[Paranoid schizophrenia in monozygotic twins--from caregiver to patient affected]

The aim of this case study is to show how a monozygotic twin perceives the schizophrenic disorder of his twin brother and how these experiences affect his own handling and coping after the beginning of his own schizophrenic disorder.

A 46-year-old patient with a first episode of schizophrenia who took care of his twin brother with a disease history of 25 years of schizophrenia.

In this case the little knowledge the patient had of his schizophrenic disorder and his lasting lack accessing his illness in the context of a defensive mechanism were striking. Concurrently, the patient overestimated his loading capacity.

A long time of caregiving of a schizophrenic twin brother does not necessarily facilitate the coping with a schizophrenic illness of one's own. Defensive mechanisms could inhibit the implementation of constructive coping strategies with the illness.