Yes. My son used to call them duvet days. He frequently had days when it was too much to hear anyone or communicate. I think it was probably because there was so much happening in his head. Remember, that to him, the voices in his head are real. Not a figment of his imagination. My son used have 2 people. A mand a young women, who each had their own personalities, but, that they were both evil.
He has been on most medications, but the only one that works, ie lessens the voices, is in the UK, called Clozapine.
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@Wendyggent Thank you - that helps me get a better understanding of what my son will be going through. I donāt know if he has people in particular. Last summer when he was still waiting tables he said his customers were telling him that he wasnāt worth anything etc. Did your son tell you there were 2 people? Just curious how much other folks get their loved one to open up to them.
@presence What brand of Sarcosine do you use? Do you get it online? I canāt find it at my natural grocers. Thanks!
This was a rare precious moment. When he has been on his meds for a couple months, his āpositiveā symptoms , ie hearing voices , lessen. Whilst he has told me in a big hug, and in tears, that he loves me so much. He has also told me that I am not his mother, but the devil and evil.
I have found that unless a carer or friend has actually spent some time with someone suffering sz, that they cannot understand why their way of thinking is so totally different.
Fortunately , my son, 31 has supported housing, though at the moment, he is in Japan, without his meds, overstaying his visa, and under the attention of the U.K. Consulate. I cannot get any news of him unless he wants me to know. Privacy laws! Even tho he is my next of kin and is a high functioning sz sufferer.
DianeR - Yes, I get it online through brainvitaminz.com. it is advertised on the schizophrenia.com site. I add it to tea, foods etc. Apparently it helps with positive symptoms and I do rely on it as a helper to keep my son grounded. Also the L-theanine - written up on schizophrenia.com is very helpful. You can get it from 100mg to 250 mg. I definitely think the 250 is better. I empty the capsules into food etc. Sometimes my son is willing to take the chewable. I keep both. Wondering also if your son would be willing to take B vitamins in the form of nutritional yeast that you add to food. It tastes cheesy on food. If your willing to eat it, it probably helps with suspicions.
Though my son has some delusions again, he is prosocial. Has joined the UU church we were part of when he was young - even volunteered to cook for after church social hour. He also has kept to his decision to stop smoking marijuana.
i get nervous about writing my experience of all this. Our experience so far is somewhat out of the norm seemingly.
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sure , my son isolates himself all the time , i believe they are hearing voices or noises and its too much for them to be around others . Donāt take it personally , its just their condition . I learn something new about MI every day by educating myself . He could feel paranoid and suspicious . My son is better now he is taking his meds . i know exactly what your going through and i just hope he will take his Meds in order to avoid a relapse . This is the hardest thing Iāve ever been through and still going through but with a help of a good care team ,theapist and NAMI for me it makes life a little easier .
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@presence Sharing is good because while our loved ones have some things in common, everything isnāt the same. Personally, I think, its sort of like scz hits a brain like lightning hitting a house. It sort of shoots around their brain and damages different things. My son plans and takes a 3 week solo camping trip each year (when he did it this year someone here asked āare you sure he has scz?ā and he can still do complicated math. He canāt keep from overloading a smaller washer and dryer to the point of damaging them. To him a load is a hamperful - someone recently suggested I get him a smaller hamper. While it sounds like a good idea, he doesnāt accept anything from me anymore - except his unopened mail. He canāt have an oven because he starts fires by putting things in ovens and leaving them on. He canāt tell his savings account from his checking account online. He canāt handle ordering his immunosuppressive meds he needs for his transplant. He canāt change a tire anymore - well the list of what he canāt do is pretty long, but mine does manage a lot around his illness when he can.
Hello, I have experienced avoidance from my son. Without medication, he becomes paranoid. Each time this has happened, he has the same symptoms: avoidance, stops talking, and believes that there are toxins in the pipes and electrical circuits that lead to the house. With antipsychotic medication, he is a totally different person. He enjoys socializing, takes responsibility, and engages in activities. I hope that your son is able to get the help that would benefit him. Good luck to both of you.
