Families may:
- Use medication as an easy explanation for behaviour they don’t understand (“he’s acting strange → must’ve stopped his pills”).
- Avoid deeper emotional or relational issues by focusing only on the medical angle. It feels “safe,” but it can invalidate the person’s real experiences or distress.
- Sometimes, it’s fear-driven — they remember past crises linked to stopping medication and instantly associate any problem with relapse.
🧩 2. Neuroscience of perception and memory
When family members have seen episodes of psychosis or instability before, the brain forms strong emotional memories (amygdala-based).
So even minor changes in behaviour trigger a rapid threat response:
“Something’s wrong — it must be the meds.”
This is a pattern-recognition bias — the brain tries to protect by linking present cues to past danger.
đź’¬ 3. Psychological impact on the person
Hearing that question repeatedly can feel:
- Invalidating (“my feelings don’t count, only my pills do”)
- Shaming (“I’m reduced to a diagnosis”)
- Dehumanizing (identity tied to medication, not personal growth or healing)
Over time, this can cause emotional withdrawal, mistrust, and even resistance to treatment, because the person feels controlled rather than supported.
⚖️ 4. Healthier alternative
Instead of asking “Are you taking your medication?”, a more supportive question might be:
“How have you been feeling lately?”
“Is anything making things harder right now?”
This shifts focus from control → compassion, helping both parties stay connected rather than adversarial.
