HI My Son 37 recently (2 months ago) was diagnosed as having Schizophrenia and got on risperidone. He says his paranoia and dilutions are gone. He quit his job during the onset of this illness but he landed another job and starting next week. But he is way too nervous and anxious and want either me or dad to sit with him while he watches tv all the time. (24/7). And all he talks about is his job and his options. He says he is so nervous and doesn't want to do anything but watch tv. Its very draining for us to support him 24/7. He gets nervous if I even leave the room to call a friend or something. My house and my work is suffering in this process. When I suggest him to call doc for his anxiousness he says it will be ok once he starts a job because he is anxious about work. And doc al ready prescribed xanax for him to use. He does take it sometimes and says it helps temporarily. Why is he so anxious? Is it just anxiousness or something to do with Schizophrenia? Is there any help for him? It is so heart braking to see him suffer like this and it is making me so sad and negative and decreasing the quality of life we are leading. Any help would be appreciated very much. Thanks in advance.
First I will address the TV watching and then I will talk about the anxiety.
I was diagnosed with schizophrenia when I was 22 and had graduated college that June. Instead of going straight to work I attended a day program for just under two years. OVR-the office of vocational rehabilitation in New York State (now VESID) sent me to clerical training so I could get my first job as an administrative assistant in 1990. I was diagnosed in 1987.
I give you this long introduction to lead up to what happened when I got sick. I bombed out of journalism school in 1989 and my father told me, "That's OK, it could be ballet as long as you find something to do with your time." He did not want me to watch TV all day and when I did live at home from 1987 to 1988 I spent five days a week at the day program.
At some point you will need to tell your son that watching TV all day is going to prevent him from recovering from the schizophrenia. While he lives under your roof you have the right to set house rules just like you would if your son lived at home and he didn't have schizophrenia.
I know other people with SZ whose parents all told them (and their psychiatrists told them) to get out of the house and do something productive during the day. Watching TV doesn't count.
Now that I've gotten this out of the way I will address the prime underlying issue: the anxiety and what could be causing it. The gold standard of treatment for anxiety, schizophrenia, OCD and panic disorders and even PTSD is Cognitive Behavior Therapy or CBT. I took 10 sessions with a CBT therapist three years ago and was able to find good relief from my anxiety.
Drugs like Klonopin and Xanax are certainly used to treat anxiety and panic attacks. Yet CBT gives you coping techniques and could possibly reduce the need to take anxiety meds.
Anxiety is the worst symptom of schizophrenia. I wrote a SharePost years ago about Schizophrenia and Anxiety the goes into detail about what it's like to experience this devastating symptom.
So first you need to put yourself in your son's shoes and understand what it's like for him to feel anxious. The next step is giving him reinforcement to tackle this symptom in a positive way instead of resorting to watching TV. Isolating at home watching TV only makes the symptoms of SZ worse, not better.
We have a sister AnxietyConnection Web site offered by HealthCentral that you might want to visit to read up on healthy coping techniques too.
The bottom line is: Just Say No to any kind of TV watching. Your son is 37. It's already too late in the game of his life to waffle on this. You will not be around forever and eventually he will have to live on his own. Which is why I when I was 23 I lived in a halfway house where the counselors worked on a treatment plan with me and helped me set goals so I could live independently.
Because your caregiver role will never end if he lives at home the rest of his life. So in this case I suggest you find a NAMI family support group if you live in the United States. Dial (800) 950-NAMI (6264) to find the local chapter in your city or town that hosts family support meetings where people ahead of you in the recovery game can give you support and advice.
Ask them about and they will also tell you about a peer support group for your son where he can talk with other people with SZ and other mental illnesses who can help him cope better with his anxiety. Because right now he tells you he's anxious about starting work, five weeks from now he'll tell you he's anxious about his performance on the job, and it will never end the quasi-excuses or reasons he gives for being anxious.
(I attended a support group for five years hosted by NAMI. That is why I can only reinforce the value of your son attending a support group.)
My mother learned from the "NAMI mommies" that I absolutely had to live independently as an adult and that is why she accepted it when I moved into the halfway house. Two years later I had a full-time job and lived in a studio near the beach.
You can only do so much.
Educate yourself about schizophrenia, educate yourself about anxiety, and armed with this knowledge you will be in a better position to help your son develop productive, positive coping techniques.
Regards,
Christina
Thank you for your help. It gave me a hope knowing there are some sources out there for me too to cope with this better. Doc suggested therapy for him but for now he is refusing. But now I know and I am also convinced that he needs to attend CBT I will try to convince him and his dad. His dad also is under impression that many therapist are not very efficient in treating this illeness and he is afraid it will make it worse for him. But since Christina, the way you wrote I understand now and try to be more educated about this. Thank you again. Will update the information as it changes and seek more help if you are willing to give.
Oh by the way I am from Texas US. I will try to find mommie support group her so that I can help him with clear and stable head without ruining myself emotionally. Thanks again and wish you a wonderful day.