Schizophrenia - General Discussion
in Psychology & Therapy ·
I’ve spent my entire life battling my father’s schizophrenia... and let me tell you, it’s the kind of disease that destroys everything in its orbit. Growing up, I actually had everything I ever wanted—it was almost a pattern. In those brief windows when he was actually taking his medication and tethered to reality, he would try to "make up" for the psychological trauma he put us through by buying me things. To the outside world, you’d never guess he was struggling at all; he works as a social worker and has this huge circle of friends. But nobody—and I mean absolutely nobody—has any clue about the literal hellfire of living with schizophrenia behind closed doors.
And now? I’m terrified that I’m starting to feel the fallout of spending twenty years living in the shadow of someone with this condition.
My mom is constantly preaching to me, telling me not to let him ruin my youth or my future. I really do try—I genuinely strive to stay upbeat and optimistic, fighting to keep from being swallowed whole by it all—but I’m scared. I’m scared that these internal fears, these deep-seated wounds and scars, might never truly heal. And the hard truth is this: you simply cannot help someone with schizophrenia if they don't want to be helped. Period.
And now? I’m terrified that I’m starting to feel the fallout of spending twenty years living in the shadow of someone with this condition.
My mom is constantly preaching to me, telling me not to let him ruin my youth or my future. I really do try—I genuinely strive to stay upbeat and optimistic, fighting to keep from being swallowed whole by it all—but I’m scared. I’m scared that these internal fears, these deep-seated wounds and scars, might never truly heal. And the hard truth is this: you simply cannot help someone with schizophrenia if they don't want to be helped. Period.