What to do when your psychotic adult child is in denial

Treatment Advocacy Center - under problems you will see anosognosia
Anosognosia looks like denial but is different.

See the Leap Foundation and Iā€™m Not Sick, I Donā€™t Need Help by Xavier Amador

So frustrating and unfortunately weā€™re not alone

Hello. You are not alone. My daughter has been in denial for over two years. We have been in and out of hospitals, including a psychiatric hospital. She took meds for about two weeks but didnā€™t like the way it made her feel. She was diagnosed bipolar schizophrenic last April after a psychotic break. I am really struggling with this. I know eventually I will have to commit her. Is there any positive stories out there? I am at my witā€™s end.

Welcome to the forum !
Iā€™m sorry your all stressed outā€¦
Has your daughter ever tried CBD?
Edible or shilajit?

Hello marianicolo, Many of us family members on the site have been through years of unremitting psychosis and some are still trying to support and keep safe loved ones in these debilitating states of suffering.

Yes, learn the laws in your state for involuntary commitment if needed to keep your daughter safe from harm. Talk to someone at the psychiatric hospital in order to find out how this process works in your state. Itā€™s terrible to have to do this, but it is better than our children coming to harm.

Until your daughter meets whatever legal criteria there are in your state, there is not much you can do from a legal standpoint. But you can try to keep your daughter fed, clothed, and know where she is. Sometimes this is not possible, but if you can sustain the relationship and provide for her basic needs, you are giving her everything you can give.

Where I live, itā€™s impossible to get involuntary treatment for people prior to ā€œdanger to self or othersā€ and still incredibly difficult even after legal criteria are met. After three years of psychosis and four complete psychotic breaks, my family member was put in jail, then released almost a year later into a program of court-ordered treatment.

For my family member, effective medical treatment along with psychosocial supports is making a huge, positive difference in their life.

There are people on this forum who oppose the use of medications due to their side effects; there are people for whom the medications are not useful, either because they are too ill or too well. For some people, the medications are life saving. Every positive dietary and lifestyle change one can make would also increase basic health, but sometimes our family members with psychosis will not eat or sleep or even drink water due to symptoms of the illness.

Personally, I sought every possible option to help and support my child. My goal became cherishing our relationship and trying to maintain our connection regardless of whether or not they accepted the diagnosis or took medication on their own volition.

Listen if she talks to you in any way that is connected, not hurtful or frantic. Listen listen listen and try for nine out of ten interactions to be positive or neutral and have nothing to do with the illness. Itā€™s a long long illness if her diagnosis is correct. A marathon not a sprint. Itā€™s your choice whether or not to try to be there for her. Donā€™t take on more than you can really do. Anything you give to her or do for her needs to be done in the true spirit of giving, without expectations.

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Thank you @Hereandhere. These are good reminders and pieces of advice that help get us through, as best we can.

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This is actually part of szā€¦ called anosognosia,
Lack of insightā€¦ Many do not see themselves as sickā€¦ I recommend reading I Am Not Sick I Donā€™t Need Help by Xavier Amadorā€¦ I am reading it right now.

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Good morning. No nothing at all. She is adamantly opposed to all medication. Up until this past December, she was doing everything organic- eating and drinking. But the last 3 months she has been complaining that she canā€™t swallow, especially water. She has herself convinced that it is dysphasia. I suspect she is googling all her symptoms. She did go to a GI dr. She has an endoscopy scheduled for April. After that, I will do what I need to do. This mental illness has her thinking that she canā€™t eat certain foods.

Thank you so much for your positive advice. Everytime I call paramedics to my home and tell them she is not eating they come and take her pressure and talk to her but because she is 24 she can refuse treatment. When she does go to the hospital, she shows no signs of delusions or paranoia and therefore because she does not voluntarily want to go to psychiatric hospital they canā€™t force her. They also told me the only way they could admit her is if she displayed signs of delusions or if she admitted hurting herself or others. We live in New Jersey.

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Welcome to the forum,

I wondered if you had read this thread and if you thought it was possible that your daughter suffered from the symptom anosognosia? It could be that your daughter is unable to understand that she is sick because the illness is making her think she is well.

My son can suppress his symptoms long enough to fool people who see him. Each time we called the police and they talked to him he appeared calm and rational. Its so frustrating.

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Thank you. There are so many questions that I have. I am at a loss with what is happening. But I will definitely look into this term anosognosia. My daughter does the same exact thing when we go to the doctors. She knows how to suppress her feelings in front of medical professionals. She fooled the police two weeks ago.

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Dear @marianicolo
I am new to this forum and have been trying to anxiously read the stories on here when I have time on how to deal with this wicked disease.
How is your daughter going?, is she on Meds, any improvementā€¦it is so difficult to know the answers on how to get medical help for a mentally ill person who doesnā€™t believe they have an illnessā€¦our daughter also has been diagnosed with schizophrenia, is anosognosia, each day is filled with pain, fears and torment for her (and me), @marianicolo you are not alone, thinking of you and hoping life is easier for you and your daughter, as this post of yours was quite a few years ago.
Knowing everyone on this forum have the same battles is keeping me together.
Maggie46 :butterfly:

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Iā€™m curious whether you had to get a lawyer to insist on the conservatorship or did the psychiatrist see the need immediately?