Friends, Family & Carers Forum

[Acacia]

Hi @BRIANNA, thanks for joining us. As @koya has mentioned earlier, the person does need to be ready to challenge their thoughts themselves on some level, but sometimes there are things we can do to help with that, as @hope77 has said his brother did. Is your son receiving any professional support now? It sounds like there have been some challenging times.

[Acacia]

@leitor what you say makes complete sense and it is important to remember that a psychologist has trained for at least six years to be putting these things into practice in a professional environment. Nonetheless, I think understanding the concepts can help guide conversations a little more. 

Sitting in on a session sounds like a great idea if you are both happy with it. 

Could you explain what the LEAP method is for those of us (including me!) who don’t know what it is?

[hope77]

My brother has mental health issues as well as me but he is the most intelligent person I have ever known. I really believe in my delusion but once he said that their maybe another way to look at it. he got me thinking and challenged me to like a dare we used to play when were children

[CherryBomb]

@hope77 - does it mean that you second guess yourself? Or that when you're getting unwell, you're likely to not share as much as you use to? 

@hope77 and @Koya I'm keen to hear how you work on preventing relapses? Perhaps @Acacia has something to add here.

@BTGCS could you please expand on your last post. I'm sorry, I'm not sure I understand. Do you mean saying it’s not about people's thoughts, that they just need to switch off the delusion/hallucination/voice and their thoughts would be fine?

[CherryBomb]

Hey @bbear, you're in the right place. Sorry, I only saw your post about how to find the discusison. How's everything, are you finding your way around the Forums ok? Can I help out with anything?

[leitor]

@Acacia LEAP is a system developed by Dr. Xavier Amador and described in his book "I AM NOT SICK I Don't Need Help!". It stands for "Listen-Empathize-Agree-Partner"

Dr. Amador was an author of the section on Schizophrenia in the DSM-4, and Director of the LEAP Institute which trains people around the world in teaching this technique. I initially found the reference to his book in these website pages, but you can find his talks on Youtube and buy DVDs of the system in action. But despite reading the books and watching the DVDs I feel ill equipped, and indeed he recommends taking sessions with an accredited professional trained by the institute.

[Acacia]

Thanks for mentioning relapse plans @CherryBomb. I was hoping to get to that 🙂 Has anyone worked with their loved one to develop a relapse plan?

After getting through a crisis, the last thing we usually want to talk about is what to do if it happens again, but it can be really helpful to have that conversation – to know what was helpful/unhelpful this time and what could be good to remember for next time.

Some of the things to keep in mind with a relapse plan are:

- Finding an appropriate time when you both have the time and energy to talk it over

- What are some of your loved one's triggers e.g. does lack of sleep, stress or alchohol affect symptoms?

- Are there early warning signs you can both be aware of?

Does anyone have anything else to add? 

[Koya]

Over the years our son as well as us have become very good at detecting early warning signs, acknowledging them and trying to get his life back in balance eg usually more rest and talking through stressful situations, finding the success and growth he's made, to help correct distorted self perceptions and restore his confidence. Helping him to nurture himself back to wellness. Ha! sounds easy doesn't it!

[BTGCS]

I am a former sufferer of Psychosis, and have been trying to get my self out there as an advocate. I created a presentation on delusions which explains that (what psychiatry calls 'ideas of reference' is really 'constant synchronicity'. The synchronicity we experience as Psychotic means that peoples words synchronise with either the psychotic persons [life] experience - recent or past past, or it synchronises with their thoughts. By synchronise, I mean repeat, make reference to a specific situation, rep[eating a conversation the psychotic person has had with someone else. The way peoples words synchronise with us is amazing, but unfortunately, it also causes us not to function very well.

Synchronicity is a non-physical experience as in its limitless, it can move between past, present and future. When a person (any human being who has only developed a PHYSICAL frame of reference, applies that physical understanding to their synchronistic experience, it does not match, it doesn't work and it certainly doesn't make sense to those around us.

I probably have not explained it fully here. Between my first episode (2008) and the first time I did the presentation for a Community Mental Health Org, (2015) it was seven years. In other words, it took me seven years to make sense of it myself. While MH Orgs are approachable, I have also reached out to the medical professions and pretty much get the cold shoulder. I don't come in a package that is meant to have solutions!! That should come from an academic or professor!

Hope this makes some sense, and yes, please reply if you need anymore explained.

[hope77]

I do the second guess everything I say, but I think it is my confidence and depression following my psychosis is the reason I second guess everything maybe?