Yes I have said to my son that Molly(dog) will be scared he’s your shouting when responding to the voices…I suggested he take her out for a short walk which will relax him too…I suppose once the voices start he doesn’t have much option (
yes I did mean shouting lol!
Kathy, I would have done the same thing. My husband said that dogs get used to their owners behaviors and it doesn’t alarm them. They also know when to get away. Our adopted old dog will take a hike to our old house if my son gets too loud. This sounds bad but I have done the same thing.
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Had it been shooting, okay, maybe then the neighbor could take the dog -lol- first (in Texas) we would have to ask, “was he shooting at the dog nosy neighbor?” The dog knows what’s going on during the shouting.
When it was really bad, my son’s cats would come over to our place and just look back, concerned, at Jeb’s place. They always looked so polite about it, in that way cats have - “hey, its cool, we just thought we’d hang out with you guys for a while”. They were so sweet, you could see they were worried about Jeb -while he’s shouting obscenities at our house for hours.
I agree with Mom2, dogs do get used to their owner’s behaviors. In a previous life, before Jeb became so ill, after I retired, I used to do behavior evaluations for dogs in public impounds for dog rescues. Your neighbor upstairs sounds like a bit of a misguided dog rescuer. Molly’s work with Tom is very fulfilling for her. Some animal rescuers can only see their own point of view. Everyone else is wrong unless they do it exactly as they would. Tom’s neighbor sounds like quite the mess.
We tried once mentioning to Jeb that he was scaring his cats in the middle of an episode and he freaked out and turned it saying “don’t you threaten to hurt my cats”. Maybe all he heard us say was “cats” with all the voices going on in his head.
Molly is your Tom’s therapy dog. She is a working therapy animal. While all animals tend to like routine, Molly’s routine is Tom and his trouble with routines.
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I am speechless, just shaking my head.
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Ooooops that wasn’t a good statement to help you sleep well was it!!..
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Mmmm I’m glad it was my spelling mistake … shooting instead of shouting or that would be a whole load more shit LOL!
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like we don’t have enough to handle already -lol
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I knew you all would appreciate that.
You think? Lol. …
No kidding…,…
When mine yelled “JEB, YOU HAVE SCHIZOPHRENIA” he yelled it loud and slow right in Jeb’s face. As though Jeb was hard of hearing. Later when Jeb was silent in his room for hours, he actually asked me if I thought his actions had helped Jeb.
I don’t know why it never occurred to any of the mental health professionals working with Jeb that they were just speaking too fast and too softly for him to understand he had an illness.
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You crack me upLOL:)
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I was horrified at the time. I couldn’t believe he could be that cruel.
Now, over 3 years later, I can see the humor. With all of the other stuff he has done over the years when he reacts to Jeb’s episodes, it’s just one more head shaking event.
Our FtF teacher’s keeps reminding me that he has come a long way.
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It is totally awful, but I like your interpretation that he thought everyone else had possibly spoken too quietly and quickly.
My husband told me he thought he could “shout down” our family member. Which is why he tried that during a symptomatic episode. Family member then gone for five days (or maybe it was seven).
If only yelling worked.
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Yes, another friend of mine still has a husband/dad trying the yelling theory.
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Maybe it’s their reinterpretation of primal scream therapy.
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Another friend keeps trying to convince hers he is ill by telling him over and over again.
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OCD is an anxiety disorder. The compulsions help control anxiety. I think negative voices are also a response to anxiety. Maybe your son needs calming/reassurance about something and the compulsive behaviors will go away.
The other side of that coin is if you somehow make him nervous about the showers, it could make it worse.
My son has gone as long as two weeks without a shower. I wish he would shower more.
Just a caution - I would use my nose and eyes to make sure there is no evidence of self-harming or drug use happening in shower. Showers can be used as a cover.
Hope this resolves for him soon.
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