Hiya I need some urgent advice about my friend who I think may have schizophrenia but obviously I’m not a doctor and don’t have it myself so I need some advice please.
He has said for a while he hears voices but his mother is a psychic so has always said he’s inherited that so it’s his ‘psychic side’ that’s speaking to him. I’ve always be dubious about that as it don’t fully believe all that, I’m more for the science side. So yeah he heard voices and this is what he said to me "They’re just slagging everyone off. And putting me down. And saying shit like they actually hate you, they don’t want you here."
He’s also said that when he lies about something we completely forgets about the situation, like it’s never even happened to him, until it gets rebought up ad them remembers everything "I forget everything and its not that i don’t want to do it, its the fact I physically have no knowledge of it till I’m reminded "
thought i would say hi.
if your friend is troubled by the voices he should seek some help, family doctor…etc.
good on you for reaching out to help your friend.
have a good one.
take care
Hi @Jade1
There are other disorders that can cause voices. This link gives the criteria for schizophrenia.
http://www.dnalc.org/view/899-DSM-IV-Criteria-for-Schizophrenia.html
Is your friend seeking help?
Thank you for the link I shall read through it. He is too scared to go see someone as he is only 16 so feels like everyone will judge him and that he’ll loose a lot of friends due to it. I have said it is vital that we go see his GP or something, am I correct in doing this? And if so should I try make him go asap? @BarbieBF
He’s lucky to have a friend who sees things logically (you). Unfortunately, when a parent thinks they are ‘psychic’, they’re going to interpret hearing voices very differently…but there’s nothing psychic about it. I would urge him to see a GP and just be honest - no one else has to know and it could mean a lot of improvement in his life.
His GP will make the initial assessment and refer him further (to a psychiatrist) and so forth. It’s a good place to start.
Thank you very much. I will tell him what has been said so he has a basis. I greatly appreciate your advice:)
Sz changes a person, so don’t be scared that your friend has changed forever. It is life altering in many ways, but they can very much be themselves again. It sounds like they might have become ill a somewhat matured time of their life. Although we don’t know much until 25 or so!! Although you cant take the delusions away and make them well again, you can lead them to recovery. Talk about the troubling voices they hear and ask things like “what do they say?”, “do you think that’s the truth?”, and don’t scare them away. If they’re truly “fixed” delusions, they will be hard for your friend to disprove. Something I learned that might be use full; a lot of my own delusions are based on delusional evidence. Delusional evidence= delusional belief. Ask yourself; is the evidence itself delusional. And then come up with a good strategy for disproving things in a non judgmental way. The more delusions you can try to disprove to your friend without offending them is good (((In My Opinion))) Although it may be difficult to disprove things you have no knowledge about ie. psychic stuff, ask them “Hmm what makes you think that?”. Sometimes when we form delusions as Schizophrenia progresses, we look back on “evidence” that proves our delusion.
The info on disproving can be found in CBT training. You should look it up!!
Thank you so much @Sailor_Spinach for your help and advice. I now know how I can help him, until he feels confident enough to go see his GP. Its an easing thought knowing that he won’t he changed forever. I shall also look up CBT training. Thank you!