I had a friend...

[Rickajho]

with bipolar and schizophrenia. I just found out a couple hours ago that she died earlier this year. Only age 53.

We don't even know what happened since she had no family she was in contact with. In the last three years or so she stopped responding to medications and 'turned off." Would no longer answer the phone or call back if you left messages. Then she stopped doing e-mail as well. All I do know is she wasn't taking care of herself for years because she had developed a progressively severe paranoia about MD's and medical procedures. So what happened could have been anything.

Still kind of in shock hearing the news.

 

[jj2]

That is sad.

My deepest sympathy and a comforting (((hug))).

 

[keonee]

Sorry to hear of your friend's death. I'm sure it had to be a shock to you.

 

[daleron]

So sorry about the loss of your friend Rick {{{hugs}}}

 

[Rickajho]

It's a tough disorder when the medications stop working. When she was "with it" she was one of the funniest & brightest people I know. When she was off her meds you just knew - it was exhausting non-stop conspiracy theories. Hallucinations.

Then the meds stopped working. It wasn't like she stopped taking them. (yeah - she did that. We know it happens.) But the problems became so bad at one point she spent two months in involuntary with court ordered medication & treatment. She never came back to "with it" again.

I don't know if it was coincidence or common to the disorder, but once she hit menopause that's when she became resistant to the meds. She was on dosage levels of seraquil that no human should ever take - yet no benefit whatsoever. Nothing worked any more.

Rambling...

 

[FLSunshine]

It's a tough disorder when the medications stop working. When she was "with it" she was one of the funniest & brightest people I know. When she was off her meds you just knew - it was exhausting non-stop conspiracy theories. Hallucinations.

Then the meds stopped working. It wasn't like she stopped taking them. (yeah - she did that. We know it happens.) But the problems became so bad at one point she spent two months in involuntary with court ordered medication & treatment. She never came back to "with it" again.

I don't know if it was coincidence or common to the disorder, but once she hit menopause that's when she became resistant to the meds. She was on dosage levels of seraquil that no human should ever take - yet no benefit whatsoever. Nothing worked any more.

Rambling...

Rick, I don't know you but I worked with mentally and developmentally disabled with "behaviors" for years. there are no answers. When they are medicated its someone's best guess based on past results with others and in medical journals. That's why I feel its called a medical "practice"
Its very difficult to watch and feel helpless when they are in a spiral and nothing is working. What is awesome as that she had friends that stayed her friends in spite of that. People even those in mental turmoil know love. I believe it's in our soul.
Rambling? I wouldn't call it rambling, its pain, remembrance and maybe it will help someone else who is going through some of what you went through with your friend.
I'm very sorry to hear about the loss of your friend.
One thing I do know is people in this forum seem to care about each other and by reading people support of you they care about you as well as you cared about your friend.