You can help your loved one recover to the degree that they are able to recover, to a higher point of ability and sanity than you have been lead to believe. It can and will happen.
Confronting mental disturbance is like being in the middle of a house renovation gone bad. It looks like a mess that will never clear up. But if you abandon it, you are guaranteed to have nothing but a continuing mess. If you stay and fight, there is a chance you can do something about it.
It may seem hopeless to actually be able to help your friend or loved out of psychosis. It is not. It may seem like you have tried everything and there are always setbacks or unmanageable problems. That is understandable. It may seem the finances are overwhelming and the insurance doesn’t cover what you really want. It may seem like you just want to abandon the project and protect your own sanity. All of these thoughts are normal and justified. And sometimes you do have to take a break and protect yourself. But what if you felt like you could really cause improvement? Maybe all of the heartache would be worth it.
Well, you can.
What Are We Grappling With?
Severe mental disturbance is like a box of black in the middle of a perfectly healthy mind. You can see that this is true, especially if you have known your loved one before the onset of the mind mix-up. Underneath that box of black is a person capable of fighting back. Drugs (prescription and/or street drugs), alcohol, shock, abuse, and psychiatric treatment, can all affect the person’s ability to fight back. But it can be done.
Who is the source of recovery for your loved one? The doctor? The psychiatrist? The therapist? The drugs? The practitioner of alternate methods? You? No. The source of recovery is your loved one. But they have lost the wherewithal to rise above what has come over them. Here is where you come in.
Here is an equation that works: your efforts, combined with your loved one’s efforts, can be greater than the confusion in your loved one’s head, and together you can mitigate it, step by tiny successful step. Each of you alone cannot do it. It is too big. But together, and maybe with the help of friends and family, you can help rehabilitate incremental pieces of personal ability and understanding–piece by piece–until your loved one can rise above the blackness themselves, and begin to return to the world.
Remember, small steps really matter. Don’t be disheartened if your loved one’s recovery progress is slow. At least it is progress.
Important Warning
Do not withdraw your loved one from any psychiatric drug without close and constant medical supervision. Withdrawal can cause greater psychosis than the original psychosis it was prescribed for. There are doctors who have withdrawal protocols. Some of them are listed in the Resources page of this site.
We are not doctors and cannot recommend any medical treatment. All the procedures or suggestions are based on personal successes. It is up to you to decide if the approach here seems reasonable.
If your loved one is on a psychiatric drug, you will have to work “through” the drugs at first, meaning your loved one may still be taking the drugs while you are helping them. Do not withdraw without medical supervision.
What Are the First Steps?
1. Rule Out Physical Problems. The first step is to rule out and/or lessen the effects of any physical problems to help your loved one be strong for the daily battle of rising above what is impacting them. Believe it or not, this is often half the battle.
Get your loved one a complete physical exam including a complete panel of blood tests, allergy testing, hearing tests, hormone testing, any systemic imbalance testing, such as thyroid, or adrenal gland function, that are available. Psychosis is sometimes caused, and always exacerbated by, physical illness or imbalances.
2. Enough Sleep and Proper Eating. Mental disturbance causes sleep problems, which then cause mental disturbance. Your loved one must get enough sleep and proper nutrition every single day, no exceptions. The prolonged lack of proper food and sleep causes or exacerbates psychosis. Enough protein, vegetables, balanced meals, and vitamins are essential to mental health. Sleep can be helped with a powdered compound drink of Calcium and Magnesium, or CalMag, available at most vitamin or health food stores.
3. Avoid “Fixed Attention” or Disturbing Activities. Activities that fix or disturb attention such as violent television, too much television, too many computer games, or violent movies, can contribute to mental difficulties. Remember, a person with mental disturbance cannot control their own mental pictures. Adding disturbing pictures to the mix is not helpful. It has been said that these activities are attractive to people with mental disturbance because they are a distraction. This is an effort to survive and that is understandable. However, this is a temporary relief that leads to more problems and more need for the relief. As a caretaker, it is sometimes exhausting to find alternate forms of distraction, but it will serve you well in the long run.
4. Long Walks and Looking Around. Taking long walks, while gently pointing out things in the environment in order to extrovert your loved one, is a very successful way to strengthen your loved one’s ability to see what is around them. It helps them to practice perception of what it real. This builds up mental ability. Do this as often as you can.
5. B1 and Other Vitamins. We have found that 100 to 250 mgs of Vitamin B1 daily works wonders for calming down mental chaos. Combine it with a daily B Complex and 15 mgs of Calcium so no vitamin imbalances take place. Your loved one can take the 100 to 250 mgs of B1 every 45 minutes or so for several hours when the symptoms are more pronounced. B1 also helps with headaches and nightmares. Feel free to take some yourself. Many specialists recommend 600-1200 IUs of Vitamin E and 500 mgs of Vitamin C daily as well. You and your loved one have nothing to lose by giving this a try.
Summary
As you begin to offer these steps of recovery to the person you are helping, always keep in mind the “Nevers” listed on the What Can I Do? page. Do not force or cajole the person to comply with any of these steps. With respect, simply suggest one of these steps and offer love and companionship.
Just as you would not want to be told that you needed fixing, do not suggest that these activities or lifestyle changes are cures or fixes. Always consult their willingness to participate. If they are unwilling to do one, try another. If they are unwilling to do anything or are out of communication entirely, simply start by rubbing their hand or by communicating gently. Get them to trust you, if you can. This step could take a long time. Keep at it. There is no hurry to this at all. Just step by calm step, you can help.
There are more steps to help, but start with these and we will go from there. Contact us to let us know how you are doing. We very much care for you and our thoughts are with you everyday.
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