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Understanding the truth of schizophrenia
Hi and thank you in advance for your help and advice regarding understanding schizophrenia better!
My daughters partner of 2 1/2 years is as far as we've been told is undx with anything other than GAD, though we were aware he'd been involuntarily admitted to a state hospital for treatment in his mid teens, he told me he wanted to get away from his controlling mother and faked a break down. He also said the experience was great because he enjoys playing mind games with psychs, he had them all fooled and when he'd had enough he just said what they needed to hear so he could get out etc.
Not long into their relationship, he started getting paranoid about the people he was working with, the things he was saying were clearly not rational and they were persicutorary in nature, always against him in some way and not realistic at all but he knew what they were really trying to do, or saying etc. These delusionary thoughts kept escalating even after he left the job, now transfered towards his mother again, his behavior became more self gratifying, impulsive, irratic and he started getting obsessional about his music. He did start seeing a psych who put him on anti-psychotics but his behavior kept escalating and becoming worse not better. He then started (openly) talking to the radio and people who where clearly not there, so he was now behaving not only delusionally but having both auditory and visual hallusinations. The psych kept doubling the anti-psychotic (seroquil) until he was eventually on 900 as well as other medications and he was unrecognisable, deffinetely a danger to himself because of his total disconnection to reality. This psychotic episode was blamed on the drugs, and having no other history to go by, we all supported this assumption.
He changed psych's calmed a lot even stopped talking about the radio talking to him etc he was compliant with getting back in everybodies good books, got a job, took his meds etc and started getting back on track but the paranoid talk started very soon even though he was suppose to have mental health stability. Everything that happened before happened again but this time he took none perscription drugs (E) and only the one time (?) and he was back into full psychosis and getting more unstable.
This happened 2 more times with none perscription drugs, on weed he became violent and had to leave the home they shared together, again he became compliant and did and said all the right things. All was forgiven again, because he was not capable of understanding his behavior or actions, and again the drugs were blamed for the psychotic episodes and he was never going to do it again. Instead he sought information on ADHD and got 'legal' speed perscribed, soon the worst psychotic episode eventuated. Demonic laughter, voice guiding him, TV and radio talking to him/ with him, violent thoughts, feelings, desires and visions of eyes always watching what people were up to. Frightening in the level of aggression and violent desires towards his partner (our daughter) she fled in terror of him and sought immediate help.
The weeks that followed were difficult in his level of aggression and blame focused towards her, he was under medical restrictions and care but still came up with deluded ideas to get what he wanted from her, he was still obviously not mentally stable and she kept him at arms length. Again he became compliant with his treatment, got a job, saying all the right things etc paranoid delusions about others are still there and he is promising just about anything to get her back. The only thing he will acknowledge is the drugs caused the psychotic episodes, he says he has a drug addiction and he belives if he doesn't do it again he wont have any psychotic episodes. He's still on anti-psychotics but because he now feels fine he doesn't want to take them anymore becaue he thinks he doesn't need them.
Personally i believe he is playing the game to get everyones attention off him and get what he wants, i do believe he is or has become (?) schizophrenic if not because he was prior to getting involved with her but because he's now had 5 fully psychotic episodes in 2 1/2 years. He has a cycle of behaviors leading up to the psychosis, the drug use is in my opinion secondary to the real issue which is his mental health though the drugs have been used repeatedly as cause and not because he's already becoming unstable and more inclined to impulsive acts and therefor not cause but a part of his patern that preceeds psychosis.
Anyway after all that, is it really possible that he does not have a schitzoid type mental health issue? Is drug use a common issue seen in schizaphrenia or similar mental health issues? Most importantly, if violence towards his partner IS part of his psychosis and has escalated each time, how likely is he to one day rape or take her life which he desires during psychosis?
Thank you for any advice you can provide.
btw i have been investingating for her both issues, addiction and schitzophrenia so she fully understands where the truth is.
My daughters partner of 2 1/2 years is as far as we've been told is undx with anything other than GAD, though we were aware he'd been involuntarily admitted to a state hospital for treatment in his mid teens, he told me he wanted to get away from his controlling mother and faked a break down. He also said the experience was great because he enjoys playing mind games with psychs, he had them all fooled and when he'd had enough he just said what they needed to hear so he could get out etc.
Not long into their relationship, he started getting paranoid about the people he was working with, the things he was saying were clearly not rational and they were persicutorary in nature, always against him in some way and not realistic at all but he knew what they were really trying to do, or saying etc. These delusionary thoughts kept escalating even after he left the job, now transfered towards his mother again, his behavior became more self gratifying, impulsive, irratic and he started getting obsessional about his music. He did start seeing a psych who put him on anti-psychotics but his behavior kept escalating and becoming worse not better. He then started (openly) talking to the radio and people who where clearly not there, so he was now behaving not only delusionally but having both auditory and visual hallusinations. The psych kept doubling the anti-psychotic (seroquil) until he was eventually on 900 as well as other medications and he was unrecognisable, deffinetely a danger to himself because of his total disconnection to reality. This psychotic episode was blamed on the drugs, and having no other history to go by, we all supported this assumption.
He changed psych's calmed a lot even stopped talking about the radio talking to him etc he was compliant with getting back in everybodies good books, got a job, took his meds etc and started getting back on track but the paranoid talk started very soon even though he was suppose to have mental health stability. Everything that happened before happened again but this time he took none perscription drugs (E) and only the one time (?) and he was back into full psychosis and getting more unstable.
