Resistance to Treatment Issue - Feedback Please

Family
1

From email:

My son who is 26 years old, suffers from severe schizophrenia mixed with substance addiction. However, he refuses to believe it, admitted to himself, or accept it.

He refuses the visit to or from the psychiatrist. I have asked so many psychiatrist for consultation and he has refused them all. He started by accepting the treatment 7 years ago but did not stop alcohol nor drugs consumption. Now, for the past several months he refuses the medications and prefers substance abuse (alcohol, drugs…).

He only takes the pills subscribed to him by his last psychiatrist,
which will make him sleep and feel unbalanced. His situation is out of hand and out of control and has reached the extreme especially the past 2 weeks.

He fought and hit his brother and sister leaving marks, last week and these last 2 days he has tried to commit suicide. All he asks for is alcohol, drugs, and the pills that were subscribed to him to make him forget and feel unconscious.

I do not know what to do anymore or how to handle it. I have consulted many psychologist but none has helped me progress, I need help and I have heard that the Electroconvulsive therapy
might be the most effective at this stage but also my son has become very aggressive and alway mad and anxious also remembering that he refuse to go see a doctor and believing that alcohol and drug abuse is the correct way to continue living. I have forbidden him from leaving the house the last couple of days so he does not go and buy drugs or alcohol and he has become more aggressive and anxious.

I am trying to find a way to communicate with him and convince him that to go and see the doctor and accept the treatment but he gets mad and aggressive and believes that there is no cure apart from drugs or alcohol and that I am the reason he is suffering since I am not allowing him to consume them.

This has been going on for the past 10 days and he keeps on throwing bad, hurtful, and hateful comment towards me like for instance: “he said let me leave and I will never bother you again and you will never see me again if you want to say goodbye this is your chance but as for me I will not say bye to you or even link at you!”

Hope you are able to help me or give me any consultation.

2

Hi,

Here is a start, and perhaps others can add their thoughts. I recommend you watch these two videos:

and

3

I’m sorry your family is going through this terrible situation.

Most likely your state law allows a person to be forced into involuntary treatment if they display certain behaviors, suicide attempts meet a legal criteria: “danger to self and others.”

In every state, a person in crisis can go to a regular hospital’s Emergency Room for evaluation and possible transfer to psychiatric hospital. One step might be to call your nearest hospital and ask to speak to the social worker on staff in the ER; they might be able to help guide you.

Also, if there is a local NAMI chapter, some have volunteers and members who can give you information for local mental health crisis teams. Also ask the hospital’s social worker about local crisis teams as they probably work together.

Lots of people with serious mental illness do not believe they have it, as in the video posted by admin.

Best to you and yours

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