Hello I am new to this forum and just wanted to say hello.
My husband started hearing voices about 2 months ago and has been suffering a lot. He has not been diagnosed with schizophrenia but I am finding it helpful to be learning about this mental illness as my husband believes his mind is being controlled by the people speaking to him and is extremely paranoid.
I’m glad this forum is here as nobody really understands what I have been going through. It has been very painful and sometimes I am not sure if I am strong enough to support him.
Glad you found the forum, welcome, and as many have said before, so sorry you are here.
Brain disorders can bring isolation, it seems its difficult for people to understand without having a similar experience. I know I had no idea what was going on when my son started suffering from symptoms. I wouldn’t have had any idea what to say to a friend.
Have you been able to have your husband thoroughly checked out by a medical doctor?
Thank you @hope for telling me about your experience. It is very isolating.
It is now that my husband is more willing to talk to his doctor but no medical doctor has even suggested yet for him to get more tests and being properly examined by a doctor. Or he might not be honest with them as well.
He and I are not currently living in the same country so it is very difficult to get him to seek help but family has been a bit supportive.
This is a good place to come to learn about schizophrenia and what others have gone through. You will find some advice you can use, some references to books that you should read, and support so that you know you aren’t alone trying to help someone who is hearing voices. I wish you luck helping your husband. If you are far from him, that is a double burden.
Hearing voices is a normal response to difficult or traumatic experiences. Finding new ways of understanding what has happened is important. A dialogical practitioner may be able to help.
The “voices” are a metaphor for something that really happened. e.g. critical voices may represent a bullish, chastising parent, teacher or caregiver.
Sorry to hear about your husband, recovery is possible.
I’ve also had a history of severe mental illness but managed to get better and no longer take any medication, work part time 2 jobs and actually enjoy my life with my girlfriend and look forward to the future. If your husband would like some ideas on how to get better here’s a link to my short essay
Hi @oldladyblue thank you for your replying. He has been put on antihistamine for anxiety by his primary doctor, a GP in uk. I think he needs something stronger than that but it seems mental health is not taken very serious there or he might be downplaying things.
I plan to visit him ASAP. I’m glad I found this place, and will keep on reading here.
Welcome! I’m sorry you’re going through a tough time. I would recommend that the first thing you do is get a medical workup. There are physical illnesses that are similar to schizophrenia.
I hope he is willing to seek help.
Welcome Looking4info. This forum is a blessing to me, I can read the struggle stories of others and share mine; it’s not picnic as you realize. It’s so important that your husband gets the right treatment the first time and if he’s willing to talk it out with his doctor it’s definitely a plus; so far my son doesn’t after so many years.
The book that I find is highly worth to read is “I’m not Sick I Don’t Need Help” by doctor Xavier Amador. You can even watch his videos on YouTube, and it’s also a available to download through NAMI which is an organization that advocates for the mentally ill, and offers family to family education free of charge, they also have support groups. My son so far doesn’t share anything or admits to anyone else the voices he hears or what he sees, he believes my husband follows him everyday and everywhere he goes, sometimes he thinks I follow him too.
Take care of yourself and try to learn as much as you can about the illness.
Doctors are in a rough place when trying to diagnose/prescribe/help a new patient. If the person presents to the doctor during a lull in their psychosis, the doctor can’t tell what is going on. My daughter could have seemingly normal conversations minutes after talking total nonsense at times. If the person presents with obvious hallucinations, then perhaps they will be prescribed a stronger med right off the bat. You should communicate all you can to the medical professionals about your loved one. They might not be able to respond to you if the proper releases haven’t been signed by your loved one, but they will almost always accept offered information. Best thing to do is to be kind to your husband, to try not to break his trust in you while seeking medical help. If he has any insight into his own troubles, that is a great help to getting him on the proper meds.
Thanks for sharing this as it is also my first time joining this forum. After reading yours I finally felt like I wasn’t the only one that has a spouse with schizophrenia. So grateful I found this I need a lot of support thanks everyone
I can understand. I am new on here just found this support group. I’ve been married to my husband for almost 8 years now and only found out the past few years that a lot of our marital problems was the result of a mental illness I researched on as schizophrenic or Schizotypal personality disorder: or other schizophrenic disorder. But it appears he’s on the schizophrenic spectrum. I did not know there were so many different types and only a professional could accurately diagnose. I studied spychology however and have some knowledge but by all means am no one to diagnose. My husband has admitted to being different and agreed to almost all the symptoms as what he feels but again he never admits to needing help bc many with this illness think it’s normal to them and they really believe nothing is wrong them just like anyone else thinks it’s just who they are and their personality but others don’t view it that way. It’s never been easy. He has a lot of paranoia nd delusions thinking things that aren’t real fir ostente like I have interest for his nephew that’s older in age like us but that’s not true. And he misreads body of his he and gestures and words as if im coming off that way like a flirt and etc. It’s really hurtful living with someone like this that you love and care for bc it’s so hard to understand them but my faith in God has really helped us and educating myself as much as possible for him so I can help and be more sensitive towards him knowing it’s not his felt. That it is a real, a real mental illness he has no control over but just trying to deal with it better and try and lower the severity by acknowledging he has a behavior a d attitude problem sometimes bc of this brain imbalance. I try to be more sympathetic and empathetic as much as I can and turn to prayer and therapy myself for help with my anxiety bc of it all. I just started counseling therapy. I feel this will really help. Sorry fir such long rambling. I hope this helps others know their not alone. Also hope others out there can relate to me and have pointers as well for me. Thanks. God bless y’all.