Information needed

@iforget12

Welcome to the forum and thank you for not buying into the media stigma and other heaps of misinformation.

The thing that helps your daughters boyfriend is that he’s young and he is living in a time were there are better meds, and more therapies and other advancements happening in battling this illness.

As far as your question…

I completely understand your concern and I don’t mean this in any negative way… but no relationship is a guarantee. Everyone reacts to different meds in different ways, everyone has different levels of functioning.

The more support and love and friendship this young man has, the better off he’ll be. More people on his side and more people willing to help him out a bit. The more chance he has at achieving his goals and being a kind and good person for your daughter.

You’re question made me think of my poor sister-in-law. I’m 29 and I’m the one battling this illness. Some days are better then others. I have my own place, a job I love, I’m back in school, I have a girlfriend, I have family and friends on my side. I am med compliant… and my life is getting better for me.

My sister-in-law… she married my slightly younger brother… who by all diagnostics… is perfectly healthy… he’s very ambitious… very competitive and (very arrogant)… and is more financially successful then even our own parents.

but as mentally stable as he is… as new a car as he drives, as nice a house as he has… he’s a very angry and verbally abusive person who over the years has become a heavy drinker.

He not physically violent to his kids… but he is very dismissive and too busy for them. The kids have been hanging with me more because their house is starting to crumble. We think he’s having an affair… my Sister-in-law has been heart broken for a while now.

Lack of mental illness might not be a guarantee to an easy life.

Thank you again for giving this young man a chance and your friendship.

Such a wonderful reply . Thank you and I think the same thing abot her having a very rich smart man that she could have a worse life with . I’m so happy to have found this site and no longer have to listen to negative people who don’t know this boy or know how happy he makes her on his good days . All such wonderful hopeful stories

He told me today he is taking onlanzpine , he doesn’t like it cause it makes him feel spaced out. I’m starting to talk to her boyfriend and understand as best I can so he not only has his parents behind him but our family as well . M

I had that med too but got severe side effects. Low blood pressure, high heart rate, dizziness, nausea.

Then I tried Flupentixol. I had it about a year. I thought it worked wonders. All the voices were gone. But it made me a zombie. I did not realize that. Co workers told me I was a robot.

Now I have Abilify and Quetiapin. That works really good on delusions and paranoia, but not on voices. ON ME. It’s different for every one. You just have to try and try to find the right one.

If he feels spaced out maybe it’s time to try another med. Spaced out can be very dangerous while driving.

Sometimes people switch meds too fast (or go off them) because of side effects. Many side effects lesson over time. When my daughter was first on lithium she had tremors so bad she couldn’t drink a drink w/o spilling it all over herself. She used to joke and say “Don’t worry mom, I’ll just buy a tambourine and join a band.” Her doctor said it could take up to six months for the side effect to lesson, and the extreme fatigue. Since the meds worked so well for her symptoms we were willing to give it the 6 months to wait and see if the side effects lessened. They sure did-she has very few side effects now-AT ALL. I just kept saying during those 6 months, which sucks worse-the side effects or the symptoms? Well, we have the answer to that question, don’t we?

**Just wanted to say welcome to this site.
I can only say that the more all of you are educated, and the more support you can get around you-the better.
My son was also on olanzapine in the beginning. I think it did so well for him. The only side effect was weight gain-which caused him to go off that. He could sure use that weight now :wink:
keep coming here-this is a wonderful site for information and support. **

Well, let me tell you a bit about schizophrenia from the inside. Without treatment, especially without meds, reality becomes overwhelming; it’s as if the senses are being overloaded with information and we, the sufferers, end up making connections where there aren’t any and having sensory experiences that aren’t there. Psychosis can be down right traumatic and the negative symptoms can make it nearly impossible to function. You think the voices are bad? There’s way more to it than that.

However, please listen. I have paranoid schizophrenia and I AM medicated. I am successful and not so dependent on others. I can communicate fluently and perform well in a job that I am comfortable in doing. I’m on my way to becoming a caregiver for heaven’s sake. My fiancee struggles with her own mental illness and we are doing fine!

I’m not boasting and I am not saying that the experience is the same for everyone. What I am saying is that sticking to treatment is important and we all know how important medications and supports (such as this forum) can be. But please do not doubt this man. Doubt is not something that someone with schizophrenia needs. Both my family and my fiancee’s family doubted us, but we remained strong and still make sure that we are both following our treatment as prescribed. Now our families are coming together. :smile:

I know you are looking out for your daughter, but I promise that if he does take his medications as prescribed she will have a clearer picture of a future with him, and so will you. Something tells me that if you are willing to come here with questions and to learn for your daughter’s sake, you are open minded and truly have her protected. On a side note, because of the way people in my life have been treated, it’s great to hear of your efforts.

I apologize for the lengthy answer, partly due to Muhammed’s response and to offer as much insight as possible. Please ask us anything. :smile:

I am so grateful that those of you who have sz and are doing well speak up and tell your stories. THAT is what combats prejudice and the myths and misinformation out there-it gives those who are in a different place in their journey hope and motivation! And kudos to iforget for asking questions!

Yes Muhammad’s response was the first one and it was really not what I wanted to hear . I’m felling so much better and with so much support I feel he will do well and now look forward to welcoming him to our family . Your stories are so helpfull