Please help somebody, possible schizophrenia development in someone I love.

Somebody very close to me, as close as you can get is convinced they are developing schizophrenia - She has a father who had Paranoid schizophrenia who sadly ended his own life when she was very young, - he had a mother with alzheimer's. She (The subject) also has a son with autism.

She has been on anti depressants since a very young age, she is now 28 years old.

She also was diagnosed with OCD at 17 but had symptoms at a very young age.

We have had lots of stress over the last year, her mum died almost a year ago out of the blue and this started a steady decline.

I have also caused stress, I won't elaborate apart from the fact I have addressed this issue now.

Over the last 3-4 months she has been developing more symptoms, like intrusive thoughts, then auditory hallucinations and now visual hallucinations.

She hasn't been able to leave the house in the last couple weeks, and is now so scared of developing schizophrenia and losing control of herself or losing who she is, that she is seriously considering suicide as the best option - much to my dismay.

She is obsessing over the fact she thinks she is developing it, and reads on the net almost all day looking for advice, or help or anything.

She doesn't do drugs, (apart from MDMA twice a couple years ago, and being around a cannabis smoker inhaling second hand smoke for 6 years - which has now stopped)

She doesn't drink, not for 4-5 years.

She is having extremely vivid dreams/nightmares and is scared to go to sleep, also when she wakes she has experienced some confusion for example not being able to make sense of the time.

Also she has started taking arctic cod liver oil, and some coconut oil daily for a week or so.

I don't know what help or advice anyone can give, but I need to help her if I can, and I know there are some very knowledgeable people on this site.

Anybody who has experienced similar and found a way through, please respond - also anyone who knows anything about recent studies into preventative measures would be most welcome.

She is convinced she is in the prodomal stage of the condition, and she doesn't want to risk letting it get so bad she is unable to end her own life anymore.

The doctors have told her it's OCD and post traumatic stress over the last few months, but now have referred her to be assessed by a psychiatrist which her appointment is on Monday, but she is scared to carry on another day like this.
Totally S# situation, and is is really wearing us down.

Here's hoping.

Thanks ATS

Edit- Also she has slowly reduced her anti depressants over the last year or so, and stopped taking her 5mg dose of citalopram about a week ago - which I am convinced is playing a role - but is it just the trigger or the cause?

If it is that bad at this point that she doesn't think she will last until the doc appointment, she can voluntarily commit herself somewhere.

If it is schizophrenia then she needs a doc asap. She is not just a potential harm to herself, but also those around her.

Hope you all can get it sorted asap and will have you in my thoughts.

a reply to: Vasa Croe

The problem of sectioning her is there is much evidence that introducing psychoactive meds will often worsen the condition, especially if it's a misdiagnosis - she is very scared of having the choice taken out of her hands, and I would rather take my risks than do that to her.

I will get her through to Monday, but I am worried what happens after.

Thanks for your response Vasa Crow.

a reply to: Soapusmaximus

Your support right now for this person may be what they need the most.

From what you are saying, the constant searching for solutions online is indicative of her OCD taking over combined with anxiety attacks.

I'm no expert on solving this however I have been around my share of people with mental illness and know that what they need most is someone who is patient and is willing to work with them on their level to alleviate the stress.

Also I personally don't believe in being over medicated because once your on it you can't easily get off it, much like hard drugs.

a reply to: Soapusmaximus

Relying solely on the medical complex will bring nothing but tragedy. Diet and rebooting the body will make a world of difference. I found that antidepressants only complicated and exacerbated my sons condition. My son is wired a bit differently than most, and we had to escape the heard mentality and treat him as an unique individual.

Stay with the drug regime for the time being as you introduce the juicing diet. Nutrients are so important in regaining the natural chemical balances of the body. We saw an immediate change once sunlight (vitamin D) and a power packed diet were introduced into his life.

Have blood tests done to determine the lack of any vitamins, nutrients, or presence of heavy metals. Get away from main stream advice and look to more personal testimony.

And above all, do not look at the condition of your loved one as some kind of horrible problem, but see it as a chance to heal the whole body.

If you are worried that the suicide risk is genuine and fear waiting until Monday may be to late than you should contact the psychiatrist and make sure your concerns are known.
The doctor could commit her until her condition is diagnosed and treated.

I have had a family member go through a similar situation and is now leading a relatively normal life.

