Topic : 11/23 Schizophrenia

Bless you AND your WONDERFUL son...as I was told...."enjoy your son for the gift that he is".... 

  

My son works with the mentally ill...he has schizo-effective disorder.  Two of his clients that committed suicide left poems that tore my heart in half.  One of them jumped off the Golden Gate Bridge.   And, here, my beautiful and talented and WONDERFUL "crazy" son cried when he told me, "Mom, I can see his face in my dreams......how tortured he must have been to finally jump".....I know many "normal" people who don't have half the heart my son does....nor the compassion....Your son is a GIFT.....please love him.....My heart goes out to you....I wish you peace in your journey....please know that you are in my thoughts. 

 

Hello Everyone!  

     I want to find out if anyone had a diagnois at age 8 as Schizophrenia?  My daughter called me the other day after my grand daughter's appointment with a pyschriatrist.  All the art papers were sent to him for analysis, plus her medical records since birth.  Kaytie is a beautiful long haired beauty with the biggest blue eyes.  Most of all her heart is very loving and kind.  She's knows that her Mimi (me) loves her and would do anything for her.     

 

     Kaytie is only 8 years old.  Yes, she's had some problems at night.  Cutting, wanting to hurt hereself, she has been diagnoised having OCD (complusive disorder) which probs her to put things back and straight, causes her to pick things up from the floor and put them away instead of having fun in art class or with friends.  She picks at her toes and fingers to the point of bleeding. She has rocks to hold when has those feelings.  It seems to help in a small way.   

      She is talking to someone now that does not exist.  At first we felt it was only  her invisible friend and just ignored it.  Now she is screaming at the friend to go away and leave her alone.  She draws pictures of them.  Not pictures that a typical 8 year would draw.   She now sees the dark side of these friends that we don't see.  She hears voices and tells them to go away and leave her alone.  She has a flashlight and bells on her door at night to keep the bad ones away.   

 

      As her grandmother, I feel utterly helpless.  I love Kaytie and would do whatever I need to do for this child to find peace and happiness again.  She was diagnoised this week as being Schizophrenia.  I'm at a loss, what do I pray for, how can this beautiful innocent child full of God's love have this disease.  After all she's been through medically, now for her to go through this mentallly is just too much for this sweet child to contend with.  I want her to feel safe and I cry just thinking of her feeling these "friends" are real when they are not.  I want to take it all away but I can't.   I don't know what to do.   

        Since she's been born health problems gave her heart problems, gastro problems, colon problems, many many operations over her 8 years of life.  She has problems not sleeping, not eating, not able to focus or concentrate until recently with the help of a medicine perscribed for her to use at night.  She now can sleep through the night soundly.    

            And now this.  All I can say is that my daughter was given to Kaytie to be her mother.  God knew that Kaytie needed a mother that would take good care of her, love her, keep her safe, and give her a happy life.  Her mother does all that and more.  She has worked hard to make sure Kaytie would have a good life.   My daughter is a wonderful Mom, a real loving and devoted Mom that loves her Kaytie more than anyone I've ever seen before.   I'm thankful for that.  

       Kaytie is scared of change, scared of any loud voices, of things she doesn't know, her anxiety level is alway on high speed.    

         My question is .......she's 8 years old, diagnoised with Schizophrenia and on medication.   I'm so afraid for her.  I want her to have the best treatment and find out what the problem is that is causing this.  What can a grandmother do to help?  I never see the type of behavor that my daughter sees in Kaytie.  We live in another state away so we have fewer chances to be with her.  BUt what can I do to help my little Kaytie ?   

                                               

Thank you for listening and taking time out to read this, 

                               Barb 

Is mental illness (schizo-effective disorder, depression) always genetic.  My ex blamed me for my sons' illnesses (they are "damaged goods" in his eyes)....I have carried a horrible guilt that I "visited" this on my children. 

  

Does long term medication destroy the physical body...i.e. liver damage, etc.  My son takes a handful of medication daily...but the alternative is awful.....delusions, depression, etc.  He always worries about the long term effects of medication.   

  

Please. will someone who is knowledgeable about these things respond...thank you from the bottom of my heart..... 

