Family Members and Scizoprenia

The typical family goes through a lot when a family member is diagnosed with schizophrenia. Society sends a clear message to the family of the mentally ill that they should care for the family member in need. Usually this role is expected of the female within the family structure. The mentally ill person creates family conflicts, can have destructive behavior, be socially inappropriate, demonstrate regression and even violence. The mentally ill person impinges on the family members and they are unable to live their lives and they can become exhausted and emotionally drained. As the symptoms continue the family may seek help for the mentally ill member, but sometimes are not believed. The family members begin to blame each other and this tears the family down. The mentally ill person can emotionally manipulate the family and the family can’t be objective because they are emotionally tied to the ill person. As the care continues the family continues to experience conflicts, feelings of guilt, and disharmony among family members. The family member may have issues themselves such as mental illness, substance abuse, poverty or physical aliments. The caregiver essentially has to put their own life on hold such as careers, intimate relationships and socialization with friends. The caregiver receives no pay for the care they provide, no vacations or holidays. They begin to realize that the mentally ill person will not ever be cured and may never get any better. The mentally ill living within the home sometimes is not capable of routine living and the home can become chaotic, disorganized, and dirty and the ill person may even have a heavy smoking habit. As the ill person continues untreated they begin to experience financial, domestic, social and emotional dependence. The family members can become drained of their own morale, overwhelmed and angry. The family can even become abusive towards the mentally ill.

When mental health care is sought the care continues with family members who are uneducated or trained to care for such illnesses. The family may have to give the mentally ill person their meds and the family is blamed for not letting them be independent but if they don’t give them the meds they refuse to take them. The family many times is blamed by others as being overprotective.

The improvement of the schizophrenic may be influenced greatly by the behavior and reactions of the relatives at home. When the schizophrenic feels positive toward relatives many times they are consequently treated better by the family. But if the family is hostile and over involved with them the rate for relapse goes up. The family should experience being included in the treatment decisions. The family can go through family and/or group therapy where they can receive educational programs that provide guidance, training and advice. They can learn to have realistic expectations, and become more tolerant to the schizophrenic. They can receive education, emotional support, develop more empathy and become less guilt ridden. The goal for the schizophrenic is to form a new pattern of communication with the family, cope with the pressures of family life, avoid troublesome reactions with family members, and reduce tension.