If you can not contact the doctor who you have the appointment with do a search for crisis hotlines in your area.

There are emergency services available for this situation. Don't leave her alone.

You both are in my prayers, please update when you have a chance. Tell her that there is help available and comfort her that she is not alone.

Contact someone immediately.

In my experience with schizophenia of a family member..they will argue that there is nothing wrong with them. Not try to convince everyone that they have it. I do fear that this person needs help immediately, and I don't know what emergency services are offered where you are but that would be a good option. No matter the cause of the issue, if someone is having suicidal thoughts they need help right away, and not from the internet.

originally posted by: Soapusmaximus
a reply to: Vasa Croe

The problem of sectioning her is there is much evidence that introducing psychoactive meds will often worsen the condition, especially if it's a misdiagnosis - she is very scared of having the choice taken out of her hands, and I would rather take my risks than do that to her.

I will get her through to Monday, but I am worried what happens after.

Thanks for your response Vasa Crow.

I would say that at this point the choice needs to be taken out of her hands. If suicide has been discussed then rational thought is already out the door.

This is not something to trial and error on. I have no problem asking advice on homeopathic cold remedies online, but this is a whole other beast.

You can't expect her to think or act rationally about what is happening if schizophrenia is the cause.

I will support her no matter what, but it is literally impossible to not leave her at all, I am not working at the moment - but have to take my son to school, have to collect meds myself once a week from the chemist and just popping to shops ect.

We also believe in biomedical intervention, have been using good vitamins and diet to try to recover our autistic son, with some progress.

She is still totally aware and cognitive, and has expressed her desire to not section her because the hospital will most likely force her to medicate, which we do not agree with (In certain treatments).

How can I have her locked away when that could be the thing that sends her over the edge - I am just hoping that if we can minimize the stress and not do anything drastic that things may improve.

She hasn't actually had an episode yet, and I know most if not all of these symptoms can be caused by antidepressants themselves - maybe things will settle after a few weeks free of those evil pills.

I think most of the fear comes from her dad having it, remembering the issues that her mum went through - and her dad committed suicide.

The constant reading I am sure is the OCD and she did have/has massive anxiety.

Am I wrong to insist she keeps living with this, when she really doesn't want to - she seems to think I am, and I can understand her point, but as I said to her, upon death there is no chance at least carrying on there is a slim chance.

She is terrified of losing cognitive function, and not even understanding she has schizophrenia - and then being unable to end it and possibly ending up a prisoner in her own mind.

a reply to: Soapusmaximus

Project CBD: Schizophrenia

I have no personal knowledge or experience to share, but I do know that research is showing great results for schizophrenia patients treated with high CBD cannabis oils, and the above link has many links to clinical studies and published papers.

High CBD oils are legal in all 50 states, because they contain no THC -- the psychoactive component in cannabis.

You mentioned arctic cod liver oil; you might also consider fermented shark liver oil, which provides all the naturally occurring fat-soluble vitamins, including K2. Today's cod liver oils have to add the vitamins back in because they are removed during processing.

Good luck

a reply to: Soapusmaximus

Tell your friend to try meditating. I can't tell you how much this has helped me with similar situations.

Here's a study I found about Piracetam being useful for the treatment of schizophrenia:

CONCLUSION: Piracetam, a member of the nootropic class of drugs and a positive modulator of glutamate receptor, may be of therapeutic benefit in treating schizophrenic patients in combination with typical neuroleptics. However, a larger study to confirm our results is warranted

Piracetam has been used in Europe for a long time and has a very good track record for safety. I'm not sure where you live, but you may want to bring up the study with your doctor and see if it might be something they would be willing to try.

i'd avoid cannabidoid products cuz of the existing links to triggering schizo in predisposed individuas.

mentalhealthdaily.com...

companion animal?

originally posted by: Soapusmaximus
I will support her no matter what, but it is literally impossible to not leave her at all, I am not working at the moment - but have to take my son to school, have to collect meds myself once a week from the chemist and just popping to shops ect.

We also believe in biomedical intervention, have been using good vitamins and diet to try to recover our autistic son, with some progress.

She is still totally aware and cognitive, and has expressed her desire to not section her because the hospital will most likely force her to medicate, which we do not agree with (In certain treatments).

