FORUMS

Connect with people who understand what you are going through, seek advice and surround yourself with support. We're free, anonymous, and professionally moderated 24/7.

  • 47,612Members
  • 1,358,869Posts
  • 1,400,000Visitors
Friends, families and carers

My sister is not talking to anyone, I don't know what's the best course of action

My sister is not talking to anyone, I don't know what's the best course of action

Hi everyone, my sister has schizophrenia and she is currently not talking to anyone. This only occurred today. She was responsive for the past few days but it seems that she might have missed her oral medication yesterday which might have triggered this? Along with maybe the blood test she had yesterday which her psychatrist suggested which she hates. (She hates needles).

She has stayed silent for the past 8 hours, refuses to move from her spot, doesn’t want to eat or drink anything and only responds by smiling to herself and shaking/nodding her head. Before this silence, she did tell her friends that she is being ‘poisoned’ by her family and refuses to consume anything.

I have tried to get different family members to try approach her as well as her friends but she is not reacting. I did find that if I spoke to her using the LEAP method about how she’s feeling, what she is hearing/seeing and if she’d like to share it or even about the things she enjoys, she’ll smile and shrug and show a reaction, but I’m not certain if she is reacting to what I’m saying. To be honest it seems like she is not hearing anything we're saying at all.

Our only option is to wait or to go to the hospital, but we are wary of that option as she did strongly opposed to go to the hospital before as she hates the environment there. She also told her friends she hated how we ‘forced’ her to go to the hospital last time 3 years ago and how she hated it there so we are wary on doing this again.

I don’t know what we can do. Does anyone have any suggestions or can perhaps share their experience on what normally runs in your mind if you’re not willing to talk, move from your spot or eat/drink?

I am planning to call the mental health care triage number as it was suggested to me before if this condition persists where she does not want to talk to us, eat or drink and move from her spot. But I am afraid that by calling them she will be hospitalised which she hates. (It will be her 3rd time being hospitalised).

Thank you in advance for your help. >_<

24 replies

21 - 24 of 24

In response to: My sister is not talking to anyone, I don't know what's the best course of action

Re: My sister is not talking to anyone, I don't know what's the best course of action

Thank you for your heart-felt honesty @Schitzo .

Hugs @BillyBird

How are things @Rivulet ?

BPDSurvivor

In response to: Re: My sister is not talking to anyone, I don't know what's the best course of action

Re: My sister is not talking to anyone, I don't know what's the best course of action

My deepest sympathies to you and your family for the loss @BillyBird.

I am glad that your brother has you by his side! Please don't forget to take care of yourself.

@Schitzo, I would also like to thank you for your honesty and for sharing your experience with us. Your response has allowed me to have better understanding of what my sister may be experiencing as well.

@BPDSurvivor Thank you for always checking in with the others and I to see if we are okay! My family and I did get an update from the doctor in charge of my sister in hospital, and they mentioned they've had to increase the medication. It seems that my sister's delusions that her family are trying to hurt her have not subsided and seem to be in the same intensity as when she had arrived in the hospital 2 weeks ago.

Our family haven't been able to visit my sister or to talk to her ourselves as she has been refusing to meet us or even speak to us over the phone. We have been dropping off items for her at her request though and have been getting updates from the medical staff. I'm not sure if there's anything much we can do apart from wait. We have been told that she has been talking less to herself and seems quite comfortable and relaxed in the hospital so that is a good sign for us.

I am doing ok though, thank you for asking! I guess on my end, I'm trying to support my parents, especially my mother who is very anxious and saddened by the rejection of my sister as it is her first time acting in this manner. During her last hospitalisation she was always telling us to visit and talk to her, but this time round her delusions are focused more on how the family are trying to harm her hence why she is rejecting us. I've tried to explain to my mother that sister is acting this way due to her illness, and it is not my mother's fault. She keeps blaming herself saying she must have neglected my sister when she was small (which is definitely not the case), but I think my sister's rejection has broken her heart. We all try to comfort mother, but I think she'll only feel better once my sister starts wanting to see us and/or want to start talking to us again.

For now, I'm just trying to see what else I can do to help mother feel better and hopefully we can hear some positive news (even if it's a small piece of news) about my sister during the meeting we have scheduled with my sister's doctor.

In response to: Re: My sister is not talking to anyone, I don't know what's the best course of action

Re: My sister is not talking to anyone, I don't know what's the best course of action

@Rivulet ,

I am glad to hear your sister has made some improvement. It is certainly not that your sister is 'rejecting' you. You are doing the right thing in giving it time. I do hope your parents will understand that it is her illness speaking and not herself.

My heart goes out to you because I know this is a huge hurdle for all of you. It sounds like your sister has heaps of support both from you and the hospital.

Keep us in the loop! Please take care yourself too.

BPDSurvivor

In response to: Re: My sister is not talking to anyone, I don't know what's the best course of action

Re: My sister is not talking to anyone, I don't know what's the best course of action

@BPDSurvivor Thank you again for your great words of comfort and your support. I will definitely keep you all posted with how we go! Please take care yourself as well

21 - 24 of 24