Different fathers

[BrokenHearted]

I have two children both with paranoid schizophrenia, They have different
fathers. I have no history of psychosis. I am absolutely devastated. To go
through this once was bad, but twice is unbearable

 

[BrokenHearted]

I have two children both with paranoid schizophrenia, They have different
fathers. I have no history of psychosis. I am absolutely devastated. To go
through this once was bad, but twice is unbearable

 

[David Baxter PhD]

What do you know about the family/genetic history of the fathers?

What about your own family history (extended family)?

Do your children have a history of drug abuse?

 

[David Baxter PhD]

What do you know about the family/genetic history of the fathers?

What about your own family history (extended family)?

Do your children have a history of drug abuse?

 

[BrokenHearted]

Different father's

HI David

My eldest son had no contact with his father as a child. At fithteen he had his first breakdown, and was admitted to an adolescent unit. He was to dangerous for there unit and was discharged. He was seen by a forensic psychiatrist who diagnosed him as having bipolar 11 disorder. Prior to his breakdown he had attended school regular had never been in trouble with any authorities and had never abused any kind of drug's. He is now twenty eight, and been given a diagnosis of paranoid schizophrenia. His father has a diagnoses of manic depression.

My youngest son sustained a serious head injury when he was six month's old. This led to him having several opperation's on his head. He had no mental health problem's growing up, he did however have problem's with his fine motoring skill's. He has never been in trouble with any authorities.
He had an excellent record of attendance at school and achived his GCSE,s. He was in regular employment untill last year when he had his first breakdown. He is now twenty one. He has had an MRI scan and there is damage to the right tempral lobe from his head injury. He was smoking cannabis. He has now been given a diagnosis of paranoid schizophrenia. There is no history of psychosis in his father's family.

My father did have a nervous breakdown in his fourty's it did not involve psychosis. There is no history of psychosis in my extended family.

I know I am the common denominator. I have been seriously depressed
and finding it very hard to accept my youngest son;s diagnosis. I do not know how to come to terms with it. By accepting it I feel there is no reason to carry on. My boy's are not at all alike in there illness The eldest one is deemed as dangerous and the youngest one is very passive. I love them both dearly but I hate the illness.

How do I come to terms with this.

 

[BrokenHearted]

Different father's

HI David

My eldest son had no contact with his father as a child. At fithteen he had his first breakdown, and was admitted to an adolescent unit. He was to dangerous for there unit and was discharged. He was seen by a forensic psychiatrist who diagnosed him as having bipolar 11 disorder. Prior to his breakdown he had attended school regular had never been in trouble with any authorities and had never abused any kind of drug's. He is now twenty eight, and been given a diagnosis of paranoid schizophrenia. His father has a diagnoses of manic depression.

My youngest son sustained a serious head injury when he was six month's old. This led to him having several opperation's on his head. He had no mental health problem's growing up, he did however have problem's with his fine motoring skill's. He has never been in trouble with any authorities.
He had an excellent record of attendance at school and achived his GCSE,s. He was in regular employment untill last year when he had his first breakdown. He is now twenty one. He has had an MRI scan and there is damage to the right tempral lobe from his head injury. He was smoking cannabis. He has now been given a diagnosis of paranoid schizophrenia. There is no history of psychosis in his father's family.

My father did have a nervous breakdown in his fourty's it did not involve psychosis. There is no history of psychosis in my extended family.

I know I am the common denominator. I have been seriously depressed
and finding it very hard to accept my youngest son;s diagnosis. I do not know how to come to terms with it. By accepting it I feel there is no reason to carry on. My boy's are not at all alike in there illness The eldest one is deemed as dangerous and the youngest one is very passive. I love them both dearly but I hate the illness.

How do I come to terms with this.

 

[David Baxter PhD]

Well, to begin with, although there is a genetic component to schizophrenia as well as a link within families between vulnerability to schizophrenia and vulernability to mood disorders or anxiety disorders, this does not translate into you being "to blame" as the "common denominator". The incidence of schizophrenia in the general population is something like 1% -- that's with no family history of mental illness. Thus, it may be that your family has simply been unlucky.

On the other hand, one of your sons has a father with bipolar disorder, which is a significant risk factor. The other has a history of brain injury, which is also a significant risk factor, and added to that he was a marijuana user, which in certain susceptible individuals is also a significant risk factor. You may be a "common denominator" in your family but that does not make you the cause -- there is a very good chance that the only link to their illnesses is that they have the same mother.

 

[David Baxter PhD]

Well, to begin with, although there is a genetic component to schizophrenia as well as a link within families between vulnerability to schizophrenia and vulernability to mood disorders or anxiety disorders, this does not translate into you being "to blame" as the "common denominator". The incidence of schizophrenia in the general population is something like 1% -- that's with no family history of mental illness. Thus, it may be that your family has simply been unlucky.

On the other hand, one of your sons has a father with bipolar disorder, which is a significant risk factor. The other has a history of brain injury, which is also a significant risk factor, and added to that he was a marijuana user, which in certain susceptible individuals is also a significant risk factor. You may be a "common denominator" in your family but that does not make you the cause -- there is a very good chance that the only link to their illnesses is that they have the same mother.

 

[HA]

Twice,

I can only imagine how hard it must be for you to come to terms with having both of your children dealing with this illness. A support group would be very helpful for you, Twice. I hope you have one close to you but if not then it would be worth your time and effort to travel to get to one.

Hugs

 

[HA]

Twice,

I can only imagine how hard it must be for you to come to terms with having both of your children dealing with this illness. A support group would be very helpful for you, Twice. I hope you have one close to you but if not then it would be worth your time and effort to travel to get to one.

Hugs