How can I have her locked away when that could be the thing that sends her over the edge - I am just hoping that if we can minimize the stress and not do anything drastic that things may improve.

She hasn't actually had an episode yet, and I know most if not all of these symptoms can be caused by antidepressants themselves - maybe things will settle after a few weeks free of those evil pills.

I think most of the fear comes from her dad having it, remembering the issues that her mum went through - and her dad committed suicide.

The constant reading I am sure is the OCD and she did have/has massive anxiety.

Am I wrong to insist she keeps living with this, when she really doesn't want to - she seems to think I am, and I can understand her point, but as I said to her, upon death there is no chance at least carrying on there is a slim chance.

She is terrified of losing cognitive function, and not even understanding she has schizophrenia - and then being unable to end it and possibly ending up a prisoner in her own mind.

I think the issue here is that suicide has been mentioned. She isn't in the right mindset to make a decision if suicide is actually a solution for her at this point. The purpose of voluntary admission somewhere is to stay there long enough to become regulated and find the correct medication.

If going the homeopathic/home remedy route, she still needs to see a specialist for it as they will know the correct remedies to try.

The fact there is also a kid involved makes this a really bad situation for you and I am sure you are at your wits end dealing with Autism and suicide watch.

Massive anxiety alone can cause a lot of the things you mentioned. Maybe something as simple as a break from it all are needed. Anxiety can cause paranoia and fear on a level most don't understand. I have dealt with major anxiety issues with my kids and the irrational thoughts that they have are truly mind boggling. Talking them out with someone helped them tremendously, but they had to talk it out with someone that knew how to handle it and I was not that person as I am not trained in that respect.

Either way, I am not sure how much help ATS is going to be in this. I would still seek out a consult from a medical doctor and someone specializing in herbal treatments for her symptoms.

a reply to: Vasa Croe

Is it irrational to not want to lose your brain function? And to not want to possibly end up catatonic?

She is fairly well versed with the statistics now and she says because of her dad, and her sons autism, the slow onset, the cognitive decline that she is much more likely to be in the worst category in regards to anything resembling a normal life.

I can understand her point, and would probably feel the same, if I knew the quacks wouldn't force medicate her I would have sectioned her already - and if I did do that and they did medicate her and it made it worse, which it normally does - countries who don't use psychosis meds have a much higher recovery rate, but we are in the UK and they can and will take the decision out of her hands - which could make her more likely to attempt suicide.

I just know at the moment she does want to live, just not if she is going to lose herself - and I have convinced her I think to at least see what happens on monday.

This morning she had less confusion when she awoke than the day before and I saw that as a possible good sign.

She is not delusional, in fact I haven't seen anything that I would expect from a Schizophrenic, and I have spent plenty of time with a few, but there are different forms of it, and apparently she is more at risk of a bad ending because it is a slow onset rather than a spontaneous episode.

originally posted by: Soapusmaximus
I will support her no matter what, but it is literally impossible to not leave her at all, I am not working at the moment - but have to take my son to school, have to collect meds myself once a week from the chemist and just popping to shops ect.

We also believe in biomedical intervention, have been using good vitamins and diet to try to recover our autistic son, with some progress.

She is still totally aware and cognitive, and has expressed her desire to not section her because the hospital will most likely force her to medicate, which we do not agree with (In certain treatments).

How can I have her locked away when that could be the thing that sends her over the edge - I am just hoping that if we can minimize the stress and not do anything drastic that things may improve.

She hasn't actually had an episode yet, and I know most if not all of these symptoms can be caused by antidepressants themselves - maybe things will settle after a few weeks free of those evil pills.

I think most of the fear comes from her dad having it, remembering the issues that her mum went through - and her dad committed suicide.

The constant reading I am sure is the OCD and she did have/has massive anxiety.

Am I wrong to insist she keeps living with this, when she really doesn't want to - she seems to think I am, and I can understand her point, but as I said to her, upon death there is no chance at least carrying on there is a slim chance.

She is terrified of losing cognitive function, and not even understanding she has schizophrenia - and then being unable to end it and possibly ending up a prisoner in her own mind.

