patterns

I'm beginning to see a pattern with Mike and his medication changes.  It seems it takes the first week after a change for Mike to relax and get comfortable.  The second week goes much smoother.  I am already seeing differences in his thinking.  He seems to be much clearer in thought.  The obsessive thinking is simply a symptom of schizophrenia and it may never go away completely.  I don't think that is a side effect of the drugs, it is a side effect of the disease.  

I was telling him today about a girl who has schizophrenia and how I had found her blog.  She wrote about her obsessive thoughts.  She also described hearing voices that told her she was a bad person and berated her.  I asked Mike if he understood that this is simply the disease and it doesn't mean someone is bad.  He seemed to appreciate hearing that his symptoms are similar to those of other people.

I was also thinking about the roles individuals play in a family.  Are we born with our personalities already decided?  Are our personalities acquired from our experiences?  I don't have the answer to that but I know that I've been a "caregiver" since I was a little girl.  My mother suffered from severe depression and anxiety and I took care of her.   I was the youngest child but the only daughter so mothering was my role.  It remains my role.  It comes naturally.