Paranoid Schizophrenia: Personal Stories

My son, was diagnosed as a parnoid/disorganized schizophrenic in Sept of 1995. The first signs we saw were:

1. He wouldn't eat, everything tasted "funny" or he thought I was putting something in the food to make it taste "funny". He wouldn't even eat McDonalds food, which he always loved. Below are the the first signs that we saw over a 9 - 10 month period, before he received treatment.

2. He lost 50 lbs during this time (6 - 7 months). I took him to our family doctor who did a series of tests, including a drug test, all came back negative. (Started in Jan 95)

3. He then started to zone out for long periods of time (1 - 2 hours). He wouldn't blink very often or change his expression. I would ask him if anything was wrong and he'd just shake his head no. He then started to laugh during these times for no reason.(Started in May 95)

4. He would sit and stare at his hands for hours, when I would ask him what was wrong with his hands, he would say they are different then they use to be.

5. During this entire period, his grades in school went from C's - D's to all F's. The school
would call and say he would get up and walk out of class and just roam the halls.

6. Starting in June 95, he started getting very aggressive, talking to himself and laughing in his room. He would get very upset and run out of his room, down the stairs and outside. He started doing this everyday. It started really going down hill from there.

7. He would never say he was hearing voices, but it was very apparent he was. God told him what numbers to play for the lottery, if I bought a ticket I would win millions. He heard other voices, I would hear him talking to them.

8. He started talking in a language we did not understand, after research I found these to be called "word salads". He would call me by a name that no one understood, he said I was from a different planet sent here to kill him. He told his siblings they were from his planet and they were here to protect him from me. He would come out of his room, scream at all of us in the foreign language, and tell us we all were going to die. 6. Would no longer watch T.V., just listened to Pink Floyd "The Wall" over and over again.
In fact he broke his cd player by doing this.

9. Paced constantly or do just the opposite not get out of bed for hours during the day. (he would not sleep at night)

8. Started to hallucinate. The walls had bugs on them, we all looked different, my eye brows were pointed upward and my ears had grown. He said things were moving when they were not. During this time I was totally freaking out.

The above are a brief summary of what was happening, so many things occured during this period I can't remember or have blocked some of it out. I was able to admit him to the hospital by telling him we were just going to the doctor for a check up. The psychiatrist we saw here in St. Louis only treats Schizophrenics and I had faxed him a long letter explaining Rhett's behavior before our first visit. He had 3 security guards come to his office and escort Rhett to the ICU locked floor. When we arrived in the locked unit, Rhett did sign himself in "Thank God".

My sister-in-law, Lisa, has just been diagnosed with Schiz. and she is FINALLY getting some medication. My wife's sisters have all known there was "something wrong" since Lisa was about 16 yrs old. She is now about 29, and has really gone downhill pretty steadily, until she has recently had hallucinations and other symptoms that I am now learning are so typical. My monther-in-law has, we think, been in denial because she has been protecting Lisa from any professional treatment for the entire time. The excuses amaze me. I also think she has grossly misinterpreted all the symptoms. I am now realizing that we should have perhaps pushed the issue earlier. The good news is that now Lisa realizes what she has, and she is ready to take treatment. She has just started risperidone, and we are hopeful it will help her return to normal and be able to learn some life skills that she has been unable to learn.

I *wish* I could help for my brother who is now homeless and psychotic. His psychosis started when his baby was born and the baby had a massive stroke and is still alive after 3 years but is in effect, a vegetable. He started taking methampetamines to help his deep depression and began to threaten my father and other people. Everyone is afraid of him and I contacted a NAMI person in his area but she was not very nice. He hasn't hit bottom yet, but I'm afraid that he will.

He has extreme paranoia that all the doctors in the country are out to kill him and that they are all linked up by computers who have all this information on him. He has called my uncle, who is a retired doctor, and threatened his life. He has gone to emergency rooms for help, but they always set him lose right away with a few haldol, and that's it. He is wanted by the police and is on the run, too. Sometimes there is just no way you can help someone who doesn't want help. All you can do is pray. Melody