It’s only been a few weeks since I have spent most days with my son who struggles with negative symptoms and the ability to clean his apt and personal hygiene and won’t agree to any help. He refuses to let me help clean his place but I’m hoping time will help with that.
He has been so lonely in his place and enjoys visiting me almost daily. He has been very lucid most days and does not seem to be so distracted by his voices. I’m not sure if this may be a cycle in his illness but I know he has also been smoking pot. Maybe drinking alcohol too. We talked a lot about the negative effects of pot on his symptoms and not being able to read (the biggest loss for him). I drove him to get tobacco but was very clear that I do not support him smoking pot and if he goes into the pot shop next to the tobacco shop I would not drive him there again.
What I Noticed is that when he calls me to pick him up to come visit is that I usually say I’m taking a shower will come after to get him. I have not discussed his body odour or showering at all but have been trying to get him to bring some laundry but no go so far.
So the big surprise is that he has showered and even said he was going to buy new clothes when he gets his disability money. I took him to get the clothes and he seems to have a better self esteem with clothes that he likes and fit him. His clothes were way over sized and so dirty.
Also at my place he now brings his dishes to the kitchen and even picks up his garbage to put in the trash before he leaves! He has not done this before!
So I’m thinking that modelling may have helped him. So watching me do all of these things he begins to do them as well.
Modeling is a kind of vicarious learning in which direct instruction need not occur.