Any experience with schizophrenia and treatment in NJ?

A friend's sister probably has schizophrenia and is searching for proper treatment and medication. Most of the private inpatient clinics have little experience in that area. Anyone have any advice, contacts, etc.?

Thanks so much.

An excellent and thoughtful psychiatrist in the area is Hayley Cohen, MD.  Her office is on the far end of Millburn Ave, actually in Springfield.  She is cautious but supportive, hospitalizes as needed, spends a LOT of time with her patients (and families if indicated.)   973-218-0777.  Caring and smart.  

Is this an adolescent or adult? There are some pretty good medications for schizophrenia. Has there been a psychotic break? Is that why the friend thinks the sister is schizophrenic?  

I only have advice. I lived on Long Island with a schizophrenic sister. I invited her to dinner and after dinner, had her sit with two psychologists from Stonybrook Hospital at my home. They asked her questions and then privately advised me that she needed to be hospitalized and that an ambulance was called to come and take her right then and there. It was hard to see her handcuffed and carried down the stairs but my boyfriend was there and he said the our father with my sister screaming each verse after him as he recited it. There was no easy answer. The medications made her life dull to zombie like. Over the years, with back and forth hospital stays and halfway houses, she finally settled into a routine with her social workers blessings of drinking beer during the day and a little lithium at night. She lived in a cottage with her schizophrenic boyfriend she met at the hospital, for many years in peace that way. She is gone now. May she always rest in peace.

When was this oneofthe girls? We have been through many meds ourselves, and know a lot of the pitfalls. But we never had to use handcuffs. Some of the newer anti-psychotics have been a blessing for some. 

Does the friend need to get the sister hospitalized immediately? If so, then you have to go to the regular ER. 

she was in her twenties in the '80s. She had signs but it wasn't until she started taking her clothes off in public and wearing Halloween makeup way past Halloween because she told me she wanted the people on the street to know she was crazy and leave her alone. I invited her to my house in 1988. She had never received doctor's care for schizophrenia as my parents didn't believe in it. They thought they could take care of her. My boyfriend also had a schizophrenic brother who was managed with medication and living with his mother. He convinced me it was time. I went against my parents wishes.

Eta: I told her she was with me now and asked her to wash off her makeup. She was presentable and had a lovely dinner with us and was her normal self. When the doctors came I introduced them as my "friends" and left her alone with them in the living room. Then down the hall, I heard her scream, "CHRISTINE, I AM GOING TO KILL YOU!!!" I don't think the psychologists thought that was a healthy response.

And it is much, much harder today to have someone involuntarily committed.

Several years ago I dealt with a family member who was severely addicted to very high doses of (prescribed) opiate pain meds who was also severely depressed and suicidal.   In my experience, if the medical authorities feel the patient is a danger  to himself or others it is not that difficult to have them involuntarily committed.

I don't know, given the circumstances, screaming I'm going to kill you, doesn't sound so irrational. I sure it was horrible for you. Nowadays they are not going to be sending psychologists to the home. These severe mental illnesses are heartbreaking for all involved. Our culture of hearty individualism really has *****ty approach to all of this. 

NAMI and the mental health association of New Jersey may have support for her. Private psychiatrist or ER is probably the way to go. 

sarahzm said:

Several years ago I dealt with a family member who was severely addicted to very high doses of (prescribed) opiate pain meds who was also severely depressed and suicidal.   In my experience, if the medical authorities feel the patient is a danger  to himself or others it is not that difficult to have them involuntarily committed.

A person with some types of mental illness can talk a very good game. They are manipulative and can con a con man. Unless completely out of control or in process of harming self or others, it is difficult for a friend or family member to have a person committed. It can be almost impossible.

You could also go to a DBSA meeting where you can find others dealing with mental illness and also family members who come for support.  There is a lot of information you can learn from those who are going through it.

She is in her mid-40s and has been acting "odd and crazy" for about ten years. she has been deteriating lately and is now in a private center.  I'm just worried that many private centers don't see much schiz, thus are not educated on the new meds. I've been told that the state hospitals (of which there are few) see the more extreme patients, thus are equipped to prescribe the newer meds.

Yes, we worry about the civil liberties of the MI, all the while they are being abused, arrested, and jailed.

oneofthegirls:  Very sorry about your sister.  My brother used to walk the streets naked, too. But he got on some good meds, so I doing okay.

There is a psychiatric emergency room at Weill Cornell in NYC if you need it.  It is NOT a medical emergency room, it is staffed with psych doctors.

I have never needed it for anyone I know but, just knowing that it was there gives me comfort!

thank you krugle1. I still marvel at her ability to have a wonderful love life with her man. They have a child together but could not care for him so he is being raised by a sister and her darling husband. He is 17 now and is such a blessing to our family. After my sister's death it was too hard for her man to accept and he now lives with his family elsewhere. He doesn't show any interest in his son. I suppose it's better that way.

East Orange VA has a monster schizophrenia practice.

Dr. Donepudi at  Saila.Donepudi@va.gov might have a recommendation for a local non-VA practitioner.

Thanks, dick,  You're right, doc would know.

Hello Krugle1, Just to say, schizophrenia and other thought disorders are actually more common than you think.  There is a lot of positive help out there for your friend.  But I did want to weigh in on Haley Cohen, wonderful psychiatrist.  As is Dr. Michael Cannella in West Orange, although I am not sure if he is taking new clients at this time.  There is hope, don't despair!  

