How do you help this person?!
Question: I know someone who has a mental illness problem. She refuse to take her medation. She fails to realizes in her state that she needs the medation to stay well. I personally to not understand at what point in her life makes her not to want to take her medation. If you were to meet her on the street, you wouldn't be able to pick her out from a crowd when she is willing to take her medation.
Here is my problem: The police went to her house to take her to the mental health for evaluation. Because this person would not tell the police officer that she is a theat to herself or someone else, the police officer actually said he wouldn't take her to mental health even though she told him that she is not taking her medation. Needless to say, this person will not go for an evaluation willing. Her caseworker knows of her predicament but say she can't do anything for her until she comes to mental health.
Yes, I'm praying for this person. Any thoughts that might help?
Answers: I know someone who has a mental illness problem. She refuse to take her medation. She fails to realizes in her state that she needs the medation to stay well. I personally to not understand at what point in her life makes her not to want to take her medation. If you were to meet her on the street, you wouldn't be able to pick her out from a crowd when she is willing to take her medation.
Here is my problem: The police went to her house to take her to the mental health for evaluation. Because this person would not tell the police officer that she is a theat to herself or someone else, the police officer actually said he wouldn't take her to mental health even though she told him that she is not taking her medation. Needless to say, this person will not go for an evaluation willing. Her caseworker knows of her predicament but say she can't do anything for her until she comes to mental health.
Yes, I'm praying for this person. Any thoughts that might help?
You could be talking about me. I am the same way as your friend. One of the main problems with people with mental illnesses taking their meds is that when we feel good, we don't feel that we need them, and its hard to accept that we are doing well because of the meds. So we stop, we crash, and the cycle starts over. She is smart enough not to say the things that would get her committed to a psych ward. Its hard to reason with us, and frustrating to go through the cycle again. Even though I know all this, I will still go through it again and again. Fortunately, I am on a court order and one of the conditions is that I "take steps so as to not endanger myself or others because of my personality disorder."
I really don't have an answer to the problem, if she has kids, prey on her sense of wanting to do what's best for them. I don't know what else to say as I know from experience that she is not likely to respond to common sense. (Not to be dissin her, I just know what its like).
Sorry I went on and on without an answer, I just felt I had to respond because it is my life story too.
As to your comment about being in and out of the hospital, I agree with that too. And sometimes the hospital will just not want to deal with her again.
What tonia said about making an agreement is a good idea, I might even use that myself.
she needs to go to a mental health facility. There, she will have treatment and counseling
Her medication may be causing unpleasant side-effects. If this is the case, it is possible to have her prescription changed or dosage lowered. She needs to talk to her doctor about it if this is her reason for not wanting to take her medication. If her doctor doesn't listen to her, she has the option to find another doctor and issue a formal complaint against this one.
tell her your going to disneyland and actually go to mental health.... works like a treat!
maybe you could get her the CD "the power of now" by echart tolle the cd is mind opening and it can really make a difference in her life. i has the power to change your life
PRAYER BRINGS VICTORY
I have a sister in law who won't take her meds. She has her ups & downs too. When she is in one of her "states" she is paranoid, and has suspicions of EVERYONE and thinks her neighbors are drug dealers.
But with love, and family & friends being willing to listen to her, and to help her through these periods, she has less of them.
The medications have so many side effects that she is unwilling to live like that. So as a family we have decided to keep her best interests at heart, hel;p her when she needs it and to allow her to make as many decisions for herself as she is able to make. One of the agreements are that if more then one family member oir friends thinks that she is making a wrong or bad choice, she has to consider the fact that she isn't in the best state of mind to be making big decisions and to hold off until she is again ready.
This may not work for all situations, but it works for her. It took a long time to get to an agreement with her since she doesn't' always think rationally but love and understanding can over come a lot!!
Good luck! Your friend is lucky to have you. so don't push her away by always bringing up hospitals or medications. All you will accomplish is to push her away from you and your loving care!