8 posts shown.
Larry Lewis said:And frankly, I’m not even sure what you were trying to accomplish with that post—to me, it just sounds like pure, unadulterated gossip.😢
I was just describing the one person I actually know who lives with schizophrenia—and it really makes me wonder if everyone else dealing with this condition looks or functions the same way. It seems to me like there are massive differences between people with the diagnosis, especially when it comes to how they manage to adapt to everyday life.
Altec—she’s already been hospitalized three times. She refuses to follow any kind of treatment plan because, according to her, she’s perfectly fine—but then, whenever it suits her, suddenly she’s "sick." Basically, she won't take her medication, or if she does, it’s completely inconsistent. And since she isn't willing to help herself, she doesn't seem to care if anyone else tries to help her, either.
Nicholas Anderson said:My husband and I are living with my parents, and they’re basically pushing me out of the house because they think I’m lazy and spend my entire existence doing absolutely nothing; also, there’s the secondary issue where, out of pure spite, I actually sued my brother just to mess with his life because I can't stand him.
I’m pregnant, and an abortion isn't on the table because that would mean losing my husband, and besides, I don't think it would even bother me during those rare moments when I feel remotely "normal."
So, I suppose I have to accept that I'll be changing diapers, raising a child, and probably having to cook—which, despite my best efforts, I am terrible at since I can't seem to retain even the simplest recipe—because we can't just live off peanut butter sandwiches forever; even worse is the fact that a child needs parenting, yet I stubbornly refuse to even parent myself, which means I'll eventually have to care about how their day went, what happened at school (something I couldn't care less about even back when I was a student), who their friends are, and a whole host of other tedious things.
The whole idea is revolting to me, and if I'm being completely honest, I only want this baby for entirely selfish reasons.
My husband and I enrolled in this incredibly dead-end community college program, which clearly won't lead anywhere since someone will need to stay home with the baby, and I can't even think about getting a job because I'm still finishing high school and then there's the kid waiting for me.
Oh, and if it matters, I deal with depression and Bipolar Disorder; I've spent six months having my brain scrubbed by psychotherapy and medication, though I honestly fail to see the point of any of it.
I am so utterly broken that I've even considered ending it all simply out of sheer laziness, because life demands effort in every single sense, and I lack the willpower to even whip up a meal, let alone strive for anything meaningful; the boredom and the loneliness are just killing me, and I spend my days with no one to talk to, which might be for the best given how poorly I interact with people, and I know I'll end up being the worst mother in history because I just won't care—I even thought about pretending to care enough to stop smoking during the pregnancy.
Why am I even posting this? Because even a fool like me can see that this life is going nowhere, and the only real question is how much time I have before my husband kicks me to the curb too; my dad tells me I need to get help, but I don't really know how you "treat" a fundamental way of existing, and after six months of listening to the same nonsense in therapy that hasn't helped, I doubt it would help if they locked me up in a psychiatric ward for a month and repeated the same useless scripts.
Most days I just sit on my bed, staring blankly at the wall, lacking the energy to do anything at all, and I don't even have the desire to read or watch TV because I can't hold onto a single piece of information.
To be blunt, I feel sorry for my husband, and I feel sorry for this child who is going to have to be ashamed to tell anyone who their mother is.
I have tried so many times to act "normal," and every single time I've ended up looking like an idiot; after falling down and pulling myself up a thousand times, I just don't have the strength to get up anymore, and even after spending six months trying to cooperate with my psychiatrist to be a functioning person, she started allowing me to actually feel things, which caused me to crash even lower than I was before I ever started therapy, and then I'm supposed to just pull myself up again???
It feels like the only options left are to change or to die, and the former isn't an option right now; I've never been part of society, and I have no desire to start now, as I am fundamentally broken and feel this overwhelming urge to run away from everyone, which means leaving both my husband and the baby once they arrive, and I'm genuinely afraid that's exactly what I'll do.
Well, just have the abortion while you still can!... You're clearly going to make life miserable for both yourself and the child. I would be a parent just like you, which is why I decided not to have kids.
The report mentioned "voluntary driving mechanisms in decline"—that was one of the clinical terms used
for someone suffering from schizophrenia. I can’t recall all the specific medical jargon, but it noted how she keeps accusing her father of withholding money, and she’s constantly rambling about her innocence and Jesus. I happened to read some posts by Out of Blue, and even though she struggles with schizophrenia too, you can tell she's sharper—more articulate, comes from a more stable background, and actually manages to lead a relatively functional life. It's a world apart from this poor soul I know personally, who just isn't very bright, lives in a low-income household with a depressed mother and an eccentric father, and frankly, doesn't seem to have any chance at a normal existence. She spends her entire life cooped up in her parents' house, where they absolutely loathe each other. She doesn't own a computer, doesn't care about TV, doesn't read books or magazines, and has zero social life—nothing interests her. She just spends her days rotting away in that apartment, trapped in these delusions about Jesus and other nonsense. Most importantly, she refuses to help herself because she won't take her medication.
