How can I help my friend?

Hi all.

I'm friends with someone over the Internet and I'm sure he has schizophrenia. We have never met in person but talk a lot over chat. He thinks the FBI is after him and he's very paranoid (thinks his family is being controlled, he is under investigation by the FBI etc). He's had these symptoms for several years now and even though he's on medication for it and it suppresses the paranoia enough that he can function from day to day, he still thinks he is surely being secretly persecuted and that he is going to die soon. I'm his only friend since he doesn't socialise. I tried explaining that it's a chemical imbalance in the brain that is causing these thoughts but understandably, he has trouble believing that explanation because most schizophrenics believe their circumstances of being persecuted is 100% real.

I suggested that he tell his psychiatrist about his paranoia so that maybe his medication can be adjusted or he can go on different medication. He has already requested this in the past, according to him, but whether it was because he wasn't forthcoming enough, or the psychiatrist's evaluation on that visit, as far as I know, his medication wasn't adjusted. I tell him that he can talk to me about his symptoms whenever he likes and I'd support him, even just being there to talk. I don't want to bring the subject up too much because I don't like to pry. Other than that I don't know what to do. I care about him so much and want him to get better. Any advice of how I can help him would be appreciated.

Maybe you could have him read some accounts of very similar cases.

I while ago I did suggest that he could look up on the Internet people's accounts of similar cases, but he said that those webpages may have been put there by the FBI to trick him. I suppose it wouldn't hurt if I tried again. I think he knows they are delusions, but it must be a hard thing to admit because if he does then there is the very real possibility (at least to him) that it will make him more vulnerable to the FBI if he lets his guard down.

Other than be willing to listen to his worries, I don't know what else to do. He's been having these thoughts for years now and he's basically wasting his life worrying over paranoia that isn't true. It must be terrible to be in fear of your life every day. What's the best way to deal with his delusions? I used to let him go on and on, but now I don't think I can let him talk too much. I'll just have to try to calm him down and be rational, because if he won't be, then I will have to.

Any other advice?

PS Thanks for the help, Philo.