We didn't know what we were looking for

It is so hard because you don’t know, what you don’t know. We knew something was wrong but we did not know what we were seeing, and obviously didn’t know what we needed to tell the counselors. Even talking to the counselors, we didn’t realize that they wouldn’t be telling us everything. After my son got really ill, I talked to one of his previous counselors and he then told me that he had felt he was at high risk to develop psychosis. (insert eye roll) Would have been really nice if he had let us know that. There were obviously concerns and as parents, you don’t even have the right to know what is going on.

Some symptoms of Schizophrenia are:

• disorganized speech (word salad) they don’t make sense

• seems restless and anxious and may be pacing

• can be suspicious and paranoid

• may see, hear or feel things that aren’t there (hallucinations)

• difficulty concentrating

• may believe that they have special powers (can read minds, gets messages from radio or TV)

• may have trouble sleeping

When looking for help we found an organization named EPI (Early Psychosis Intervention). They have representatives from each of the health authorities. It was a two-year program, and our son gave us permission to be included in his appointments with his psychiatrist and case worker. It was so important to be able to be involved and know what was going on. Having a good relationship with your loved one is important to be able to get permission to participate in this way. This program gave us invaluable education on what to expect and what would be needed. As we learned, early intervention is critical for the best recovery.