My brother was sort of diagnosed with schizophrenia a year ago by a psychologist who was doing family therapy between he and my mother, but there wasn't an in-depth evaluation.
According to my mom, my brother started telling her that flickering street lamps were sending him messages and some of the strangers around him (primarily in cars that were driving by) wanted to hurt him when he was around 18 and a half. The two years since then have been marked by his running away, various drastic plans (running away to Washington; joining the army; biking around the country; walking to South America) and brief periods of stability where he managed to hold down a job and a place to live.
According to a few mutual friends, a few months after the initial claims about street lights he did acid continuously for about a week and "was never the same after that." He began having violent outbursts (punching holes through my door when I wouldn't let him into my room; cursing out my mom; pulling out a knife on my mom's boyfriend unprovoked) and tangential speech--sometimes chanting or just saying strange things over and over (he had been repeating strange phrases since childhood, but as children they seemed less menacing). He often loses track of the conversation or seems to have to focus really hard to follow along. Also, about a year after the start of the change, he got really into Catholicism--he told my mom that voices told him he had to go to church. He also told my mom that the man who lived next to him was a "monster" who had women over for sex often, and that the women would provoke him and say things to him through the walls.
Before the change, he was very social. But he has since faded into seclusion, spending almost all of his time with my mom, at church, or completely alone. Recently, he seems to have been going through a more difficult period again. He left my grandmother's house because God told him he had to live on the streets doing God's work and gathering the young punks to rise and take over the system.
He was recently arrested, I'm not sure for what. But today, in court, all through the proceedings he kept smiling, like everything was funny. I do not talk to my brother--his presence has been threatening to me for a few years now. But he kept making eye contact with me and smiling.
Is this schizophrenia? I also feel that he might just be playing it up. Maybe? I don't know for sure because I don't talk to him, so I don't have his account firsthand, and he has always had a flair for the dramatic.
Please help. If it's something like this, I'd rather try to help him than further ostracize him.
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What you have described meets the criteria for psychosis. However, psychosis can have many causes, including substance induced. It can also be caused by schizophrenia (and several other related disorders within psychiatry). Sometimes, it may be a combination of substances and a predisposed disorder.
The exact cause is kind of a moot point, because the treatment is usually very similar. From your description, it does not sound like your brother had seen a psychiatrist. It is very important that he see one to be evaluated for antipsychotic medications that can help stop the "voices." He also needs help to stop using substances. It is not an easy process.
Edit: While it is true that there is no blood test for schizophrenia, saying that there is no science within psychiatry is a far stretch. Diagnois is made primarily based on symptomatology, beacuse that is the best we have right now. There is an underlying organic brain reason for the disease, but it is not well enough characterized to be usefull as of yet. However, the scientific method is appplied all the time in evaluating drug treatment of these conditions.
I wish I had time to answer more of your question, since it sounds like a lot has happened. I like what you're saying about helping him rather than ostracizing him. Two things:
1) Help him address what's going on. That means his doing acid, his hearing voices, and anything else that's troubling him. The hardest thing to do is knowing when to jump in and identify things with him, and when to just listen. For a long, long time, I would lean towards just listening, if/when he decides to open up to you and if/when you two reunite. Ask questions to show you're trying to understand. And accept that for him, whatever he's experiencing is reality at the moment. In time, when he shows he wants to, you can help him figure out what's real and what's not. It's a hard, hard process, and it's something he'll have to do most of on his own. But he ABSOLUTELY needs support; whether from you or from someone else. He can't do it alone.
2) Help him to remember who he is outside of his disorder. Sometimes, when we get too far into our condition, we begin to forget who else we are and just judge ourselves based on our problem. If we are flowers, then schizophrenia is only one petal. We're also: your brother, have a sense of humor, love watching _______ movies, love going to the beach/mall/arcade/WHEREVER, have always been a fan of _________, have always wanted to _______.... the important thing is, balancing. Don't ignore your condition, but don't let it be everything in your life.
Keep yourself safe. If he is threatening you or feels threatening, there is nothing wrong with pulling back a little or finding a different way of communicating for a bit. Calling instead of seeing him in person. Or calling someone who you know would be willing to approach him and do the two things I mentioned above. Don't put yourself in danger. The above two things are IF you feel comfortable being around him.
As his sister, help to remind him and keep him up when he's down. And let him and help him address things when he can't run from them anymore. Work through it together. And if you can, see who else can help him - whether it's your parents, a person who knows schizophrenia well (like a therapist) who he trusts but can still help him make choices in dealing with schizophrenia, any other loved ones (your parents, his partner, his best friends), his probation officer, other people with schizophrenia (even though everyone's schizophrenia is different)... It's hard, but you can do it. And remember, that some of that work comes from him. Don't blame yourself if he's having a bad day. Just do your best to keep loving him and showing him he is not alone.
There is no medical practice to Psychiatry. Its only a belief system with no blood tests or science. People have problems from abuse drugs or were simply into the occult. This is all that is found in every case- Source- Experience working in this area.
Hurting people hurt others. Parents and others classmates-bully and use words to trick you and to get a sick high from it. Seeing things and all the so called false mental problems start, but are not disorders. Abuse can cause all known so called mental problems -more below. They have the problem- you only have a reaction to the abuse.
Demons are evil, deceptive, and destructive. According to 2 Corinthians 11:14-15, demons masquerade as “angels of light” and as “servants of righteousness.” Appearing as a “ghost” and impersonating and talking as a deceased human being definitely is a disguise that demons use and do other things like messing with your mind, rapid cycling, instant crying- even when they are not visible- also confusion, weird thoughts, speech and more OCD etc.
Hearing voices/Mood swings - Common words heard-- Lets kill him/her/rape. So you have more than one entity speaking. Happy then crying? this is the classic demonic example.
PLUS - What mental illness causes objects to move in the house of the victims?
Theres power in Jesus NAME.....USE it to make it stop and learn about abuse below. Test yourself.
Seach You Tube for " Psychiatry Exposed" Real M.D.s show psychiatry is conjecture.-
Google this--"Inside the Mind of an Abuser' See how people/parents lie and control.
I have many links for you to read on abuse and inner healing. 30 years exp- abuse
Source- Seeing this work in a ministry on a regular basis - anyone who asks for help.
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1. Realize people who make you mad are wrong and got off on it. Thats why they did it not cause the words were true.
2. Forgive people= throw away all Ouija boards and occult items. Ask forgiveness. Dont pray to Mary or talk to the dead.
3. Banish what you see in Jesus name outloud on a daily basis.
4. Do some reading on all of the above.
http://www.greatbiblestudy.com/deliverance_ministr...
http://www.heartless-bitches.com/rants/manipulator...
Absolutely schizophrenia. What is dangerous is that young men his age get sick very fast and in a most severe way. He sounds floridly psychotic and for his own safety should be hospitalized, evaluated and medicated. I would hate for you to lose him. The rates for suicide for situations like his are pretty frightening.
Please get him some help.