Please help... I'm so lost.?

Question

Yesterday my fiancee was committed to the psych ward because he's having a really bad schizophrenic episode. Well I went home last night and everything is a disaster! I'm going to clean the house back up for him when he gets home. But is it normal for schizophrenic people to do REALLY odd things? Like break up light bulbs, and make balls of string, and put things totally out of their place (Mustard in the living room, hammers in the kitchen). I went home last night and after seeing how sick he was from the things he had done, I was heart broke. I couldn't sleep or eat. Is there anyway to keep a schizophrenic on their meds? I can't bare seeing him in such a condition ever again.

Answer 1

a good pain reliever do the trick!

Answer 2

are you going to leave him while he's sick?

Answer 3

You just have to stay by his side and assure him that everything will be ok. As far as the meds, you have to really talk to him when he gets stable and let him know the consequences of not taking them. I stayed with an ex boyfriend because I thought that it was my fault that he went through the episode when I broke up with him. He has schizo-effective disorder, not schizophrenia. People with his disorder doesn't react or take stress very well and they go through the deep depression and so they act in very unusual ways, they are scary and odd but I have never experienced violence except for the time in the ward when he thought someone was saying something about him and the staff wanted to give a shot. I stayed with him for so long after he got sick when I broke with him. I wasn't in love with him but I cared for him because he was a wonderful guy. But I had to let go because I couldn't take care of him anymore. I had 2 lil boys at that time and I can't take care of a third person. I took care of his paperwork for his SSI and got approved after being denied twice before when his family applied for him. I had to let go totally because it hurt me when he gets sad. He actually went through the schizo disorder 3 times with me, twice, when I tried to break up with him and once when I went overseas for a vacation and he thought I wasn't coming back and I was only gone for 2 weeks. Anyway, if you love him, stay with him and work things out. If you are having second thoughts on staying with him, I can't really give you any advice because that is a very personal decision and I wish both of you guys the best.

Answer 4

You should consult your fiance's medical team to prevent this from ever happening again. Its obviously greatly affected you both!

Plus, I feel I have to congratulate you for your compassion and helping your fiance through this! It shows great moral fibre, not to let your relationship fall at the first hurdle, well done!

I'm sorry I haven't been much of a help. But everything will be made better for you, I'm sure! Good Luck!

Answer 5

Things may be somewhat disorganised, but surely "disaster" is far too strong a term. See schizophreniform disorders, in section 40, at http://www.ezy-build.net.nz/~shaneris

Often it is the unpleasant side effects which deter people from maintaining their medication regime. The alternative treatment shown may be sufficient, by itself, or can at least reduce the amount of medication required, with its attendant risks, and side effects.

Get a medicine organiser, and use alarms, reminders, memos, etc. in your cellular mobile phone, or PDA, to ensure he takes his meds. Check your email.

Answer 6

Yes to the odd things!  If you're going to be a key part of your fiancée's support network you need to make sure you get help to help him.  Do some research about whatever organisation exists in your area to help schizophrenics and their families.  Look after yourself too.

One thing to keep in mind: it's not all gloom.  To quote the UK's Royal College of Psychiatrists,

For every 5 people who develop schizophrenia:

    * 1 in 5 will get better within five years of their first episode of schizophrenia.

    * 3 in 5 will get better, but will still have some symptoms. They will have times when their symptoms get worse.

    * 1 in 5 will continue to have troublesome symptoms.

Answer 7

hiya hope your ok, yes it is normal for people with schizophrenia to do strange things and move objects around because things are not straight in their mind they see things differently to others so mustard in the living room and hammers in the kitchen may seem perfectly normal to him in this state of mind although it is scary and weird to others watching I know however much you love him It is hard to watch and see him like this and just having a little time away even just a day or two wont mean your shallow or leaving him it is just helping to let you get your head together and straight and give him chance to seek help and advise from the medical team good luck and hope all is ok use counselling as this is a brilliant way to clear things within your mind and may help you understand and cope a little easier all you can do for the best at the moment is take one day at a time good luck

Answer 8

Yes, it is normal for schizophrenics to do things like that.

I'm so sorry that you and your fiancee are going through such a rough time.

The first, and most important, thing you can do is to look after yourself. So do eat, do sleep, do take some time for yourself. That's not being selfish, and it's not leaving him and being shallow - he has an illness and needs support, and how can you support him if you're not at your best?

The other thing that you need to do is find out all about schizophrenia. The link in my sources is a start, but the best thing to do is to ask your fiancee or his doctors about what schizophrenia specifically means for him.