[ShaunO]

Hello, I am new here as I am looking for some advice and this place seems very friendly

My brother had a a psychotic episode a year ago, but I was travelling when it happened, it was due to too much stress in his life.

Now it is a year on, the last few months he has had HUGE amount of stress in his life which unfortunately set off a second psychotic episode and it was at its worse Last Tuesday when we all noticed it.

He was having severe delusions, paranoia etc.

Did not recognise any of his family members
He thought people were out to kill him
He would change from aggressive to scared and crying
Thought there was a 'new world' and him and his family were going to go there.

He was very unwell and was sectioned last Thursday, the hospital he was in allowed him to have his phone so he was contacting us. Really really scary messages about what he thought was going on, 3 days later he text and he seems completely normal. The stress in his life has passed (it was due to his girlfriend in hospital who nearly died but she is now at home and he now knows) which has calmed him down. The doctor said now the stress in his life has gone he has come out the episode.

They have said he is well enough to be released and if they assess him and feel he is fine he can be dis charged.

I do not know much about it myself as the first time I was not around, it just seems he has come out of it and being discharged very quickly. Is this normal? What can I expect from him, surely he will not be 100%. What is a person like after a psychotic episode?

Thanks

Shaun

[Sometimes psychotic]

I think it's probably different for everyone----he may be embarrassed about what he said during the episode or maybe not entirely aware of reality yet. You'll just have to wait and see.

I had a year long episodic schizophrenic break from reality too and phew... Almost took my life. These are a few things you might run into.

As SP said, embarrassment, but also too, guilt and shame, even self hatred if not in the right company.

He may still be foggy mentally as his mind gets use to the real world where regular every day causes don't seem like a psychosis IE delusion. The meds take at least 2 weeks to kick in, at least!

Paranoid schizophrenics, like me, have the best chance for recovery. As long as they are treated with a psychiatrist regularly, and hopefully a therapist then he is on a good path. I think since he has more than one episode, and they are stress induced then maybe there be some med changes.

Mine triggered from the death of my best friend. I don't have episodes, it's constant, so I have to realize that I have an imbalance and stay on the meds. Maybe he should too, but that's a for a psychiatrist to work with him on.

When you first see him hug him and tell him you love him and look to his humanity, not the negatives but the struggles and strife of the illness. Hopefully he wont point to what he endured but instead what he stands for and keeps on that path of prevention and fight it.

You might want to read up on the illness too so you can sympathize with his struggles. I say this because it wasn't him that got him into this hole it was the disease. People aren't their disorders and he can't be held responsible even though I'm sure he did the best that he could do due to circumstance.

How's his health insurance? He's going to need it now. He'll get better but sometimes things get worse before they get better with the selection of medication readily available to treat this severe illness.

Goodluck
-0dy

[ickydog2006]

It's different for everyone. He will probably not remember the calls and if he does he'll likely feel ashamed or embarrassed. When I get out it takes awhile to readjust, it's like coming out of jail, you're on lockdown constantly with little to no physical contact. He may want hugs and phhysical comfort or he could be completely the opposite and be distant. I had a very hard time making decisions even simple ones, so if he says I don't know or I don't care, have someone else choose. I was really distraught when people would ask me where I wanted to go to eat, or what I wanted to cook/eat. When you are hospitalized there's very little to decide, they tell you when to wake up, where to go, what to eat, when you can sleep, so just making decisions like when to go to bed or shower can be upsetting. But there are a few that relish being free and go where they want, but that can sometimes take time. He also may struggle with not wanting to be in crowds or around a bunch of people. Especially right after release I felt like no one understood, like I was the odd man out, like everyone would know what happened and feel differently about me. I hope that helps some.

[Not_Crazy_Yet]

I know for me the day I got out I was ecstatic. My sister came to get me and I asked her to stop at the store a mile past the hospital and I went in to get an energy drink and I felt like dancing I was so happy and smiling. Emotions I hadn't felt in years. I felt like I could do anything and conquer anything at that moment. That high feeling for me was short lived. Then an adjustment with my meds later I felt worse than before I went in. Its true it is like being in jail, his experience will differ. For me I cant remember what I have done during psychosis. I mean whole conversations, hours, days. He may not even remember why he was there. Like the others said be supportive and loving. Just read him, his body language should tell you as much as we can unless hes been controlling his body language and cues so he can get out earlier. I did the opposite. I gave false body language cues so I could stay longer. I was in no hurry to leave. I had never seen so many people like me before, not even in a dream.