It’s also part of the disease called **Anosognosia read the book I am not sick I dont need help by Dr Xavier Amador
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Just a quick reply as I have a lot going on atm, spoke with Dr yesterday advising her we were angry and disappointed she had invalidated Teddy’s beliefs, we needed trust & empathy from her, not being labelled.
Offered her a file of notes I’d printed out on Anosognosia, those same notes showing it is a symptom of Schizophrenia being Neuropsychiatric_disorder
emailed her the YouTube video…
I’m Not Sick, I Don’t Need Help! | Dr. Xavier Amador | TEDxOrientHarbor
She was appreciative.
It’s now a matter of finding medication compatible with Anti Epileptic Drugs, after 2 1/2 years and many drugs Teddy seems to be drug resistant.
Still waiting for that miracle.
Thankyou everyone for your support and brilliant advice.
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I’m so sorry, we all know how serious the struggle is. Like Lindag, Clozapine saved my son’s life after a 3 year train wreck of 11 long-term hospitalizations and dozen’s of treatment facilities. He also suffers from anosognosia and is severely treatment resistance, until Clozapine. Check this NAMI article out: Taking Another Look a Too-Often-Forgotten Treatment for Schizophrenia | NAMI: National Alliance on Mental Illness.
Sending xo and strength!
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Incredible it changed your sons life what a wonderful relief and outcome.
@skyler.hayden Unfortunately Clozapine is not an option due to Teddy’s Epilepsy.
And YOU have become an ADVOCATE to help others! I did the same thing with our first psychiatrist who was head doctor at a psychiatric hospital. The only thing that doctor did to help us was to offer that we could participate in a “study” for family members who had a loved on an AP med. Our loved one was not med-compliant, so that never got off the ground!! The doctor did not know about NAMI (so obviously better marketing is needed). And I gave the doctor a copy of Dr. Amador’s book! We are no longer with that practice for various reasons but I surely hope those things will help someone else!
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Oh, I’m so sorry, I missed that part. Prayers!
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Do you have Surviving Schizophrenia 7th Edition by Dr. E. Fuller Torrey? It’s the best in my opinion and a must! Amazon should have it. I feel your pain. Schizophrenia is so complicated, there isn’t a cookie cutter for this one. My son was diagnosed with paranoid schizophrenia in 2013. I’ve never stopped educating myself.
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Dear @daquilamarguerite1 thankyou, I will definitely buy the book, as you say educating ourselves is really the only way to deal with this.
@daquilamarguerite1 sorry to hear your son suffers scz, how is his MI journey?, I’m sure you are most supportive.
Warm Regards,
Maggie
Have just downloaded the book onto my iPhone, thanks again. I also noticed Dr Amador’s book “I am not sick I don’t need help” is available as an audio ebook.
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Great book. LEAP!
I also read “The Center Cannot Hold: My Journey Through Madness”
Book by Elyn Saks
What a hero story. I was so moved by her struggle, I let her know in an email which she graciously replied and offered to help. She is now the Associate Dean and Orrin B. Evans Professor of Law, Psychology, and Psychiatry and the Behavioral Sciences at the University of Southern California Gould Law School, an expert in mental health law and a MacArthur Foundation Fellowship winner. Unbelievable story of a successful person suffering from the dis-ease, schizophrenia.
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Interesting that you got a reply, I’ve considered emailing her several times. Her story is quite similar to mine, minus the McArthur grant and the PhD. Her symptoms were more severe than mine, but her coping strategies and even some of her medications were the same. We are also about the same age. I had mostly Jungian Therapists whereas she had some variant of Freudian Psychologist (might have been Adler or Erickson or one of those). I’ve always said her memoir was the book I would have written if I were to write a memoir.
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I commend you too. So many unspoken persons of utter resilience… Her Ted talks speaks volumes to those that suffer from schizophrenia. Not a person, but a disease like any other. One thing I learned from her story is that there is a place for everyone in this world.
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My son was finally diagnosed with schizophrenia almost 7 years ago. He had the same reaction as your daughter. He knows that he is being stalked, that people are after him and that he is in danger. He still cannot name the people or groups that are after him. He says, “the government, Christians, gay people, his father and family.” At the time of his diagnosis and for at least 2 years his illness manifested much the same as you have described. He was combative, yelled that he is not crazy but that it is everyone else.
It took time to get him to agree to meds and then even more time for DRs to figure out which meds were best but he now is able to at least live more comfortably with his beliefs. The medicine and therapy has not removed his beliefs. He is still firmly convinced that people, groups of people, are out to get him but he does not dwell on these thoughts constantly and he is able to get some enjoyment from some of his daily activities. He feels safe in our home and I tell him often that he is safe and I will protect him. He lives in my basement, plays guitar, writes (awful but therapeutic) songs and enjoys sports on TV a bit again. He does not interact with people other than myself, his brother and his doctors but I have had to decide that it is his life now and it is ok. I just try to love him and let him know he is safe.
I don’t think that I ever have the right words. In fact he will argue with me if I say “It’s a nice day outside.” but I hope that you can just hold on and continue to love her. I would encourage your daughter to try medicine. I do think that she could get at least some relief.
God Bless You friend.
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Dear @Velma Thankyou for reaching out, after 2 1/2 of meddling with lots of AP medication, Dr is still trying, our daughter started on Haloperidol Depot 10 days ago, I believe it can take a while to show improvements, so fingers and toes crossed for that small glimmer of hope.
It’s terribly sad and heart breaking for us parents and caregivers knowing our kids minds are broken.
Their days are constantly filled with fear, trauma & anxiety.
Our daughter is the same with social anxiety and the fear she is being followed and “someone is going to sexually assault and put a gun to her head constantly being told she’s a fake and a show off, won’t use her phone or computer as she has no privacy and is being watched” all too painful for her and me.
Velma, we are all in this together, so thankyou.
Warm Regards,
Maggie 
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