[SakuraLi]

Hey everyone, I've been posting here a LOT looking for answers and researching about schizophrenia. I've been with my bf 7 1/2 years and I love him very much and he loves me. He says he will be taken off meds by his doc in a couple months.

My bf's quality of life and mine have been helped so much with him talking meds, he's working, going to school, chores, helping him mom all the time, going out and feeling good emotionally (use to feel that the world was out to get him and he didn't have a place in society, that's heart breaking to know he felt like that) but if he goes off the meds I fear all the emotional rollercoaster and his lack of functioning will all come crashing back down on us in a tital wave sooner or later.

I told him to please get info on relapsing from his doc and he has agreed. He is extremely compliant and willing to cooperate with meds and has done well with it and past therepy in the past so I am not worried about him refusing future treatment if and when needed. That's important to note too.

But one thing I remembered just now is when he first started on the meds 3 years ago his doctor was saying all along he only needed to be on a course of medicines for a few years and he could go off because he has mild SZ.

So I've known for three years but it never registered with me and I thought nothing of it. The only reason I am freaked out about it now is because of the research I've done on SZ lately. Of the 3 years he had be diagnosed I have to admit I had done no research about SZ what so ever, I thought it was something his doc would take care of and it was not something I needed to worry about because everything was under control. Wrong on my part, now I know. I only had started researching SZ during a relationship rough patch this summer between my bf and I and I've been researching and obsessing about SZ ever since.

My questions: How do I get him to stay on the meds and understand he needs them to maintain the level he is at? He thinks his only problems were feeling suicidal, feeling that people were against him and his auditory halucinations and he has no awareness that his has had other types of paranoia and delusions about me (and others) to go with the other stuff.

He says his doc says that people can live a normal life and work and etc having SZ (which he has shown to be true) while on the meds, off the meds I fear the emotional rollercoaster. He was never the scary evil abusive type guy that I read about in my several months of researching personal stories of living with SZ. THANK GOD!

I've read scientific definitions of the disease but all I care about is how it actually affects lives, the scientific proof is less compelling, because it doesn't take into account the emotional impact and how loved ones and people with SZ are coping with it in their lives. Know what I mean?

That's why I really don't want to believe his doc, because his doc probably don't love and have to cope with an SZ partner! When a doc isn't dealing with a problem in their personal life they are so removed from it, havn't you noticed that?

Anyway anyone who has taken meds for SZ AND and gone off them or have loved ones who have gone off meds? Please share what happened and how long after stopped the meds was there trouble?

Thank you all for listening.

[splitimage]

I have heard of people only experiencing one episode of psychosis, undergoing a time limited treatment with meds, and then going off of them without relapse. But at the same time I can understand why you are concerned. I'd suggest pm'ing Spiritual Emergency. She's a member here, something of an expert on schizophrenia and it's treatment without meds.

--splitimage

[SakuraLi]

thanks for the suggestion splitimage. when i first got on these forums spiritual emergency was very helpful to me. although at that time i wasn`t inquiring about my bf`s meds situation. again, thanks so much :-)