Hello jesse,

Take heart, it is possible for your son to recover!

You can help your son by supporting him in his goals and encouraging him to stay in treatment.  He will need to take the medication every day as prescribed for the best chance of recovery.  If he cannot go straight to work, he may benefit from attending a day program or doing volunteer work.  I would not fight or argue with your spouse in front of your son.  I would maintain a consistenly calm demeanor when you are around him.

If it seems he needs to switch doctors, work to find the best doctor.  You can access the CastleConnelly directory to find a good doctor.  Offer to drive him to the doctor visits.

A new drug, lurasidone, will shortly be coming on the market.  Other drugs are in the pipeline.  Your son may benefit from cognitive therapy to help him cope if he has any lingering symptoms.  The cognitive therapy does not halt or alleviate the symptoms; the goal of CBT is to help the patient manage their illness.  The medication is what works to make the symptoms disappear or remain minimal.

Your son will at some point need to live on his own and be able to function in the world so I would encourage him to do volunteer work or attend a day program and possibly move into a residence if he can't live on his own yet and wants to transition into independent living.

Your state will often have a vocational rehabilitation center for people with disabilities.  In New York, OVR sent me for clerical training and thus I was able to get my first job as an administrative assistant.

In October at this website I will be writing a SharePost about my experience with cognitive therapy so you may want to stay tuned for that.

Again, I want to stress that your son can recover.  Recovery isn't quick and it isn't easy yet it's the most rewarding work a person can do.

Best regards,

Christina