Same with my son…i think someone is teaching them.inhale and hold.
My son smokes a lot and likes to drink a lot. If i buy canned drinks he might drink 12 or more a day, or goes through 2 to 3 bottles of juice
Someone mentioned being concerned whether their loved one could follow the correct dosing for their medication. It is common in Canada for the pharmacy to provide the option of organizing different medication into easy to follow blister packages for seniors, etc.
Example: https://mayfairpharmacy.ca/blister-packs/
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That’s what is REALLY needed …a cure.
Anosognosia is a condition where your brain can’t recognize one or more other health conditions you have. It’s extremely common with mental health conditions like schizophrenia and Alzheimer’s disease.
Apparently they are making some progress with Parkinson’s treatment in using Deep Brain Stimulation. There is a clinic in Toronto that has had success. Not a cure, yet, but hope at least. Eventually it may be used to treat other conditions.
Medication is useful to mitigate psychosis enough that individuals can optimize their life, but it only tamps it down, does not eliminate the problem, and majority don’t recognize they are ill and need the medication – they think the problem is with everyone else [not them]. There is nothing anyone can say to convince them otherwise. The psychosis feels as real to them as anything else.
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Even though we know we’re not alone we keep the hope that someday there’s a breakthrough on sz; anosognosia is the main trait of the illness and you have described it as it is: hard to convince my loved one that he needs the meds, he’s always telling anyone that we’re the problem. He hasn’t even gone to visit the dentist for a few years, he has mentioned about a molar being loose and he thinks it’s going to get better on it’s own, he doesn’t acknowledge that it’d be better to have the dentist look at it; the same with any other thing.
He’s going unmedicated now for the hundredth times!
We’re trying hard to avoid being triggers.
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Good luck to you on trying to avoid being triggers. I have been know to blink my eyes wrong! I am still hoping someday soon, a safe permanent living environment will be made for sz loved ones.
I know exactly what you mean and we’re getting there, jeez! I hardly believe that after he was discharged from being 6 months at the hospital and put on the oral Abilify the minute he got admitted, choosing the injection while still there for couple of months, having it administered as soon as he was discharged for another 2 times he refused to have it and the cycle is repeated. They have their own logic and most of the times I really don’t know what to say, so most of the time I say I don’t know for any of his questions. It really sounded funny when you said: “I have been know to blink my eyes wrong!” 
Since by now I kind of know what are his delusions to yell and which ones for arguing I try to avoid getting into the ‘dance’ by not bringing up any of those issues.
One day at a time, that’s for sure.
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Very common of my son as well.
I feel you pain. Tearful, I search for other with the same challenges that people face with having a child with this disability. Dang it is hard. I am also a provider myself and I cant seem to help her or maintain strong boundaries without totally losing it saying things I do not mean out of complete frustration. Would love to meet some friends going through similar issues . Anyone in Dallas?
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NAMI is supposed to have groups of people who are going through similar things. Maybe your NAMI is back up and running for in person discussions. Mine in Florida is still only doing virtual and I don’t do well with the virtual stuff, I want to talk to people face to face. Good luck to you
Yes!!! We’re in DFW.
Hi Tippy- I too struggle with the guilt of not being able to live with my daughter, who keeps going off her meds when she comes home. She too has anasognosia…which is so frustrating that she doesn’t understand or make the connection to her behaviors & hospitalizations.
I just tried again to help her by having her live with me, she urinated in her bed, chair, floor, car…and still refused medication or help. Finally after she screamed at me to get out of “her f’n house” i began the task of having her involuntarily admitted. That was 3 weeks ago and she is still in the ED (along with several others needing psychiatric help). Now that she’s there, she has fooled them & they wanted to discharge her back to me. I said absolutely no until someone figures out what is going on & treat it.
There is a clinic called Amen, and they do brain imagery to narrow down what is going on in the brain & treat it specifically. It is NOT covered by insurance & NOT inexpensive ($4-5,000 for scan & then follow ups). If they can do imaging why can’t hospitals?? Instead of playing the guessing game.
New drugs? They need to be good enough to not have someone become 300lbs & become diabetic, grow a beard, and feel like crap. Not a wonder some don’t stay on meds!
It is the unpredictability of violence that has me not wanting to have her live with me. She’s beaten me up twice & this last time she hasn’t physically hit me, but she’s been posturing to scare me to leave, which i did.
I hate feeling this way towards my daughter but we can’t both go down with the ship. All she needs to do is cooperate! But she can not live with me.
Horrifying illness & government doesn’t seem to care.
Nice to know I’m not alone in this madness. Glad i found this!
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Hi Torn. You are not alone! My son also has been very threatening to me. I am scared of him most of the time. He and his father have had physical altercations. The most recent episode I was threatened with knives, thankfully while I was locked in my bedroom! I have checked into a similar brain imagery facility. The one near me will not accept insurance and it is not a tried and true help for our loved ones. I just don’t know what to do with him. I am not seeing that he will ever be able to take care of himself. What happens when I am dead? The government just wants to ignore the problem and hopes it will just go away. Everytime I hear about these mass shootings, I always think that maybe if those people had the right mental health care it wouldn’t have happened. This site is good for all of us I think. I have learned from it and also being able to vent is very helpful.
