Schizophrenia affects at least 20 million people globally. This condition is typified by the patient experiencing an altered sense of reality. This is seen in disruptions in perception, language deformations and withdrawal. Schizophrenic patients commonly suffer delusions and hallucinations, wherein they experience false visions and hear unreal voices.
Undoubtedly, having a loved one suffer from this condition can be devastating, but it is rather relieving to learn that with befitting support, you can help such a loved one experience a beautiful life.
How then can you handle a loved one with schizophrenia?
Self-help is crucial in managing schizophrenia, and the patient must commit to recovery deliberately. This involves adhering to the treatment regimen prescribed by health practitioners, while maintaining a healthy lifestyle.
The loved one in question must devote him or herself to stress management, healthy dieting, exercise and social interaction. This will go a long way toward amplifying their life satisfaction. Additionally, this will prevent withdrawal while elevating the patient’s self-esteem.
When your loved one takes responsibility for their lives and sees the proportionate reward in terms of their recovery, they tend to feel less helpless and hopeless. Consequently, you must be there to lovingly spur the individual to sustain this self-help routine.
It is imperative not to overrate your capacity when managing a loved one with schizophrenia. It would help if you maximized robust support networks to equip you with the right facility to handle the patient properly. These support groups outfit you with the mental fortitude, nuggets and even medical recommendations to better handle the situation and accelerate the path of your loved one toward sustainable recovery.
Most of these support networks have professionals trained…
in handling such situations, or have members with first-hand experience of your ordeal. They help you beat the stereotypes (which could otherwise lead to the stigmatization and consequent isolation) associated with schizophrenia.
The truth is, when you have a loved one who has schizophrenia, you can never have too much support. There are reliable support groups like the National Alliance on Mental Illness (NAMI) and the Schizophrenia and Related Disorders Alliance of America (SARDAA), which provide you adequate resources to manage the situation.
You can’t afford to take your eyes off the medication your loved one is taking. Such supervisory devotion is necessary to ensure that the patient is maximizing the medication’s therapeutic effect and, more importantly, staying on track.
You must advocate that the patient regularly takes his/her prescribed drugs. You can resort to weekly pillboxes, calendars and even medication reminder apps on your smartphone to ensure that there are no breaches. While monitoring their medication, watch out for side-effects. There are countless instances where patients skip their medication owing to undesirable side-effects.
When you notice such discomfiting side-effects, reach out to your doctor immediately and be sure to discuss the possibility of migrating to another antipsychotic, or slashing the previous dosage. There is also the option of counterbalancing the effect with another medication.
Relapses in schizophrenic patients are not uncommon. A halt in medication triggers most of these relapses. Nonetheless, there are isolated incidents wherein a relapse can still occur despite the patient religiously taking their medication. However, some signals can send the alarms bells ringing before a full-blown relapse.
If you can punctually pick out these signs of deterioration, you can forestall such a regrettable relapse. Some of these warning signs include…
the loved one experiencing insomnia, a sharp decline in personal hygiene, heightened paranoia, distorted speeches, hallucinations, unprovoked aggression and social withdrawal. When you significantly detect one or more of these signs, it is crucial to reach out to your physician at once.
Conclusively, it is vital to have an emergency plan in place to de-escalate the crisis if any psychotic episode erupts. If your loved one is threatening suicide, never leave them to themselves, regardless of the level of aggression from the patient. Promptly call 911 and request police assistance, specifying that your loved one has schizophrenia. Most police departments have trained specialists who can handle people struggling with such psychotic disorders.
Once again, your love and support will prove invaluable for the patient.
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