Deescalating a verbally aggressive schizophrenic client
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I have a client who is schizophrenic, who when he has his episodes talk about everything and says anything. He says he is God and made the world. Sometimes he says things like he created Michael Jordan and Nike shoes, he makes all cars and owns every thing. At times he gets angry and uses violent, abusive, and inappropriate language to his mother. When this happens, she calls me to talk to him in an attempt to help him calm down. Sometimes I am able to, and at other times I can't even get him to listen to me. Do you have any suggestions on how I can help him when he has those episodes?
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Solution Summary
The question deals with a schizophrenic client who becomes verbally aggressive with his mother, who contacts the therapist to deescalate him over the phone. The therapist is not always able to deescalate the client over the phone and asks for suggestions.
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Schizophrenics in the middle of an episode are often irrational, and it sounds like this client is no exception.
My first concern would be whether the client's mother has access to a 24-hour mental health crisis service, because if this individual is verbal abusive and violent, he could possibly become physically threatening and require more intervention than you can provide over the phone. I also wonder whether this client is being followed by a psychiatrist who can prescribe appropriate medications, including medications to be used in situations where the client is becoming agitated.
As for being able to calm ...
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