on a serious note (and yes, it's ok if you all make jokes here too) i have a question for anyone who has experience with mentally ill people

i've had a friend, a good friend for about four years and then, recently, he basically just stopped talking to me. when i worked up the nerve to ask him why he told me he's a paranoid schizophrenic. that was the reason he gave me for his behavior.

we talked about it, re-established ourselves as friends, but then, not long after that it was poof~! back to square one with the 'not only won't i talk to you i'll pretend i don' even see you when you say hello to me, in fact i'll snub you for real and act like i hate you' behavior. also, he's been treating some other friends - mutual pals - the same way. basically blowing us all off, with no reason given. simply snubbing us. like, a sudden and inexplicable shift in behavior.

and if he has his reasons, he isn't sharing them.

obviously one would normally just walk away from someone like this but, like i say, i've been his friend for a long time. meanwhile, i'm aware he's using hard-core drugs recreationally, instead of the meds he's been prescribed, and twice out of the three times i last spoke to him he mentioned suicide. if you check the website for paranoid schizophrenia you see that suicidal thoughts are a red flag for 'get your ass in to see the doctor, NOW!'

so here's the question: how much crap does a person take before completely cutting all ties to a once-treasured friend and leaving that person to his own devices? do i keep trying to get through or let him go, knowing he could well kill himself?

ahhh. thank god for the ORG, where we can air our troubles for all to see. . . .

appreciate any feedback from someone who's been in a similar situation, or knows about this disease

it depends how much you love that person.

expect a complete break with reality from them--not fun.

WHUT!!!
you been checkin up on me again

I have a friend who is a paranoid schizophrenic... he used to be very hard to talk to, as he described the strangest shit EVER in every conversation. He is better now though and he is taking Prolixin.

I have HUNDREDS of stories about the things that he used to say... it is fucking WILD.

By the way, I had to have him committed to a mental hospital, as his sister would not help him. I had to arrange things... he was living in Alaska at the time and I was in Dallas. It sucked, but he got better. He wanted to kill a few people at the hospital and he wanted to kill a few mutual friends... that is when I knew that I had to get him some help, as his family obviously wouldn't help him. It was sad.

...
[This message was edited Wed Feb 5 16:32:30 PST 2003 by IceNine]

teller said:

well, of course i care about him. enough to make an effort. but, right now he acts like he can't stand me. won't talk to our old pals, either. could be he genuinely dislikes us all now, for reasons unknown, but why?

we're all kinda worried about him, and me more so because someone i don't even know was asking about him specifically, his age, his history, hobbies etc. commenting on his behavior and on how odd he has become lately it sucked to hear this

i want to help but don't know how?

you know they can read your mind through electronics

my advice is to hang in there...but be consistant with them...for example,if they mention suicide...tell them it's because they're using drugs and not staying on their meds...and try not to take where he's at to heart too much... but definately hang in there ...

00769BAD said:

dear, if i did it would be out of concern for you and not because i'm secretly plotting to steal your cool~!

it may be beyond your ability to help, but medication is a MUST--anything you can do to point him in this direction (and reasoning with him probably isn't it) would be the loving thing to do...

don't take any of it personally--that may be key.

MrBliss said:

well thanks for the encouragement. i am being consistent; it's not helping. i'll never walk away from a friend, especially one who seems to be in trouble.
ps: sorry to dump a personal problem in this thread, but these discussion forums can be a good resource and i admit i'm utterly baffled by his actions

XxAxX said:

Hi!! I have experience with friends who suffer from this disease! The problem's generally arise when they stop taking there medication. ( and they most always invariably do! ) You need to know who to contact when episodes begin.) A family member of their's etc. The friendship will often be taxing. Strict rules will help. Boundries! (though not once they have a break) We use to count out our girlfriends pills.. make sure she was taking them!









