Schizophrenia - General Discussion
in Psychology & Therapy ·
Greetings to everyone here. I’m looking for some guidance on how to actually interact with someone living with schizophrenia. A serious illness has hit our family—it's been devastating—and frankly, I’m at a loss regarding how to talk to them. They tell me things that I know for a fact aren't real, and I have no idea how to respond. Should I play along and validate their delusions? Or should I try to convince them that what they're saying isn't true—that nobody is following them or plotting against them to destroy them? I’ve noticed that when I don't go along with their version of reality, they get angry. To make matters worse, I can't even be sure if they're taking the medication they were prescribed; they stubbornly insist they aren't sick and that everyone is conspiring against them. I just want to help, but I am completely lost!!!! In the meantime, this person ended up hospitalized and hasn't wanted to contact anyone since—not even me. It’s incredibly difficult, and I’m asking for your advice on how to proceed. Should I just wait for some time to pass while they recover? I really don't want to disturb them or cause more stress... please, any advice would be appreciated.