This is my first post. My husband and I have been dealing with our son's issues for more than five years by ourselves. We finally found a NAMI support group and are now attending the weekly Family to Family sessions. The problem is that our son (now 30 years old) says there is nothing wrong and refuses to get help. He lives with us, can't keep a job, is up most of the night pacing. He is argumentative, sometimes screams outbursts of hatred for people in our family. I know this because of the security camera in our home. I can log in from work and hear him screaming. We called for help for him one time and when EMS arrived, our thug police department came along for the fun. He was frightened and tried to run towards our back door. They tased him, handcuffed him and took him to the county jail.
How can we get him to agree to go to a psychiatrist for an evaluation? We need help!
I’ve found that the police are cut and dry the worst people to comfort those with mental illness. Their have been ideas of specialized police schools that help an officer open up his mind to identifying those who may perhaps have a mental condition. Your son should watch those videos and remember how manic he is in his real time world. There’s no need for explanations either…I say treatment would help your son a lot.
Everyone I’ve talked to or heard from tells me the same but my own experience has been the opposite. I’ve been ill for 30 years and I’ve had a number of encounters with the police. They were always professional and understanding. When the woman down the hall from me went psychotic the police handled it well. That being said, yesterday I talked with someone who had to 302 a guy. The police were said to be laughing at the man as they took him in.
I think today things are different post-911 and after all the mass shootings by the mentally ill. Police have to be on heightened alert. I’d rather have police be more aggressive than have a cop get hurt. I’m all for the taser. I think they should use those net guns too, the ones that toss out a fishnet over a suspect.
Oh man–that was CRAP what the police did!!! I think I would sue the police dept. !! I actually had to counter-sue a male nurse because he was trying to sue my son for breaking his glasses, and missing 3 days of work. This was the 3rd time he had to deal with my son at the hospital. I remember thinking to my self that he almost looked like he was just waiting for trouble!
Here is a picture of my son: 5 officers-plus the male nurse holding my son down–me trying to get to him but being pulled away by other people. My son yelling to me that they were hurting him…
All because C. was standing outside of his room instead of inside. The case was dismissed in court. I will NEVER be able to erase that image of my son being tied down and looking like a wild animal.
Did not mean to get into a rant again. I dont think you will be able to get him to agree to go....maybe bribe? Tell him he needs to get his own place--thats a start.**
Thanks for the comments. I don’t know how to get him to accept the fact that he needs help. That’s where I need suggestions!
We can’t sue the cops, they charged him with resisting arrest and only dropped the charges if we didn’t tell anyone they tased him.
holy shit then you can sue him. how do you charge a shizophrenic with resisting arrest. i call bull on them sounds like a sketch cover up to me this should be on the local news and people fired.
anyway before i lose my faith in humanity i hope you can get him to take the shots for the medicine. the police should have put him on a hold. also, you can not be tried in court for the same crime twice. of he had his trial this is not a legal stipulation in my book.
Insight is not an all or nothing phenomenon. Rather insight came for me in discreet bits and bytes. For example, one time I challenged my Mother, “Why do I have to take these meds?” She answered, “Well for one thing, it’ll help you sleep better.” In a moment of self-honesty, I realized I wasn’t sleeping right and hadn’t been sleeping right for a long time.
For me, insight has a distinct spiritual dimension. Specifically, when I felt safe enough, I was able to ramp up self-honesty.
I gained insight rather quickly in my disease. I saw a therapist for 6 months when I was 19. But we didn’t know my problem was schizophrenia.She was young and cute and I enjoyed our sessions. I was 19 without a girlfriend but I got to talk to an understanding, sympathetic, non-judgmental cute women. I never told her what was REALLY going on with me.When the head psychiatrist told my family and her that I needed to be hospitalized my therapist actually cried. Anyway, I was in my first psyche ward for a week and half and then my parents arranged for me to move directly into Soteria House, A world-famous experimental house for schizophrenics. I saw some weird stuff there. But I was in denial that anything was wrong with me for about three months.Then my parents arranged for me to see a psychiatrist.I saw him twice and denied anything was wrong with me.But I think a seed was planted. Shortly after those visits it suddenly dawned on me that I was schizophrenic. I spent a year there and coming out of denial was literally my only progress there.
Your son refusing treatment is probably because he’s suffering from “anosognosia,” an inability to recognize one’s illness which is caused by an impairment in the brain.
You said you joined a NAMI group so maybe you can share this concern with them and they may be able to offer advice. Hopefully, another poster will come along and give you useful advice, or that you’ll find a solution soon.
http://www.leapinstitute.org/ - under resources are free videos on using LEAP
LEAP is a way of communicating to build trust. Listen-Empathize-Agree-Partner.
http://dramador.com/ - Dr. Xavier Amador is a clinical psychologist whose brother had schizophrenia. He is the founder of the LEAP Institute. Wrote the book: I’m Not Sick I Don’t Need Help! Can buy from his website.
Search Xavier Amador and LEAP on youtube.com and you should find some long videos
Treatment Advocacy Center - under problems you will see anosognosia
Anosognosia looks like denial but is different.
Perhaps trying a different approach might work. Instead of trying to get him to see a psychiatrist because of schizophrenia type symptoms maybe try talking to him about getting help dealing with his anxiety and stress. What he is experiencing must be stressful for him. Could also try talking to him about getting help with insomnia if he is up pacing all night.
I got my insight by being a psychology major. It’s one sure way to became informed and aware of being a paranoid schizophrenic, meds and covered in some classes too.
But yeah the police don’t send a crisis intervention team officer unless the person is diagnosed with a mental illness, I believe. Don’t quote me on that. I know I had psychosis NOS when I got in trouble with the police and they sent CIT officers not evil war piggies. I really like the CIT guys, Ive ran into them twice for shit that was my fault due to my illness, and they blamed my illness and not me.
I think every community in this country should have CIT trained police officers available - the regular police can aggravate the situation many times - Many cops are trigger happy - they are trained to seriously injure or kill if things "get out of hand"
In my situation when I was in need of intervention a long time ago, a couple of cops - one male and one female threatened to beat me up - the other cops were pretty cool about the situation, one cop went to high school with me - he was very cool and diffused the situation nicely. You will find good cops and bad cops - but they are in need of some serious training when it comes to diffusing crisis type situations involving the severely mentally ill
At this point in time, the odds are grim. Mankind has just barely been born.
Intellect is only just barely poking its head out into this reality. Ignorance is at its all-time peak, and so is arrogance. No one is willing to look at the big picture. Instead there are always separate sides. As an outcome, one side always says it is 100% right, and that the other side is therefore obviously always 100% wrong.
Well isn’t what they want? I bunch of stupid broke helpless people? Don’t let em do it! (quoting james brown don’t let em’ do it). You have to muster this kid up and tell him that (you’re fucking up) and (get your head in your environment, get over your frustrations and stress with these damn pills…now take them.)
If he was bad enough to be tased, he was bad enough to come in for a mental health examination. You have my full sympathy having to deal with your son. Mental illness is an exasperating thing to have to deal with. You might consider telling your son he has to get help and take medication if he wants to live with you. You might could find a cheap apartment he can stay in.