.
[This message was edited Sat Apr 19 3:14:20 PDT 2003 by Muse2noPharaoh]

if i sit REALLY QUIET,
i can hear them when they start talking about me.
it's not like they're going to kill me, they're gonna
use me to hurt someone then leave me to take the blame

IceNine said:

oh man. he'd NEVER forgive me if i 'conspired' to have him committed. . . not that we're that close anymore anyhow. but, i wish i COULD get his butt in to see someone. somehow

XxAxX said:

OH I KNOW ALL ABOUT YOU!!!
i saw it when you and THEM were talking abotu how it
would be if i found out you were helping them

Muse2noPharaoh said:

thank you! i'm glad i'm not the only person with this experience. and yes, even though i've done him no wrong i DO feel like he hates me which complicates things because it hurts and sucks

as far as i know he has no family to turn to. he was raised in foster homes. it's complicated that way. he prefers to be alone and keeps himself to himself. right now, we're not even sure where he's living

00769BAD said:

waitaminnit HOW would you know all about me unless you were secretly tapping into my brainwaves? well that's just RUDE. stay AWAY from my brainwaves from now on! stop jacking my frequency!

XxAxX said:

STOP LAUGHING... IT'S NOT FUNNY ANY MORE

XxAxX said:

Then if you suspect that he is a danger to others or more likely to himself, You really must consider Ice's path. It's just while they stablize them on Med's and he will thank you for it in the end! Honest! Sorry

i have no idea how i would accomplish this

BIG SECRET (sort of):

I was diagnosed with first-stage psychosis (most likely induced by recreational drugs i used to take) about 1 year and a half ago. I recently made a full recovery (with the right medication and therapy), but I still attend weekly checkups with a clinic. I know many clients of that clinic who are far worse off than i ever was, and it is indeed very hard to feel accepted by people when you have a mental illness, because at your worst, you can come across as strange and at your best you are often anxious. I lost a number of friends because i revealed i had this problem, but on the other hand it really showed who my true friends were and were not. there is a lot of ignorance about what mental illness really is and i think this makes it even harder for the person with it to want to reach out to others, particularly those who would be friends. all i can say is that those who have stuck by me are as glad as i am that i have recovered. It is great to be healthy and well again. even if the person doesn't make a full recovery (as most don't) it can be a very lonely experience without supportive people around you and if you know someone with this problem, just being a good friend to someone with mental illness can make a huge difference.

now that i have "come out" about this, please don't be calling me the resident nut of the org.

teller said:

repeating to self: DON'T take personally, DO help take meds.

ok. appreciate the feedback

mrdespues said:

sir...you rock! <--- that was a plutonic manly scratch my ass type of hug

mrdespues said:

oh honey, thanks for sharing. it helps me to hear about it from the other side - perspective. sorry you went through this. i am doing my best to be consistently a friend. it's hard though. i'm no quitter when it comes to my pals, but this has me stumped

ps: as far as being labeled 'resident nut', DON'T YOU WORRY! 2the9s long ago snatched that crown and wears it proudly to this day

MrBliss said:

Thanks, MrBliss here's a plutonic manly scratch my ass grunt and hock phlegm hug for you, too.

XxAxX said:

Thanks XxAxX!

XxAxX said:

why?! what have you heard!? i tell you the fucking CIA is out to get me!

XxAxX said:

heh heh Actually XxAxX, I have experience with this with someone very close to me who I have had to have hospitalized on two separate ocassions.

Frankly, from the way that you described your friend's behavior, it doesn't sound schizophrenic or psychotic or even all that paranoid.

I guess there are degrees to this illness, but the symptoms of psychosis are pretty easy to identify, even if they sometimes manifest themselves gradually. Does your friend have a doctor or family member that you can talk to to see if they notice anything unusual?

Talk to a doctor.

And p.s. back at ya: It isn't a crown I proudly wear to this day, but my assless pants.




dose the edit
[This message was edited Wed Feb 5 17:23:12 PST 2003 by 2the9s]

00769BAD said:

LMAO!