Schizophrenia: A Handbook For Families

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Recognizing That Something Isn't Right

Family members commonly reported that they knew at an early stage that something wasn't right with their relative. They sensed that their son or daughter, brother or sister, husband or wife was not merely going through a phase, was not in a temporary bad mood, was not reacting to the overuse of drugs or alcohol. Some, however, said they were taken completely by surprise. They assumed that whatever unusual behaviour they had observed was due either to normal adjustment or to some degree of delinquency. All urge that people reading this Handbook trust their instincts and seek help immediately if they become concerned. Remember that you know your relative best.

Early Warning Signs - a list compiled from the focus group discussions

• inability to sleep, unusual waking hours, day and night mixed up
• social withdrawal, isolation, indifference
• deterioration in social relationships
• hyperactivity, or inactivity, or periods of alternation between the two
• inability to concentrate, noticeable difficulty in making decisions
• unusual preoccupation with religion or the occult
• hostility, suspicion, fearfulness
• over-reaction to peer or family disapproval
• deterioration in personal hygiene
• frequent hitch-hiking trips for unclear reasons
• excessive writing or childlike printing without clear meaning
• unusual emotional reactions
• flat, expressionless gaze
• staring, not blinking, or blinking incessantly
• unusual sensitivity to stimuli (noise, light)
• smelling and tasting things differently
• peculiar use of words or language structure
• bizarre behaviour: refusal to touch people, constant wearing of gloves, shaving head or body hair, cutting oneself, threats of self-mutilation

None of these signs by themselves indicate the presence of mental illness. Few of those who helped compile this list said that they had acted on these early warning signs. With the knowledge of hindsight, these family members urge you to seek medical advice if several of the behaviours listed above are present, or constitute a marked change from previous behaviour and persist over a few weeks.

Many families noticed that there was no logical flow of ideas during conversation. Others noticed that their relative began speaking out loud to no one, and did not seem to hear other people speaking to him or her. One young man began researching all religions and cults. Another young man began turning off all radios because he believed that he was receiving messages through this medium. In some families, their relative destroyed his or her bank book, birth certificate, and photographs. Signs of paranoia became apparent in many cases. A relative would begin talking about plots against him or her and had "evidence" that he or she was being poisoned. One man said that his wife assumed that whenever she saw people talking, they were talking about her.

Eventually, families reached a point where they could not tolerate the differences in behaviour any longer. Many commented that there was much confusion in the home, with some resentment and anger toward the person behaving strangely. Siblings often felt that their brother or sister was merely lazy and shirking responsibilities; children were embarrassed and confused by their parent acting so differently; parents disagreed on how to handle their child's problems; the stability of the marriage frequently suffered. All contributors stressed that you should not wait for tensions to reach such extreme levels. You should seek outside help from your family physician or some other appropriate source.

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