For cutting contact with family member when they're unwell?

[Weddingbells09]

Somebody in my family has schizophrenia and is regularly noncompliant with her meds, this leads to frequent relapses and alot of stress for her and those around her.

It became clear to me recently that she's off her meds again and is saying some unnerving things over the telephone stemming from delusions. Her MH team are aware.

Usually I would rally round but this time I made the decision to block her number until she stabilises as it takes a toll on my own MH and I have a disabled child I need to put first.

Do you think I'm being unreasonable?

Yanbu op, it's really difficult dealing with a person who is suffering from schizophrenia and is not on their meds.

I know of a man who suffers schizophrenia and has frequent delusions where he believes he is the ruler of the world and that all women are his girlfriends. He truly believes this and gets very angry and can become violent if questioned on it. He also believes that he's a multimillionaire and that the uk government stole his fortune so he needs to take revenge. He refuses medication as he believes it's a ploy by those in power to prevent him from ruling the world.

Very sad situation but his family no longer have anything to do with him as he is very difficult to be around when not on medication.

He's trapped in this cycle of being sectioned and released constantly but the thing is a lot are trapped in this cycle because they genuinely believe there is nothing wrong with them and that the medication is harming them.

It's so hard to be around someone like this and while I totally sympathise as it's a debilitating mental illness if untreated it causes heaps of upset/stress for all those who are involved with the individual.

It’s a horrible situation but you can’t fix her by sacrificing yourself. It doesn’t work and does you harm. Wishing you peace & sending

I have a family member with the condition who is non-compliant with meds and causes absolute chaos.

I’m not willing to have it in my life.

YANBU

Oh OP, I really feel for you and think this is vital for your own mental health to do remove yourself totally from the situation under those circumstances. If someone willingly rejects medication, then they should not expect others to deal with the fallout. They still have to take responsibility for managing their health. Remember the primary rule for any first aider is not to harm themselves and put their own safety first. This is the same! If someone touches a high-voltage cable, you are not supposed to touch them lest it could seriously injure or even kill you too. So, if someone decides on a high risk and harmful course of action, you should not deal with the repercussions, which will bring great stress and upheaval into your own life, especially since your DD is your complete priority. This makes you a good mother.

Thank you all, It's reassuring that people don't think I'm being selfish or spiteful. I just dont have the emotional bandwidth to deal with the same thing every 6 months anymore.

I could tell another decline was coming a few weeks ago as whenever I'd answer the phone to chat she'd end up insulting me under the guise of 'teasing' and she'd go off on tangents about the government and 'vibes'

I don't need to put up with that, not when it's avoidable by complying with her med regime.

I fully expect malicious calls to be made now which is a theme when she's relapsing and decides that somebody has been nasty to her by distancing themselves.