paranoid schizophrenic who refuses help

[eastwood88]

My brother was diagnosed with paranoid schizophrenia 2 years ago. He is now 24.  He has been hospitalized twice in a 4 yr time period, the first time he was diagnosed with depression, the second time with paranoid schizophrenia.   During his last hospitalization he was prescribed meds but after he was discharged from the hospital he stopped taking them and refused to take them.  I at first thought his delusions were brought on by the marijuana but he has not smoked in two years and he is still having delusions  

   Since being released from the hospital sometimes he's fine sometimes he's not.  He doesn't work or go to school or really do anything.  He's fine for months at a time--fine meaning no delusions or verbally abusing my family.   But about every couple months he has an episode where he hates everyone, he is incredibly verbally abusive to my parents and me and he starts getting angry, irate, uncontrollable.   In the past we have had to call the cops on him to stop him from being violent.  That is how he ended up being hospitalized those two times

   I realize that his untreated schizophrenia will not get better by itself and he will continue to have these episodes perhaps in increasing frequency as he gets older.  My question is how do i get him help if he refuses to get help and lacks any insight to the fact that he is sick.  Whenever my family or I bring up that he needs to see a psychiatrist and be on medication he goes crazy and gets verbally abusive.  We do not want to have to call the cops again to take him to the hospital because it is traumatic for him as well as for us seeing a loved one handcuffed and taken away. We want him to voluntarily see a psychiatrist but this seems impossible.  

   Are there any organizations that are out there , like outreach groups, that come to the house and talk to the person?  At this point I am desperate to find a way to get him help because I know he will just get worse the more time he is untreated and lose any chance of leading a normal life.

[Roger Gould, M.D.]

There are such groups. The best way to find out what is in your community is through the social worker at the hospital where he was treated.  He or she might also have some other resources to help.  Its a very tough problem.  Every state has different laws but there is possible a way that treatment can be mandated by the court.

[guerrero2k3]

Hi. Please send me some information.



What means delusions?  Please explain.



***@****



Your brother does not need a psychiatry. not medication, also.

[eastwood88]

He has delusions that people he knows are conspiring against him.

[jmg72]

I'd suggest contacting your local hospital to see if they have an emergency outreach program; I've seen information for many such programs online.  By contacting them, though, you'd be able to find out what it involves and what it would mean for your brother.  Good luck!

[DarkDryad]

Well it really sucks for your brother to have this disease. I had a friend who had this kind of schizophrenia too, but he hung himself 2 weeks ago. I'm not saying that just to scare you even more, but make sure that he has people that support him and becareful what you say to him, because he will believe that his family is all against him and could do something rash.

[mickey05]

this DISEASE is very crippling..My father had it and in fact I didn't know until After he killed himself 6 months ago, i just thought he was weird, but after I looked back on all his symptoms he actually thought that everyone was plotting against him, he heard voices he couldn't control telling him to do things, sometime he was up and sometimes he was down, If I had KNOWN he had psychological disorder I would have stayed around him more to alter his moods. You could really tell when he was on his medication,because he was "normal" and logical. If your brother doesn't take his medicine he is a DANGER to himself and others, most schizophrenics have an uncontrollable urge to either hurt themselves or other people, a hospital would usually keep a patient in custody who refuses treatment. Good luck >with your bro

[waflpdx]

Contact your local chapter of NAMI - National Assn of Mental Illness.  They are a terrific resource, sometimes have free support groups.

[tintinabou]

My mother has been paranoid schizophrenic for what the doctors figure must havebeen all/most of her life (just not diagnosed until  she was 40ish).  She is/has been also resistant to medication and therapy and has been hospitalized roughly once every 2 years for similar behaviours ever since I was 20 (now I'm almost 40).  HERE (in the province we live in in Canada) unfortunately there is no way to 'force' treatment or outreach on someone who is unwilling - unless they have been certified as incompetant (which is only NOW happening and THAT is mostly due to the age factor).  I believe it is possible (here, anyway) to go to court to try to get someone certified, but generally they have to be a "danger to self or others" (which it sounds like you might have grounds for).  I can say though that although my mother has exhibited a great variety of behaviours, the one thing she has NEVER been is suicidal. BUT - she gets aggressive which leads me to often fear she might have been capable of goingthe other way if circumstances permitted.  



Probably not much help, but hopefully somewhat supportive.

[Jezique]

I wasn't diagnosed as paranoid schizophrenic though I was diagnosed with schizophrenia and paranoia as well as alot of other illnessess. With reading your concerns about your brother it took me back about 12,13 years ago I 24 now. I was paranoid at my parents I did sometimes get virbally abusive tord my dad. I didn't and still don't want to take medications it's very hard for me to say I have a mental Illness because others will catarize me in a different group. It does hurt when people think I'm going to kill them or hurt them on purpose. In the world there is no such thing as a word Normal for a large group. Your brother is normal, this is what he knows in his life. Question for you, to ask yourself, Do you love your brother in a neverending love, to help him in a neverending way, would you put your life aside for your brother when he is in need and last does your brother trust you? Think about the questions in a way of peace and an encuragment, expeshally the last question! The last question my be the start of a new life for both of you or the end. In a family that has a person with a major illness, that person needs someone, in the family,that they can trust without hesatation. My father is the one in my life he is peritty much my father and mother. When I am in need of someone he comes to my rescue wherever he is and wherever I am he will come to my ad. If you are the one to be trusted by your brother I would strongly sugest that you get a very flexable job your brother my not be able to get a job though I don't know him. I'm not sure were you live though in your stste you may have a clubhouse in Boulder It is called Chinook Clubhouse, they may all have the word Clubhouse in their title. Another thing does your brother have friends? What helped me out was my best friend, I met him at Chinook Clubhouse. Though make sure he would like to be part of a clubhouse do not force him just put it out there for him though you can help him out in the dicishion but make sure it is his chose. It is scary sometimes to not be at home when your use to be at home. It's not a hospital just a hang out place you can leave anytime. I hope this will help you if you'd like you can contact me throu email, I'd really like to hear how you brother is doing. I'm not sure if I can put my email address on here though I guess I will: ***@****