[sam]

Hi,
My brother has recently been put into a mental health uni after he told my mother and his GP that he wanted to commit suicide. He is on a drug that has just yesterday been upped in dosage.

I have been reading the internet schizophrenia.com and rethink for two days solid, and am fully committed to helping my brother. i understand the invaluable information available on these sites/ and peoples blogs experiences are a great help

i also understand that continuous grief mode is no good. and i have an important job and other commitments in my life. but i just feel that all this pales in significance compared to my brothers illness.

i am at a loss on what i should be doing now.

i visited him today and he seemed coherent but it was the first time i had ever seen him in the mental health unit and i nearly broke down, i started to choke, it was tough for me as i love him so much.

[Universal Credit]

I think Lotso is best to give advice about the drugs, he knows the relavant links and stuff. The over-medication of new patients seems to be both common and unnecessary. When I was first ill I wasn't too well. I'm still convinced my illness was made worse by the over-medication which zombified me and caused a chemical dependancy. Saying that, at a minimum theruputic level meds are probably the best way of coming out of a pyschotic state since they slow the thinking down enough for reasoning to start up again.

[sam]

thank you for this

when my mum called tonight he was angry at her, i think in part because he thought she had asked me to go and see him, and when i was there i got upset, he seems to have thought she put me up to this and so when she spoke to him he said she didnt need to call him etc

[I am an Aardvark]

Hi Sam -

I have posted Links to a lot of recovery information resources here - (From post #10)

http://www.rethink.o...o-stop-his-meds

[Link is also accessible through my profile]

'Falling Down' is right. Given the lack of appropriate services - It appears in most cases to be best to find a minimum therapeutic dose of a neuroleptic (anti-psychotic) drug & to maintain it. But there is also other approaches that can help too.

[I am an Aardvark]

I have found this perspective to be very helpful in relation to psychiatric drugs -

From the book 'One in a Hundred' by Aiden Shingler -

"Neuroleptic drugs [also known as anti-psychotics or major-tranquillisers] are powerful & complex substances. There is a vast amount yet to be understood about the intricate interplay & specific interactions of these drugs on the neurological system. I feel, however, that they can fulfil a valuable role in assisting individuals in their quest for balance, but only if there is a balance of interests between those prescribing & those receiving.

It is lamentable that the means & methods by which these drugs are systematically imposed by clinicians gives rise to a profound conflict of interests.

Neuroleptics have the capacity to act upon the human psyche via the realm of alchemy rather than pharmacy.

My understanding is that schizophrenia is a psychic experience that manifests itself as spiritual conflict. The openness & susceptibility to the effects of paranormal stimuli by those undergoing Psyche-sensitivity can be overwhelming: a dam burst causing a flash flood of psychic activity that fills the planes of the mind.

If neuroleptics are administered sensitively, then rather than suffocating psychic activity through chemical saturation, these compounds can function as a filter, & posses the potential to limit the frequency & intensity of paranormal occurrences by reducing the psychic aperture, thus enabling psychic activity to be channelled & assimilated. Used minimally, these drugs can improve the life of the individual rather than impoverish it. All too often major tranquillisers are administered as an overdose that nullifies the neurological system rendering the recipient brain-dead.

The expression less is more springs to mind. Anti-psychic drugs need not be a bitter pill to swallow."

[Universal Credit]

There is both cognitive decline and loss of brain matter for those on longterm high levels of medication. My experience lasted a couple of years and probably did some damage to what was a top quartile hard science degree level brain putting it down in the average high range. The longer the dosage of these meds are heavy handed the more the damage is done. I'm sure Lotso or Firemonkey can produce the studies from the web-ether about long term cognitive decline, and meds. Don't argue directly with the hospital docs as they have a vested interest in favouring drug use over the good of the patient and self-justify this as the precautionary principle. Seek independant advice - there is more Stateside than over here. It is better to learn all you can about any meds prescribed and become your own expert in the end. Sudden withdrawal can cause relapse because of the spring-back effect of the chemical dependancy and any advice taken may be at some risk since coming down from the anti-pyschotics is like coming down from the top of Everest, possible with guides but still risky. This is a good channel on youtube;

[mld]

I can't really add anything to the above, but I want to say - stay with him. i have a wonderful sister who has stuck by me and came to the hospital to see me. I know my meds slow me down, I do wonder whether they are killing off my brain cells slowly, but I need to be slowed down to access the world! Otherwise, my thoughts run wild and I see and hear things other don't.

