Coping with schizophrenia

gemma vince, 9 months

hi not sure what to put here ive been looking after my mum on my own since the age of 16 as my dad left her, she is a sufferer of schizophrenia the only thing im worried about is moving out and having my own life ive got my own child on the way who will be due in 3 weeks time. My mum has never known how to budget and deal with normal day to day activities because of her illness she is very reluctant to just sit and stair into space or do crosswords all day without my push mum wouldnt do her chores cleaning and cooking now what i want to know is, how do i get help for her for when i leave? i do want my own life all i want is a carer to come in and check on mum and help with her fiances. please help.

abda shahzad, about 1 year

in reply to looking after mum who is schizophrenic--my sister was also schizo at a point in her life but we did not know how to look after her--the doctors did not give us any advise and just left us to it-she had tried to take her life several times and I now Know that this was a cry for help-thank god we did not give up on her beacause no one else cared-she is now nearly 40 and is the most nicest and caring person you can meet-she looks after her mum-the same mum who thought she was aburden on her-the only signs remaining are that my sister can not cope with being unloved ,ignored, or blamed-alot of what goes on in society today-so is it really the schizos who have metal health probs or us, the so called normal ones!

martin, about 1 year

I HAVE READ THIS PAGE, AND WOULD AGREE THERE NOT IS ENOUGH LINKS TO SERIOUS SITES THAT HELP, RATHER THAN JUST TELLING THE STORIES,THE ILNESS SHOULD BE EXPLAINED,I SAY THIS AS SOMEONE WHO HAS SUFFERED WHAT I BELIEVE TO BE POST TRAUMATIC STRESS DISORDER,THIS HAPPENED AT A YOUNG AGE,FROM THAT EXPERIENCE I LOOKED AT THINGS DIFFERENTLY,I KNEW WHAT WAS WRIGHT AND WHAT WAS WRONG. I MADE CHOICES,AND STILL DO.NOT TO DO HARM TO ANOTHER,

joanne causier, about 1 year

i would just like to say my mam has suffered from paranoid schizophrenia for over 30 years i am the 2nd youngest of 5 children.i am 36yrs old married with 4 children of my own for the past 2yrs i have suffered from depression. someone told me that schizophrenia is inhereted although i dont know if it is true i cant help worring that i will be like our mam.i have been seeing a councelor on and off for 2yrs.i live close to our mam and i feel responserble for her even though she has carers going in 3 times a day.all my brothers and my sister have moved away. they dont live far away.but because i live so close i feel i have to always be there.after all these yrs i feel i have to get on with my life so i am trying to get a move.i will probably feel guilty.but i dont think it is doing me or my family any good.it has really put a strain on my family.if you have any advice or would like to comment please do.

angela, about 1 year

dear maxine, my father is a schizophrenia,also a manic depressive,he is also very very paranoide,he's been like this for 20 years,he has been in and out of secion,but in recent years,he has told doctors,he normal and there for do's not take any medication,he has getting worse but the doctors think he's fine because he puts on a act, I fear for my stepmums life,he thinks she has been trying to kill him for years,sometimes he get arrested,and we try and tell the police,what he's like but they don't care and send him home again.

Maxine, about 1 year

There are many different types of schizophrenia and of course we are all unique and yes maybe certain people do recover from the disease and it can be treated with different drugs. My brother was diagnosed in 1989 at the age of 30 with a personality disorder which I was told was more severe than schizophrenia. His illness got so bad he physically assualted both my parents putting my mum in hospital with a fractured skull and other injuries, now my mum is dead he attacked her again in 2005. He is in a psychiatric hospital for life now but it is sad as the mental health authority took him off a section and allowed him back home when the family knew he was very ill. They now tell me he is schizophrenic and probably has been since a young child.

Maria quinn, about 1 year

I read this article and wanted to know much, much more, but there were no pointers or leads to tell me where to look.

Elaine, about 1 year

I think the person who has commented above is misunderstanding the term recovery. The way I understand it is, a person who has schizophrenia can recover, but recovery is meant in the much the same way as we talk about alchoholics being in recovery. Once an alchoholic always an alcoholic. They just cant drink anymore.....I think the term recovery is used by doctors to mean regaining control over your life and being able to enjoy a good quality of life while still possibly being on medication. I understand that drug induced psychosis can sometimes be recovered from fully without the use of medication if they stay off drugs (skunk, cocaine etc) but that person will always be considered to be at risk of another psychotic episode depending on drug use and or stress factors.