This happened 2 more times with none perscription drugs, on weed he became violent and had to leave the home they shared together, again he became compliant and did and said all the right things. All was forgiven again, because he was not capable of understanding his behavior or actions, and again the drugs were blamed for the psychotic episodes and he was never going to do it again. Instead he sought information on ADHD and got 'legal' speed perscribed, soon the worst psychotic episode eventuated. Demonic laughter, voice guiding him, TV and radio talking to him/ with him, violent thoughts, feelings, desires and visions of eyes always watching what people were up to. Frightening in the level of aggression and violent desires towards his partner (our daughter) she fled in terror of him and sought immediate help.
The weeks that followed were difficult in his level of aggression and blame focused towards her, he was under medical restrictions and care but still came up with deluded ideas to get what he wanted from her, he was still obviously not mentally stable and she kept him at arms length. Again he became compliant with his treatment, got a job, saying all the right things etc paranoid delusions about others are still there and he is promising just about anything to get her back. The only thing he will acknowledge is the drugs caused the psychotic episodes, he says he has a drug addiction and he belives if he doesn't do it again he wont have any psychotic episodes. He's still on anti-psychotics but because he now feels fine he doesn't want to take them anymore becaue he thinks he doesn't need them.
Personally i believe he is playing the game to get everyones attention off him and get what he wants, i do believe he is or has become (?) schizophrenic if not because he was prior to getting involved with her but because he's now had 5 fully psychotic episodes in 2 1/2 years. He has a cycle of behaviors leading up to the psychosis, the drug use is in my opinion secondary to the real issue which is his mental health though the drugs have been used repeatedly as cause and not because he's already becoming unstable and more inclined to impulsive acts and therefor not cause but a part of his patern that preceeds psychosis.
Anyway after all that, is it really possible that he does not have a schitzoid type mental health issue? Is drug use a common issue seen in schizaphrenia or similar mental health issues? Most importantly, if violence towards his partner IS part of his psychosis and has escalated each time, how likely is he to one day rape or take her life which he desires during psychosis?
Thank you for any advice you can provide.
btw i have been investingating for her both issues, addiction and schitzophrenia so she fully understands where the truth is.
You can only support your daughter , i wonder why she wants to be with someone who is so badly ill, she has her whole life ahead of her
You have described schizophrenia to the best of my knowledge. The episodic nature of this young man's illness does confuse your daughter, who cares about him. What ILADVOCATE said does have much merit (he has a lot of experience as a disabilities advocate). I would add only one thought: Could you contact this young man's parents? I do not believe that you mentioned them.
Thank you for your response, unfortunately he is not our child and because they are not married we are not privy to anything he doesn't want us to know. Legally as an adult his psych can not tell his partner or even his own parents, anything about his mental health or treatment if he doesn't want it disclosed. DD was at one time involved in the psych appt but she found herself being asked to be responsible for his medications and his behavior, a responsibility she found difficult to handle on top of the finacial and emotional responsibilities she was already holding.
One of the other problems in all this is his admittions of manipulating psych's and other people, of course he doesn't admit to manipulating her and quite frankly that is exactly what he is doing, cognitively she knows it but doesn't want to believe he's manipulating her whilst she's blinded by his words and promises, it is all she wants to hear! Its all very complicated, and we do want this young man well, not just for our daughters sake but mainly for his.
What he needs is to be held responsible for his choices, and his mental health, no one else can help him until he is ready to face it. Its not helping him but enabling him, when everyone is bailing him out of trouble and when the dust settles, accept his words and promises so he can start the process all over again. Yes he needs help but there is no drug treatment program, nothing but seeing the same pschiatrist every week and there never will be help for this young man until he is honest and ready to get help for himself and not for the short time he thinks he has to, for everyone to believe he's fine now.
He's not fine now! I dont want to see this happen to him again but i know with confidence it will happen again, his pattern of behavior is unchanged, its already happening so nothings changed and it will all happen again and i/we just have to hope it isn't as bad as the last time!
Thank you again
One of the other problems in all this is his admittions of manipulating psych's and other people, of course he doesn't admit to manipulating her and quite frankly that is exactly what he is doing, cognitively she knows it but doesn't want to believe he's manipulating her whilst she's blinded by his words and promises, it is all she wants to hear! Its all very complicated, and we do want this young man well, not just for our daughters sake but mainly for his.
What he needs is to be held responsible for his choices, and his mental health, no one else can help him until he is ready to face it. Its not helping him but enabling him, when everyone is bailing him out of trouble and when the dust settles, accept his words and promises so he can start the process all over again. Yes he needs help but there is no drug treatment program, nothing but seeing the same pschiatrist every week and there never will be help for this young man until he is honest and ready to get help for himself and not for the short time he thinks he has to, for everyone to believe he's fine now.
He's not fine now! I dont want to see this happen to him again but i know with confidence it will happen again, his pattern of behavior is unchanged, its already happening so nothings changed and it will all happen again and i/we just have to hope it isn't as bad as the last time!
Thank you again
Manipulative behavior can be part of many psychiatric disabilities. However a fair amount (having difficulty relating to people, a lack of understanding of reality, what does appear to be psychosis) can be part of schizophrenia but you could speak to his psychiatrist if you have concerns about his specific diagnosis. Self medication with illegal drugs can occur in many psychiatric disabilities (at times). All illegal drugs will worsen a person's recovery rate and make them less responsive to treatment. He needs a dual recovery group for a person with a psychiatric disability and substance abuse issue. If at any time he is dangerous to another person or has intentions of that kind you should immediately speak to his psychiatrist and then can appropriately address it. He might need some outpatient support groups and a treatment team to follow up on some of the concerns you described. You could speak to his psychiatrist about this as well.
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