Schizophrenia - General Discussion

briskgull27 said:Andrew Harris7, you're messing with me.😍 😁

It’s not a joke. It sounds vague, sure, but that was my perception at the time.
I have a tendency to overthink things. I'm used to it, but it doesn't make it any easier.🙂 😁

Taylor Howard36 said:It says it isn't incurable! Does that mean there really is a cure?

I honestly have no idea what they're getting at here, but the reality is that maybe 10-15% of people actually recover.
It feels a little strange, doesn't it?
What are they even trying to say?
Anyway, I'm off to hit the mall.😘

briskgull27 said:I am not sure if you understand, but you could talk to me for five years and it won't be as effective as a regimen of medication.
I am not dealing with neuroticism; I am dealing with psychosis.

In that case, stick to your prescribed treatment plan, and things will likely turn out just fine. 🙂

briskgull27 said:I honestly have no idea what they're even talking about. It’s true that maybe 10-15% of people actually recover.
It feels a bit off.
What are they even writing?
I'm heading out to go shopping.😘

I picked up a shirt at the Target in town
and another one at the mall... what a rush!

I stick to my therapy, and for the most part, things are going okay.
But I feel like this page was actually started for a different reason—to help people realize
that schizophrenics are just regular people like anyone else.They aren't mass murderers, though of course, if a schizophrenic does kill someone, it's all over the news immediately, unlike almost any other crime.

It's the same thing when a victim is involved; if a schizophrenic is killed, it doesn't make the news, but if a PTSD sufferer is killed, it’s headline news right away.

And what about when FOX once came to film me? They had to protect my identity in the segment because if people recognized me, I might have been targeted.

:2up:

Why don't we all head over to FOX right now to watch A Beautiful Mind? Even if the portrayal of John Forbes Nash's life isn't exactly accurate, wouldn't it be worth watching just to see a good documentary?🙂

ivana2009 said:Spiritual retreats don't really work because people are terrified of letting go. I went to a charismatic retreat recently, and honestly, it didn't help much. I was just too scared of my own shadow—scared of facing my dark side—and I even started hearing all sorts of voices.

That’s a valid point... personally, back when I was at a spiritual retreat led by Father James in a small town in Ohio, I truly felt the presence of Jesus and His power. That sense of inner peace is such an incredible feeling; you have to keep chasing it and cherishing it. But it seems like so many people just miss out on that...???
I'm actually really worried about my girlfriend right now and I'm at a loss for how to help her.
She has huge issues with lying—massive ones. She lies so much constantly that I can't even tell what's real anymore and what's just an act. Whenever I try to be honest with her about something, she reacts negatively, starts pulling her hair, and claims she has schizophrenia, though based on what I read on the forums, she doesn't seem like a schizophrenic to me. Plus, she refuses to take any medication...

Does anyone have any advice???😕

rocker11 said:That’s true... I was in Columbus for a spiritual retreat led by James and experienced Jesus and His power—that sense of peace is just incredible. You have to keep seeking it... yet so many people don't...
But I'm worried about my girlfriend. I don't know how to help her.
She struggles with lying, and it's massive. She lies so much now that I can't tell what's real and what's an act. When I try to be honest with her, she reacts negatively, pulls her hair out... she supposedly has schizophrenia, though reading this forum makes me wonder, since she isn't taking any meds...

Does anyone have advice?😕

TAKE HER TO A DOCTOR!!

How can someone actually help a patient on their own?

It’s absolutely vital—really, it’s the cornerstone of everything—that the patient truly grasps what they’re dealing with. They need to understand the nature of the illness and why sticking to the medication schedule is so incredibly important for keeping things on a positive track.

Beyond that, they have to get familiar with the symptoms—not just the obvious stuff, but learning how to spot those early warning signs that things might be taking a turn for the worse.

And please, for heaven's sake, treatment shouldn't be stopped on a whim without talking to a psychiatrist first! You have to make it clear to the patient that a schizophrenia diagnosis isn't the "end of the road" kind of thing people used to think it was back in the day—you know, before we had modern antipsychotics. The old stigmas are outdated.

Nowadays, thanks to modern medicine and various therapeutic methods, most people living with schizophrenia can lead genuinely high-quality lives.

If they feel like the meds aren't working—or if the side effects are becoming a nightmare—they need to talk to their doctor about it instead of just quitting cold turkey. That's dangerous.

Look, if you're feeling stuck or unhappy with the current treatment plan, don't just sit there. Ask your doctor if there are rehabilitation programs, support groups, or even something similar in your local community that could offer more options.