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@buenosaires - How do you know that he thinks there are toxins in the pipes etc? Does he tell you that? My son was open when this first started happening but clammed up, I think, when he thought we were messing with him. Weāre moving back to my condo next summer and it will be just him and me and I hope that will open him up more.
@presence. I got him niacin but he is not willing to take them. Good reminder about Brewers Yeast. We used to put that on popcorn (with tamari). You are lucky that your son is social. I pulled out all of his baseball photos and I am going to assemble them into a photo/scrapbook. He was really quite good and played through high school. I think he will like seeing them in one book. I got a few smoothie tuperware tumblers. I will give that a go. Thanks for the tips!
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Yes, my son had told me that there were toxins in the pipes during his psychotic episodes. Even after my son recovered from a psychotic episode he has been able to remember that he feared toxins in the pipes. Is this the first time that your son has had paranoia and avoids you? Has he had previous episodes of paranoia and avoidance? Remaining calm with less eye contact is helpful while communicating with your son. It is important not to show anger towards him. Living in a calm and structured environment, such as your condo, may be helpful; however medical treatment is necessary. He will get better under a doctorās treatment.
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@buenosaires - Well the first big episode was a year ago August. - The neighbors had hacked into his TV and were telling him they were going to harm him and his family. (He was living with his father at the time, growing pot - legally - and getting no sleep). He then moved back with us and was super paranoid and sat in the backyard taking license plate #s down, had bats by the doors, was locking the house (we had not been doing that). We didnāt take him to the hospital as we really didnāt understand what was going on. And I know he would not have gone willingly. He was comfortable being around the rest of the household at that time, would take walks with us and eat at the table with us. After a month, he felt comfortable enough to move back to his fathers. Then back with us after about 4 months. We still had no idea what was wrong and had him attend classes for people with MIs and helps them get jobs. He got a job with them but they said that they thought he was hallucinating on the job and told him he needed to try meds or he couldnāt keep the job. He refused (after seeing the doctor) and has been isolating himself ever since. (That was June). I have medication if he is willing to take it but he is not. A this point I am trying to create a comfortable stress-free household for him. I decided that if he didnāt want us to talk to him, best that we donāt. I think even a hello can be stressful for him. Thanks for the tips about the eye contact.
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Hope, Love your analogy!! I am becoming more aware of the cognitive limits. My son has said he experiences himself as very slow in comparison to the rest of us.
Have you noticed continuing declines? Does it happen every time there is psychosis? This is such scary stuff. I find myself in denial whenever I can beā¦ taking each day as a gift when he looks me in the eyes.
You and your family have had to deal with such an amazing amount of illness and worryā¦ I bow to you. Thank you for your responsiveness to me and to all these wonderful caretakers on this site.
DianeR
I hope your son enjoys the pictures. iām rooting for you!!
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Hi presence,
Each time he has a bad episode mine does decline a little more. There is so much to learn about this illness and how it affects our loved ones, it really boggles the mind sometimes. So many of us, how can that be? Please donāt give me any accolades, like all of us, I am just trying to get to the next day. Today was a bad one. Sort of wish my son was avoiding me, its much better than all this focus lately. Take care, Hope
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In October 2015, my son became non-compliant to his medication. In December, he stopped talking to us and isolated himself most of the time in his bedroom. We live in the state of California. I was able to get a 5150 (involuntary psychiatric hold) on my son. His condition worsened as he was not eating, had lost a lot of weight, because he had become paranoid about food. He was hospitalized for one month in a psychiatric hospital. My son is doing very well now, is stable, complies to his meds and is back to his ānormal.ā Our situation got worse before it got better. Things will get better for you and your son, too. Sending you my best wishes. Take care.
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@buenosaires - Thank you. At present, he is safe and not a harm to himself or others. I am thankful for that.
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You can order from this site. That is where I ordered my sons. Donāt overdo it. Just the recommended amount Iāve read. Best wishes
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@Mom2 - Thank you. I ordered from Smart Powders but will likely order from here next time. Hoping it works.
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@GSSP - I purchased a smaller remote car for my son for Christmas. Hopefully, that will get him outside! Thanks for the tip!
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