Schizophrenia

Susan · Guest

Does anybody has any idea about Schizophrenia . What is the disease like and what medicines are required to curb it . Yesterday I heard that one of my friend has been diagnosed with this disease .I am very much worried andI want to help her out.

Savvy · Guest

Schizophrenia is a mental disorder characterized by impairments in the perception or expression of reality and by significant social or occupational dysfunction. Usually patients diagnosed with schizophrenia live 10-12 years less than their healthy counterparts.

Sasha · Guest

Schizophrenia is called the 'cancer of mental illnesses.' In other words, it's the worst type of mental illness you could possibly have beause you lose touch with reality and end up living in a lonely, isolated universe, without a job or friends.

We have all encountered such people at one time or another, wandering downtown streets, begging for spare change, muttering to themselves in their own make believe world and thanking our lucky stars that but for the grace of God, go we.

There are anti-psychotic drugs that can curb some of the voices and hallucinations but they come with a host of undesirable side effects (such as weight gain, hair loss and fatigue), which is why some steadfastly resist and instead self-medicate with alcohol and drugs.

While the disease is not fatal per se, it can be, in the sense that it may drive some to commit suicide, if they cannot find proper medication (without horrible side effects) or have no family or supportive network to help them.

On a positive note, there are newer medications nowadays that have fewer side effects than the old ones, which can stabilize and mainstream them back into society and as long as they stick to it, they can lead productive lives, in the same way that a diabetic can, as long as they take their insulin. In other words, the medication won't cure it but it will manage it and allow the person to live a more fulfilling life than if otherwise.

Christine · Guest

I work in the mental health field, and I have 12 clients with schizophrenia. To educate yourself and gain some understanding, there are a number of resources; your city's municiple office or even your local shelter (for the homeless) will probably be able to direct you to what is available for assistance (for education of Serious & Persistent Mental Illnesses) in your city. I would begin there.

Schizophrenia has quite clear cut symptoms, labelled as either positive or negative (meaning symptoms that are there, but should not be, or symptoms that are not there, but should be).
Hallucinations/Delusions are an example of positive symptoms, for example.
"Flat affect" ( inability to express the normal range of emotions) is an example of a negative symptom.
Foremost, please know this is a disease that has no definitive causes or etiology - it is hereditary, Biological/physiological, social and environmental...often a combination of many. She did nothing to bring it on to herself.
It is wise to remember that often their senses become overloaded by stimuli...making it difficult to concentrate on your conversations - keep it simple, consise, to the point.
They may hear/smell/feel (roughness of clothing, for example),see many things all at the same time.
Knowing that has been most helpful to me as I work with my clients. Today's Psychosocial practitioners treat the individual's with a very wholistic attitude, which considers the wishes/needs/requirements etc. of each person individually.
It is NOT a death sentence, they are NOT to be feared, and the more education you recieve as time passes will help you gain understanding on this :)

And a correction to a previous post; not all homeless/bag ladies or people just roaming the streets with a shopping cart have schizophrenia! Please do not label people...this is the worst thing that happens in society and does nothing to encourage a healthy attitude to assist those who need it. "Labelling someone a "schizophrenic" is also something to avoid at all costs.
It is not who they are, it is something they have. There are a vast number of personalitymood/anxiety disorders that people I work with have as well...often these people are mistaken for a person with schizophrenia.
The simple fact is that you cannot tell who has a certain type of disease or illness until you know their diagnoses (which often is misdiagnoses and then re-diagnosed).
Offer to attend a psych appointment with your friend - it might assist in more ways than you can imagine.
Enter "schizophrenia" in Google.com and see what comes up
:)
Best of luck to you and your friend :)
Take one day at a time.

Sasha · Guest

Christine,

I didn't mean to imply that ALL bag ladies, panhandlers and/or homeless people in general, have schizophrenia !!!!! However where I live, it's not hard to spot them (ie. people with this disease) and it doesn't require a medical degree either.

I would think that carrying on a TWO WAY conversation with ONESELF, in addition to a dissheveled appearance and wearing a heavy winter coat in the middle of July (to name just a few examples), are indicitive of some sort of mental illness.

Yes they should be treated with the same dignity and respect afforded any other human being. I was in no way implying anything to the contrary.

I was merely pointing out the fact that most of us have passed by them at one time or another--perhaps without even realizing it-- as some have more pronounced symptoms than others (particularly those refusing medication).

Yes they are human beings and should be treated with kindness and compassion. No one is saying or implying anything less. But the fact is that a large percentage of them do fall through the social network at times and we've all encountered them at one time or another.

Christine · Guest

Thank you for the clarification, Sasha :)
It is much appreciated. I was not trying to sound harsh by any means (please forgive me if you thought I was!)
I am addressing common issues that we see on the front line with our clients in the community.
Sadly, stigma is the number one factor, and believe it or not, we see it alot with General Practitioner Doctors!

For the sake of this discussion, I would like to point out (to all)that there are a number of illnesses that can often appear to have schizophrenia-like symptoms - schizophreniform and schizoaffective disorder, etc... The DSM IV has so many listed that it gets confusing....but they are not not the same schizophrenia - just with a few traits of it.

