generalparenting

My middle child asked me about a week and a half ago what it meant to be Schizophrenic. She said that some girl she knows at school talks to herself and uses different names when she does so. “She answers herself in different voices and names mom.” People make fun of her and she doesn’t have a lot of friends. I told her what I know about the disorder and told her that she should not treat this girl different because of things she does or says. My daughter said she felt bad for her and walked away with a look I had never seen on her before.

Yesterday my son was at grandma’s house and it was just her and I. She turned to me and asked me “do you think God talks to people?” I asked her what she meant. She said, well sometimes I hear voices. Then she hurridly said no not hear them but kind of hear them. Is it normal to talk to yourself? I said sure, I do it all of the time, but I was starting to worry about where this was headed.

My grandmother was a Paranoid Schizophrenic and killed herself when I was young. She heard voices coming from her walls and she would board up the house when any one would come or leave. I was begining to worry because my grandmother often thought God was talking to her and my daughter had no way of knowing these things.

My daughter continued by telling me that people have been making fun of her because she talks to herself. I told her that everyone talks to themselves some times. I asked if the voices were telling her to do things she said “no but sometimes I think they want to.” Totally freaked me out! I called and talked to the doctor about this, unsure of whether or not she is going through something of a typical teen trying to deal with mixed emotions, if she is looking for attention, if she trying to fit in with that girl, or if that girl never exsisted and is actually her. The doctor told me there is no real way of knowing especially if she refuses treatment. “We can’t make her go to treatment if she isn’t going to work with the doctors”. Well what can I do? I asked the doctor. She told me to just keep an eye on her. See if she starts isolating, see if she starts major mood swings and become destructive, and see if she starts getting into trouble for severe behaviour in school.

This is something I have never had to deal with. My son and older daughter I know what to expect because I have experienced it all before but with her I am at a loss. The doctor said it could be her trying to get attention or trying to fit in with this girl but my daughter doesn’t know my family history and looked and sounded so sincere when she talked to me about this. I never heard her sound so vulnerable. I don’t know I guess only time will tell.

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