I'm not a mental health professional but I do have a son with schizophrenia. When a schizophrenic person is going through a good period, they may appear mostly normal. They can be charming and funny...although you may always get the feeling that something is not quite right with their behavior. They do not have the ability to pick up on socially acceptable cues....their sensors are a bit off.
When a schizophrenic person undergoes a psychotic episode, it is immediately noticeable. There are any number of odd behaviors....which could include slurred speech, weird tics, constant sitting and standing, jerking muscles, increased agitation, irrational arguments, etc. In other words, the person can become like a stranger.....and there have been times that I have been fearful of my own child, because I didn't recognize him. To me, his entire appearance would change during episodes.
I wouldn't be too hard on the mom either. We don't know her circumstances yet. And it might be quite easy to meet, fall in love, and marry a very sick person who was having a good number of months...or who was compliant with medications, seeing a specialist, etc....but who later began to display disturbing tendencies either through the deterioration of his condition or through stopping his medical treatment plan (which we know schizophrenics almost always do at some point).
raying:
