r/SchizoFamilies

My bf (28M) always had depressive tendencies and what I would refer as social anxiety.

Within the social anxiety realm, he always made small comments of "that person on the elevator look at me weirdly", "I think when your friend said this it was referencing me indirectly" etc and would have certain behaviors like pulling the car to the side while driving if the car behind seemed to be following him for too long or avoiding public spaces near his house (e.g., not going to the nearest supermarket but always choosing a far away one where he would feel like people wouldnt know him).

These kind of small behaviors happened for years prior. But nothing major controlling every aspect of his life.

He is also struggling to keep a job for long in the past years, he always ends up feeling bullied and that everybody at work is mocking him or treating him differently on purpose.

In the past 2 months, after some triggering family problems, the situation got wayyyyyy worse. He believes there's a plot with a big group of people to ruin his life.

He started to watch the people on the street from the window to see "if someone looks suspect", started saying he kept seeing his ex coworkers following him by car whenever he left the house, started to see small things as "signs they are watching me" like a paper that he found on the mailbox which apparently was similar to something he used at work. None of this were visual delusions, I would see the cars or the paper, he was just creating a plot around them.

Then it continued to feeling like we're being watched and heard at home and believing firmly the mastermind of this plot is our neighbor. He feels like he listens to us for years and its the one who spoke with his ex coworkers and told them personal stuff about him - and now "it all makes sense" like he finally understands why all the conversations from his ex coworkers felt directed at him (i.e., ideas of reference). He started to look for cameras, look for trackers in the car, changing all of his passwords, checking what's connected to our wifi, etc etc (kind of getting obsessed with that).

Then it continued to escalate. Past month he started to be obsessed with sounds. Like a police siren going outside he would say "that sound doesnt seem normal, it is someone with a speaker to annoy me and not let me sleep". He started to pick up on sound patterns and feeling like it is all targeted to him. Sirens, dog barks, beeping sounds from trucks, etc - and creating patterns between his movements and the sounds (i.e., when they see Im trying to fall asleep they make them louder). But again, I would still hear all of those sounds.

Then it continued to escalate. Past 3 weeks he started to be seriously disturbed by what he calls "frequencies". He started to say he hears high pitch frequencies and that it must be someone with a type of machine sending those frequencies to him. He said he hears them through the headphones or without, at home, in the car, and some places outside. He believes people follow him with the frequencies. The same kind of statements for "flashes" in his eyes, he says they are flashing him and his vision gets white. These are the bits I believe are not based in reality. He started to not be able to sleep due to this and become seriously desperate.

We went to a psychiatrist (disguised as "you're anxious you need something to calm down and be able to sleep) which gave him lorazepam and olanpanzine but after one week taking them he tried to self exit. The frequencies and flashes were being unbearable and he felt like he had no option because "they would just follow him everywhere".

He is at the hospital now but the doctors said this might be schizophrenia. Does these symptoms look like it? Im just worried they don't diagnose him well (I don't trust the health system here a lot) as I feel like schizophrenia it's a bit different? And besides the frequencies and flashes the rest was just paranoia based on reality?

If you have any advice on how to properly support someone in this situation, please help me. It's been a rough 2 months, Im just so tired and stressed, but I want to be his best support to get through this, but I just dont know what's going on.

Hi, my brother has been diagnosed with schizophrenia back in 2022.. since then he’s been in the hospital on psychiatric hold twice and recently he went on his own accord. Anyways, he’s my little brother and I’ve always been his idk protector. (Our childhoods were shitty and I was his main caregiver when I was 7 and he was 1, when our mother was occupied with her relationship at the time). Before his first psychosis he was very ambitious, social, had goals like college, much more popular than I was, and funny. Like the cheeky confident kind of funny. After his first episode it’s like he’s a completely different person. I love him so much but I feel like I’m grieving my brother I had before. Even with his medication and him being “stable” I still don’t see any glimpse of the him before. Has anyone experienced this? Any tips? Or am I just a shitty sister and need to do better? He’s been living with m, my husband, and kids since getting discharged and waiting for the renovations in his apartment to be done.

A few days ago I met up with a friend of mine. Everything was normal for about the first 30 minutes or so. Mid conversation she paused and stared at the mirror, walks up to it, says something, waves her hand as if she's casting a spell or sprinkling something, then sits back down as if nothing happened. I just pretending nothing happened as well but 10 minutes later she did the same thing but this time she did sit back down. For the next 2 or so hours she walked around the room arguing with someone while waving her hand like earlier. I just sat the the entire time and pretended nothing was happening and only speaking to her when she spoke to me. I decided to stay until she calmed dow. I was there for about 10 hours total 2 of which she was able to speak to me, the last 2 hours she was sort of able to communicate but couldn't actually speak , just hand gestures. I've seen schitzophrenia before but never this intense. She told me about what she was seeing. She says mushrooms made her into a medium and now she's able to see spirits. I really don't know what to do she has literally no one in her life. I say friend but I barely know her but she looked so terrified and exhausted. Seeing her like that was extremely heartbreaking. I will do what ever it takes so she doesn't have to live like that. I want to get her help without her knowledge but she is a heavy meth user and has a good amount of it in her hotel room that's she's staying in. I don't want her to go to jail because of me or if they take they take the stuff she might owe money on. And since she's in a hotel they might throw everything she has to her name away. Especially if she doesn't get better afterwards and ends up in a worse situation. I try to communicate to try to convince to go voluntarily with her but shes not the best with responding, now I know it's probably because she's pacing around her room fighting those spirits all day. What should I do? I don't think she knows she has schitzophrenia. Should I tell her? Will it go away? Is there someone I can contact to help and watch over her from now on? Because like I said, I barely know her so I'm not even sure she would want me around to help her anyways , so a professional would be preferable

I have a family member thats male and he was an A star student he went to university and everything was going well until he started failing and he said he needed a break so he came back home.Then a few days later he lost it as in he went mad like literally mad he was violent,destroying stuff and attacking family members and we had to tie him cause it was bad and he even wanted to jump the gate and leave the house and he was always screaming and saying vulgar stuff and some weird things we didn’t understand.I’m from a Christian family so we prayed and prayed and we looked for so many pastors and they prayed then the situation calmed it seemed like he was back to normal so he went to aviation to be a pilot and we thought he was now okay but a few days in flight school we got a call saying he can’t continue cause he always talks to himself even is class when the teacher is teaching he was laughing by himself and he was asked what’s funny and he said I’m on my phone but he didn’t have a phone on him.So he was acting weird it was concerning so we were told that he has to drop out and he did.Then he came back home and he was acting strange so we took him to the hospital and he was diagnosed with schizophrenia and psychosis.His on medication but it just makes him sleep cause he gets violent sometimes.His now very antisocial,his lazy like he doesn’t bath or brush his teeth if you tell him a gets agitated and even violent,he eats a lot in an abnormal way,his unhygienic,he talks to himself.Like it’s really bad he was never like this he also once took of his clothes and went to the neighbors house and jumped into the pool.We have prayed,fasted,looked for pastors,prophets,asked relatives and friends for help but nothing its been like 5 years now and nothing.As a family we are starting to not feel safe around him cause he can get violent anytime and we have done all we can but now we don’t know what to do please help us any advice big or small is greatly appreciated and pray for him.Also has anyone experienced this in their life or circle and how did you solve it

I KNOW THIS IS SUPER LONG BUT PLEASE SOMEONE READ IT!!! I've never posted on reddit before but i'm desperate and don't know what I can do to help this situation. My mom is bipolar and schizophrenic. She refuses to get treatment and doesn't take her medications. Up until a few months ago I was living with her and my little brother, but she had an episode that led to us getting evicted. I am only 22, just graduated college and have no income so I had to move back with my Dad. Unfortunately my brother has another dad who we don't know so no one else but my Mom can have custody of him. I've tried calling CPS, the police, and 988 multiple times throughout her episode before the eviction and they didn't do anything. My aunt ( her sister who has witnessed this behavior before in the past) also tried to get a 51/50 on her around the same time. This was all back in July/August. Now, the situation has passed, my mom has found a stable place to stay in. She's been begging my sisters and I to come see her as it's been a couple months and everyone was hesitant because we didn't know if she was back to "normal". After we were texting her for this past week she invited us over for this weekend (last night) and we decided that maybe she's in a better mental space now so we should go see her. We get there and everything's fine, she seems okay and not out of the ordinary and she leaves to go get us something to eat. She gets back and before she even enters the door my sisters hear yelling so they look through the window and see her yelling and pointing at nothing, no one was there. She barged in the house super angrily, started to throw stuff around and slam doors all while continuing to yell and talk to herself. She gets in the shower for two minutes and comes out completely naked and starts yelling at all of us again. She stays like that the whole time and the situation escalates she doesn't stop yelling and fighting with my sisters and I so i just tell them to go outside and I grab my brother too. She then follows us and the security of the place gets involved. My main concern is my brother because he's has autism and is only 6 years old. He's crying, covering his ears, and is visibly scared. She does this often and puts him in this state of stress that he doesn't deserve to be in. My question is what can I do to get him out of that situation where I feel completely helpless and useless because no one has custody of him but her. Law enforcement, CPS, hasn't taken me seriously even with video proof of her behavior, because there is no physical abuse or neglect. I've tried calling her psychiatrist, they didn't do anything either. She's just super unstable, unpredictable and unfit to care for a child especially an autistic one. I hate having to leave him alone with her after she acts like this because there's been MULTIPLE occurrences. It doesn't feel right and I feel like he's unsafe and I wouldn't know what she does when Im not there because on top of that my brother is non verbal. I'm so sick of this going on and I really need advice on anything I can do to save him from her. It's been really hard to get law enforcement to listen to me or other family members of hers because we have witnessed that when they do show up she's really good at putting on a mask and they always let her go because she seems "normal". Please if anyone can give me advice, if there's anything I can do to get my little brother away from her. I feel like i've exhausted all my resources and feel completely helpless. But i can't sleep at night not knowing what she is putting my brother do. Thank you for listening to me I don't know who i can talk to about this besides my own family.

Hi everyone. My family is going through something concerning with my younger brother, and I’m hoping to hear from people who have experienced something similar, either personally or with a loved one.

My brother is 30 and has always been a little different socially. Growing up, he struggled in school, was diagnosed with ADHD, given adderall when he was very young, and had difficulty making friends and understanding certain social situations. As an adult, he’s struggled to maintain employment, has become increasingly isolated, and hasn’t always taken the best care of himself. He’s lived alone for about 10 years.

Over the past 6 months to a year, though, something has changed.

He became increasingly interested in religion (we did grow up going to church but were never overly religious), initially because he wanted to get his life on track and find more purpose. But eventually, that turned into what seems like paranoia and an obsession with demons and satanic activity.

It started when he believed an object in his home was possessed. He got rid of it and said he felt better afterward. Then he began repeatedly calling the police because he believed people were driving past his house and potentially targeting him.

More recently, he called the police because he believed there were strange scratches on his furniture that he associated with demonic activity, but the officers couldn’t see what he was describing.

He has also told a therapist that he sees eyeballs in his hands looking at him.

He voluntarily entered a short-term mental health facility for a three-day evaluation, which is where he is now.

What’s confusing is that when our parents speak with him, he sounds completely calm and normal. He isn’t noticeably manic or agitated. He genuinely seems to believe these things are happening.

We don’t have a diagnosis yet. I’m wondering whether this could be a first episode of psychosis, something on the schizophrenia spectrum, or potentially a neurological condition. Given his lifelong social and developmental difficulties, I’ve also wondered whether he may have undiagnosed autism or another neurodevelopmental condition.

I’m especially worried about him returning home alone after only three days.

I’d really appreciate hearing from anyone who has been through something similar.

• Did your symptoms or your loved one’s symptoms begin with religious beliefs, paranoia, or unusual visual experiences?
• Could you or your loved one appear completely calm and normal while experiencing hallucinations or delusions?
• What ultimately helped you get an accurate diagnosis?
• What treatment, medication, or therapy made the biggest difference?
• How did your family support you without making you feel judged or dismissed?
• What should we advocate for before he’s discharged, especially since he lives alone?

