i need to help a friend Plz read!!! - Mental Health Message Board

money55 · 08-13-2007, 11:28 PM

my friend ex girlfriend has seemed to start symptoms of schizophrenia and he had asked me a what todo, i honestally have no idea. She lived with him for a while and then broke up with him, and before they broke up she seemed to act differen't. She is 23 years old, about the time where it shows and becomes more obviouse. She has been telling us about her new friends that she has met in milwaukee who we really don't know if they are actually "real" she tells us that she has been talking to common a popular hip hop singer and along with the singer from bright eyes. and that those songs were written for her personally. she was on depressents and has decided to stop taking them, and we are all worried that she could do something harmful to herself or someone else. she talks about how people are watching her in a park and talking about her on the phone and is scared to go out because "THEY" are watching her, but she can't tell us who "They" are because it is "top secret". i want to be there for my friend and i want to be there for her and her family. and i just want to help out with the situation, its compleatly out of my hands and i feel in the wrong to even be typing this but i just want to give my friend and her family at least alittle advice. Her family, well her mother at least from what i have been told doesn't seem to want to admit that she has a problem, her father and brothers all see the change in her, she use to be a healthy 130lb girl and now she is less than 100lbs. like i said she stopped seeing her doctor, and stopped with her meds, has attacked my friend when he tried to take her keys away from her and i know with the laws now, there really isn't much you can do for a person over the age of 18 unless the police are involved. It seems hard to do but for her sake she needs to be helped and the only way my friend seems to think he can do is have her come home again and be attacked again and call the police on her. He is very close with her family and from what they said they want him to handle it. which is compleatly horrible, you would think that ones parents would want to help her, but they don't want her to hate them, but the family wants her to hate him. I don't think one should ever have to have the guilt on their shoulders for the rest of their life. but if anyone has any information please help

miss_kawasaki · 08-19-2007, 05:15 PM

your doing a wonderful job giving support to your friend and it must be very worrying and even a bit scary at time and you've stuck by her <insert cuddle smiley here>

Reality??
when we have it we don't really appreciate it until we experience something like this. Has your friend gone through any grief or trauma over the last 12-18months? Has she broken up with a boyfriend and taken it hard? What is reality anyway? everyone has a view on this and while it does appear that she has classic symptoms of schizophrenia, it's such a complex disorder it even takes medical professionals 18 months to fully diagnose it. This isn't a mood altering disorder that can be diagnosed over the net, over the phone, it takes lots of 1-1 consultations with a Psychiatrist, it takes professional observations .... the reason for this is .... anyone of us can exhibit some symptoms of mood disorders at different times in our lives, and while this might be challenging at the time doesn't mean that we are mentally ill. It's great that you've being able to identify these symptoms in her you've obviously done a lot of research; but that doesn't make you a qualified psychiatrist.

I'd be informing her parents, explain your concerns and worries. Let them handle the situation and keep supporting your friend

bluemajabe · 08-20-2007, 07:44 PM

If she's a risk for herself or for others and your friend and you have tangible proof of it you can call the police... what is going to happen next is that she's going to be under observation for a couple of days... maybe she would be evaluated and luckily helped; after her being admitted you have to call her doctor, and start up from there; even if they let her go out because she would have a record, you can call the police up on her until shes forced te get treatment... this could get nasty but if she really is sick, she might get the help that she needs and maybe when she's under control understand you betrayal. I warn you to think everything you guys are going to do, because this can be backfire for you to, please take care, and i wish you luck, keep me posted.