By no means am I trying to diminish that experience, I’m suggesting that definitive and declarative statements about what those voices say and do—especially for third parties—are problematic. I tend to use qualifiers in all statements surrounding symptoms, even my own, because I’m aware my self-perception may be biased.
My position on treatment is the best treatment plan is as many treatments as are tolerated, feasible and affordable. That includes medication(s) which often have a synergistic effect with other treatments. I don’t disagree that CBT and other talk therapies aren’t for everyone, but I would not dissuade anyone from giving them a try if they can be tolerated.
Just thought I would give a little update here. I have found a therapist in my area who may be willing to work with my unmedicated son. I am starting therapy myself with this therapist on Friday and he indicated over the phone that he could take my son on as a client as well. I figure I will go for a bit, get a better feel for how CBT works, and let my son know of my experiences. The therapist told me that he has several clients already that are on the schizophrenic spectrum. So a little bit of hope on the possibility of moving forward with treatment without having to have a crisis.
Another update. After a couple of sessions with the therapist myself, my son agreed to come along. The therapist is very flexible about this and jumped right in with my son, working on establishing rapport. They were both comfortable with me just sitting there and listening. My son didn’t say anything that I didn’t already know, but I think he is interested in continuing. So I have been able to segue from seeing a therapist myself to getting my son to see a therapist pretty quickly. The therapist talked a little about medication and I’ve been talking about it as well, and it feels like my son is starting to come around to the idea that it might be worth trying. We’re taking baby steps.