Yesterday, my mother’s friend, who was visiting my home, asked me to help her friend. Her daughter (17 years old) has been in psychosis for a year. Medications aren’t helping, five hospitalizations in one year — and the family situation is complicated: the father opposes treatment, and the couple is separating. He doesn’t allow the girl to take her medications, even though she’s in a very bad state right now — hearing voices, suicidal thoughts, fear, aggression. She’s been diagnosed with schizophrenia.
I gave as much advice for her mother as I could. I offered contacts to my former psychiatrist and my current therapist, and I tried to reassure her by explaining that there is hope. I’ve been living for a year almost without any antipsychotics myself — I told her that my own psychosis also lasted a year and that in my case, the main cause was drugs. Although it seems her daughter is not ill due to substance use, I still suggested that she make sure nothing had been used. I tried to share all the knowledge I had — we even talked about the medications prescribed to her daughter, and so on.
I advised her not to judge her daughter, but also not to support her delusions — to listen to her, hug her more often, trust in medicine, and help instill hope in her daughter that she will get better. That even now, in the depths of psychosis, there is still some level of self-control. Her mother cried. I gave her hope. She thanked me, and I gave her my phone number and Facebook contact.
I feel better knowing I was able to calm this woman down, at least for the evening.
What would you advise? How else could I help comfort her or give her hope?
I also begged her to trust in medicine, at least for now.
She has lost all hope in doctors. The medications are currently having only a small effect, and her daughter is getting worse — while the father is interfering with medical treatment. There’s also an ongoing legal process… the situation is very complicated. @anon54334749
From what she told me, the girl’s father seems like a vengeful man who’s doing everything he can to cause harm. Possibly a psychopath.
I gave all the advice I could:
1. Remove her daughter from the father as soon as possible.
2. Medication and a good psychiatrist who understands the daughter.
I told her that the journey is long — but there is always hope. @MisterApple
I shared my own experience with her, which is almost identical to what her daughter is going through — fear, impulsiveness, paranoia, declining performance at school. In the beginning, the medication didn’t provide real relief either, but it takes time.
I told her that, in my case, an exorcist only caused me even more trauma and confusion — preventing me from understanding that it was a malfunction of my mind, not possession.
She cried during our conversation, but she found hope. @Qwerty
I agree with this. In fact, I would go as far as to take him to court to get a court order forcing him to allow her treatment etc.
Explain to her that many people here had to go through a lot of meds and combos before finding what works best.
There are books out there for family members to read and learn about psychosis and schizophrenia. They are often doom and gloom so I’d warn them it often enough is not that bad once the right treatment is found.
I’d recommend a hospital stay if the drs agree to get her stabilized.
thats very nice of you! its always good when we can help someone strugglign with mental illness. its one good thing about being on here. you learn alot that you can share