Can people living with schizophrenia have children?

The short answer is yes—people diagnosed with schizophrenia can absolutely have kids. Now, there is a genetic component to consider, so the risk of a child developing the condition is statistically higher if both parents are dealing with it compared to when only one parent is
. We see it all the time in our society—individuals managing schizophrenia being wonderful, loving parents who raise their children to be high achievers, doing great in school and eventually excelling in college. 👋
That said—and this is a big "that said"—there’s a massive moral obligation here. If someone has a history of this illness, they really ought to be upfront and completely honest with a partner before tying the knot. It’s about transparency. Unfortunately, in the US, we don't always see that level of honesty, which can lead to a messy, heartbreaking chain reaction of consequences down the road.

Taylor Howard36 said:Is it possible for people living with schizophrenia to have children?

People diagnosed with schizophrenia can certainly have children. While there is a higher statistical risk of the condition being passed down if both parents are affected compared to just one parent, it isn't a certainty.
Every day, we see examples of how individuals managing schizophrenia can be wonderful, loving parents who raise kids who go on to become successful students and professionals. 👋
That said, it’s important to mention that anyone navigating this should be honest with their partner about their diagnosis before getting married, especially if symptoms have already appeared. Unfortunately, in our society, that level of transparency doesn't always happen as it should, which can lead to a lot of difficult situations down the road.

👋 👋 👋 You are so kind; my partner and I actually had an abortion for that very reason.

Well, you can't please everyone, right? Not everyone can fit perfectly into what society expects.😠
Our child will be smart—that’s just how my spouse and I are wired—and if they end up having schizophrenia, we'll manage it.
Plus, it would be nice since we're both good-looking!

I was actually just watching Nash.
In that documentary, he bows so many times when he receives his Nobel Prize
it actually made me cry. I guess every Shizo has to learn how to bow at some point in their life.

😢 😉

Anne, just grab him and slap some duct tape over his mouth—problem solved!

I'm actually really curious to see what the IMF report says. It should be ready in about a week.
If I had a hole in my bank account right now, I'd be a total disaster.🤣 🤣 🤣

outoftheblue said:👋 👋 👋 You’re such a sweetheart—honestly, we both know we’ve had our share of "unplanned exits" before.

But look, you can't expect everything in this world to be perfect—it's impossible to follow every single social rule to the letter without losing your mind.😠
My husband and I? We're smart—we have to be, it's in the DNA—so if the kid ends up dealing with schizophrenia, well, we'll just deal with it. It is what it is.
Plus, they'll probably be easy on the eyes, considering both of us are pretty good-looking.

I was actually just watching Nash the other day.
In that documentary, there’s this moment where he bows for four whole pages while receiving his Nobel Prize...
I actually teared up watching it. Every Shizo out there eventually learns how to bow to the powers that be.

😢 😉

Ah, well—truth be told, we all have to bow down to something at some point. 😬 🙄

outoftheblue said:Come on, Anne—just grab him, slap some duct tape over his mouth, and call it a day!

I’m actually dying to know what the IMF report is going to show—it should be ready in about a week.
If I end up having a literal hole in my gut, I guess I'll just be a medical marvel, right?🤣 🤣 🤣

I know his brother (let's call him X), but I haven't met him yet! 😬 Though, honestly, I'd love to! 😍

And X actually sent me this lovely flower arrangement for Christmas! 😍

.....well, assuming the results come back okay...🙂 I was actually just reading up on schizophrenia—and hey, there's HOPE! 😘 I mean, seriously—you can definitely live a full life with it! 🙂 Now, I'm just crossing my fingers and toes that the tests turn out fine.

Stigmas Surrounding Mental Illness

Let’s talk about the sheer amount of prejudice people still carry regarding mental health—it's everywhere. There is this pervasive, completely unfounded assumption that anyone dealing with a mental health disorder is inherently dangerous or somehow irresponsible 😵 , when in reality, a diagnosis isn't some sort of moral failing or a "weakness of character." Because of this massive gap in public understanding, psychiatric facilities often get branded as repressive or cold, and the whole process of seeking help is unfairly dismissed as being futile.

Right now, as the American mental health system undergoes this massive overhaul—moving away from those old-school, isolated institutions and shifting toward community-based care—there’s a huge push to create better support systems for patients and their families. The goal here is actually meaningful: improving the quality of care and making sure people can actually reintegrate into their local communities rather than being sidelined.

