I need some1 2 talk 2... please help?

Question

my fiancee is having a horrible schizophrenic episode (sp?) and his father took him to the ed this afternoon, my fiancee is very mad at me right now (for reasons unknown to him or myself) should i go see him tonight in the hospital? where do i go from here? i'm sure he'll be admitted to the psych hospital, what happens there? they said they'll only keep him for a few days, most likely. what will they do there? can i go visit him? will he stop being mad at me for no reason? how long will it take? i need a shoulder to lean on... and i don't want to bother his family TOO much... i'm lost.

Answer 1

Go see him.

I was Diagnosed as a schitzo when I was just a kid but when people tried to calm me down it helped.

He is probably different to me but I say you should go see him and make sure hes ok. Don't worry if he gets angry at you, just tell him your sorry and let him be mad.

Answer 2

I've had some pretty rocky times with Bipolar Affective Disorder.  It is often confused with schizophrenia. There are a lot of both  similarities and differences. To me, the important similarity is that psychosis is real craziness, regardless of origin. I hope and expect that he will be admitted to the psych hospital, because it gives a controlled environment until they find appropriate medication.

People who suffer from schizophrenia or BAD in 2008 are way, way better off than they would have been a few decades earlier. There are drugs now that can be effective in treating each condition. If my "breakdown" had happened in 1950, rather than 2000, I likely would have had an ugly death. Instead, I'm as "normal" as most people. From now on, "meds" are probably going to be essential part of his life.

If you were my daughter, I'd suggest that you not go visit him right now. It's probable that he's been given sedative anti-psychotic medication that will leave him very spaced out. If he notices that you've visited, he probably won't remember it.  But you will, and it's not very pretty. Wait a while, until he's stabilized. In the meantime, it probably would be good for you to step back from direct involvement, and be supportive of his family. A pot of soup, or a casserole, or whatever would be a good way to express your concern without being a bother, and for you to be in indirect contact with your fiancee.

The really hard thing for you and others will be to realize and accept that he's not doing this deliberately. It's almost normal for a person having a psychotic episode to be angry or hostile for no reason anyone else can know. People weren't far wrong when they used to attribute it to demonic possession. There are probably things going on inside his head that are terrifying.  

I am so sorry to know things are so hard for you right now. Please, if you think it would help, feel free to contact me via e-mail.