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@Torn welcome! And so sorry for your pain. You nailed the risk - and the dividing line for me - safe behavior.
I love my son as you love your daughter - as we all love our SZ affected patients. And we can put up with a lot. But when you or your spouse or other kids are in danger due to this loved one - then the situation is out of your hands.
My son knows this. Of course he blames me for having him committed several times (5?) over the last 7 years. But every time he was committed was due to unsafe behavior towards me or himself.
Draw a line of safety. And keep it. My son knows I’ll keep it. I’ve finally convinced him. But I’ll admit that this line seems very thin and scary at times - especially when he’s elevated and manic - and I wonder if it will hold, or if I’ll pay the ultimate price by relying on it.
So I keep a taser handy and stay alert. It’s absolutely bizarre to even type these things but it’s how we live. Safety first.
We owe it not only to ourselves and other loved ones but to our community. And if the time ever comes and he’s on the street again - maybe out in one of your neighborhoods, then I’ll know in my heart that I’ve done all I can - and alerted the authorities of his issues.
If there’s any more that can be done, I’m all ears!!! Welcome to a good place to share, grieve, and learn to survive.
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Well, I am struggling to keep him on Monthly injections. every time he refuses to take the injection at Outpatient clinic, I would call 911 and take him to emergency and he would end up staying in the hospital 2 to 3 weeks. I had requested 2 months ago to also add Clozapine in addition to the injection and he has been taking Clozapine pills ( Low dose so far) every day and recently agreed to take his monthly injection. I am hoping that his doctor keeps increasing his clozapine to an appropriate dose and eventually just keep him on clozapine and drop the Injection. this will take time since they can only increase clozapine 25mg at a time and it does require a Blood Draw every week.
I was about to drop clozapine due to weekly blood draw requirements then I found a pharmacy who are willing to dispense clozapine based on the monthly blood draw. it is still a pain to get him to take on blood draw a month and one injection per month.
I do see some improvement on both monthly injections and clozapine. I will continue this route and will see what happens… I keep praying and hoping for more improvement.
I keep hearing from others that Clozapine is the best medicine out there.
My son is also Taking Lithium Carbonate.
he sleeps now more often that he used.
Good luck to you and to your son. will keep you in my prayers.
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Tippy,
it is perfectly Ok to vent out. My son blames also me.
he told me several times that everything was Ok in his life: that he was attending university and was working part-time and that I screwed everything for him since I started committing him involuntarily and forcing him into medicines. he said that I am the reason for him being this way and he does not realize that his illness is the cause and not me.
He is better now on Injection and clozapine and hopes he continues to improve.
I do feel trapped and not able to travel as I used to. I have not seen my 2 sisters and one of my brothers and cousins in Lebanon for almost 7 years I used to travel every 2 years with my son to Lebanon and now I keep telling my cousins that I am so busy with work. Only my sisters and my brothers know about my son’s illness.
You have your husband as good support which is very good, My situation is harder as I live alone with my son and a couple of friends who check on us from time to time.
I pray a lot about my situation and hope i can move back to California close to one of my brothers in 2 to years and this way I can have a backup.
God bless you with your family.
Jarca2016, It is soo hard to live like this. I hope that you can find the support that you need. I pray every day that things can change for the better for my son, myself, my family. May God bless you.
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Torn, definitely you have plenty of company!!! We’re on the same boat, navigating one day at a time. It’s not only hard but expensive; our son’s behavior is escalating: lies, vengeful, not being able to sleep much, showering for a long time, going to public places like the library or the mall to spend time in the restrooms getting his head wet and washing his hands, in the last couple of months he has had couple of bikes stolen, one was his friend’s.
He’s so astute because he has done the same as your daughter: gone to the hospital after himself has called the ambulance to be released immediately!!! I have waited to ask the reason and the nurse explained to me they can’t keep him because he doesn’t meet the ‘criteria’. I hardly believe this one!
I really hope and pray that we have the strength, wisdom and love for our loved ones in spite of their unloved behavior.
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I’m curious to know if when your son refuses his injection and lands in the hospital for 2-3 weeks do they administer his injection there? We’re on the same situation, only one time he got the Abilify injection at the hospital, he was supposed to go as an outpatient but never got there, I have a daughter who’s a nurse and she came over to administer the injection to him couple of times but after that’s its been impossible, he leaves early and comes back late; we go through the same blaming, the anosognosia and the frustration.
When you requested the Clozapine addition was the doctor able to prescribe it? Apparently doctors are required to be registered to be able to prescribe it here in IL.
I really hope that Clozapine works for your son and once he has a clearer mind decides to stay on it.
I’d love to hear about his updates on his progress with the clozapine.
My prayers for you and your son.
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You have a heart of gold!!! That’s what matters.