Trying to help a friend who has left her family -- she has MH issues.

[Ilsa]

Her mother has schizophrenia, and she is reluctant to consider the genetic component of varying forms of mental illness, etc. She was on antidepressants a few years ago, but took herself off her meds. She had a medical procedure earlier this year, and I think the trauma of it and the medications have affected her. She is able to go from sweet and loving to full rage in nothing. She screams and is verbally abusive to her family members, but I don't think she sees that she is doing this. She feels abandoned and scapegoated by her family. They want her to get help by going on meds, but she doesn't want to unless they are willing to do group therapy together.

I have heard both sides of the story, but not every detail. I think there may be fault on both sides.

She left home on Christmas day and flew halfway across the country to see her old college, etc. She is a day away from me, so I can't see her, but I have talked to her several times last and today. She has promised to call me or for help if she feels suicidal. I am trying to get her to come see me so we can spend time together and maybe I can help her develop a plan to get herself the help se needs. She admits now to being depressed, says it is because of the way her family has treated her.

Any comments and advice would be helpful.

[mopinko]

1. how old is this friend?

is she unable to support herself? maybe it is a good thing for her to get out, and make her own way. doesn't sound like she was in a good situation, and i admit to feeling a little sorry for a schizophrenic mom supporting a grown kid. :shrug:

[Larissa238]

2. How open is the family to group therapy?

Do you think it would help? She does need her own therapy, but maybe the group therapy could get the foot in the door so to speak. Maybe it will help her see she needs to work on herself as well as her family.

If they are not open to group therapy, try and see what her concerns are about going on her own. If it's that she feels she can't work out her issues without them there, maybe have her try cognitive behavioral therapy or something like it, that treats the person instead of just talking for forever. It could just be that she knows her family won't do the therapy and she doesn't want to, so she is pushing the blame on them.

Let her know you don't have to have the person in therapy to work on issues with them. If you do, I'm going to have some problems working out my issues with my dad's suicide. Let her know she can go on her own and share what she learned with her family.