Some sources claim that meds “stop the advancement of schizophrenia”. Well that would be nice and may be true for some people, I don’t know.

What we do know is that its a lifelong brain disorder and usually has 3 distinct phases. Prodromal, active and residual. Scientific guesstimates based on records show that its about 25 years before you hit the residual stage. When do they start the 25 year clock? Perhaps at the beginning of the prodromal or is it at the beginning of the active? Well, take your own guess at that one. There are enough variations of patient histories that it makes your head spin when you want answers. And its a disorder full of exceptions, so don’t get too comfortable with the answers you do get.

4 Likes
461

For those that are going to try the homeopathic choice, just a quick note, I do recommend that if possible you work with a trained homeopathic doctor. And when you purchase the remedy (I use Amazon) it will come in a small tube with about 60 pellets. In order to get them out of the tube you will need to turn the tube upside down with the cap still on and then twist the cap in either direction until 2 pellets are in the clear cap. Try not to touch them, that is standard instruction because they have a certain energy and it should not mix with the energy from your fingers, since you will not be the one ingesting it.
I do have to give this instruction to nearly everyone and I had to receive it too. http://www.boironusa.com

462

Have you heard of the company Biogetica ? i just ordered some homeopathic pills from there after talking to a specialist for my son. I used them once for me many years ago and it healed me from some problem i had .

1 Like
463

That is interesting about caffeine. I do know it also can help with an asthma attack–not as good as an inhaler, but does something to stop spasms in the air way. Could there be brain spasms in schizophrenia? That might make sense if stramonium is working. Some plants from the nightshade family contain scopolamine which can be used for muscle spasms… In any event, I agree with your thinking the best we do with drugs is sedate the brain to alleviate symptoms. Although whatever we use, I would advise, no matter how badly we want to help, not drugging in secret. Yes I have considered it a time or two, but the fallout from betraying his trust would not be good.

Good question on when clock starts. If prodromal that would be about right for us seeing a lessening of symptoms the past year or so. The first time I remember thinking that was a strange reaction to conversation at dinner with friends was around 10 and he is 33. The past 6 weeks or so have been really a wild time, but today had a pretty normal conversation in which he admitted “freaking out because he was stressed out”. Maybe we are settling back into the previous pattern of lessening of symptoms.

464

Thank you for sharing this company. I am reviewing their website now. Awesome stuff there!

1 Like
465

So glad I found this forum. I unofficially adopted a young man over 6 years ago when he was exited from Transitional Housing for former foster youth due to being arrested for violent offense. I had developed trust with him and thought since he had no family and if he saw that somebody cared he would find HOPE. Over the last 6 years initially he did great and did things he never thought he would do in life. After approx. 3 years, he declined and started acting irrational and saying things that did not make sense. I called for wellness check and Crisis unit after he shot a gun outside where we live in the forest. They immediately arrested him as he had a prior record even though they promised they would get him help, this was not the case. He sat in jail for 1 year with no help only retraumatized him and triggered him with all of his previous trauma as foster child and abuse. After release he was on anxiety meds but quit taking about 6 months later, he gradually declined to full blown what we think is Schizoaffective disorder, per therapist as his physiatrist has been NO help at all. He thinks the Dr. put a GPS in his ear, that people are spraying him with medication while he is in public, he is being followed by cops, that we put meds in his food, that people come in at night while he is sleeping and spray him with meds, that meds are in his shampoo and soap, it goes on. He refuses medication and insists nothing is wrong with him, he has even gone to the FBI building in our area to complain that people who worked at the jail did things to him while he was incarcerated. He truly believes what he says and will not listen to anyone.
I have advocated for him over last 6 years and now his behavior is down right scary. So frustrating when I get the same answer repeatedly: unless he is in danger of hurting himself or others, nothing can be done!! That makes no sense when he is not capable of making his own decision to help himself but law enforcement will put him in jail if he does something illegal but I cant get him help otherwise. This is crazy, our society and these people deserve better as they are sick… I don’t know what else to do or turn to, he is eventually going to do something else to land in jail or worse prison due to his mental illness. Our jails house over 70% mental health, they deserve help not incarceration. :frowning:

3 Likes
466

This situation has come up before. Most places you can get help for the person. Try contacting your local crisis center line. They can probably help get this person hospitalized.

467

My mom managed to get me involuntarily hospitalized. She had to go to court and speak to a judge about the way I was behaving. He issued a court order for me to be picked up and evaluated. The police came and got me and took me to the hospital.

468

I have tried repeatedly. I have great rapport with his probation officer and therapist, the crisis unit has been notified, the same answer unless he displays threatening behavior to himself or others he has the right to be sick. He claims he is not sick and knows exactly what he needs to say to Dr., which by the way has done nothing to help him but agree with him that nobody can force him to take meds and that it is not against the law to be crazy and does not tell him how the meds can help him and assist him, downright misconduct on Dr. the minute he is not around them, he continues his delusions again which are escalating.

469

What state do you live in? They will not do that here and he is an adult age 28. The sheriff dept. and courts need a lot more training in mental health to assist with these situations.

470

I live in Ohio. I was almost 33 years old when it happened and really wasn’t a treat to myself or others.