BLESS YOU, BLESS YOU, BLESS YOU BEAUTIFUL, WONDERFUL MIRACLE THAT YOU ARE!  How brave to go into a subject that is so very taboo...................My heart is bursting for you....you have done an incredible service for the families of these very wonderful people ...... and for the individuals themselves...to see a beautiful, talented, kind, compassionate person such as yourself is a GOD SEND.....May you have a peaceful journey through this devastating disease.  As a mom of 3 boys, two of whom have "mental illnesses"...I thank you from the bottom of my heart! 

 Mary, thank you from the bottom of my heart for doing this show. My son, Vinny, had his first full psychotic break at age 18, like you. He also self-medicated. He was not on any kind of medication when his schizophrenia started, either. Our culture treats people with schizophrenia abusively, mostly due to ignorance, and a LOT of education is needed. Thank you for helping educate the public on the nature of this disease. I will include you and your family in my prayers.

 So sorry to hear about your granddaughter. From what I've read, schizophrenia tends to surface  after stressful event(s) in a person's life. Her physical problems may be the trigger that caused it to come to the surface.  It also seems to hit people with above-average intelligence. My mom's schizophrenia began after the birth of my brother 50 years ago.  Rex

I am a mental health nurse from Melbourne Australia and my mission is to stop people using the word "SCHIZOPHRENIC" and help to minimise the stigma and ignorance around mental illness 

  

I was really disappointed to see the word "SCHIZOPHRENIC" on the home page of Dr Phil 

  

People suffering from schizophrenia are much more than their illness and by people taking this word out of their vocabularly it will help to decrease stigma 

  

Some people say it is just being politically correct or pedantic but there is already so much stigma surrounding mental illness any little thing that will change this position is useful 

  

Please if you read this message, think about it and if you hear others using the word pass on the message 

  

  

I wanted to extend a genuine heartfelt 'Thank You' for your willingness to share your own personal experience.

You are bravely, courageously and quite successfully dealing with a BEAR of a disorder! To be willing to speak so candidly about something as personal as Schizophrenia is inspiring! Your tenacity in sticking with the treatment necessary to manage this very difficult disorder is also inspiring.  

I heard you speak of the negative things the voices were telling you about you in doing the show. YOU WERE FABULOUS!!!!! 

 

I too am the daughter of a mother who has Schizophrenia and while neither I nor my identical twin have ever experienced the disorder, I can ASSURE you that I would not have handled MYSELF as well as you did on that stage!!!!  

Thanks, Again, 

Brenda 

Dr Phil I am the child of a mentally ill mother.  My mom is paranoid schizophrenic.  I am 40 years old and my mom has been sick with this for at least 35 years.  My childhood was very difficult at times and I spent a lot of time locked in my room because I was scared of my mom.  She hears voices and was at times very destructive, but never toward me or my younger sister.  My dad tried to get her help several times but the treatment never lasted because my mom was in denial.  She thought she was okay and everyone else was just out to get her.  When I was 16 my mom and dad split up. Thank God my dad fought for custidy of my sister and me.   I pretty much helped raise my sister because my mom was just not able to be there in that way for her.  I am now married and have a son and have made a pretty good life for myself.  But, growing up I always felt robbed of not having a mom that was really there for me.  I was angry at my mom for a long time while I was growing up but, now I realize it wasn't something she could control.  Recently my sister and I have been able to get my mom some professional help after many years of watching her get worse and worse.  She is on meds but she still has problems coping now and then.  She is very mistrusting of people and Drs. .  She is elderly and is having to deal with the effects of old age and for the longest time she has not taken care of her physical needs like she should've.  My sister and I try to see that she has what she needs but sometimes I feel we come up short.  I also wish there were more one on one or group therapy  programs for the mentally ill.  Right now in our area there really isn't anything available for people  in her situation.  Also, medicare and ins. make it hard on us because the cost of the drugs are not covered and  so expensive for her  living on a fixed income.  Maybe, someday our gov't will see that there is really a BIG problem with the way the mentally ill are neglected in this country and do something to change it.  I have been witness to some really horrible and heartbreaking expierences and seeing how Schizophrenia stole  my moms life really saddens me.

Drug induced psychosis is an organic disease that usually disappears when the drug is out of the person's system 

  

Unfortunately 90% of the patients in the mental health hospital where I work in Melbourne use marijuana on a regular basis 

  

There is still doubt whether the psychotic symptoms start first and the person is self medicating or if the marijuana  and other predisposing factors, such as family history and high levels of stress is the cause.   

  

However, there is definitely a correlation between marijuana use and mental illness