Schizophrenia - General Discussion

Schizophrenia is a disease, plain and simple. F20 🙂

I don't know the first thing about schizophrenia—all I really know is that my medical records have that F20 code stamped right on them.🙂

Larry Lewis As specified by Daniel Rogers50:
I don't know much about schizophrenia, beyond the fact that my medical records carry an F20 diagnosis.🙂

What kind of "brave" are we even talking about here? It’s an interesting question. Everyone loves to claim they have backbone when they're sitting behind a screen, acting like they've got nothing to lose. Real courage isn't some loud, performative gesture you make for an audience. It's much quieter than that. Most people just mistake being stubborn or reckless for being brave. They aren't. There's a massive difference between having guts and simply lacking a sense of consequence. 😍 Fair enough. Respect where it's due.

Please, I beg you, never label yourself with a schizophrenia diagnosis. It’s just a working theory used by clinicians, and honestly, there's no telling how those symptoms might evolve over time. Even the most brilliant psychiatrists in the country couldn't give you a definitive answer on where that path leads.

A diagnosis is an incredibly complex thing, and it’s never really a finished chapter.

Jeremy Rodriguez3 said:A diagnosis is an incredibly complex thing, and it’s never really a finished chapter.

I find myself nodding along here—partly because I carry an F20.0 diagnosis myself, though, frankly, I don't feel like I have schizophrenia at all. In fact, I haven't experienced any symptoms for years now. Some people—the skeptics, the ones who think they know everything—would argue that the symptoms would just resurface the moment I stopped my medication. But I disagree. I truly believe my mind has grown stronger through the process—it's developed a sort of resilience—so even if things were to shift, those horrific symptoms wouldn't ever return quite as violently as they once did.

Larry Lewis said:I find myself nodding along here—partly because I carry an F20.0 diagnosis myself, though, frankly, I don't feel like I have schizophrenia at all. In fact, I haven't experienced any symptoms for years now. Some people—the skeptics, the ones who think they know everything—would argue that the symptoms would just resurface the moment I stopped my medication. But I disagree. I truly believe my mind has grown stronger through the process—it's developed a sort of resilience—so even if things were to shift, those horrific symptoms wouldn't ever return quite as violently as they once did.

I've heard it whispered that the illness just keeps returning more intense every single time. Given how bad things got for me before, I find myself wondering if it could even possibly get worse than that. Honestly, I probably won't ever have to find out, because I have absolutely no intention of ever stopping my medication. Not ever.

Harold Anderson3 said:I've heard it whispered that the illness just keeps returning more intense every single time. Given how bad things got for me before, I find myself wondering if it could even possibly get worse than that. Honestly, I probably won't ever have to find out, because I have absolutely no intention of ever stopping my medication. Not ever.

Larry Lewis, quit messing around—just listen to Harold Anderson3 and your own doctor! No more playing games...🙂

fadedbear92 said:Larry Lewis, quit messing around—just listen to Harold Anderson3 and your own doctor! No more playing games...🙂

You’re absolutely right—there’s really no point in messing around with that kind of nonsense. I’ll admit, I got a little carried away for a moment there—a momentary lapse in judgment, if you will—but I see sense now. Even though I have the funds available, the idea of actually pulling the trigger on a purchase doesn't even cross my mind. I’m not one of those people who lives for the constant thrill or needs to be chasing the next high every single day; that’s just not my speed. For me, it’s more about those rare moments where the impulse hits, even when I know perfectly well I ought to stay far away from it. Honestly, thank God I managed to walk away this time without any actual fallout or consequences. It could have gone sideways.

How kind of you to worry about me skipping out on that trip to the outskirts of Chicago—really, I’m touched—but honestly, you’ve managed to strike a nerve. I'm actually quite moved by the concern, though perhaps a bit stung by the implication. Fine, fine... I’ll stop giving you a hard time. Consider the teasing officially retired.🙂

jimmy jazz said:Regarding Carl Jung, yeah, he was super interested in schizophrenia. It was actually a huge motivator and kind of an "inspiration" for his whole research process (I guess one of the smaller drivers was definitely the fact that Sigmund Freud basically had nothing useful to say about it). His theories actually managed to explain it quite well—it's that whole mind-over-matter thing, obviously—which Freud never really nailed, and honestly, I don't think many others did either!
I'm not entirely sure how things stand regarding actual cures for schizophrenia, but I'm pretty certain that because of how he explained it, he wouldn't have been able to treat it once it hit those "advanced" stages.
And yeah, it's well known that most psychologists today don't really get Carl Jung at all, since they just drill them on statistics and behaviorism... but then they end up coming to me to actually learn something. 😁 😁

Schizophrenia is one of the most frequent psychiatric disorders out there. About 1% of the population lives with it...

...Schizophrenia is a complex condition. Even the experts aren't totally sure what triggers it...

..Since schizophrenia symptoms can vary wildly from one person to the next in terms of intensity and how they present, there isn't a single "best" medication for everyone. A drug that works wonders for one patient might not do much for another. While antipsychotics can't cure schizophrenia—since it's considered a chronic, incurable condition—they do significantly reduce or eliminate hallucinations and delusions, which helps the person reconnect with reality.
http://www.psychiatry.org/edu/sch.htm

Accounts of a schizophrenia-like syndrome are thought to be rare in the historical record before the 19th century, although reports of irrational, unintelligible, or uncontrolled behavior were common. A detailed case report in 1797 concerning James Tilly Matthews, and accounts by Philippe Pinel published in 1809, are often regarded as the earliest cases of the illness in medical and psychiatric literature.[111] Schizophrenia was first described as a distinct syndrome affecting teenagers and young adults by Bénédict Morel in 1853, termed démence précoce (literally 'early dementia')..

