Coming Home, Slowly – what this story teaches, the signs and what to do
From the book – Chapter 11: Mood, Psychotic and Personality Conditions
Coming Home, Slowly
Sanjay, thirty-one, spent two months in hospital in Bengaluru for schizophrenia. Now he is home with his parents. He is calmer, but he is also slow, quiet and often sits for hours. His father worries that he is lazy. The neighbours have stopped greeting the family.
His mother Rekha, who first sat in a family education session at the clinic, understands that low energy and flat feelings are part of the illness, called negative symptoms, and not laziness. She breaks the day into small tasks: a walk, helping with vegetables, a short visit to the shop. She also keeps medicine and clinic visits regular, under the doctor's guidance, and watches for early signs of relapse such as poor sleep.
What this story explains
This story shows schizophrenia, negative symptoms, recovery with family support and psychosocial rehabilitation, and the impact of stigma and human rights.
How to recognise it
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After the acute phase: low energy, little speech and reduced emotion, called negative symptoms.
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Slow thinking and difficulty with planning or concentration.
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Signs of relapse: poor sleep, new suspicion, withdrawing again.
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Social isolation by both the person and the community.
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Family strain, fear and shame.
What to do
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Learn about the illness together as a family.
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Keep medicine and appointments regular as the doctor advises and never stop or change them yourselves.
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Create a gentle routine with small, doable tasks.
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Look for rehabilitation, skills training or supported work.
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Learn the early warning signs and tell the doctor soon.
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Include him in family life and respect his choices.
Do and don’t
| Do | Don’t |
|---|---|
| Treat him as an adult. | Do not call him lazy or useless. |
| Praise effort. | Do not hide him from society. |
| Keep a calm home. | Do not stop medicine because he seems well. |
| Plan for relapse signs. | Do not criticise constantly. |
| Encourage friendships and work. | Do not talk about him as though he is absent. |
Read the full chapter – Chapter 11: Mood, Psychotic and Personality Conditions
Stories from real life
- Eight Days Without Sleep – Vikram, twenty-eight, an advertising executive in Delhi, has not slept properly for a week. He feels brilliant. He talks fast, makes big plans to start three…
- The Voices in Shanta’s Son – Shanta lives in a village in Odisha. Her son Mohan, twenty-two, was a quiet, hard-working student. Over the past months he has become suspicious, saying neighbours…
- Zoe at Two in the Morning – Zoe, twenty-three, lives in Bristol. Her friendships burn bright and then collapse. When her closest friend takes longer to reply, Zoe is sure she is being…
- Mr Hassan Prefers the Edge of the Room – Hassan, forty-five, an accountant in Cairo, has always kept to himself. At work he avoids meetings and lunches, afraid people will find him boring or foolish.…
Shloks
- Bhagavad Gita 5.18 – The wise see the same in a learned humble person, a cow, an elephant, a dog, and one who cooks a dog.
More on this topic: Emotions, anger and mood swings – understanding your feelings
More questions
- Mr Hassan Prefers the Edge of the Room – what this story teaches, the signs and what to do
- What can we learn from the story “Vikram, Age 23”?
- Why these conditions need careful understanding?
- Understanding mood disorders beyond depression – mood, psychotic and personality conditions
- Bipolar disorder – mood disorders beyond depression
- Cyclothymic disorder – mood disorders beyond depression
- Other mood disorders – mood disorders beyond depression
- Understanding psychotic disorders – mood, psychotic and personality conditions
- Delusions – psychotic disorders
- Understanding schizophrenia and related disorders – mood, psychotic and personality conditions
- How to stop overthinking and worrying
- How to control anger