From Itchy Wrists to Schizophrenia

Submitted by tonyplant on October 27, 2006 - 12:55.

Dr. Crippen saw a patient with 'itchy wrists' (Dr. Crippen's Case Notes, Thursday 26th October, patient no. 5).

There is nothing to see. I tell him I have not got a clue why his wrists are itching. Then he tells me why he really came. His 26 year old daughter has schizophrenia and has just been discharged from hospital after a prolonged 14 month admission, during most of which she was on a section.

This is not an unusual case. Parents have lived with schizophrenia for so long that, although their love isn't burned out, their resilience is. The daughter in this case has sheltered accommodation near to the parental home. However, she only stays there overnight: everyday, she turns up in the morning and only goes back to her accommodation when her parents take her there.

Dad cares for his daughter but cannot manage being with her for more than short periods. But he feels guilty if he turns her away. They need to have a distance between them, both physically and mentally. I have to try to give dad “permission” to do that. Not easy. He still feels guilty that he does not have her living with him permanently.

Some sheltered accommodation offers a full range of activities but they don't always appeal to the residents. I don't know if any facilities are available here. It would be good to know if Social Services are in touch with the family and listening to them during this time.

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Caring For People With Schizophrenia

Submitted by tonyplant on March 23, 2006 - 21:11.

The excellent Dr. Crippen has posted a remarkable account of an elegy he gave at the funeral of his friend Emma, whose life came to a premature close after years of living with schizophrenia. The account of Emma's life would be incomplete without talking about the destructive force of schizophrenia, from the time when she was a teenager until her untimely death.

Schizophrenia. Perspectives on it vary so much. There is the demonising view of some popular news reporting that implies that all schizophrenics have the potential to become dangerous to all those around them. And yet, historically, it was not that long ago that schizophrenia (like severe depression) carried a romantic air about it - it was seen as the fine line between madness and creative genius. Schizophrenia has become the universal metaphor for conflicted duality. It stands for self-indulgence and stoicism, inferiority and perspicacity, alienation and virtuosi of empathy, victim and persecuter.

The eulogy is a poignant summary of Emma's life. Dr. Crippen's charts the decline of Emma with respect and much affection. It is particularly sad to read of the gradual loss of those activities that she enjoyed: and to learn that someone who loved reading so much gradually found herself unable to read. However, we learn to admire her resilience and that she retained her humour, and sometimes mined the vein of her insight into her condition:

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