...The word schizophrenia—which translates roughly as "splitting of the mind" and comes from the Greek roots schizein (σχίζειν, "to split") and phrēn, phren- (φρήν, φρεν-, "mind")[114]—was coined by Eugen Bleuler in 1908 and was intended to describe the separation of function between personality, thinking, memory, and perception....

..Social stigma has been identified as a major obstacle in the recovery of patients with schizophrenia

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Schizop...ty_and_culture

Children with schizophrenia:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=k8mTa...eature=related

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PVHNGZ0Omx0

I'm especially curious about one thing; since this area really fascinated Carl Jung, what specifically did he propose regarding it? Has anyone here actually read his works where he dives deep into this topic enough to pull out the key points?

Was the individual successful before they were struck by psychosis?
If they had been successful—if they had truly made their mark on the world—they certainly gained a lot, but they also lost just as much. Take, for instance, a surgeon dealing with schizophrenia. Before the illness took hold, they likely had a flourishing career and a deep sense of responsibility, but once the symptoms set in, they might find themselves unable to perform their duties, forcing them into an early retirement.
On the other hand, if they hadn't achieved much professionally, there wasn't a huge amount to lose. You could imagine someone working a steady, modest job at a local printing shop in a city like Columbus; they earned a living, fell ill, and eventually transitioned into disability or retirement, which, understandably, offers much less financial security than what the surgeon once enjoyed.
In my view, the psychological weight is probably heavier for the doctor, even if their quality of life remains higher than that of the print shop worker.
Fortunately, with the advancements in modern medication, neither the surgeon nor the worker necessarily has to face an early exit from the workforce.

It might be even more helpful to look at two different scenarios, like someone who just started their freshman year at a university and then fell ill,
versus someone who has already graduated, spent some time in the workforce, and then dealt with an illness.

I don't personally have schizophrenia (at least not currently), though due to some private business matters, I maintain a very specific "connection" to that diagnosis..

To give you an idea, I recently came across the story of a highly prominent and respected clinical psychologist who actually lives with paranoid schizophrenia. He was diagnosed back when he was 25, and he’s quite a bit older now.
After his diagnosis and subsequent treatment, he decided to head to grad school, eventually specializing specifically in schizophrenia! He speaks openly about his own journey to fight stigma, serving as a massive source of inspiration and encouragement for so many others. (He even has several appearances on YouTube)

His name is Frederick Frese, and you can find his site here: http://www.fredfrese.com/

I found this particular article of his absolutely fascinating—it covers various coping mechanisms and ways of managing life
for someone living with schizophrenia link

Anyway, I thought some of you might find this just as interesting! 🙂

The later an illness manifests, the more favorable the prognosis tends to be, and vice versa.

frozengardener57 said:I don't personally have schizophrenia (at least not currently), though due to some private business matters, I maintain a very specific "connection" to that diagnosis..

To give you an idea, I recently came across the story of a highly prominent and respected clinical psychologist who actually lives with paranoid schizophrenia. He was diagnosed back when he was 25, and he’s quite a bit older now.
After his diagnosis and subsequent treatment, he decided to head to grad school, eventually specializing specifically in schizophrenia! He speaks openly about his own journey to fight stigma, serving as a massive source of inspiration and encouragement for so many others. (He even has several appearances on YouTube)

His name is Frederick Frese, and you can find his site here: http://www.fredfrese.com/

I found this particular article of his absolutely fascinating—it covers various coping mechanisms and ways of managing life
for someone living with schizophrenia link

Anyway, I thought some of you might find this just as interesting! 🙂

That's honestly wonderful to hear. I was actually wondering if there were any psychiatrists out there living with schizophrenia, and seeing this proves that people dealing with it can be incredibly successful in any field they choose. It’s really encouraging 😉

Oh, there’s plenty to dive into here!
I remember seeing an article in the New York Times about a psychiatrist based out of Chicago who specialized in schizophrenia. If I recall correctly, she’s retired now, so she was doing a bit of a retrospective look back on her career... (she focused specifically on that diagnosis, which is why she eventually stepped down) — link

Here is another interesting read about a man living with schizophrenia who is now incredibly high-functioning.
link

Well, I just stumbled upon yet another psychiatrist specializing in schizophrenia who preaches about full recovery from the condition. After his initial diagnosis, he went on to study at elite institutions like Harvard; Daniel B. Fisher
Here is an interview with him

I found quite a few names and references over on this blog: Voices of Recovery

Well, there are certainly a few out there... but the absolute standout has to be John Forbes Nash.
He was the only Nobel Prize winner dealing with schizophrenia, and he actually provided invaluable help to the US military by cracking a code regarding an attack on the USA; plus, he’s one of those rare individuals who stayed true to himself by refusing to take medication. His life story was even turned into the movie 🙂
It's also often said that Vincent van Gogh struggled with schizophrenia back when antipsychotic drugs didn't even exist yet.

Could someone explain the difference (in terms of schizophrenia) between someone who is absolutely convinced they are seeing a demon versus someone who just fears or thinks they might see one? Does that distinction even matter when it comes to schizophrenia? Thanks!

Dana Alvarez said:Could someone explain the difference (in terms of schizophrenia) between someone who is absolutely convinced they are seeing a demon versus someone who just fears or thinks they might see one? Does that distinction even matter when it comes to schizophrenia? Thanks!

There’s a massive gap between having an anxiety disorder and actually living with schizophrenia. Don't sweat it 😁