Im the single parent of a14 years old recently diagnosed.Im going threw a grieving process for my son,who only a year ago or so was so outgiong,laughing.playing child to a shell of a body who rarelly. Speaks .Now i feel guilty that i feel like i have lost him or as if I give up on my happy child.Is this something others feel also?
Definitely . We have lost our son. My son is not the son I raised. He was funny active, lots of friends , etc. Its so sad to watch.
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I get glimpses of my son on good days which I’ve learned to appreciate . I guess i have passed the grieving stage , its been almost 3 years now and i take one day at a time . Yesterday wasn’t a great day but today was a peaceful day .Lots of love and support helps them a lot .
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You have to learn to let go of guilt. You did not cause this and you could not have prevented it. Learn all you can. (“Surviving Schizophrenia, A Family Manual” is excellent.) Find a support group like NAMI. See NAMI.org then look up resources under your state’s NAMI chapter.
The best news I can give you is that identifying and treating SZ early offers significant advantage in the long-term outcome. Do everything you can now to learn and get him appropriate care.
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Yes, what you are feeling is totally normal. @hope4us gave great advice. This is the hardest battle to fight. Schizophrenia creates such a shocking change when it strikes.