Hello Lim,

I am sorry to tell this however if your wife has schizophrenia the best course of treatment is immediate treatment with medication followed by some kind of therapy.  The longer a family member waits to get treatment for their loved on, the worse the outcome will be.

I urge you if your wife is hearing voices and has schizophrenia that you do whatever you must do to get her into treatment with medication.

Up to 50 percent of the people diagnosed with schizophrenia have a symptom of this illness called anosognosia, which is the lack of awareness that you have an illness.  So people who exhibit the symptom of anosognosia will refuse to take medication because they do not think they need it, because they do nnot think they are sick.

The irrational thoughts and delusions of someone who is psychotic and has schizophrenia is hard to believe for people who are outsiders watching them suffer.  I can understand it might be hard for you to understand that your wife believes a version of reality which is not grounded in reality.

Xavier Amador, a well-known psychologist, has worked with tens of thousands of family members whose loved ones have anosognosia.  You can read my interviews with him  Xavier Amador Part One and Xavier Amador Part Two to get the shortcut version of some of the material contained in his 2007 edition book, I Am Not Sick, I Don't Need Help, which he wrote to help family members whose loved ones do not believe they are sick.

The one thing I can tell you is to refrain from telling your wife she's sick and trying to convince her she's sick because someone who is in the grip of anosognosia cannot be convinced that they are sick.

Instead: as the doctor said you might have to hospitalize her against her will if she will not take medication from the doctor who diagnosed her.

If you live in the United State I recommend you attend a NAMI family support group in your area to get support from other family members who have experienced and are currently experiencing problems like yours with their loved ones.  Call NAMI at (800) 950-NAMI (6264) to get the name and number of the local NAMI chapter where you live.  NAMI is the National Alliance on Mental Illness and they are good people.

I hope you are able to get your wife into treatment.  I wouldn't try to go it alone in doing so.  I would get support from the other NAMI family members during this very difficult time.  That is your choice, however I know a woman who got great support and help from her fellow NAMI family members.

I wish you the best.

Regards,

Christina