Mother has Schizophrenia
My mother has been diagnosed with Schizophrenia since I was around 5 years old. She has been mostly on medication all of my life. When she is not she usually hits a breaking point where she is not sleeping and starts hearing voices. This is a clear turn, she starts believe the end of the world is at hand, that my father is Jesus, that supernatural things are taking place. Until the break however, she has a constant suspicion of everyone and a wide variety of circumstances.
We are in a new season of her mental disorder. About a 1-½ yrs ago she changed psych doctors (hers had retired). She is no longer being treated with Schizophrenia, but only for depression. Her new doctor believes she has PTSD from her past as was sexually abused by her father for many years. Her official diagnosis, though, is Schizopheffective with the depression kind. My mother didn’t tell us that she was off of her meds until a year into it.
Because there were only small signs of anxiety and suspicion and hadn’t gone into a “break,” we decided to see what happens. Her life is up and down. Everyday life misunderstandings and “weird” things become a circumstance that “someone” else may have created for her. Her drinking is unpredictable and extreme some days.
After attending NAMI family to family, I have a better understanding of the illness. We are still in a holding pattern until this “suspicion” gets to be too much for her if it ever does.