I just contacted NAMI and they told me about this forum. This is such a God send to know that there’s a community for family members dealing with schizophrenia. I am the care giver for my 54 old sister that was diagnosed almost 15 years ago. She was doing so well for the last 4 -5 years but she’s relapsed and not taking her medicine, won’t leave the home and barely does any daily activities. It’s been a struggle to get her to talk about anything. Her permanent residence is in a different state but I was able to bring her to my home so that I could take care of her and make sure that she was at least eating. She is still not compliant with her medicine but I see I have to be more engaged in ensuring she takes it. It’s so tiring. Now she wants to go home but she won’t have any support so I’ve been postponing it as much as possible. Where I struggle the most is what she comprehends, what she doesn’t and how to get through to her when important decisions need to be made. Her clear/lucid moments only last for a short time and it’s not enough to make progress on important items. I was just reading and ordered the LEAP book. Hopefully, that will help me communicate better. I’m just glad thankful for this type of forum because you get it.
Hello @mrhonda88 and welcome to the forum. I am so glad that NAMI in your area recommended it to you. It is very important to find some help, advice and companionship when you are caring for someone with a severe mental illness. Yes, it is so draining for the caregiver to provide the care necessary to the ill person, both physically and mentally. LEAP will help, but it is a long slow process, sort of like an IV drip… It took me a long time to become able to make decisions for my daughter that she couldn’t make, like when I had the legal opportunity to force her to take meds. It felt wrong for so long to force things on her, but looking back in hindsight, everything I did was with love… and turned out for the best.
We do get it here, come often, read the posts, and know that we understand.
Hi. Another sibling here. My brother is in his 60s. It’s hard being a sibling but there are many of us working on our brother or sister’s behalf, while also trying to take care of ourselves.
You said your sister wants to go home. My brother also wants to live on his own and does. I was out of his life for many years before coming back onto the scene and trying to help. When I first got acquainted with how he “lives on his own” and was “taking his meds” I was flabbergasted. Not up to my standards. Turns out, he doesn’t want to live by my standards. So I just let some things slide, and when those important items come up, as you said, I play the sister card hard, saying “I have no other reason to insist you take my word for this other than I’m your sister and I care about you.” It does work at times. I am still learning to let the rest go.
I hope you share here what works with your sister and how you’re doing.