I’ve been reading some studies that indicate that people in homes with high emotional energy have the worst outcomes. This almost always refers to overly critical, impatient caregivers or a lot of bickering and quarreling within the household, even if it’s not directed at the ill person. It can also mean too much hovering and attention of the wrong kind.
But what about the flip side? No studies seem to describe what happens in families where there is a lot of love, support and patience. Such families or partnerships surely exist. Can too much expression of unconditional love make things better, have no effect, or even make things worse? I’m not talking about hovering, which could suggest a sense of insecurity and even mistrust on the part of the caregiver to the ill person. From what I read, people with schizophrenia are profoundly aware of emotions and feel them at least as much as healthy people, even if they can’t express them.
Honestly, I feel that trying to maintain calm around anyone who is ill is super-important. Especially when the ill person is already hearing voices bickering in their heads (delusions and hallucinations). That sort of unfriendly environment will upset anyone, not just someone with schizophrenia. I found it so very very hard to maintain courtesy, I made so many emotional mistakes. However, in the end, it was proper medications that saved our family.
I know what you mean about trying to remain calm and curteous all the time. I am so glad your daughter found some relief with her medication. I have read many good things about Haldol injections.
Hi @irene. Thank you. My daughter has had such a great journey on the Haldol injection over the past years since 2019, I am thankful daily for that medication. Many others didn’t work as well.
It took me a bit to learn to try to always respond with courtesy. I learned a LOT from a few of the nurses in the common rooms of the psych wards when she was admitted. They were very kind souls (usually big strong men) who knew how to balance courtesy and force.
I had to overcome my own nasty attitude towards her acting out MANY times, reminding myself it was the illness talking and not really my daughter…