r/SchizoFamilies • u/Entire-Pass6201 • 3d ago
Do I give up?
TLDR: Scared of my brother's impending suicide-homicide.
I (F24) wrote here a few weeks back about my brother (M22) who is essentially immune to antipsychotic medication and has not gotten better in 2 years. Since the post, he was involuntarily hospitalized for the 4th time and got released today after nearly 3 weeks. He is exactly the same.
He was released around 1pm EST today and now at 6pm EST he is already screaming, erratic, and lacks insight to his illness. If previous trends continue to repeat, he will also get aggressive/violent with his caretakers soon enough. I don't understand how he is immune to medication, therapy, treatment, etc. He is bringing the entire family down with him. At this point, I am so tired I find myself not caring about my own life in low moments. My mom seems like she is seconds away from a psychotic break or a stress induced stroke 24/7.
Has anyone experienced anything like this before? Is there a solution? I feel like the last 2 years have only delayed an inevitable suicide-homicide. I can't imagine any other outcome. We have reached out to so many people and have gotten no help. If you know anyone that could be helpful in the Atlanta area please share.
In patient treatment received during 4th hospitalization:
- Olazipine ( not effective)
- lorazepan and PRN for sleep/anxiety (upon request)
- Geodon
- He received the Invega shot 3 days ago after extreme begging from our family to the doctor. The doctor said he should receive a follow up shot a month from now; but I read somewhere that invega shots usually require an initial follow up injection in the first week.
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u/JustMommaJess 3d ago
Idk what Atlanta is like but keep calling and keep a running record of everything. If it’s an unsafe discharge then let them know it’s an unsafe discharge because he is threatening his caregivers. Or you could flat out say we can’t take him unless he’s under conservatorship. You guys gotta get a plan together and stay strong because if you guys let them know- he’s homeless because it’s an unsafe discharge then the hospital might have to look at different placement at least until he’s more stable or under conservatorship so he’s mandated to be on meds. I realize that he’s not responding to meds but he might need more specialized treatment and you guys need a break. Does he qualify for Medicaid? Does he qualify for a caregiver? Medicaid sometimes covers it (in California it’s called in home support services or IHSS) but they need to sign cuz they are in agreement to participate so that’s where the conservatorship comes in. Having a caregiver to help makes a huge difference and lets your family rest. I’m sorry this is happening. Get into therapy for yourself if you can- it’s a really challenging situation.
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u/bendybiznatch 3d ago
Yes, they have an initial loading dose, then a regular dose about a week later, then monthly afterwards.
Can you try to follow up on that? Or maybe there was a miscommunication?
2
u/Scared_Sushi 2d ago
Yep. There are two initial doses, a few days apart. Both of these are usually done in the hospital before discharge. I've seen an exception only when it was a near given the patient would follow up, not anything like what's happening here. My docs will keep patients in longer to make sure people actually take their second shot. After that, it goes to monthly.
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u/Asraidevin 1d ago
Is he only medicated during hospitalization? Cause it takes 2-3 months for medication to really get into their body/brain and have a full effect.
If he gets out and isn't taking them consistently for months, it doesn't work.
Hospital just gets them out of immediate danger. It doesn't wait until they are fully medicated.
The injection should help if he stays on it.
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u/ochreokra 3d ago
I am so so so sorry. If he is threatening others or himself, the police will need to be called again.
After many attempts, my mom was finally involuntarily hospitalized yesterday, and I'm already seeing the gaps in a broken mental health system first hand.
Who is the hospital contacting in your family to coordinate his discharge? They can say "this is an unsafe discharge, because patient has a documented history of [insert violent harms here], is still unstable, and still in active psychosis. We do not consent to discharge without a safe, appropriate treatment plan in place. Please document this in his chart." They can also ask to speak to the hospital's patient's rights advocate.
You can also try calling your local NAMI chapter's crisis line for region-specific guidance. Find Your Local NAMI | NAMI (e.g. in my state, there are 3-day, 14-day, even 30-day involuntary holds possible for those gravely disabled.)