Susan, I think it is so vital to underscore the importance of a supportive network for your friend - imagine how quickly a healthy brain would become ill if it all started with a major stressor, such as a job loss....then depression...then homelessness...then isolation....then (fill in the blanks). One can then see how we all may be vulnerable to these types of illnesses, seeing as how these illnesses may also be caused by enviroment.
It is also very important for your friend to have alot of structure and familiarity in her life, as stressors are the #1 cause of psychotic relapse, and if she by chance chooses not to take medications, then keep in mind that the very organ that she
is using to judge herself/her actions/behaviors etc, is ill.
(As Sasha said, regarding meds; For women, the greatest indicators of non compliance happens when or if they experience hair growth or weight gain...usually on the typical (older) neuroleptics (antipsychotics).

I highly recommend the book titled "Surviving Schizophrenia"
(cannot recall the author!!) It has unbelievable first hand accounts to this very intriguing illness.
When your friend is in a good spot mentally (she will have good and bad days like we all do)...she will be a source of incredible inspiration to you :)
The human brain is so utterly complex and the human spirit is truly awe-inspiring, that often I am humbled by my clients :)

mandy · Guest

The medications for schizophrenia, and for most mental illnesses, are basically just counteracting symptoms. And weight gain and hair loss are just the beginning. No one feels "normal" on these drugs. Imagine having a dislocated shoulder and your doctor says, "I don't know how to fix your shoulder, but here, take these pain kilers. You'll feel better." The pain killers do make you feel better, but what happens after 15 years of walking around with a dislocated shoulder and taking every pain killer on the shelf?
No one knows for sure what causes mental illness but there has been intriguing research that suggests that faulty absorption, poor uptake and/or increased need for certain vitamins and trace minerals may be involved. Many people have been helped by the Orthomolecular approach and other specialized vitamin/mineral supplements. Drugs are not the only option. I encourage you to help your friend explore alternatives.

kim · Guest

schizophrenia destroyed my life.

Jacqueline V · Guest

Mandy, if you think that the cancer of mental illnesses (ie. schizophrenia) can be resolved through diet and exercise, then I have swamp land in Florida I'd like to sell to you.

I see these unfortunate people all the time in the downtown core of my city and they are walking shells of human beings, talking to themselves in their own world like zombies.

Do you honestly think that giving them a bottle of vitimans instead of anti-psychotic medication (to erase or at least dull the audio and visual hallucinations, as well as paranoia) will alter their situation??? I think not. If it were that simple, the problem would have been solved by now.

Schizophrenia is not like the common cold, where you can just pop a vitiman C and all your troubles will be over. It's a life long battle that can only be helped through prescription medication--short of divine intervention.

As for your spiel about a dislocated shoulder and painkillers---well painkillers might not resolve the problem but they would help mask the pain enough that you could still hold a job or sleep at night, so if they would improve the quality of your life to that extent, then their benefit would outweigh the downside.

All drugs have side effects but some can mean the difference between life and death. Chemo drugs have side effects too but can also save lives. Likewise with prescription meds for mental and physical illnesses. Painkillers--when used properly (as opposed to abused) can be a life saver. Likewise with drugs used to treat schizophrenia.

hugo · Guest

:D There is a book call "what really causes schizophrenia" by Harold Foster. This is an amazing book. :lol:

heatheremailyhannah · Guest

My mother has schizophrenia and does not take medication.As she ages will it become worse. I have two younger sisters and no one is close or talks and miles away from each other for that matter. it is very painful and I am still trying to heal. My father never did anything and let her emotionally abuse us.

ad · Guest

Do an internet search for schizophrenia + niacin + orthomolecular'. The Orthomolecular Journal will tell you that niacin is the missing component in schizophrenia. A. Hoffer, M.D. has written many articles on this topic. The patient needs to start with a very low dosage, i.e. 25 mg niacin and gradually increase. Everything you need to know on this topic is on the internet. Seek and you will find!

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lauravic · Guest

Hey, this is in reply to Sashas email. Just wanted to say that you're spot on with regards to the serious side effects of the psychotropic drugs these poor souls are mad to take, mainly because they feel the have no other options. My brother has been living with schizophrenia for half his life and we despaired that he was never going to have a normal life.
I'm happy to report that my family and I have found a treatment plan for him that has made a significant difference in his quality of life. We went to visit a Naturopathic doctor who's focus on mental health and , honestly my brothers symptoms have reduced by 60% in 8 months. The difference is amazing, I mean he hasn't been cured by any means, but he is well in his way to being able to get a job and potentially a normal life (whatever that means :). He's been on a combination of niacin therapy (thats vitamin B3 in its formal name) and some other supplements and his paranoia is almost gone, he can look us in the eye and laughs as well. He can engage us in conversation and he actually cried recently for the first time about my fathers recent death. (people on these psychotropic drugs are numb and tranquilized and don't have normal emotional reactions)He's still very introverted, but can be around other people without them knowing he has an illness at all. We live in Toronto, Canada and go to a clinic called Naturopathic Medical Research clinic.
It's worth checking out, it's made a huge difference in my brothers health and the family has hope for the first time since he got sick.
I don't think you should be self prescribing niacin though, and the dose one would need is closer to 3 grams, not .25 mg. High doses of any mineral can be antagonistic to the balance of the body and should be handled by a professional.
Hope this information is helpful, its a little known, grassroots approach, but I think any approach is worth a try.