Help with schizophrenia

LegacyUser

Hi

Being careful not to ask for medical advice, instead asking how do I go about getting medical advice, on a tight budget, in a way that conveys the problem accurately:

How do I go about getting my mom checked for (I think) schizophrenia? She works in a hospital (low level work) part time and is able to do her job (very good at it) so I would like to do this in a way that a hospital will not find out.

First I need to know what to do, I don't have a lot of money and there are no medical cards so I need to get it right from the get go. Is there any way I can do this for free?

Second, the main issue is that she'll play games in front of a doctor, she's well able to trick people into thinking she's normal and knows how to pull on the heart strings of people when her guard is up - the issue is that it's when her guard is down or she's drank too much that you see the symptoms. I'm so afraid that if I do get a doctors appointment and I do get her to go (which is not certain) she'll puts on a good enough act it'll all fail, I have one shot so I need to go in prepared. Using the symptom checklist here (or many others):
http://www.irishhealth.com/article.html?con=302
I can try writing up some stories based on experiences (e.g. last night, this afternoon etc...) but I'm so adept at blocking the years of this stuff out that I can't do it as objectively as I'd like, I need to know the best way to show the doctor what's going on.

Desparately need help, thank you

Big Bag of Chips

First stop should be your/her GP. If you don't have a medical card then you will have to pay for a consultation. You could try ringing the surgery and telling them you just need to ask the GP something. The doctor will then call you back and at least give you advice on what you should do.

Anywhere you go will need to start with a GP visit. So that they can assess her and decide which direction she needs to be sent or who to refer her to.

catonthewire

Hi Op,


Firstly, I admire you for seeking help for your Mum, it can't be easy to deal with her behaviour and given the fact you have the added worry of medical cards ect the burden is tough.....

Only a Psycharatrist can diagnose your Mother, after a referal via a GP, the symptoms you describe could point to any number of severe disorders...
If you contact Aware Defeat Depression, they will advise you on seeking help and support, there are also some fantastic online sites....

retro:electro

We had to do this with a family member recently and she was exactly as you described your mum, cool as a cucumber and well able to put on an act when being assessed by a doctor. She too works as a nurse. In the end we had to film her covertly on our phones, she'd be off having a rant and in such a rage that she wouldn't even notice us filming her. We would then use this footage when she was being assessed by the psychiatric nurses as it was the only way we could show them what was going on. I know it sounds like a cruel thing to do, but we were out of options at that stage and it was a last resort for us. Thankfully she finally got the help she needed then.

LegacyUser

Thank you, I got some video (only sound, had to hide it) this afternoon, all it took was me walking into my sitting room to my dad to get her to sneak into the hall to listen then to burst in ranting so I got the camera and got something. I also have an old recording on a broken phone which is extremely dark that I should get, but I wont have it by the GP visit.

My plan is to go with my dad to the GP in the morning on his medical card to talk to a GP, show the video and go from there. A friend last night told me once I get beyond the GP things should be free, so at worst I imagine something like: go down for free and speak to a doctor, book an appointment in her name after talking, pay 50, bring her down, get a referral and only put up with long waiting times.

Expect the biggest most cathartic essay in the world should this work out well, I hope we're seeing the end to what is ultimately a 50 year story of pain.