Help, please!

I’m dealing with a really difficult situation right now. Someone very close to me has been struggling with an F25 diagnosis, which points toward schizophrenia. We’ve been navigating this for five years now, and honestly, we haven't seen much progress. They’ve had to be hospitalized five different times and have even attempted suicide. It’s been a cycle of trying various medications just to keep them somewhat stable. They are 24 years old and currently in college. I’m looking for any advice on how to handle this. How can a family help pull someone out of a state like this?🤷 Any guidance at all would be so appreciated. Thanks for listening.

Honestly, I’m not really sure how to help you out with this one. 😢
Maybe try checking out the psychology subreddits instead—might get you better answers there.
🤷

Laura Watson77 said:I'm dealing with a real struggle here. Someone close to me is suffering from an F25 disorder, which points toward schizophrenia. It’s been five years of treatment now, and there’s just no sign of progress. She’s been hospitalized five different times and has even attempted suicide. She’s been through various medications just to stay stable. She’s 24 and currently in college. Please, I need some advice. What should I do? How can her family help pull her out of this state?🤷 Any advice helps. Thanks for understanding.

Meds and psychiatrists aren't going to cure her. She has to decide for herself that she wants to get better. She needs to spend as much time as possible outdoors to strengthen her mental state. Over time, you have to draw out whatever is tormenting her and making her lose interest in life.
Also, you need to explain to her that this illness isn't a life sentence. It's just another illness, though society today still treats mental health issues like they're some kind of taboo. The suicidal thoughts are serious, sure, but they aren't the only thing—so many people deal with those feelings from time to time. You just have to watch over her so she doesn't do anything reckless.
I think she’s actually spinning in circles because she perceives her illness as the end of the world, but it really isn't. She just doesn't realize that yet.
Keep her out of enclosed spaces as much as possible and stop treating her like she's some severely broken patient. Her mindset is off, and clearly, the way people care for her is too. The most important thing is strengthening her mind through physical activity, healthy eating, and talking with loved ones. And be careful with those pills and doctors; psychiatrists aren't gods—trust me, most of them don't have a clue about these psychological matters.
Secondly, considering her age, what is her social and emotional life like? Is she stressed about life after graduation?

You can leave her details on Reddit so we can dig into where the issue lies. You can also DM them to me privately.

Laura Watson77 said:I’m dealing with a difficult situation. Someone very close to me is struggling with an F25 disorder, which points toward schizophrenia. They’ve been in treatment for five years now, but we aren't seeing any real progress. It’s been five different hospitalizations, and there was even a suicide attempt. They’ve cycled through various medications just to stay somewhat stable. The person is 24 and still trying to navigate college. Please, if you have any advice on what I should do—how can the family help pull them out of this state?🤷 Any advice at all would be appreciated. Thanks for understanding.

Hey...
A woman I know deals with the exact same disorder. She was a high-achieving student with a massive career ahead of her, but everything just fell apart in a single day...
It's the same pattern as your situation...

She went to treatment too, but nothing changed. She refuses to take her prescribed meds unless she feels like it, and that's when she becomes most dangerous—both to herself and everyone around her...
Her elderly parents just can't fight her anymore. They’ve essentially given up because no matter how much they talk, nothing sticks. Since this is rooted in her psyche, talking doesn't fix it...
One day things are fine, the next they aren't...
There are phases where she just locks herself in her room and studies, and studies, and studies...
She only needed two more exams before finishing her degree when this hit...
Now, for five years, she’s been trying to pass those same exams only to fail every time. She just ends up sitting there, aimless...
Her parents didn't tolerate it at first, but once she threatened suicide if they wouldn't let her take the tests, they ran out of ways to argue. Now they feel like paying for her exams is just throwing money down the drain...

The reality is... a person in that state is living entirely within their own head. They barely perceive the world around them...
They act whenever they feel like it. Most of the time—about 90% of it—they simply won't. In those moments, it's honestly better to just keep your distance...
I don't know how to help you specifically, but I wanted to share her story so you can see how someone can end up when they had so much potential... it shouldn't have been this way.😢

Laura Watson77 said:How can her family help her get out of this funk?🤷 Any advice helps. Thanks for understanding.

Everything happens for a reason. Since you didn't say why she's feeling this way, nobody can give you a real answer. You aren't gonna solve this on Reddit.
Maybe she just needs love? Is she single or in a relationship? Maybe that's what's missing. 🤷

So, I was reading today that some people are claiming Omega-3 can actually help manage schizophrenia... honestly, there's no harm in giving it a shot, right? Well, okay, it costs *something*, but it's not breaking the bank! :-) If I remember correctly, if you go by what the books say, you’d be looking at about five capsules a day...

What Wanda said is spot on. There have even been studies pointing in that direction, though they mostly focus on depression. For some people, it really does help.
Beyond supplements, you can also look at dietary changes—like increasing your intake of fatty fish, for instance.

That said, when we’re talking about schizophrenia, we can't point fingers at anyone—not family members, not friends, not the environment—as the cause. It’s an innate disorder; external stressors might act as the trigger, but they aren't the root.
The real struggle with these patients is their resistance to medication—or worse, they claim they're taking it when they actually aren't.
For some, finding the right prescription makes all the difference; if they actually stick to the regimen, many are able to function quite well.

It's also possible for someone living with schizophrenia to seem completely fine one moment, only to suddenly become totally unpredictable—which, as someone already mentioned, creates a massive risk not just for those around them, but for themselves as well.

And like Scarlett suggested, you should check out the psychology subforum—you'll find much more data there.