Jani Schofield: Childhood Schizophrenia, Living With the Illness

I thought very deeply on this child schizophrenia thing, this girl has a younger brother and I have a feeling she may of had her nose pulled out of joint when her brother was born. Children are known to have wonderful imagination could it be because of jealousy she has invented friends and pets to attract attention to her self.

I thought mental diseases such as Schizophrenia where normally caused by a terrorfying experience or many such experiences. Where as people fold into another character when stressed or in the need to hide.

I can remember my children having imaginary friends when playing whilst young, I am some what left in doubt and not sure but has this little girl been diagnose correctly and this is just not a stage she is going through to receive attention?   

Regarding that young girl with schizophrenia, the possibility of spiritual possession should not be excluded. In treating these cases we cannot limited ourselves to a mental health diagnosis especially when medication seems tineffective. Evil is real folks and somtimes must be address in the treatment and possible cure in certain cases of assessed mental problems. 

I am sorry but you have just got to be kidding me with this child schizophrenic.  My belief is that this is a child whose bad behavior has been indulged by parents who don't have a clue.  I know this sounds judgemental and I guess it is - perhaps the "severity" of this child's illness was not fully enough explored/explained on the Oprah show - maybe that is why I am not believing this "diagnosis".  Were any other personality disorders explored before it was decided this child was schizophrenic?  I guess I would just need to have more information before I will buy this story.  Granted these people need not prove anything to me nor to anyone else - it is their life and they can live it as they see fit.  I do think it is unforgivable to bring another child (their son) into the mix though. 

Sleep disorder is common in children.Left untreated it can have long term developmental effects, including hallucinations. en.wikipedia.org/wiki/HypnagogiaGiver her a children's dose of Ambien every night and take her OFF the anti-psychotics.  The reason why they aren't working is because she's misdiagnosed.

You all should not comment until you have been there.  We have a 5 1/2 year old that has been hallucinating that we have documented since age 8 months.  There are no cures, and very few protocols for doctors to diagnosed this, and no special help that we have found.  The only help is when he gets very violent, which as of yet is manageable, and being told that he will get worse.  You folks that doubt need to take a break from your hardheartedness and be better listeners.  If a tree falls in the forest and you personally are not there does it make a sound?  Yes but you'll never know because you were not there.  Listen harder.  And Ambien makes the hallucinations more intense and last longer.

This to me is just pure bologna. As a child a had vivid imaginary friends. They got angry, happy, sad just as I did. This girl looks drugged from the medication. I am a believer children will do what their parents allow them to do. That hitting spell is just a phase. My sister one day just suddenly started biting my mom. I withdrew from asking millins of questions to being very conservative. People can only characterize me as quiet. I am not a schizophrenic though. So to me these are over exaggerating parents. Not to say some kids dont have this to me this girl just does not.

I have never seen anything like this in a young child. I feel for her exhausted parents and brother and certainly for Jani. She is a very aware little girl who will never enjoy life as we do. Having read a few of the previous comments, I must say I'm a firm believer in not judging until you have 'been there'...wherever that may be.

Message for  Michael & Susan schofield Hi I was diagnosed in 1981 with schizophrenia but believe that I had it mildly as a child as i had strange thing would happen, not to the extent that Jani has, it got much worst as i got older to the point that i ran away and lived in a hole in the ground for 2 years just to get away from people. Could you contact me if you wish to discuss what i have tort myself, i believe this will help jani and becca, do you see how they interact with each other, this is because the know what each other are going though, i know the doctors are trying their best to help but unless you have seen and lived with what they are seeing and hearing then you would no bought have a hard time believing it, I take no drugs and have not had an episode for 25 years. This is a message for Michael & Susan schofield if anyone else would like to know then email me        crusherbuckets@virginbroudband.com.au   Thanks Greg Went    Australia

I feel for this family and for anyone going through things like this.  But if you believe in the Power of Prayer, this could be cured (if in Gods will).  I would hope that I'd be fasting day and night if this were my child....The parents are already on anti-depressants and already believe there is no cure, why wouldn't you consider the one true alternative.  And anyone who thinks this is nutty, needs to examine themselves and understand your wisdom is of the world and not from God.  With Man, nothing is possible, but with God, ALL Things are possible.  You can't go back and forth trying to understand what this little girl has...or say it's one thing and not the other....but you can say that this little girl needs help.

Jesus Saves....I strongly believe in God and the power of prayer but those things alone do not cure all illnesses.  Trials are put in our path to learn and grow from.  Everyone should have an open mind and realize that this could be a real problem (even if you've never heard of it) and there are exceptions to all situations.  Most illnesses are not textbook, it took me six months to have a thyroid problem diagnosed properly after seeing numerous specialists. We do not have a right to judge what this child and family are going through.  We should offer our support and love.  Period.

I cannot believe the insensitive ignorant comments posted about this child, her parents and her very real condition.  I am 41 years old and have suffered from depression and anxiety disorder since I was eight.  To suggest that this child is trying to get attention is ridiculous.  Mental illness is very difficult to cope with and even more difficult to comprehend as a child.  I did not understand what was wrong with me; I only knew that I was very afraid and felt very empty inside for long periods of time.  I was ashamed about anyone outside of my immediate family finding out about this.  We need to support children with mentall illnesses and not make assumptions about things we don't understand.  Unless you have been in this situation you cannot possibly understand the pain and suffering this family is going through

i have a fairly serious and not very common mental illness and i can tell you from my own experience that mental illness does have a connection to spirituality.  the body, mind, and spirit are more connected than we realize.  i don't understand it- but i know it's true because i live it every day.the best solutions involve healing in all 3 areas.  every person has a different situation, even with the same illness, and different things will make the most difference for them.we can only judge others from the experiences we have had and things we have learned from others' experiences.  those of us with little personal experience and little education as to the real experiences of others can easily be ignorant and voice our opinions that are only based on our own lack of experience.  discounting the experience of other people is one of the greatest signs of pride and lack of education.

when other people say they believe in spirits- why are you so quick to attack them?  you don't know what personal things they have experienced.  you may never have had an experience to lead you to believe in it- but you don't know what someone else has gone through.why can't we just be open to admitting we don't know everything and not try to insult people because they may have gone through something you have not.  i believe in medicine.  i also know there is a spiritual factor in mental illness.  i don't understand how it works together- but i know that it does because i live it every day.

I worked with Schizophrenic adults for many years and have a very good understanding of the disease.  I tham not totally convinced she has Schizophrenia, though I've never seen her unmedicated.  It sounds more like a personality/ behaviour disorder and a severe sleep disturbance causing the hallucinations.  I read the parents blog and they claimed that Thorazine helped ( when she was coming out of the sleep induced by the Thorazine she acted like "herself") .  I am curious to know about any sleep studies performed on her .  In New York where I worked Thorazine was the drug of choice and I can assure you there was nothing normal about the patients on Thorazine as far as their thinking is concerned, they are just really sedated. Hope they don't give up on getting her a better more accurate diagnosis !