Schizophrenia - General Discussion

briskgull27 said:This is honestly so exhausting. I feel like I could just stop taking my mood stabilizers tomorrow—and let’s be real, they mess with your head quite a bit—so
tomorrow, I might just quit them altogether, just to prove to myself that I can conquer this schizophrenia and bipolar disorder within five years.
But what if I end up needing them for twenty or thirty years instead?!!!!
I'm just not really sure.

Dana Brooks3 said:What actually causes schizophrenia... to me, it feels like asking what makes a person human in the first place...

Even for older patients around age 50, it's really just a chemical imbalance. It’s a progressive disease that can't be cured... depending on the type, it permanently erodes someone's personality.
I'm no expert, but I don't think there's a simple answer to this... A chemical imbalance could be both the cause and the result.
Medication is definitely necessary during acute phases when there’s simply no other way to stabilize a patient... I used to believe that all mental health issues were just chemical imbalances that needed to be treated like any other physical ailment. That doctor's perspective—that diabetics have to live with insulin forever—really shapes how we view these things...
It’s not that simple. Even with medication, results vary so much from one person to the next. What I really want to figure out is how to preserve someone's actual personality... before we just focus on keeping their body functioning like everything is normal...
I believe in healing too. A combined approach... medication paired with psychotherapy. Any quality, proven system that allows for continuous self-work to master the underlying mechanisms of the mind...
I really think we need to focus more on studying the brain—not just how it functions biologically, but how it shapes the psyche...
The soul and body are inextricably linked. No medication on earth can fix what an emotional breakdown does to you... There isn't a formula out there that could ever explain it...

I've been working on this post for ages, but I just deleted it because I started rambling with too many examples... it was getting out of hand...
It’s worth noting that in certain spiritual traditions, like those found in old monastic orders, there are accounts of people having truly terrifying experiences. We’re talking hallucinations, visual and auditory disturbances, intrusive thoughts—all the classic symptoms we’d categorize today as schizophrenia or similar conditions. But back then, they had specific methods to find calm and clarity... and those individuals went on to live peaceful, healthy lives. I mention this because I know a young man who didn't head to a doctor when he hit his worst psychotic break. Instead, he worked through it using a different, more systematic approach. He shared his experience with me while I was convinced he’d end up in a psychiatric ward—especially seeing him struggling on the floor, making these haunting sounds that didn't even seem to come from his own throat. He wasn't afraid, though. He just told me that if he ever lost control completely, there were specific places he needed to be taken. He viewed it as a common part of the journey for some people. It took a long time, but he managed to pull through without taking any medication. To be clear, I am not suggesting anyone stop their prescriptions or blindly dive into a "struggle" thinking they can handle it all alone. Most patients shouldn't try that. I just want to say that there might be something more out there...

I'm not saying that every struggle with mental health is some profound spiritual journey leading toward enlightenment... or someone else's Calvary...

We should view every illness, whether physical or mental, as a trial designed to test our strength and resilience. These struggles aren't just random things that happen to us from the outside; they are rooted within us, often passed down through our families. To truly heal, we have to face them head-on... because it's only through this process that we actually get to know ourselves. Only we have the power to untangle these issues, master them, or learn how to live alongside them...

I went off track again.
So, medication? Sure. As a tool...
But the real key is understanding how the mind actually works—its underlying mechanics. Once you get that, you can apply techniques to actually solve these issues for good.
Also, maybe one day we’ll design a pill that shifts our intelligence exactly how we want (just like drugs mess with consciousness), but you can essentially boil our entire lived experience down to chemistry. Theoretically, you could design a pill for every single thing that messes with our mental state or emotions. But you still have to live life.

Anyway, I'm all over the place. I rambled through a million introductions because I didn't want anyone to misunderstand my point, but we could go on forever about psychology and personal anecdotes... it would be way too long. I just tried to pull out the main points and shift the focus to certain things.

Here blue bird, it isn't as scientific as I’d like it to be or as much as you probably expected😉 but that's my take on it in broad strokes.

We can keep filling them up😉

He formulated the view that madness was an attempt by the person to spontaneously cure themselves of the maddening situations in which they had to live, and that as such it was a natural healing process which ought to be facilitated to run its course rather than be arrested, blocked and forever suspended by forcibly feeding psycho-pharmacological concoctions to such people and locking them up in ‘mental hospitals’ in a process of degradation![

Dana Brooks3 said:I'm not saying you should just quit and be left without anything. They provide safety, stability, and help you function. They just don't fix the underlying cause. They manage the symptoms.
Don't get caught up in counting the years.
Think about treating the root, and the root is you. That means the solution is within you, though you might need the right guidance to find it. Look, this kind of illness is more about your own willpower and strength than some doctor prescribing a pill (mental health isn't quite like a physical ailment). A doctor doesn't live inside your brain. Even the top specialist in the country couldn't possibly grasp what's actually happening to you when you're spiraling.

