Schizophrenia and suicide

By Davidsbrother Tuesday, July 22, 2008

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I recently lost my schizophrenic brother to suicide. I don't think his suicide was intentional, but what he did, nevertheless, ended up killing him. I only wish that I had known that schizophrenia could be so deadly. I just didn't take it seriously enough, and now my brother is dead. He was always very concerned about health related issues. He was always taking herbal supplements and exercising and was in great health up to the last day of his life. He had developed a rash on his chest and as with any threat to his health (such as his very strange behaviors whenever he caught a common cold,etc.), he overreacted to it. I told him to put some corn starch on it to try it out. Another relative told him to get some sun on it. He took off all his clothes, put corn starch on, and went outside his house and sat in the full sun in his back yard in Phoenix's 115 degree heat, and he died. His body was found two days later by one of his friends. Had I realized that it was this serious, I would never have let him live alone again. He was living with me up until the last month of his life. I could have stopped this from happening if he had been still living with me. If only I had known that schizophrenics should not live on their own, I would have done so many things differently. He was only 40 years old when he died.

Comments (5) | Add comment

Christina Bruni, Health Guide

7/23/08 5:37pm

Hello David's brother,

You sound like a great guy whose love and devotion to David undoubtedly touched him and gave him comfort in times of distress.

I am sorry to hear of the loss of your brother who you obviously loved dearly and would've gone to the ends of the earth to save if you could've.

Please, I know it may not be a consolation, though I want to say there isn't much you could've done to protect him from himself for the rest of his life.

Schizophrenia is a cruel disease, make no mistake about that.

I suggest you try to remember all the good times.

Take as much time as you need to mourn, that is the suggestion I would give anyone in your situation.

If it helps to write about it in here, by all means, do.

With deep sympathy,

Chris

7/29/08 3:19am

Dear David's brother,

In sympathy.

I do so hope you are getting good support/ and quiet space to grieve this terrible loss of your dear brother. Although just now (so very natural and common in relatives after sudden unexpected deaths,) you replay the previous run up of events...... wonder 'if only' and feel you could have prevented the bizarre sequence of David's actions ,of course his extreme response was totally unpredictable. From your description, and I know this is no consolation, this does not sound like a suicidal intention at all, rather the tragic outcome of a misguided 'solution' (such as 'drastic cleansing?' perhaps), for a simple physical hurt by someone with perception and reasoning distorted by psychosis. It was a terrible misadventure. (yes, sadly people with schizophrenia have more of these sudden ends to life, it is indeed a cruel disease.)

May you gain comfort from your shared good memories.

Best wishes

Chris,

retired doc UK,

mother of untreated schizophrenia sufferer

8/ 5/09 2:00pm

i am so sorry for your lost. i came to this website looking for help. my father in law was just diagnosed with Schizophrenia and my husband and my mother in law seem to be in a bit of denial. i know they are hurting and are very confused but i want them to see how serious this disorder is. thank you for sharing your story i hope it will open their eyes to the severity. thank you

lovestarts

9/16/10 9:51pm

I am deeply sorry about your brother. I was very close with my brother and lost him. I know how badly it hurts! My brother commited suicide May 21st (He was 31 almost 32). He was diagnosed as a schizophrenic when he was in his early 20's. I do not believe he was a schizophrenic I believe his symptoms were induced by meth.

My Mother is feeling just like you were. I spoke to her today and she is a wreck. She believes she is to blame for not knowing what to do for him. In her mind she is tearing herself to shreads with guilt and regrets. She is wrong though.

The truth is DRUGS, METH TO BE EXACT!

The week before he shot himself he was showing signs of using and had been working with people that were known to use meth. I truly believe Meth is to blame for his years of tourment not schizophrenia.

My Mom does not know of the symptoms of drugs and was not keen to drug use. When my brother would hang out with Meth users and use himself he would change into a completely different person. Even his eyes would change they would look hollow and completely black. Being his closest sibling and so close in age to him I knew it was drugs causing his behavior. She really believed he was delusional and suffered from "Schizoprenia". She took him to our local Mental Health Center. There they diagnosed him with it and he took his meds as perscribed.

He was a very private person and would never admit his drug use to the doctors. He was afraid of getting sent to jail. The symptoms of meth users resemble schizoprenia to a tee.

The weeks before his death he was clearly using. He had been working with meth users and he was showing every sign of being on a binge. I believe the depression that accompanies the user is so powerful it caused him to put a gun to his own head and pull the trigger.

I am not a mental health professional just a very close sister that knew her brother very well. He would limit his time with me when he was using and the week of his death he had not called or come by my home, which was very uncommon.

I was went to his home the weekend before he commited suicide. He had cleaned his car, every room in his house and was not his usual self. I could see it in his eyes he was using. We spoke about other things he called me the next day and he did not even talk to me for 30 seconds. I told him he could come over he never showed. I seen him face to face 3 days ( the Tuesday before it happend on a Friday). He was in an argument with my Mom and sister. We both left at the same time he did not talk to me and I did not talk to him. I really wish I would have. You never know when the last time you will see the ones you love.

I know in my heart he knows that I loved him, my children loved him. He knows he was welcome at my home anytime. We were close.

My Mom is the one who found him in his home. To her all of her efforts failed. The years of treatment and all the times she was there for him were not enough for him. She can't get the image of him out of her mind. She goes over and over it everyday. Without help I worry she might even develop mental illness. I want to help her realize the truth. . . .

METH KILLED MY BIG BROTHER NOT MENTAL ILLNESS!!!!!

Her love and efforts were pleanty. Meth got a hold of her son. It was nothing she did. She only tried to help him the best she knew how.

Davidsbrother

1/26/12 10:03am

Thanks to everyone who has written to me over the years since this all happened.

I have received so many private messages from people going through similar situations, and I hope I have been able to help them in some way with my Brother's story.

What I have learned through the years since then is...

1. Take this disease, schizophrenia, deadly seriously. It can be a fatal disease if not treated properly by mental health professionals.

2. Don't try to help this person alone. You need to make sure this person goes to see a psychiatrist (for prescription medications) and a psychologist (to talk about what is on their mind) on a regular basis. The psychiatrist will not spend much time talking to them, so it is essential that they also see a psychologist who will spend at least an hour talking to them.

3. Don't trust them to do the right thing. My brother lied about taking his meds and about going to his counseling sessions. You need to make sure they actually go to see the psychiatrist and the psychologist. Either go with them to the appointments, or call their office to make sure they are actually going to their appointments. And as harsh as this sounds, you need to actually watch them take the medicine and swallow it. They will often lie about taking their meds. They may think someone is trying to poison them with them medication. Or they may think they don't need it, but trust me, they do need it.

4. Try to find a monthly or weekly group therapy session for schizophrenics. They need to be able to talk to people who going through what they are going through on a regular basis. We really have no idea what they are experiencing, but other schizophrenics do understand and can help them through it. Make sure the session is being led by a psychologist.

5. Be wary of religious organizations they might be involved in. Many schizophrenics get overly religious and can be easily manipulated by religious leaders and other religious people. Some of them will try to use religion to treat their disease, but it is no substitute for a trained professional such as a psyhiatrist and a psychologist.

Schizophrenia and suicide

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