Thanks, amelia.  Do these docs treat schiz?  A lot of psy don't and are unfamiliar with the new meds and their side effects

if the person is a current threat to themselves or others (including not bathing, eating or just engaging in dangerous behavior because of the psychosis) you can call the local PD or the county emergency screening service

http://www.nj.gov/njhealthlink/ppdcountypsychiatricscreen.pdf

do not do this unless a life is a stake.  the care is just shoving strong antipsychotics at them until they turn into a zombie, they are then declared stable and sent home for outpatient care most of the time....it is not any real care of any kind in these crisis stabilization units.  the alleged screeners are a joke..they just fill out the paperwork to justify involuntarily taking the person to the hospital....the hospitals only real purpose is to physically prevent a person from causing harm....do not expect appropriate medications or any therapy.  the only recreation at these places tends to be roaming the halls and kindergarten art activities...and they call that occupational therapy and charge a lot for it.

the father and his son from the 'beautiful mind' movie both had it...and managed okay.  I think they lived in the princeton area..so that may be a hike to get good care..but I assume they had good providers in that area.

I have found the 'mental health association' to be a very poor resource--poorly skilled/not really knowledgable.

try looking for a self help support group....and asking them for a referral

maybe try this site, they mention schizophrenia anonymous groups

http://www.sardaa.org/

jmitw, Thanks so much for the group contact.

What is DBSA?

gerryl said:

What is DBSA?

Depression and Bipolar Support Alliance

https://www.google.com/search?q=DBSA&oq=DBSA&aqs=chrome..69i57&sourceid=chrome&es_sm=93&ie=UTF-8

[Thanks Google   ]

As someone who has been dealing with this in a family member for years, I can tell you it is MUCH MUCH harder to have someone involuntarily committed now. I mean, it has to be a REALLY bad case, and the patient can show NO sign of being of sound mind. If they are remotely aware they they are being evaluated and can keep their behavior under control long enough to prove that they are no harm to themselves or others, they will not be committed. For example, you would think that a malnourished senior citizen living on a park bench that is too paranoid to accept food, housing, and medical care would be enough to show that they cannot act in their own best interest, and harming themselves. Nope. It's extremely frustrating to have the means and desire to help someone you love, and the system keeps you from doing so, even when it's clear they need help. It seems the patient's privacy and rights are a priority, unless someone's life is truly and imminently at stake.

NAMI is great. They have tons of resources for both the patient and family members. We have a situation with an extended family member who refuses treatment for schizophrenia (very frustrating because he could probably do very well on consistent medication) but NAMI has been very helpful to the other family members. There are local chapters throughout NJ. It has become MUCH harder to get treatment for someone who is resistant. 

I can tell you from recent experience that is its way too EASY to have someone involuntarily committed.  I worked in the medical field..and we knew 20 years ago, the system was a joke...and it is still the same.
There was a case of a woman who had the flu and was grumpy because she couldn't sleep..they locked her in the psych ward-and didn't treat the flu...there was no evidence of any mental health issues once she got proper care after being released.

There was a female abuse victim....the male got mad at her for ending a relationship....he called saying she was suicidal....they took his word for it.....as a matter of fact, she was in a better place..mentally...she felt free and happy to break from him.  He had claimed she sent a letter saying she was suicidal, they never even asked to see the letter even though the woman offered a copy.  The letter said that he was hurting her and she will be fine on her own.  4 days later he admitted he lied....but not until she was told she had schizophrenia and bipolar..which was proven wrong...and the thing with this one is that she had been in a medical study that did 4 lengthy mental health screenings  (more than they do in a hospital) and none showed any indication of any significant mental illness (just an insignificant phobia that didn't affect functioning)...the last one had been about a year before this incident....She was in her mid 30s....schizophrenia and bipolar generally do not develop that late...even the police that arrived 1st thought it was complete nonsense that she was being taken...but the hospital had the authority...the medical records were outright falsified...the police verified she was calm and did not seem to have a problem...the hospital screener wrote that he calmed the person and diffused the situation....she had been sitting at her desk working from home and cooking lunch...yet he called that inappropriate.

Then there was the woman who was having financial issues that spoke to a non profit social service program for help...she said she was afraid she wouldn't survive being homeless and felt she would die if she lived on the streets-because she wouldn't be safe and wouldn't have food...they reported that as a suicidal threat.

I found a website that listed many other abuses from around the country...these are just the stories I have enough knowledge combined with past experience dealing with these programs.....

and the treatment there...i have pictures of a woman who was severely bruised by an assault by the staff because she sat on the floor instead of getting into bed...an elderly woman was left to sit in her own urine for hours...and not bathed for at least a week at a time.

I have contacted NAMI and never got any beneficial help..just vague references..

I have a friend that has gone in voluntary a few times.  The treatment was not helpful at all..except to chemically restrain her so she couldn't harm herself.

DegoDiva said:

As someone who has been dealing with this in a family member for years, I can tell you it is MUCH MUCH harder to have someone involuntarily committed now. I mean, it has to be a REALLY bad case, and the patient can show NO sign of being of sound mind. If they are remotely aware they they are being evaluated and can keep their behavior under control long enough to prove that they are no harm to themselves or others, they will not be committed. For example, you would think that a malnourished senior citizen living on a park bench that is too paranoid to accept food, housing, and medical care would be enough to show that they cannot act in their own best interest, and harming themselves. Nope. It's extremely frustrating to have the means and desire to help someone you love, and the system keeps you from doing so, even when it's clear they need help. It seems the patient's privacy and rights are a priority, unless someone's life is truly and imminently at stake.

Totally agree.  This has been my experience