Larry Lewis said:Look, maybe she is a difficult person, but I still believe the illness plays a massive role here—psychosis has this way of blurring and warping everything you perceive.
Most people I know who deal with schizophrenia are actually decent folks just struggling through the chaos of the condition and life itself. Honestly, it stung to see you talk about her like that—you clearly don't grasp what "stigma" actually means since you haven't had to feel its weight on your own skin.
If her behavior bothers you, then either tell her to her face or just walk away. There is absolutely zero point in dragging her name through the mud online; all it does is give uneducated people the impression that we’re all just a bunch of lunatics to be avoided.
Go read the new thread by Harold Anderson3 and see what he's actually battling. If you want my two cents, I'd say his situation is even more grueling than what he lets on—I live with this myself, so I know exactly how heavy the burden can be.
And don't lose sight of the fact that, regardless of her personality, that girl is dealing with a very serious diagnosis.
Look, I was just sharing my own experience with someone living with schizophrenia.
Maybe I was a little harsh with my wording. I'll go back and re-read it.
Larry Lewis said:Everything you’ve been spewing about her—all those jabs—it really just says more about you than anyone else. If she’s causing trouble, then she’s only hurting herself at the end of the day. Honestly, I can't even wrap my head around what she could have possibly done to you to justify all these nasty names you're throwing around.
People have the right to live their lives however they damn well please.
If only her actions weren't also self-destructive. It's not like her family has the money to just cut her loose entirely.
And then there's her claim that she can't wait for them to pass away so she can finally be on her own—as if she isn't out there hurling insults at everyone else! And let's be real, her illness isn't some excuse for being malicious; if anything, it just brought out the worst in her.
Larry Lewis said:Using terms like "schizos" to describe people living with schizophrenia... no comment.😢
Get well soon, you poor thing... hopefully things turn around for you.
Benjamin Taylor6 said:My daughter-in-law used to crush up Xanax for her husband when he was being difficult—just mixed it right into his food or drink. He never even noticed a weird taste or anything. Honestly, though, you really ought to sit down with a psychiatrist and discuss this behavior; maybe ask about getting his meds in injectable form instead. Those liquid or powder versions tend to be much more subtle and don't leave such an obvious aftertaste. http://www.mayoclinic.org
I know this specific person with schizophrenia who does the exact same thing—crushing pills into meals. But now she’s reached a stage where she refuses to eat anything at all, so that’s become the new issue. In all fairness, those pills weren't even helping her much... maybe if she had actually gone to her appointments with her doctor, they could have prescribed something else entirely.
I know a woman who struggles with schizophrenia—honestly, she’s incredibly draining and frustrating to be around. When you're sitting with her, she either starts laughing with these unsettling grimaces, falls into dead silence, or just rambles on about these tedious, disjointed stories that constantly loop back to Jesus. Her parents are quite odd, too—her dad was a decent guy, worked a steady job until retirement, but he was always disorganized, neglected his appearance, and had zero social life. Her mom has some cognitive issues and deals with heavy depression—she’s constantly popping pills like Xanax—but she still managed to pull through her career. Then there’s her sister, who is easily the most well-adjusted one in the family. I’ve known this woman for years, and her condition has just steadily declined; she’s 33 now. Of course, she doesn't work—whenever anything requires actual effort, she claims she's too sick, but the moment it suits her, suddenly she's perfectly fine. Back when she was younger and actually functioning socially, she was just lazy—no work ethic, no sense of responsibility, just extremely self-centered. She used to be quite pretty, too—always dressed up, wearing makeup, doing her hair—but now? She looks like she crawled out of a wreck. She just throws on whatever tacky rags she finds around the house, she's unkempt, and her dental hygiene is terrible, which is such a shame because guys used to really go for her. She has no friends left; she drove everyone away because she can't stand being around people anymore—though she used to be the exact opposite, always needing to be surrounded by crowds and meeting new people constantly. At this point, her own family can barely stand her; if they had the money, they’d happily pay to have her placed in a facility just so they wouldn't have to deal with her. She refuses her therapy because she insists she's "normal," yet conveniently becomes "sick" whenever work or responsibilities come up. Recently, a state evaluation team came to her house because her sister filed a claim for disability benefits—to prove she’s unfit for employment. They noted that while she’s physically healthy, she has absolutely no interest in anything and spends her entire day just lying in bed smoking. Sometimes she won't even acknowledge you on the street, but other times, she'll spot me in town, sit down right next to me at a cafe without being asked, and expect me to just entertain her because she feels like talking in that moment. The last time I saw her, she sat across from me and started that irritating, random smiling again, so I just completely ignored her. She even mentioned thinking about suicide, and I told her that sounded like a good idea. The worst part is if someone were to ever enable her, she’s under the delusion that she should have a child.🙂
I don't feel sorry for her because she has absolutely no desire to help herself. She won't take her medication, she won't see a psychiatrist—basically, she refuses any kind of treatment whatsoever. And then she suffers, and what can you even say about that?