I am the child of a schizophrenic and it is really nice to know that there is more of us out there. I have been living with him for the past 24 years and it is truly emotionally draining. In his head, the voices tell him that my mother is bad and she is out to get him and he verbally attacks her and says horrible things to her all the time. My mother is an extremely strong individual and does everything for us. Although he never does anything to us his emotionless actions and his words towards my mother hurt more. I hate to see him treat her like this. Although my mom knows its the voices talking, it is still very hard for me to get over. During his "episodes" it gets worst. He skips out on work a lot saying he doesnt feel well. For him going to work is the only sort of interaction he gets and the interaction he needs and if he keeps skipping out, I'm afraid he will be home jobless. The last thing we want to see is him at home without a job. All in all the issue that I have is coping with the individual and the absent father he has become to us. I have grown up to see a dysfunctional marriage and his mental illness has truly broke our family apart. At this point its hard for me to still be living with him and dealing with his episodes and live a normal life. It is a constant worry for me if he goes to work or not. I do not want to leave my mother as she does everything for us and I need to be with her. I am hoping some of you in a similar situation can provide me some advice of what to do or if anyone has gone through a similar situation please share your thoughts. The best feeling is knowing that you are not the only one going through the situation.
Hi jancy. You are correct to assume that such dysfunctions happen to other people. You should be able to find intensely supportive and excellent insight for support by others. I don’t personally know your story but I can help you to see some details objectively.
I hope that your father is responding well to a professional treatment plan by his family physician or other skilled specialists. Many families struggling with this type of issue find it helpful to shift questions to the spiritual level, where Jesus has been all along. And perhaps you already are involved in the simple act of telling your story to God. There are many self-help books and programs that acknowledge the healing power of faith in God.
Schizophrenia is a disease with dozens of various kinds of agony. You and your family need to approach this disorder with some positive life-changing events in order that your father will develop more physical and mental vigor. I personally believe that such emotional problems can result in situations where there is poor nutritional diet and a sedentary lifestyle. Maybe your family should also check with a certified dietitian/nutritionist to help determine where your father may be coming up short in essential nutrients. It is very likely that his habits and situations have drained him of food energy and the emotional symptoms have caused agitation by deficiencies. God bless.
dear jancy, i am the ex wife of a schizophernic and the mother of two sz sons one severly ill. i "grew up" as a young woman and spent the majority of my youthful life with this ill man and now i am spending my aging years taking care of my ill son.
it is a devastating disorder and all of its ramifications and my advice to you right off the bat my intuitive response is to get a handle on your own life and live it to the fullest as best as you can. leave your father to your mother, he is her business not yours dear one. misty lady gave some good advice but i would refer it to your mom. your job at your age is to take care of yourself.
it is easy to think we have to take our parents on and their illness but in reality the best thing we can do for them is take good care of ourselves. oh yes we can be supportive to an extent, but i would let go as much as possible and let God do the rest. pray for your father, that is important of course and encourage, but live your life to the fullest, step away from the dysfunctional aspect of this family system little by little and be a complete person in your own right. you can do it and support groups can help.
i urge you to increase your walk with your higher power and ask Him for guidence on this issue and prayer how He wants you to proceed, as i am only an outsider looking in giving you and intuitive response based on my emotions from my experience strength and hope in my own situation that i have lived with for over 30 years now.
tell us more about YOUR life. what do you do during the day. where do you go? are you in school or do you work? are you a dependent or what exactly is your situation? perhaps then i could advise you how exactly you could go about getting a life for yourself in this very difficult situation.
all my best, with faith in God and hope in His greatness to restore us to sanity, and with loving kindness, a prayer warrior who will pray for y ou.
Does he take any medication? I know there is a stigma related to schizophrenia and taking medication but it can really improve his life. It has for me. I am currently on Zyprexa and Effexor and it has worked out well.
If he is not on medication I urge you to convince him to give it a try, If he finds the right combination and dose of medication it can really improve his quality of life
Things are better now that I am regulated on my meds.
I am 20 and my mom is a schizophenic I feel like my childhood was ruined due to the fact that I had a schizophrenic mom.I played mom not only to my sibling but also her. I feel bad saying that but it's true and I'm finally starting to see that.