So my son has been the Abilify injection for 3 months now. It seems to be helping his symptoms better than the haldol injection. He seems more clear and less “drugged”. He is working again and seems like it’s going well for him. He has also started hanging out with an old friend again rather than sleeping and laying in bed all day, which is great. The bad thing is he started hanging out with his friend all hours of the night and one morning I smelled pot so strong in his room that he had to have been smoking it in there but he denies he was. We suspect his heavy pot use is what could have caused the SZ so he knows that him smoking it is a deal breaker for him stay in our home. (Also his younger brother has severe asthma). We told him to take a drug test or he would have to leave and he chose to leave. Yet again his grandmother has taken him in, enabling his behavior with no consequence. Though I am glad he is not on the street. We are still getting along and I still see him briefly a couple times a week. He tells his grandmother he isn’t smoking pot and we haven’t noticed him seemingly high. The problem is that he is staying out all night with his friend, probably not getting enough sleep, has made his hair into sloppy dreadlocks, and is dressing terribly. Old mismatched clothes he got from Goodwill that clash. (I love Goodwill but his choices are awful). Anyway, he looks ridiculous and not in a way guys his age dress. I’m sure he gets stares everywhere he goes. Also, he is spending his paycheck unwisely and ends up broke again in a few days.
Anyway, all that to say I am glad he doesn’t seem to be suffering anymore, and seems happier. He is actually very pleasant. I don’t want to him back to staying in his room being bothered by his symptoms and depressed but it’s like now that he feels better he’s back to not making good decisions. I just don’t know how to feel about all this.
My son was more active on Abilify, but he also thought his hands had super powers, and a few other things like that. It is so hard to find a balance where they have energy, but also can function and don’t lose their judgment.
It’s good that you are getting along! I guess time will tell if this works for him. Thinking of you and hoping he calms down.
Many great wins! The way I looked at my son’s emergence from psychosis is at least he is living life. His clothes were not well thought out, his money is gone in 1-2 days, his friends leave a lot to be desired…but he is not isolated in his room and head without any semblance of truly living.
Our minds do not work like our adult children, so what we feel is important often does not even hit their radar. I have also learned is the more my son lives life, the more he learns and the more he can do that is productive. I have finally stepped back and let my son live his life, without me constantly trying to fix my son and help him be more normal. He is who he is and I have to accept him for that person…not the person in my hopes and dreams. Best of luck. You son will find a balance and so will you!
Does he get SSI? I had to be representative to handle the money as my son will spend it all in 1 day. My son also looks unruley, and hopefully ypyrs takea the ahot or meds
.mine just stopped and now back to hospital…after finally getting small job
Its wonderful to hear of the progress your son is making. I understand the hope and fear connected to seeing it. Receiving such positive responses here in this community is also good motivation to keep you encouraged. However, I’m going to share from my own 10+ year experience. Shying away from the glaring obvious helps no one. Your son is on a very slippery slope. Hanging with friends that are healthy and supportive of his own health is a must, striving for independence based on ability is always a goal and well, looking disheveled with a few quirky habits is certainly understandable but what you’ve described is “kinda” this with several red flags and your gut is telling you the truth. Your son is headed back to full blown symptoms and consequences if he continues to live with a grandmother that is enabling, hang with unhealthy friends and not take his meds. My hope for him and your family is a reset where he walks into some form of in-house treatment for 30 days or so with continued outpatient after that. I pray your insurance can cover this and that you can get him to go. Otherwise, I’m sorry but the chances of him further deteriorating far outweigh the chances of him stabilizing, and yes, there is likely several cycles of this treatment approach until it hopefully clicks and sticks.
My LO’s deterioration was also triggered by pot and there is solid research supporting this relationship.
Our family, like many on here, have taken several trips to hell over the years but we are in a better place now through our faith, finding good providers, learning all we can about their illness, making changes ourselves and being honest with whatever we faced. This journey is not only about your son. We found that the weak don’t survive this hell, live very sick lives and have painful relationships but with faith and really, really hard and brutally honest work by everyone your son and family can have a better quality of life and relationships.
Just to note, my LO is also on the Abilify injection, Invega was not right for them, along with Lybalvi, Topiramate and Trintellix.
I pray for our community of “silent sufferers” , as I call us , daily. I hope brighter days for your son and all of us.
I helped him apply for SSI but he was denied. They said his condition wasn’t severe enough? I was very surprised. He didn’t want to appeal it and so far seems to be able to work now so it ended up being for the best anyway. He is on a monthly injection, I hope your son resumes his meds.
Really? There is so much evidence out there that heavy marijuana use during teen years can trigger SZ. I know it doesn’t happen to everyone that smokes it but purportedly it does for some. I’ve also read that it can exasperate symptoms in those already suffering from SZ. I’m interested to hear your experience of it having a positive effect on symptoms. Also, I am in SC- perhaps we are close?
My son smokes all, and I think it isnt helping him. He is getting worse, sporadically taking meds, and for the last 2 weeks threatening me, off an on to kill me and cut me in little bitty pieces…the things he says, seem more like a “satan”, who studies and knows what to say to people to get to them. My son had never said or yelled at me prior, anything or any men thing. This
, daily. I hope brighter days for your son and all of us.