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| *Women health>>>Depression |
I have a close family member who has been diagnosed with paranoid schizophrenia and manic depression? |
and she seems to have her manic depression under control, but she is convinced that this man has been following her for like 4 years and that her house and car are bugged and so on and so forth, my dillema is that she needs to take her medication but she won't because she says it makes her sick, but of course that is not the real reason. She has other family members that tell her that she needs help, and she has cut all of them out of her life, and I am a lot closer to her and I can't have her cut ties with me. I need any good suggestions on how to get her to take her meds, cause she is starting to drive me crazy. Please, I don't need anyone making jokes or whatever it is that people do on here. Thank you I understand your position, and it is really really hard one. However, realistically speaking, one person cannot MAKE another person take medication. You are not responsible for her, and I know that's difficult to hear. This is what I would suggest. You need a team approach. I don't know the details of your mother's treatment team e.g. will she see a psychiatrist? a therapist? does she go to a support group? But you need to work with a team of professionals. This is a really common problem, don't worry. Don't tell her she is crazy. Don't tell her that she is delusional because delusional people do not believe that they are delusional and it does not work. Go with her to her doctor and/or therapist and sit down and really hammer out a plan for the meds e.g. why won't she take them? if she knew that --- would happen, would she take them then? could she just try to take them for a certain amount of time, like three weeks, and then if she doesn't want to, she doesn't have to any more? Can you find some rationale IN the delusion e.g. if she takes the meds, it lessens the chance that the man following her will find her, something like that? Do you take any vitamins or medication also? Could you two make a ritual of taking them together, so that she can see that she is not the only one that is "crazy" ? Also, ask the doctor what he or she recommends. Also, try to attend support groups for adults with mental illness, such as those associated with NAMI. Talk with other people who have had this problem. This is really really common. In addition, she should be receiving other interventions - therapy, exercise, eating right, basically doing good things for herself. Try to fit the pills into that plan - that in order for her to continually evade the "bad guy," she really needs to be taking good care of herself, etc. These are just some ideas. Good luck. Source(s): Lic. Psychologist I am a manic/bipolar/schizophrenic disorder. It is not something you ask for it is a chemical imbalance and she just needs to realize it is not her fault, I have been taking medication for 14 years and i am so glad of it, I can go places and crack everyone up, I am the life of the party and I am happy like 98% of my life i don't let things bother me and i have no fears of anything. She just needs to sit down and accept that it was something she inherited not that she asked for and she is the only one who can change it, show her this message I am typing and if she has any questions she can contact me through an email. I am very willing to help anyone through tough times and I have an open ear and a big heart. I will talk to her if she would like. Good Luck You are a great friend, she is lucky to have you. I am proud of you! i do not understand why she has the seperate diagnosis of bipolar (manic depressive) and paranoid schizophrenia. there is bipolar with schizophrenic tendencies. could that be what you are talking about? it is not your responsibility to make sure she takes her meds. there are no tricks to getting her to take her meds. it is a choice that she will have to make. if you choose to do so, your only enabling her. as hard as it is, you have to let her learn and it sounds as though it's going to take letting her hit rock bottom before she makes the choice to fix her life. certainly, i can tell you tricks to getting someone to take meds... but they always find a way not to. i am still finding pills in my house two years later after my bipolar child moved out! as far as cutting ties... you may have to. not only for your sanity, but for her to be able to begin to fix her own life. i strongly urge you to find this free class in your area and attend. you will find it to be very informative, helpful and supportive. http://www.nami.org/template.cfm?section... wow. this story is oh so familiar to me. my aunt was diagnosed with manic depression and paranoid schizophrenia many years ago. she was the exact same way, did not take her medications, cut friends and family out of her life, and eventually boarded up all of her windows and doors because she thought she was being watched... it was really sad to see someone who had been so "together" before turn for the worst. what you need to do is take her to a psychiatrist and maybe even help her find a group home. group homes are great for people like this- they let them live independently but help them with finances and make sure they take their medications every day. call your local mental health clinic and ask about what they have available. |
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