How to help someone who says they aren't sick?

marijuana
mental-health
#1

My loved one is my daughter who in addition to having mental issues is also addicted to marijuana and now is smoking cigarrettes.Since she says she doesn’t have a problem, how do you work with someone who doesn’t realize she is ill?

#2

My daughter is schizophrenic,has anxiety,ocd,depression, addicted to medicinal marijuana and now cigarettes. However she doesn’t think she has these problems.Does not take of her personal hygiene and her finances are a diaster.Every month her account is overdraft by more than half her disability security check.So how can I help if she doesn’t think she has a problem?

#3

You cannot convince someone they need help. They need to recognize it for themselves. It is hard to let go of trying to control another person, but trying to control someone else just hurts your relationship with them and makes them feel resentful toward you. I imagine it is hard because you love your daughter and you don’t want her to suffer from the consequences of her bad decisions.You can ask her if she wants help with managing her money or whatever else, but if she says no, then you have to let her overdraft and suffer the consequences.

#4

This is called Denial. It’s first symptom of Addiction. The person who is suffering from addiction, he/she will not accept that they have problem. In your case you child is suffering from a mental health issues also, so you need to consult a mental health professional. In some countries there is a system where rehab have involuntary admission process for them who are unable to accept there problems. in this process they will start with the psychiatric medication so patient’s mental disturbances get some of control. Then the next part is educating them about their problems and illness.
You will found this some nonsense but this helps.
I had worked in this environment also, by profession I am psychologist. In my experience it works but some time it has it’s own side effects also.
First you get educate yourself about the disease and how to cope in this situation. Then you should try to take your child to mental health professional. Make sure that your health(mental & physical) should get compromised because of this, you need to take care your health first, then you can take care of your child and other things. So at least you should start taking help for your health, In this there are chances that your child can see the changes in you then there are possibilities that she also go and start the treatment.
Thanks in advance, if something is wrong so I am open to correct it.

#5

My child is a grown woman of 44 years old.I cannot force her to sick help if she doesnt want it. In my State the law is that she has to violate the law or try to harm herself or us in order to get forced to seek treatment. She has not tried to hurt herself nor us so I cannot call the authorities to force her into treatment. In the meantime she is here because I cannot throw her out to be homeless again.Maybe one day she will realize that she needs help and seek it.She goes to a mental health center but abuses the medications that she is prescribed for depression, anxiety and schizophrenia and her medical mariuana.

#6

Hello @Z46m43,
In a mental disorders, Denial is the common symptom you can see because person may have delusion, hallucinations or a paranoid ideation(In short Disorganized Thinking). This chemical imbalance cause a difficulty to a person to understand what is reality?
In such cases we have to go for a rehabilitation center(Mental Health Center) for a longer duration. So the sufferer can treated under observation, taking a medicine(can’t abuse because of observation). After that the therapist can work on her illness and make her capable to take self care and aware about the disease.
It’s not her fault, so throwing out is not an option. it will make a worse effect on her.
If she is in denial you can take a legal help to understand the ways to take a treatment.
Most importantly taking care of your own Physical and Mental health, so can take of her or to manage the situation.