Footsteps, Sunny Rebirth: The Road to Recovery for Seventeen-Year-Old Schizophrenic Teenagers

Source: SCH Newsletter

Author: Chen Fang

At the beginning of 2021, the "hospital-community rehabilitation integration" model officially began, I became the main person in charge of the hospital contact community, in the weekly contact with the community mental patients, I gained a lot of wonderful stories, but also broke some of my previous views, I want to share them, I hope to help patients and colleagues on the road of mental rehabilitation treatment to better move forward.

Xiaofeng suffered from schizophrenia at the age of seventeen, and the severe auditory hallucinations caused by the disease and the stubborn impulse of teenage boys who could not immediately accept the fact of their illness made treatment more difficult. We made a comprehensive assessment of the negative symptoms of the wind victimization delusion and behavior disorder, so that he had to be confined to the hospital bed often to avoid the avoidance behavior caused by the feeling of distrust that affected the treatment process.

After a period of hospitalization and drug treatment, Xiaofeng's symptoms have improved, not only the auditory hallucinations disappeared, but also restored a certain degree of self-awareness, he was a little embarrassed when he saw me, saying that he was resistant to the auditory hallucinations, frequently apologized to me, saying "Sorry, sister, I call you Sister Fang, you are not angry with me", a sentence "Sister Fang" let me remember this young patient.

In the next few years, Xiaofeng was repeatedly hospitalized due to self-cessation of drugs, switching back and forth between the resistance of the relapse period and the obedience of the consolidation period, experiencing many tribulations, fortunately he did not lose confidence, and said that he would actively cooperate with the treatment in the future, and we were familiar with it in the first two days. Later, I was transferred from the psychiatric ward to the rehabilitation department, and I rarely saw him again, and slowly forgot about it.

This time in the community to see a small wind, I was surprised, trance, the past of getting along as yesterday reappeared. When he saw us, he asked very kindly, "Sister Fang, what are you doing in our community?" "I told him the purpose of our event and hoped he would actively participate in our activities, and he agreed. During the conversation, I learned that Xiaofeng's last hospitalization was three or four years ago, his condition has been well controlled over the years, I have some feelings about the rapid growth of the ignorant teenagers in the past, he lives independently, strictly disciplined, and can help his parents share some housework, and communicate with people with ease; although Xiaofeng does not have a fixed job now, he uses his spare time to do some things he likes and actively plan his future, and I am very surprised by the effect of such rehabilitation. I asked him how he had persevered over the years, and he answered a lot without hesitation, and I summarized the points that were deeply impressed as important lessons to share with other people with mental illness in the future.

The first is to stick to the medication. Xiaofeng said that he was very grateful to his father, who had received treatment under his supervision and encouragement for several years. He was originally afraid of the auditory hallucinations and repeated hospitalization experiences caused by drug withdrawal, but after the correct guidance and companionship of doctors and family members, uninterrupted medication has achieved good results, his thinking has become clearer, and he is more active in seeking treatment solutions that help the disease.

The second is not to put too much pressure on yourself. When it comes to stress, Xiaofeng began to analyze the causes of the onset of illness in the previous few years: his illness was not understood, his work was slow to respond, and the people around him avoided him, such a social environment made him bear a lot of pressure invisibly, so the disease recurred repeatedly. Fortunately, with the support of his family, Xiaofeng suddenly opened up, he no longer cares about the attitude and vision of others, and when he is free, he will read some inspirational books to help him adjust his mentality; now he can confidently greet his neighbors and help the villagers around him to do some small things, and everyone's attitude towards him has also changed greatly. Accept everything with peace and optimism, and life becomes better.

The third is to actively participate in community rehabilitation activities. The community where Xiaofeng is located is the first area in Yichang City to carry out community rehabilitation. Xiaofeng said that Director Yang of the Community Rehabilitation Center has provided him with a lot of support and help, every month and week the community will organize mental illness patients in the region to carry out group rehabilitation activities, such activities are like a family, giving great warmth and tolerance to patients like Xiaofeng, in group activities, he learned a lot of life, survival principles and knowledge, which is also the common voice of members participating in community rehabilitation activities.

Now Xiaofeng is already a counselor in the "Peer Support" project, every time he participates in the activity, he will share his feelings in the team WeChat group, he actively encourages the patients around him with actions, just like the companion oath said, "You and I are companions, together to promote growth."

The "Hospital-Community Rehabilitation Integration" project continues, and when I see these old friends transform into new lives and break through themselves, I feel a very fulfilling feeling in my heart. At present, the prevention and rehabilitation of mental illness has gradually moved from centralized management of hospitals to the community, in the process of transformation, more and more social people have devoted themselves to this work, whether it is doctors, nurses or social volunteers, are actively paying attention to and giving the greatest social support and care, and allowing patients with mental disorders to return and integrate into society is the real meaning of our adherence to this work.