Family Members and the SZ/SZA Diagnosis

My Father has always had trouble dealing with or accepting my SZA diagnosis.
He accepted me a lot better when I was diagnosed with bipolar a while back.
His ignorance amazes me. It never ends. Is anyone else dealing with a non supportive parent?

I am so sorry you have to go through this. This only makes getting a handle on this even harder. Labels/diagnosis change all the time. Youā€™re still the same person underneath it all. There must be a way to convince him that despite the label your still his child.

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You are so right. Underneath the labels we are human beings, with distinct and individual personalities.
I just wish he would understand this. I am not my label, I am an individual and his son.
Maybe one day he will understand this simple concept.

Is your mother still in the picture and could help bring your father around? Are you still living with or near your father?

ya meā€¦my parents donā€™t really accept it, and it is hard to deal with it aloneā€¦I feel the same way too

I live with both elderly parents for the time being. My Mother is just more accepting of my illness and of who I am
underneath the illness. My father, although a good hearted person has a distorted view on what schizoaffective or schizophrenia is really all about. He gets his ideas and so called education from what he sees in the media.
Not a very realistic view in my opinion.

Sorry to hear about this Alex. Maybe you could help to educate them at your own pace.

They donā€™t really want to hear anything about it, theyā€™re just not interested, they think Iā€™m acting like a little child with my paranoia and the symptoms and everything, Iā€™m trying to tell them whatā€™s SZ is about, itā€™s so hard to sit and talk to them about it because they simply leave the room or act busy !

I try to educate certain family members, like my dad and brother. They are not very good listeners.
They choose to ignore my feelings on the subject. Maybe itā€™s best to focus your attention on those people
who do want to listen, maybe a support group would help? I plan on going to one soon.

well, my mom is impossible to get her into talking she changes the subject or acts busy, my dad is hyper active and itā€™s hard to keep him still in the same room or keep him inside the subjectā€¦itā€™s blocked LOL ā€¦Iā€™m all alone in this.
good for u Wave, I hope u get the best of the support groupā€¦unfortunately I donā€™t have any support group in here.

Itā€™s hard to educate someone who doesnā€™t want to listen or even try and get a more balanced view. On this web site on the main page is a list of good educational books and Iā€™ve heard some good reviews of ā€œSchizophrenia for dummiesā€ oddly enough.

Maybe if those books just ā€œhappenā€ to show up?

Itā€™s so hard battling the ridiculous media.

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My family likes to think Iā€™m less SZ than I really am. I guess thatā€™s just the nature of family. Theyā€™re better about it nowadatsā€¦I sent them some books on the subject and let them have a discussion with my social worker which helped.

My family doesnā€™t believe Iā€™m sz. They say I had a major psychosis. But Iā€™m well again, I get insomnia and hear voices every now and then, but Iā€™m okay. But thatā€™s the meds doing it. My husband says he canā€™t take another major episode again. It was tough enough the last time. I was away from home for a year. I hope I donā€™t go that way again. My mom doesnā€™t want to talk about it. She believes I have contact with spirits and meds take that special connection away. She doesnā€™t like Iā€™m on meds. We donā€™t talk about my illness at all.

My mother is very supportive, as is my brother.
When I had a major episode last year, my Dad told me to just pull myself together and stop acting up. From then on, I donā€™t discuss my illness with him any longer.
My Mum hates the fact intake medication to be ā€˜normal.ā€™ She believes the meds are the root of everything bad that has happened to me.
Iā€™m sorry your Dad goes on like that, I sympthasise wholeheartedly. I, too, am living with my parents right now. Itā€™s really tough.

Thanks guys, It is not easy to change how other people see schizophrenia. All I can do is work on myself, to try to make things easier and better for myself. I am no longer going to over exhaust myself to try to change other peoples ignorant and distorted views on my illness. I will try to let it go.When they are ready to see the reality of it all thats fine. If they choose to drown in their own ignorance, thats fine too.

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Yea been there, Not just my father tho but my sisters and brothers too. I had to walk away from them and start a life of my own. Whatā€™s the point in having people in your life when the doubt, question, and disbelieve everything thing you do. They donā€™t have the capasity to understand - therefore they are missing out.
As I got away from my family Iā€™v been doing so much better, Stronger in myself. Iā€™v also seen how much of a contradiction they are to what they believe and even to themselfs. I think itā€™s made because Iā€™m the one thats considered deludedā€¦ it makes me giggle.

Iā€™m not saying this to give you advoice, this is just my story and obiviously your father is different than mine.

I guess people are always going to be ignorant about things theyā€™ve not experanced or understand.

Iā€™v never been so happy so getting away from my family is prob the best thing Iā€™v ever done. :slight_smile:

Peace

Thanks for sharing, it does make sense in many ways. I wonā€™t completely separate myself from them,
but I will allow some healthy distance.

I would never advise it, Hopefully you find a better workaround and that everything sorts its self out for you. Family is sooooo important

Best wishes

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Thanks Bugs, that is very kind of you

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I have a father who doesnā€™t like to believe I have psychotic depression. He prefers to think I am possessed and stuff like that.