I’m not looking for anyone to diagnose him, moreso just want to understand what he might be experiencing and learn how to support him in the most compassionate and effective way possible.

I love my brother, and I want him to have a chance at a happy, healthy, independent life. Thank you to anyone willing to share their experience.

My brother is schizophrenic. We have a few mutual friends and I asked one if anything has seemed off with him recently (he’s going through an episode), and she said he’s been “having a hard time” but didn’t express concern otherwise. Is it possible for people to somewhat hide their psychosis to certain groups like friends and coworkers, so not much seems wrong, and then act absolutely manic to family?

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As the title says, my mother wants me to visit my schizophrenic brother in jail. He is in jail because he stabbed my dad 12 times (my dad thankfully is alive).

Since middle school, my brother had been taking drugs and giving problems. He was sneaking out of the house (he even broke his window once to do so), stealing my money, stealing from neighbors, fighting at school, etc. At some point my mother argued with him and at that moment she realized he could easily overpower her. This is when my mother moved out and my dad moved in with me and my brother (they are divorced).

Around when he was 18 years old, he went into a psychotic episode. After that, it all went downhill. He was in and out of psych centers. When his episodes were really bad, he would get violent against my dad. I watched many times as they fought, like physically. He would yell, throw stuff at him, spit.

I think one of my saddest memories was hearing my dad shouting because my brother broke his new prosthetic leg. He literally smashed it to pieces while no one was home.

And the nail to the coffin, as I said previously, he tried to kill my dad. Now he is in jail, but he is not stable enough to face trial. My mom has been visiting when he allows her (turns her away from time to time). She says he looks like he's empty. That she mentions me, and he gets happy, so she wants me to visit. He only lets my mom and I visit.

I know my brother is sick. But I feel like I have been through so much because of him that it is hard to go and see him and act like nothing because he got his diagnosis.

I wanted to vent here because I felt like maybe somebody would understand me. I feel like after he stabbed my dad everyone wants me to start new with him since this is "so hard on him" and he's "worse than before."

Again, I know he has his condition. I also know I blame him for many things and I should work through it.

I guess aside from venting, I would appreciate any advice or guidance through these feelings/thoughts.

Edit: Thank you for all the comments. At one point, I felt like I was in the wrong and nobody was getting my side of the story. Maybe I was selfish. But here you have made me feel understood. Thank you for sharing with me, and I'm sorry for what you have to go through. I hope you can all stay strong and have peace.

My brother was diagnosed with schizophrenia 10 years ago. We take him to the psychiatrist every two weeks and believed he was taking his medication regularly. However, we recently discovered he has been skipping it.

He refuses to take medication in front of us and immediately goes to the restroom whenever we ask him to take it.

We're worried about another relapse. Has anyone experienced something similar? How did you handle medication refusal? Any advice would be greatly appreciated.

I've been really close with this guy for about a year now, and throughout that year he has been one of my favourite people, our interactions are always really funny and positive. We both love eachother and care for eachother very much.

Despite our amazing connection, there are times when his mental health gets bad and he sort of just shuts down. This results in him talking to me less, until after a week or two, its back to normal.

Recently however, I find that when I message him, he doesn't respond. Yet only a few days ago, he was the one to message me and ask to hangout.

I messaged him twice yesterday and still have gotten no response, this has never really happened before.

And only recently, he told me that he got put on SW thats apparently outpatient, because he is still going to school and living a fairly normal life.

I really need advice from people that also have friends with schizophrenia to understand this behaviour better.

New to having a family member with schizophrenia. Is it common for them to only want to talk about things that THEY want to talk about and calling you emotionally abusive if you don’t want to? My brother literally screams at my dad for not being “deep enough” with him. My dad is the strong silent type and has never been the greatest communicator, so I can tell this is hard for him. Any advice?

Dealing with a significant other showing signs of paranoia.

So they had a very stressful moment and caused lack of sleep then became paranoid over everyone trying to manipulate them and spy on them to help others manipulate them. It was pretty extreme right after to the point they thought i was trying to harm them then i assume their body gave up and they got sleep and things got better slowly. It's been months later and it's alot better than the peak but they are still questioning people as being weird. Example someone at work asks them about tacos and then the next day i bring home tacos, i get accused of talking to this person and that i am apart of the plot.

