Hi it’s seems like I’m not ever asking for answers whenever I post, I’m not really but just any ideas or if anyone has similar situations.
My son almost 27 has Been on aripiprazole 25mg for a year now.
He want compliant before and had the paliperidone depot.
He’s been relatively stable on the aripiprazole, despite a few blips of him coming off them for short periods, he did that a few weeks back but started taking them again.
Things are a bit different at the miniute , he is staying in bed most of the day.
He does get up when I make him food, I called him down today for “breakfast” at noon. He will get up, eat it and be in a relatively decent mood, but will go back to bed until dinner time.
This has been going on now for the past couple of weeks.
He says he’s not going back to sleep but says he is doing his “thinking” as he has a lot of things on his mind.
The room is darkened as has blackout curtains but he still wears an eye mask.
As I say he is relatively content , not really any sign of low mood but he just wants to be back in bed.
Anyone any experience or advice please , he won’t go for tests or health checks as he doesn’t trust doctors .
My daughter, unmedicated, stays in her room for 90% of her awake time talking to her voices. She had 3 forced hospitalizations during which she was medicated, (different meds each time) and when she was on them she did the same (stay in her room and talk). Only when on a Haldol shot and Trileptal did she actually do well (all symptoms abated and she left the home holding a daily job for weeks). But when the shot wore off, she went back to talking to voices and staying in her room most of the day. She will not ever see a doctor voluntarily, and she has learned not to do things that violate the Baker Act so she isn’t force hospitalized or medicated anymore.
After 2.5 years now, I pretty much just leave her alone to live her life in her room. She isn’t hurting herself or me. I wish it were different, but with the current laws, I can’t force her to medicate.
Your daughter has had a pretty stressful time. My son was twice involuntary committed th hospital and only now three years later I can understand how it must affected HIM .
Thank you for reminding me that there’s not much more we can do and as you say your daughter is relatively content and not hurting anyone.
Yes, hospitalizations are very stressful, but I felt I had to try and see where that path led, if there was a possibility of near complete recovery. I have forgiven myself for what I saw as failure to help her return to sanity, just as I have gotten used to her behaviors. At 34, she has the right to her life as it is, and we are doing OK. Mostly, I had to change my views to become settled with the fact that there IS not much more I can do.
I am sure the hospitalizations affected your son, but you were doing the best you could with an illness that is scary for all. He is at home with you, safe, and relatively content. I see that as a blessing. I hope you are taking care of yourself. If your son allows you to monitor his meds or talk to his doctor, perhaps the doctor should know about the recent change in his daily routine. I have no idea about long term effects of meds, other than at times they need adjusted. One exercise at a NAMI class I went to was to show us caregivers what it felt like to have many voices distracting one from daily activities. It is hard to participate in our world when their world is soooooo busy with many people (voices) talking to them constantly. Your son IS probably busy all of his waking hours with his voices and his thoughts consuming all of his attention.
Today, I am thankful for a relatively peaceful existence with my loved one, many on this site do not share the same blessing. I hope for all of us affected by schz in a loved one, for more peace and contentment.
Happy Thanksgiving to you too, and to everyone on this site.