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| *Women health>>>Schizophrenia |
How do you explain to your children, their Dad has Schizophrenia? |
My ex-husband has smoked pot since he was 15 yrs old, now he is 38 yrs old with in the last year he has became extremly paranoid, hears voices, and believes everyone is out to get him. He has been diagmoised with Schizophrenia and bi -polar, but my 10 yr old daughter wants to no if she ever have her Dad back. He has days when he askes her questions like " Is anyone saying anything to you at school about me" and what did Grandma say about me? he has convience her I am out to ruin his life, and she believes it because I won't allow her alone with him because he has had some rages of anger. He is on meds but not working with his drinking. He has been in 2 fights in a store because he says they were talking about him, althought he didn't hear he read their lips.Off the wall stuff. We used to joking around and use the word crazy about silly stuff, but now we watch what we say. How do I fix him? u can't but with meds and not drinking he can decrease the symptoms and delusions. He will never be the same...there is no cure but with meds and treatment he can live in the least restrictive setting unless he becomes a danger to himself (DTS) danger to others (DTO) or persistantly acutely disabled (PAD) where he can not take care of his basic needs such as food, hygiene, shelter. In one of those instances he would be petitioned into treatment against his will via a title 36 petition where he can be held against his will and evaluated over a 72 hours period and then released or placed into court ordered treatment by a judge...which requires an applicant usually doctor, counselor, and two witnesses (statements and willing to appear in court to testify) anyway...the laws vary state to state and county to county...depends where you live. It's best to do some research and educate her on things a little at a time and teach her the signs of when daddy is not doing so well and explain that daddy needs help and hopefully is getting it, but that you want her to be safe and informed...there are other people like daddy and they can be good or bad at different times. Source(s): 20 years working in psych, detox and crisis intervention Unfortunately there is nothing that you can do to "fix" him. With everything else on his plate, he has to want to fix himself. All of this information may be hard to bear for him, which is probably why he is still drinking. In order for the meds to work properly, he has to have his drinking under control. Alchohol is a depressant and in most cases will negate the effects of his meds. You may have to limit the amount of time he spends with your kids until he can get it under control. Best for you and your children and he as well. I'm sure he does not want to intentionally harm your children, but things can happen. He did not choose to go through what he is going through, but he CAN choose how well the treatment goes. Talk to him, tell him your concerns, then go from there. If you feel a little time away from Dad is best, then do it for the sake of your kids. Tell them Dad is okay, he has issues and he wants to get well again so that he can love them as much as he really wants to. I do not believe their is a magic cure but I think you have 2 options. 1) Make him do his meds and keep him away from Alcohol (easier said then done but you are the sane one and what needs to be done needs to be done) OR 2) Get your daughter out of that situation...if you need to get a restraining order to keep him from your daughter do it. She may be mad at you but you are the mother and thats your responsiblity to keep her safe and obviously her dad isn't a safe person which you clearly understand bc you won't let her be with him alone Either way Good Luck and keep your child safe....if it were me I would want to guarentee my childs safety but obviously its not me its you so just do what you know is right. Think, Pray, Think some more and good luck. ALSO on telling your daughter....I think you should tell her that her dads brain has been damaged bc he smoke(s/d) and drink(s/ed) which will hopefully keep her away from drinking and smoking and that bc her dads brain is damaged it causes him to be suspicious and makes him hear things or see things that dont exsist like mirages. Good luck. My life experience. (not much more then 16 years) What seems like common sence Your 10-yr-old won't understand the meaning of mental illness let alone schizophrenia or bipolar disorder. Just tell her "Daddy's sick". How do you fix him? YOU don't. That's a job for professionals. There's no cure for either disorder. But they can often be managed and controlled with medication and therapy. The problem is with compliance. Too many don't take the meds. He sounds like he may be potentially dangerous. He might be better off institutionalized until he's stable, if ever. But continue the monitored visits. Don't hesitate to call the police or file for a TRO if you feel that you or the kids are in danger. And there is always a 72-hour hold. If your ex-in-laws are still lving, can they be of any help with this? How has this affected them? This is NOT a good situation. Please stay safe and keep a close eye on your children. I'm a nurse. |
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