But also take care of yourself and don't let yourself get depressed.

M.

[mindpox]

Hi Sam, hope all's going okay. Firstly, I'd just suggest not taking anything too personally at the moment, tough though that may be - people in distress have a tendency to lash out at those who love them the most, maybe because somewhere in their subconsciousnesses they realise that the people who love them the most are the only ones who'd put up with their outrageous crap, and if he's over-medicated that's going to interfere with his impulse control and add to his confusion - at one point when I was hospitalised they had me on so much junk that I completely 'lost' an entire fortnight, totally failed to recognise family members etc. From my experience there seems to be two schools of thought when it comes to prescribing meds - doctors either throw everything at you straightaway and then gradually remove things from the mix or they begin very cautiously and gradually build up to finding a therapeutic dose - there's something to be said for both approaches.

So, stick with your bro and tolerate as much of his guff as you can - you can always give him a roasting over any bad behaviour once he's stable again; that's what my sister did with me! And as Mid says, look after yourself - don't let this end up exhausting you, take time out from the situation when you need it or you'll be no use to yourself OR your brother. And do spend time here, I've found it a very useful resource for navigating my way through my latest 'episode' - there are some very smart, articulate people here who have a lot of experience behind them that they're very generous about sharing.

Good luck!

[sam]

thank you to all you all, your responses are very very valued

there is no question that i will never give up on my brother, i will always support and care for him. i just felt i probably didnt know how to distinguish between the constant grief mode and actually formulating a plan that involves positive care and support. i seemed to have calmed down a lot today , possibly because it was a shock before.

i have spent a lot of time reading and for me, it is better for me to be positive and have a goal, that is for my brother to have a better quality of life, one that is managed by a variety of ways (eg.meds, support, therapy) my caring doesnt involve me not being able to function in my life, but support him whenever he needs it.

i found a great site that gave me hope: http://www.nytimes.c...izophrenia.html

and really really thank you for your replys

[mias]

I wasn't around when this message came in. Or at least I didn't see it. I hope his brother will get the help he needs.
This bit rang alarm bells with me.

"My brother has recently been put into a mental health uni after he told my mother and his GP that he wanted to commit suicide. He is on a drug that has just yesterday been upped in dosage."

Maybe in many cases it is safe to do this?I wouldn't know. But I would say keep a very close eye on what he is given and the side effects.

[Olivia - Rethink]

sam, on 23 April 2011 - 09:54 PM, said:

thank you to all you all, your responses are very very valued

there is no question that i will never give up on my brother, i will always support and care for him. i just felt i probably didnt know how to distinguish between the constant grief mode and actually formulating a plan that involves positive care and support. i seemed to have calmed down a lot today , possibly because it was a shock before.

i have spent a lot of time reading and for me, it is better for me to be positive and have a goal, that is for my brother to have a better quality of life, one that is managed by a variety of ways (eg.meds, support, therapy) my caring doesnt involve me not being able to function in my life, but support him whenever he needs it.

i found a great site that gave me hope: http://www.nytimes.c...izophrenia.html

and really really thank you for your replys

Hi Sam,

It sounds like you are really looking out for your brother the best way you can. It can be really difficult when your brother is finding it hard to talk to you, and it's good to allow yourself some time to grieve about it as it can be a real shock, and it's definitely worth it learning as much as you can about what he is going through as it makes it a lot easier to know what kind of support you can give. That NY Times link was really useful, thanks for sharing!

We will be launching the Rethink Sibs website for anyone who has a brother or sister affected by mental illness in mid June which will have some more information on what it can mean to try and support your sibling and how to look out for yourself too.

In the meantime, you might like to look at our current sibling section which has some links to our blog, sibling support group info and ways you can get involved in the sibling network if you'd like.

Let us know how you and your brother are getting on.

All the best,

Olivia