Helping provide families with a reason to hope and the means to cope.
Getting help for your loved one with schizophrenia can be challenging, but BCSS is here to help.
Family members often play a critical role in getting help for someone showing signs of mental illness and supporting people throughout their illness. Navigating the mental health system is challenging and can place significant strain on family members. BCSS is here to provide information, resources, and support to help you care for your loved one.
If schizophrenia symptoms are occurring, ask your doctor for an assessment or referral. Family members are usually the first to notice symptoms and try to get medical help. If the ill person believes their hallucinations and delusions are reality, they may resist treatment. Do not give up. Remember, the earlier psychosis is treated, the better the prognosis is for the individual.
The assessment and treatment of schizophrenia and other psychotic disorders should be done by a qualified doctor. Choose a physician who has a sound understanding of these disorders and can establish a positive relationship with patients and their families. If you lack confidence in a physician or psychiatrist, you always have the right to seek a second opinion.
People with schizophrenia or psychosis may not be able to provide necessary information during an assessment. Talk to the doctor yourself or write a letter describing your concerns (e.g., previous diagnoses, medication history, etc.). Be specific. Be persistent. The information you supply can help the physician determine an accurate assessment and the best treatment.
Family Resource
Understanding the mental health system and your rights is important when you are providing or requesting information about your loved one. BCSS provides helpful resources for family and friends of people living with schizophrenia.
Strengthening Families Together is a six-session program that provides knowledge, support, and tools for families to better cope with mental illnesses together. Gain information about treatments, side effects, and the impact of substance use.
A diagnosis can place undue strain on a couple’s relationship and create different challenges specific to them and their family. This guide was developed for those with a spouse living with schizophrenia to share information specific to their needs.
Kids and teens who have a family member with a severe mental illness can face challenges beyond their years that make them even more vulnerable. BCSS youth programs help young people understand mental illness, practice self-care, and set boundaries.
Resources on advocating for your loved one
Discover valuable tools and resources that can increase your knowledge of schizophrenia, strengthen your advocacy efforts on behalf of your loved one, and support you and your family.
Working with delusions is similar to working with hallucinations, except that more non-verbal techniques are required. You will need to sit in silence longer and with more patience, as delusions do not tend to go away, ever. The person may not verbally express them as often, but they are usually omnipresent.
Education, Research
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