my mother is a schizophrenic amoung other mental diagnoses and the hard part is that she refuses to even try any meds or treatment . i mean i can't understand why she won't take the anti-psychotic meds. she doesn't have a problem with taking meds. she has been and still is a drug abuser.( 35 years)!!This morning i woke up to her just standing at my back door watching and waiting for me to wake up only so she could beg me for money. this is after she had settled a law suit and was awarded $400,000.00 less than 3 years ago. she's now penniless and practically homeless. our family tried to help her invest and manage her money so that she would have some security and at least a permanent home to live. but she wouldn't hear of it.through her eyes of hallucination and delusions we were " in a conspiracy to steal her money". she believes everyone stole it, buried it, you name it we've heard it! I am sorry if this sounds angry i am not.just frustrated that she is so sick and i just don't know how to help. they say that 1 out of 10 schizophrenics lose their lives to suicide and can't bear the thought of my mom being one of them.and she is sooo bad right now that i think if she continues down this road ...i don't want to know what will happen. she gets in cars "hitchhiking" and stays with strangers. i can't have her stay with me i have 2 small children and she scares them with her talk of being poisioned, and people hanging off the roof trying to get her...etc... can anyone out there relate to this situation? i have never been in a chat before and i am not too sure how this works. but i would GREATLY appreciate all any comments you might have. to anyone reading this who is suffering from mental illness: keep going your life is sooo very important and just know we really do care and love you!