I can completely understand why she would fear being medicated. However, she is by the sounds of your posts, living with fear already and it is controlling her decision making or lack thereof. Yes perhaps there are some natural remedies that could help make her feel better but a proper diagnosis is in order, and sooner versus later. I too despise allopathic medicine, but for some things it is best. If antidepressants are making her more anxious, then something else must be tried. Obviously based on family history she fears the same fate, but she must view treatment as a way to get "well", and not as something evil. I truly wish the best for your family and that she gets the help she needs.

a reply to: Soapusmaximus

I`m no doctor but my advise is that she needs to go out or it will only get worse. Isolation is definitely a trigger. I`d recommend that you take her for a pleasant evening walk to a peaceful environment, preferably surrounded by nature and just talk with her, some encouraging words, a hug and comfort. That will certainly help.

Good thing is that she is aware of what is happening to her and so she is still in control to readjust her thoughts and emotions. A busy daily routine could help but it must not be overly stressful. Whenever she is about to have these worrying thoughts she needs to pull the plug on it and think about something positive and meaningful, something that makes her happy and that she can achieve. Like a project that she is working on and is her passion at the same time for example...

As for hallucinations, these things do happen in later stages so she needs to go step by step backwards. It would be helpful if you could provide what kind of hallucinations she has and what her daily routine looks like. If it`s private that`s ok...but she will definitely need your help and it will take a while before she feels comfortable again. Just remember...adjusting thoughts is the first step. Although easier said than done it will help controlling emotions or better said avoiding negative emotions that led to stress and en route downwards. Physical activity comes next as it works sort like a relief for your mind so that needs to be worked on daily. Later she will also need to be engaged socially but not with those who release even more stress or pressure on her...more like with those whom she trusts and make her feel safe and comfortable...

I don`t know the backstory here but I wouldn`t in any case diagnose her with schizophrenia as I don`t believe in it. But even if I did, Delusion is one of the most common symptoms but your person of interest is anything but delusional..at least what I can get from your post. "Again, remember...it`s all in your head whether you created it alone or someone or something else manifested it there. How you deal with it is up to you!! It will either drive you crazy until you hurt others or yourself or you will come out as a more mature and a better person." I would normally tell people like myself this but not to people who might freak out because not all are open to any other explanation than term "Schizophrenia" and believe it is a medical issue to begin with.

I have a book called "Orthomolecular Medicine for Everyone" by Abram Hoffer that extensively discusses the use of vitamins and supplements to treat various illnesses, including psychiatric disorders like schizophrenia. Might be worth looking into.

Sal

a reply to: Soapusmaximus

It's either sink or swim for your friend. Only psychiatry can do anything in case she sinks. Though I would never recommend any medication, because of side effects, because it shuts down important faculties of the mind along with other parts and because she must develop inner strenght on her own. With support of others would help ofcourse, if they are empowering towards her, not treating her like a mentally ill person.

I've lived with my visual and auditory hallucinations without any help, in my case psychiatry was not helping but more the opposite. When I was around people who didn't know about my diagnosis I felt good, appreciated and respected, treated like a normal human being. But being around the few who knew I felt bad because of the way they treated me and it was just no fun so I let those go and out of my life, including my brothers and parents which was very hard.

The picture described by the psychiatrist, how I would never heal because there is no cure for schizophrenia, how I would only mentally deteriorate and at best might get the most simples work (like doing envelopes all day long), how I wouldn't be able to have normal social relationships made me very depressed for a while. The worst was how they assumed I would hurt myself or others was insulting and that was the drop for me. But I overcame all that and avoided psychiatry as much as I could while also finding the many flaws in their doctrines so they became less convincing as well as their life sucking predictions. I'm glad I did because I've been working fulltime for many years now, I'm very happy at my job and having a decent wage, but it wasn't easy at all.

Manning up and not being dependent on others is what helped me. And spending a lot of time describing the hallucinations and making a belief system out of it so it would make sense to me but also because (strange as it may sound) it became less interesting and even predictable. It is a long road though and took me about 10 years, 2 years of those fulltime while I was on benefits trying to recover and after that I went back to a full time job and spend hours after work on this. But I have more control over my thoughts now than I ever had and it also helps me in 'real' social interaction. The intense dreams went away after maybe 5 years.

Your friend needs to fight for her soul, learn how to make up her own mind and choose positivity but if she gives up or simply doesn't want to she will not make it and then psychiatry might be the only option for her.

Thanks everyone for your interest and well wishes, I have read every post but just cooking dinner, will check back ASAP and will explain the hallucinations etc.

Thanks