As someone who was wrongfully drugged, and institutionalized as a schizophrenic, which I am not, I can feel his pain. That is a mighty good thing you are doing for him, simply by taking him out into the world and having lunch with him on a regular basis. For one who was nearly killed twice, and has many, many long term side effects from 2 years being drugged the same as a schizophrenic, I cannot fully describe what those drugs do to a person. Not to mention how you are a treated by the staff, even the kind and "understanding" staff. Let alone the old methods of treatment from the 70's. I hope you can make this idea of his come to life, something to anchor the man into reality that which has sprang from his mind.
The thing about folks like him? If they aren't worked around gently to reality on a very regular basis, they drift, and can become lost. If the people around him aren't engaging him in the here and now all of the time, he'll stay lost in his "fancies" as some might call them. I had a close friend with a similar problem, only instead of being mildly strange and eccentric, he was a crook, and malicious with his actions. Taking out his frustrations from his situations on those who cared most about him, because well, we wanted to do what was best for him, and trusted him openly. I used to do things like what you do, I funded his dream job, and I would take him out for lunch and help him with whatever he needed. He lost everything, including his marriage, and his 3 children between 2 women, due to his issues.
Despite your friend being institutionalized all of this time, at least he's still go you and perhaps others? My old friend burned all of his bridges, including the ties he had to his own mother with his actions. He's been cast adrift in a lonely ocean of his own making, and too proud when lucid to meet anyone halfway and ask for forgiveness, or attempt to make things right. If he did so, we all would likely go out of our way to help him again.
If you manage to accomplish this, I have a friend who's got a little girl who's about 2 years old, and a second little one on the way who might appreciate a book like this. Let me know when you've got it set up, I may order a copy.
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timeasmymeasure
no subject
Date: 2009-09-18 02:46 am (UTC)The thing about folks like him? If they aren't worked around gently to reality on a very regular basis, they drift, and can become lost. If the people around him aren't engaging him in the here and now all of the time, he'll stay lost in his "fancies" as some might call them. I had a close friend with a similar problem, only instead of being mildly strange and eccentric, he was a crook, and malicious with his actions. Taking out his frustrations from his situations on those who cared most about him, because well, we wanted to do what was best for him, and trusted him openly. I used to do things like what you do, I funded his dream job, and I would take him out for lunch and help him with whatever he needed. He lost everything, including his marriage, and his 3 children between 2 women, due to his issues.
Despite your friend being institutionalized all of this time, at least he's still go you and perhaps others? My old friend burned all of his bridges, including the ties he had to his own mother with his actions. He's been cast adrift in a lonely ocean of his own making, and too proud when lucid to meet anyone halfway and ask for forgiveness, or attempt to make things right. If he did so, we all would likely go out of our way to help him again.
If you manage to accomplish this, I have a friend who's got a little girl who's about 2 years old, and a second little one on the way who might appreciate a book like this. Let me know when you've got it set up, I may order a copy.