Hi there to all of you amazing people who get up every day and place one foot in front of the other 
with hope to have a conversation or just a little glimpse of your loved one.
My daughter is 23 , diagnosed In March this year after her first psychotic episode and a hospital admission for 6 weeks. She was so beautiful when In psychosis, she really loved and appreciated me and was affectionate. She stopped her meds and is now in her room but trying to get out of it day by day.
I have recently downloaded the book - I am not sick , I don’t need help
It’s an easy read and may help some of you out there fighting the big fight- love and hope to you all 
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Nadine,
I trust your daughter has a therapist who can help her with this issue of medication. It made a difference for our daughter. If you daughter can explain why she’s not taking her medication it might help? Often they don’t like the side effects or they get in their mind that they live without the medication. I agree using the LEAP process is good but challenging. Have you taken any NAMI support groups and family classes? We all need support when going through our loved one dealing with a SMI (serious mental illness). Your love and support are invaluable to your daughter. Take care of yourself in the midst of this!
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Hi @Nadine and welcome to the forum. I hope you keep coming back, there is much information shared here.
My daughter, who got ill at 32, stayed mostly in her room for years in my home. She was not willing to take her medicine because she wasn’t ill. I used the LEAP method to get her to maybe admit she was hungry, and to want to start opening her door at night to me for a dinner plate. It took repeated attempts spread out over many evenings before she would stop talking/screaming to her voices for a half a minute to say “no” to my question. Then more repeated attempts. But finally one night she opened the door, took the plate, and then did that every night from then on.
My second use of LEAP was to see if she might want to take a walk around the block with me and the dog after dinner. Again it took many attempts, but then she came out one night to go. She didn’t make it down the driveway that night. She didn’t make it even 1/4 block that week before she turned around and went home without me and the dog. But eventually she could walk around the block with me (still muttering softly the entire time to her voices). It is 8 years later and I still give her dinner in her room and we still walk the dog together every night. In 2019 she went on medicine and stayed on it, and has recovered miraculously into a new life.
LEAP and dinner plates was the beginning of her return to social life.
One new change at a time worked for me, always beginning with a question aimed to get her to speak like: Are you hungry? Do you want some meat loaf? repeated gently enough till she could answer me.
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I also just purchased that book and am almost through it! I’ve been trying to use the LEAP method but I think my mom has been off of her meds for so many years that it’s falling on deaf ears. I will, however, say that when I’ve tried that method in the last week it has helped decrease her mania and she will answer the questions in a much calmer state. I’ve also just found a NAMI virtual support group that I plan to join this weekend! I’m praying for your family and wish you the best!
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