Like everything is suspicious to them and that in itself is exhausting for them.

They are seeing a psychiatrist who recommended a psyc eval but they think the psychiatrist is part of the plot so is skeptical. When i recommend getting the eval obviously i get met with the same thing.

I do my best to acknowledge that what they are experiencing is very real and that is why they need to get more help. The response is that I'm victim blaming and it's not their fault it's everyone else.

Any advice? Most people can't tell anything is going on, even the psychiatrist said they could only confirm the suspicion after i confirmed things.

I assume at this point the goal is to keep stress down, that seems to be a trigger and make sure they get plenty of rest. Will it ever go away? What are the odds of them deciding to get the evaluation? Any recommendations for things i should do to help handle this.

Thanks

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Hi guys, I'm not an avid redditor but I am back on to find resources for a friend. I believe he is having a psychotic break and I am unsure what to do. He's been affected by thoughts of gang stalking for quite a while. Myself and his family have tried to help over in past but recently things have taken a turn for the worse. I just received emails from him saying anthropic has bio hacked him and that he needs his story made public. Along with myself he cc'd multiple law firms and other companies and individuals explaining that he has had his life taken over by AI bio weapons. I can elaborate more but I'm a newbie to the sub and do not want to disrupt what you have here. Perhaps someone can reach out to me privately or in this thread and let me know what I should do next.

Tldr my friend is in a psychotic break and I need resources.

Added on...I am a Canadian and my friend is American so I can't be there in person for him.

My husband is on an AOT and sleeps all day on his meds. He still is paranoid and his act team seems to not help. How are we ever supposed to live a normal life if he is sleeping 17+ hours a day and can’t work. Non-AOT doctors have said this is clearly an issue and his meds aren’t right. My husband has no insight into his illness and won’t seek help and his act team seems to think he is fine and dandy. His AOT is about to expire and then who knows what will happen. Do you have any advice?

If you are a sibling of someone with mental illness, I recommend the book "Mad House: Growing Up in the Shadow of Mentally Ill Siblings" by Clea Simon.

Most support resources like NAMI are mainly for the primary caregivers, who are usually parents, or else for the people with mental illness themselves, as these two groups have the most need. The same goes for all the famous books and memoirs.

Due to the family dynamics around severe mental illness, the perspective of siblings is usually ignored and silenced. Everybody has bigger things to worry about, and the job of the healthy sibling is to be healthy and happy, for them to experience problems of their own is experienced by the overwhelmed parents as dereliction of duty.

Clea Simon's book is written from a unique perspective. Considered on its own, this perspective may seem very self-centered, ignoring the bigger challenges of others. In the larger context of all the conversations around mental illness, this self-centered perspective is useful, as most discussion ignores siblings entirely.

It is almost 30 years old and only available on paper, no ebook. But can be bought on Amazon.

If you are a parent, not a sibling, I do not recommend reading the book, as it will probably make you feel bad and resentful, and also will not help you with the hard challenges you face. The same if you have a diagnosis yourself.

My apologies for the length, but basically my niece was diagnosed w paranoid schizophrenia 4 yrs ago but has never believed this and has continued to live untreated. She moved in with my brother a yr ago after having difficulty keeping a job/ran out of money. She has been supported, loved, lives in a safe environment where our family doesn’t want to rock the boat bc they know she is safe and we all just go along with her delusions, saying things like, “I’m so sorry you have to deal with that….must be so frustrating.” She hears voices, often talks to them, but has never had a full blown psychotic break so no one breaches the conversation about seeking treatment bc as I said she doesn’t believe she is sick. So…. I have gotten the green light from my brother to open up a conversation about schizophrenia and I’m willing to chance she may write me off for a bit. I know she will be angry, but she trusts me- we are very close. I feel like I’m lying to validate her delusion frustrations. How can I help her get into treatment? What are thoughts about ways I could approach this/ things to say. I would greatly appreciate any help on this🩷