See, part of who you are includes everything this illness brings. It's your nature. And finding real change often means seeing the other side of the coin. Trust me, there is strength hidden within the struggle. Everything that feels like a curse can also be a blessing; it all depends on how we handle it. It doesn't mean you'll stop feeling or thinking in your specific way. It just means you'll learn to find the advantages, so your thoughts and feelings don't control you like a storm... instead, once you truly understand them, you'll be the one in control.

Brenda Cook4 said:Dana Brooks3—thank you for putting in the effort,🙂 and I have to say, that's exactly how I see things too.
I've actually cited the psychiatrist R.D. Laing before (he approaches this from an existentialist philosophical perspective), so I'll just share a bit of his core philosophy here:

He formulated the view that madness was an attempt by the person to spontaneously cure themselves of the maddening situations in which they had to live, and that as such it was a natural healing process which ought to be facilitated to run its course rather than be arrested, blocked and forever suspended by forcibly feeding psycho-pharmacological concoctions to such people and locking them up in ‘mental hospitals’ in a process of degradation![

Gregory Young3 said:I would honestly never advise anyone to stop taking their medication. In my view, that kind of decision should only be made by the medical professional treating the patient. Based on what I’ve seen, I am a supporter of medication. While some disorders can be managed more easily on one's own, I believe pharmacological treatment is completely justified for more complex conditions like bipolar disorder or schizophrenia.
I struggled with anxiety and everything that comes with it—panic attacks followed by depression. I managed to overcome it on my own, but it took me two years. Of course, that isn't really comparable to much more severe disorders (even though what I went through was incredibly difficult and awful).

It’s like telling a diabetic they shouldn't take insulin. Just fix your metabolism through sheer willpower.

What helped me was realizing that those thoughts weren't actually "me." I know what it's like when your brain starts functioning that way—but if I get rid of that part of myself, I'll essentially become a different person. Yeah right. Those are just tricks the mind plays on you. It's as if the disorder itself is fighting to survive.

That isn't you. That is something happening to you. Everyone goes through things. Plenty of people deal with all sorts of mental health struggles and issues.

...Just stand in the Sun and the darkness will fade. x

Taylor Campbell4 said:I don't think there's anything "obvious" here—as in, it isn't just a given that one thing causes another.

Even if we accept that a chemical imbalance is part of a broader treatment plan, they aren't really providing much in terms of actual solutions. I mean, what's the root cause of that imbalance? Is it just random chance?

Right now, we're seeing two different scientific paradigms clashing, and because of that, treatment methods haven't fully evolved to match the newer school of thought.
However, a small group of pioneers in this field are far more informed about these nuances than the average person—and even more so than the average professional.

briskgull27 said:Look, you guys clearly don't get it—I could happily eat roasted ants if I had to.
But the real thing is, I’ve got the stamp to prove it!!

Gregory Young3 said:What you're saying, Blue Bird, isn't really grounded in reality. I know you mean well, but that approach is honestly dismissive of both people living with this disorder and modern medical science.
Telling someone to "get it together" isn't helpful advice for those dealing with severe mental health challenges. As I’ve mentioned before, medication provides a necessary break from unbearable pain and a distorted perception of reality, allowing you to see things more clearly and maintain some perspective.
It's like the old saying about fixing the roof while the Sun is shining. You need clarity to make sound decisions and truly help yourself.
That’s why a combination of medication, psychotherapy, and gradually reshaping your thought patterns is the way to go.

mistybison said:It's clear you wouldn't fit in with us here on this forum. 🙂 Honestly, if you hadn't mentioned your schizophrenia in your posts, I doubt anyone would have even suspected it based on how you write. 😉 Now that we know, however, it doesn't change our opinion of you one bit.

Gregory Young3 said:What you're saying, Blue Bird, isn't really grounded in reality. I know you mean well, but that approach is honestly dismissive of both people living with this disorder and modern medical science.
Telling someone to "get it together" isn't helpful advice for those dealing with severe mental health challenges. As I’ve mentioned before, medication provides a necessary break from unbearable pain and a distorted perception of reality, allowing you to see things more clearly and maintain some perspective.
It's like the old saying about fixing the roof while the Sun is shining. You need clarity to make sound decisions and truly help yourself.
That’s why a combination of medication, psychotherapy, and gradually reshaping your thought patterns is the way to go.

Dana Brooks3 said:Sharp?

Honey, if you took even a tenth of what they’re on—just because some doctor doesn't know how to handle them—you wouldn't just lose your edge. You’d probably need a giant sign posted right in front of your face every morning telling you who you are, where you are, and which way leads to the bathroom... including a little reminder of why you actually need to go there in the first place. 😉
Okay, maybe I'm exaggerating. But I have my reasons.

And I know this is different from the constant therapy your friend or briskgull27 is going through.

I just want to clarify things for anyone who doesn't realize that medication can often be exactly that. Just because a drug exists doesn't mean it's always appropriate, correctly prescribed, or properly dosed...

briskgull27 said:That's a great point—it isn't a coincidence, and it doesn't necessarily have to be physical in nature, either. It could be something non-material. 🙂 And when I say "underlying factors," I'm not talking about family dynamics or home life.