How does a parent deal with a child with a mental illness like Schizophrenia

My son has recently been labeled - with schizophrenia. I keep thinking what was it that I had wrong with me to give him such a horrible thing. It's so hard, because I feel like - I cant help him. The drugs work but then he thinks he's ok...and goes off them. I feel like I'm loosing my mind.


How do you deal?How does a parent deal with a child with a mental illness like Schizophrenia
You might check out these websites:





http://www.nimh.nih.gov/health/publicati鈥?/a>


http://www.nami.org


http://www.schizophrenia.ca/files/Rays_o鈥?/a>


http://www.mayoclinic.com/health/schizop鈥?/a>





They have a lot of very good information on schizophrenia. The first three websites have booklets in pdf format that you can download and save for future reference.





There is also an excellent book, ';Surviving Schizophrenia: A Manual for Families, Patients, and Providers'; by E. Fuller Torrey, Fifth Edition. I know Barnes %26amp; Noble has it. Amazon.com only has the 4th edition. That is very good reading and tells a lot about schizophrenia. It is a ';must have'; book for a family with a member who has schizophrenia.





Best of Luck to you :-)


Paul.How does a parent deal with a child with a mental illness like Schizophrenia
We have a son who was diagnosed with this illness at 12 year old he has now turned 20, it is a chemical imbalance in the brain, it can be hereditary but not necessarily from parents maybe great grandparents or someone further back you are not to blame. It is supposedly the worst mental illness a person can have but with the right medication and support a person can lead a reasonably normal life. You can help him firstly by shielding him from stress, stress makes the illness worse. Listen to him he may have weird thoughts in his head, tell him its the illness making him think these things mainly and give him an ear to tell these thoughts to, otherwise they will get bigger and he may become sicker. Love him give him the support he needs but dont forget that you and your family also need support, a lot of families with someone suffering from this illness simply break up from the pressure, make sure you have friends who will support you give each other breaks regularly. There should be supports in the community where your son can go for a week or so every now and then and will be looked after by qualified people. Rest is important with schizophrenia otherwise the difficulties of it will get on top of everyone and it will lead to much hardship. contact me if you need more advice. Good luck.
Schizophrenia's a lot more common than we like to admit. My neighbor, a grade or so ahead of me, developed it in his late teens.





The problem with psychiatric drugs is that when they work, they make you feel like you don't need to take them. So people stop taking them -especially bipolars and schizophrenics. The best thing you can do is keep him on his meds, it may take a lot of work on your part, but it will make life better for both of you.





You might try talking to a therapist, or looking up a support group for family of people with mental illness or schizophrenia in your area. With about .5-1% of the population developing schizophrenia, you should be able to find one in your area, especially if you live in a high population area.





And no. It's nothing you did, there's nothing wrong with you. We don't know what causes schizophrenia, and there's no reason to blame yourself.
I don't have a child with it my dad has schizophrenia he has had it since i was really little, and i went through alot, My parents got divorced because my mom could not handle it, and hes been on alot of meds, and in and out of the hospital, but we are closer then ever i love my dad to death and i look at him as a normal person unlike my sister and others around him, the best thing i could ever do for him is listen to him he talks to me and opens up to me more then anyone, just be there its nothing you did it just happens and he will be ok my dad does shock therapy once a month hope this makes you feel alittle better God bless
Would you blame yourself if he had diabetes? What he has is a biological consition that is in the mind, there is nothing to do aboutthat, but treat it now...I would do your absolute best to make sure he stays on his medications and for yourself, there is agreat group out there called NAMI


www.nami.com





They have not only support groups for people suffering from mental illness, but support groups for their family member and loved ones as well..it is important that you know that you are not alone in this and that other parents are going through the same thing. Rely on them for support and learn and you can help others...





Best of luck...






'; what was it that I had wrong with me to give him ';





thats whats wrong





or,





you re the most horrible person in the world.





you choose.
I really want you to know that you DID NOT give your son schizophrenia! I firmly believe that people are in many instances born with a pre-disposition to schizophrenia (and other mental illnesses) so it is not something you can give to him, his brain is just programmed with it. The amazing thing about a lot of medications is that they work but the worst thing about them working is that they help the sufferer feel well enough that they believe they do not need the medication anymore. Most people do not want to be branded as ';mentally ill'; and taking medication(s) seems to keep them labeled that way. The difficulty is that once a person feels well enough it is easy to rationalize why they don't need their medications. One of the key things in a mentally ill person improving and continuing to do well once the predominant symptoms lessen is a good professional support system. Preferably one that he has regular access to and that can help educate him on why the medications are so necessary for his well-being. The other thing for your son could possibly be a support group of high functioning mentally ill peers who could help him by sharing their own experiences with medication and the mental health system. No one can understand a schizophrenic like another schizophrenic. Along the same lines no one can understand what it is like to have a mentally ill child than a parent in a similar circumstance. There are many organizations that are dedicated to working with the mentally ill that have free support groups for the parents, family and friends of the ';patient';. For example the local N.A.M.I. (National Alliance for the Mentally Ill) in my area has meetings where loved ones can meet to discuss not only the challanges of having a mentally ill child/family member but also to discuss the rewards. A safe place where people can discuss some of the things they have done that have worked and that haven't worked. They can also enable you to set some boundaries with your son as far as what behavior you will accept and which you will not. This in no way means that you are punishing him or brandishing him but simply a way for you to help him without feeling like you are losing your own mind. Just because your son has been ';labeled'; as schizophrenic does not mean his life or your life for that matter is over. Let your son know that you love him, that you have always loved him, schizophrenic or not. Assure him that you will support him and help him to the best of your ability as he works to help himself. You will not be able to save him or spare him from his illness but you can assist him in making his life the best it can be. But you also cannot enable him to make bad choices in regards to his treatment. Your son's illness will be a challange for the both of you but I assure you it is a challange that in most cases can be met. While there is no cure at this time there are treatments and it is my hope that you both are able deal with the challanges and triumph. Best of luck to you.