Reddit reviews Surviving Schizophrenia, 6th Edition: A Family Manual

Surviving Schizophrenia is probably the best one.

Suggested (I have worked with over 60 sz patients and about 20 families of sz patients):

1. Read this article on the five stages of recovery about the other party, seeing where they are among those five stages.
   
   
2. Read this article on the patterns & characteristics of codependency about you and them.
   
   
3. Read about the Karpman Drama Triangle about you and them, and them and their other, original family members.
   
   
4. Learn about family secrets, double-binding via paradoxical injunction, and the emotional blackmail used to protect them, because it is typical in the childhood families of those who were invalidated, insulted, rejected, disclaimed, criticized, judged, blamed, embarrassed, humiliated, victimized, demonized, persecuted, picked on, bullied, scapegoated, and/or otherwise abused by others upon whom one depended for survival in early life. (The experts on all this include Theodore Lidz, Gregory Bateson, Paul Watslawick, Don D. Jackson, Jay Haley, Ronald D. Laing, Aaron Esterson, Jules Henry and Mathjis Koopmans.)
   
   
5. Read about reactive attachment disorder, because it is usually what the child acquires when abused by those she must depend upon to survive... and if the genetics for sz are there, may drive them "over the dam" into florid sz as adolescents or young adults.
   
   
6. Look for CoDA meetings in your area and go to six before making a decision to continue or not... because it is likely that you will need to know about psychological boundaries and how to raise and lower them appropriately as they struggle with both paranoid fear of abuse here and paranoid fear of abandonment there.
   
   
7. Look over these books, pick one or two, and read it about you and them.
   
   
8. Look over this link to this book and/or this book, get the book(s), and work through it/them for your own sake, regardless of what they do or do not do.
   
   
9. Come to understand that they may (we do not diagnose here) have developed sz as a coping system for the C-PTSD that is typical among adult survivors of psychological abuse. BPD is a set of dysfunctional -- but understandable -- coping mechanisms for untreated child abuse and resulting C-PTSD. The best psychotherapies for it are those that understand the causes resulting in and physiological conditions of a shredded autonomic nervous system no longer capable of managing their "fight-flight-freeze" response to perceived threat.
   
   
10. Regardless of what she does or doesn't do, you may do very well for yourself to learn this method of seeing, hearing and otherwise sensing what is so that you can manage your frustrations and perhaps even guide the rest of the family to act appropriately under difficult circumstances.
    

https://www.amazon.com/Surviving-Schizophrenia-6th-Family-Manual/dp/0062268856 <- this book may be helpful in understanding what he is going through, but also help guide you through how the disorder works and how to best treat this young man.

So, a couple of things- at this point, it sounds like he's doing alright, so there's no need to worry about treating him differently than anyone else. The main thing that would cause a concern would be if he made a remark about hurting himself or other people. In that case, you might need to call 911, especially if it happens quickly. But this is alllll theoretical- there's no evidence (AFAIK) that he is near or at that point. So let;s not worry about it for now :)

He may be experiencing hallucinations or delusions. A hallucination is when one of our senses (hearing, seeing, touching, etc) is actively creating sensations that are not real. Delusions are thoughts that are bizarre and not founded in reality. These symptoms can be intense, constant, and frightening.

My advice would be to read up on schizophrenia, learn more about it, and be an advocate for positive mental health treatment. Schizophrenia is very stigmatized and I would be surprised if a couple of his teammates are unsure of how to handle his symptoms, should symptoms crop up. Reach out to the young man, tell him that you are there for him if something comes up. I can't stress the importance of this. Him knowing that there is a trusted leader of the team that he can go to when something goes awry for him is going to be huge.

Most of all- don't let stigma interfere with you're teams perception of him. He's a guy that plays on a soccer team; regardless of his diagnosis, he's found something he loves, and he's really not different from the rest of the team. :)

Yeah, I wasn't told that either. I found that stuff out through my own research.

Heres a source that confirms what I said: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Prognosis_of_schizophrenia

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In regards to resources for caregivers, I've heard positive things about these two books:

Surviving Schizophrenia, 6th Edition: A Family Manual

The Complete Family Guide to Schizophrenia: Helping Your Loved One Get the Most Out of Life

"Surviving Schizophrenia" -- the version I own was published in the '60s, not sure how it fits with modern research; this is an updated version -- suggests trying an elimination diet. Basically, strip all of one food group out of your diet, for two weeks, and record how it affects your mental and physical health.

I've read a handful of unverified research suggesting sz symptoms are linked to undiagnosed and untreated allergic reactions, coupled with an over-production of.. I think epinephrin? not sure. Basically a stress-handling chemical similar to adrenaline.

An elimination diet is an easy-to-do first step towards recognizing an allergy, but the quickest route might be asking your doctor to do a full allergy workup.

The more fruits, veggies, and nuts you can fit into your diet, the better you'll feel, really. Try replacing red meat with chicken or fish, or eating vegetarian meals a few times a week. Canned fruits are fine as long as you strain out the sugary syrup. Fresh or frozen are ideal.

Personally I find that eating salmon, nuts, and yogurt (not all together.. although..) makes a noticeable difference in my mental clarity, and eating a lot of starches or red meat makes me groggy and confused. I also have been trying to keep my caffeine intake low because after two or three cans of soda I start to get really anxious. I tend to carry trail mix or a baggy of cereal around to munch on, so I'm not tempted to spend money on less healthy snack options.

I am a therapist and I have worked with schizophrenia in my practice and so has my wife in her clinical experience. The thing I will say is that schizophrenia definitely varies by the individual and the case. Medication can be a frustrating part for of treatment due to all of the side effects. It isn't to say that it doesn't help, but it can be frustrating to a person who is used to having a normal life and then all the sudden a medication causes all sorts of other symptoms. I would suggest for you to read both of the following books and look for a support group. Also, it will be important for your sister to have regular social interaction. In Austin we have something called Austin Clubhouse that helps with all of this and is a free service. I would look for services similar to this. The regular interaction will help her to have meaning and to move towards her goals -- even if they have shifted a bit. I hope that helps. This is a life altering shift for you, her, and your family. It takes time.

https://www.amazon.com/Myself-Them-Experience-Schizophrenia-Adolescent-ebook/dp/B00VQVNUKY/ref=sr_1_4?ie=UTF8&qid=1483668017&sr=8-4&keywords=schizophrenia+books

https://www.amazon.com/Surviving-Schizophrenia-6th-Family-Manual/dp/0062268856/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1483668017&sr=8-1&keywords=schizophrenia+books