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How To Care A Mentally Sick Person Who Refuses Medicines?
What is the best way to care for a mentally sick loved one? We cannot keep her permanently in an institution and if we bring her home she makes everyone misrable. She will not take medicines at home (because she feels she is well and does not need them). Please Help.
Mon, 2 Jun 2014
Hello,
If you have taken her to a psychiatrist and have a diagnosis- then you can ask the doctor to prescribe liquid formulations of the drugs instead of oral tablets (that can be added to the food items.)
refusal to take meds and to go to a psychiatrist is a common problem in psychiatric patients.
many a times a psychiatrist can be requested to make a home visit and talk to the patient indirectly- thereby examining and interviewing her.
So, try to take her to a psychiatrist once ( may even require force to doso) and then one may give meds mixed in food for sometime. With proper meds taken regularly for sometime, patient shows good improvement and many times starts accepting the oral meds.
Hope the reply is useful for you.
Wish you good health.
Dr. Manisha Gopal
MD Psychiatry
If you have taken her to a psychiatrist and have a diagnosis- then you can ask the doctor to prescribe liquid formulations of the drugs instead of oral tablets (that can be added to the food items.)
refusal to take meds and to go to a psychiatrist is a common problem in psychiatric patients.
many a times a psychiatrist can be requested to make a home visit and talk to the patient indirectly- thereby examining and interviewing her.
So, try to take her to a psychiatrist once ( may even require force to doso) and then one may give meds mixed in food for sometime. With proper meds taken regularly for sometime, patient shows good improvement and many times starts accepting the oral meds.
Hope the reply is useful for you.
Wish you good health.
Dr. Manisha Gopal
MD Psychiatry
I find this answer helpful
Hi,
Thanks for writing
It might be difficult to manage her, given her refusal. Though there are ways to conceal medicines and still make her take them, they are not recommended since they are against the rights of the patient as an individual. In my opinion, a proper session with the doctor might help her gain insight into her problem, and thus she might start taking medicines on her own.
Hope that helps,
Dr A Rao
Thanks for writing
It might be difficult to manage her, given her refusal. Though there are ways to conceal medicines and still make her take them, they are not recommended since they are against the rights of the patient as an individual. In my opinion, a proper session with the doctor might help her gain insight into her problem, and thus she might start taking medicines on her own.
Hope that helps,
Dr A Rao
I find this answer helpful
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