Really hoping the injection works well for your daughter - so many hospitalizations just this year.
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I have a question for you, if you donât mind answering. My daughter was formally dx in January and is a teenager. I saw that your daughter was dx at 15. Have her symptoms gotten worse, stayed the same, or improved? Iâm just trying to prepare myself for the future. Thank you. Big hugs.
The answer is both. In the beginning, her symptoms worsened. The medications they were trying just didnât work. Over the course of 3 years, she was hospitalized 11 times at varying levels of care - inpatient, residential, and partial. As a last resort, we put her on clozapine. It started to work.
Her cognitive function was greatly impacted and school - an excellent therapeutic school - was too stressful and triggering. When we finally allowed her to drop out she stabilized. Itâs been a slow and steady improvement ever since. No hospitalizations since 2016. Sheâs getting tutored for her GED, attending a social/support group, has goals of a job and license, has lost over 50 lbs, attends a gym regularly, doesnât isolate, hugely improved hygiene and life skills, I could go on. She has always been treatment compliant. I do recommend becoming her guardian at 18.
I hope this answers your question. Keep the stress level down and adjust your expectations to meet where your child is. Not an easy thing to do.
I wish you both well. 
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To add to my last responseâŚallow yourself to grieve. Iâve gone through all the stages, sometimes simultaneously and at different levels. The stages are denial, anger, bargaining, depression, and acceptance. And know that the ârecoveryâ the care providers talk about does not mean that your child will be restored to her previous level of function. But things can get better. It will take enormous time and effort on your part. My daughterâs illness has become my full time job. So Iâve needed to grieve the impact itâs had on my life too.
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@mmm61 Thank you for your replies. Iâm tearing up at the fact that it is more than likely she will get worse. I appreciate you sharing your story and advice. This illness is devastatingâŚDoing this all on my own has been hardâphysically, emotionally, spiritually. Iâm slowing easing towards the acceptance phaseâŚShe has such a beautiful heart and spirit. It pains me to no end to see this happening to her. Big hugs.
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She may respond to medication more quickly than my daughter did. Donât despair.
Hugs.
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I totally understand everything in your post @Daisy15 . It is a never-ending pain to see a child suffer such severe mental illness. I have been blessed with a recovery to ânew normalâ for my daughter after almost 3 years of psychosis. I felt I was losing the battle, and then the miracle of 4 months acceptance of a long acting drug that worked (Haldol) gave her back her mind. Not healed, mine you, but able to have a life again. I just picked her up from her part time job a bit ago. She was happy with herself. Of course, right now she is in her room talking to her voices, despite her medicine. However, she spent 5 hours in a public baseball stadium doing light cleaning, so I guess she deserves time to talk now that she is alone. I hope you can help your daughter find betterment.
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@oldladyblue, Iâm so glad to hear that your daughter accepted her injection again, and that she is developing a productive life outside of your home. I do wonder if her voices will eventually fade away, with continued medication. Regardless, it doesnât sound like sheâs being tormented by them, so thatâs good. How is her level of paranoia? I imagine itâs much better, since sheâs working out in public.
My sonâs voices havenât gone away, but atleast heâs generally happy, on a day-to-day basis. I just wish he had motivation to do something outside of the home, like a volunteer job or going to a Clubhouse. It would help my grief because Iâd feel a lot less guilty. The continued paranoia and the negative symptoms really have an impact on his functioning. Iâm hoping that something will change for him. Itâs been 3 years.
@oldladyblue
Thank you for your kind words. I thought I was coming to terms with things, but the last few days have left me pretty emotional again. I wouldnât wish this on anyoneâŚIt is encouraging to hear from all you other parents. Iâm so lucky to be her mom. Take care of yourself. I wish you and your daughter well. Big hugs.
I am very blessed that my daughterâs meds are working, all of her symptoms are reduced: the paranoia is almost gone (it only comes up when someone questions her too hard about something, so I back off if I see it in her eyes). The voices are not tormenting her, it almost seems like she enjoys talking to them, the negative symptoms seem much better (she smiles, starts conversations with me, showers, and is motivated to earn money). Such a distinct and miraculous seeming change. If perhaps the improvements will continue that would be amazing. @Day-by-Day I am glad that your son is generally happy. Iâm not sure you have anything to feel guilty over, why do you feel guilt? @Daisy15 I understand feeling encouragement from this site. I would be personally lost without the support from every kind soul on this site. None of us, knowing severe mental illness in our loved one, would ever wish this on anyone⌠it is a curse beyond all curses in my opinion. Especially if there is also anosognosia (lack of insight). Then it is a double curse.
We caregivers are warriors for our loved ones, trying to help them in this tough fight. I sure wish it were easier on everyone concerned.
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