Taylor Howard36 said:The stigma surrounding mental illness

Stigma regarding mental health issues is widespread throughout the public. People living with mental disorders are often unfairly labeled as dangerous or irresponsible😵 , while having a mental health condition is frequently misinterpreted as a flaw in one's character. Due to this lack of understanding, mental health facilities are sometimes viewed as overly restrictive, and treatment itself is often dismissed as ineffective.

As the American psychiatric system undergoes restructuring—moving away from large institutions toward community-based care models—new support programs are being developed for patients and their families. The goal is to improve overall healthcare quality and ensure smoother reintegration for patients back into their local communities.

http://mentalhealth.mayoclinic.org/schizophrenia/stigma

Oh boy... Honestly, once you leave the hospital, it feels like they just stitch you up and leave you to figure out the rest on your own.
As for "reintegrating into the community,"
I have my own struggles with people—to be honest, if I showered everyone with all the love I have, they’d probably suffocate!
But life has taught me to keep my distance.
Hypothetically speaking, I think I would actually adjust better if I moved to a new country
in a neighborhood where everyone knew from day one that their new neighbor was a woman with schizophrenia and her family. What a wild fantasy, right?🤣 🤣 🤣 🤣

lina aja said:TAKE HER TO THE DOCTOR WITH YOUR GIRLFRIEND RIGHT NOW!!

A lot of that crap has been thrown our way... but nothing has changed yet...
They even rushed her to the hospital in Chicago, so yeah...
We'll just have to wait and see how things play out....😕

Look, let’s just be real here—if I had even the slightest hint of a prejudice against you guys before (and yeah, I did—mostly because I was worried about being caught off guard or "ambushed" by some unpredictable behavior)—that's totally gone now! Seriously! I spent a good chunk of my day today actually reading up on schizophrenia, and honestly? It doesn't seem nearly as terrifying as the media makes it out to be. In fact, from one perspective, I actually find your experiences quite fascinating! 😍

Also, I really think we need to start flooding this thread with more links or maybe just some copy-pasted articles so people can actually get educated about what schizophrenia really entails. We need more resources here to bridge the gap. ☕

briskgull27 said:Well, I guess I started talking about myself, but hey, everyone else dealing with schizophrenia is more than welcome here.

Especially those folks taking Zyprexa, Risperdal, or Dogmatil who try to convince themselves they’re just dealing with neurosis when, let's be honest, those are clearly antipsychotics.

As for NASA and America—ah, what a beautiful truth you're grasping for, wishing this stinky little world wasn't limited to just what we "know."😁

I don't really buy into that specific version of "madness" myself. To me, the whole thing smells like the "manufacturing of insanity." It feels pretty silly and honestly inhumane to just slap an "F-22" label on someone, as you put it, or just pin a disease name on them. But I suppose the system needs that to keep running. People labeled as "crazy" tend to live on the margins or entirely outside the grid, and the system is terrified of that. They are often romantics at heart, which makes them "inefficient" by societal standards. And the system craves nothing but promptness and efficiency. Not to mention the endless pile of social syndromes out there. I'm not saying there aren't actual risks involved, or that someone isn't perfectly fine without being labeled, but what does it even mean to be "completely normal" anyway? Nobody actually knows, though everyone pretends they do—especially the people busy inventing these illnesses. They define normalcy as behaving according to certain norms, even if those norms are totally unhealthy. In a way, those "crazy" people might actually be the healthier ones. It brings up so many other questions about what actually caused someone to fall ill in the first place—not just the medical diagnosis, but the underlying reasons.

It’s also pretty interesting to note that while there are maybe twenty different "types" of schizophrenia recognized in Russia, there are at least a hundred in the USA. I might not have the exact statistics on hand, but either way, the number in the US is five to ten times higher. Is it because our medicine is more advanced? You can think that if it makes you feel better, but my guess is it's just bigger business and bigger profits.

On a side note, the work of psychiatrist Ronald Reagan is quite fascinating; he used to pull back the curtain on the secrets of his own profession, which is probably why he wasn't exactly the golden boy among his colleagues. He’s frequently linked to the concept of "anti-psychiatry." There are plenty of similar authors out there if anyone is interested and hasn't come across them yet; I’d be happy to share names and their major works. Of course, these weren't just people talking nonsense for the sake of it; they very often backed everything up with their own lived experiences, and they were known for having a much more compassionate, selfless approach to working with their patients.

I still think about my brother sometimes

He was really sick, man

He was totally convinced people were filming him—like he was being watched constantly, or even poisoned...

In the end, it landed him in a psych ward, heavily medicated...

To him, the rest of us weren't even family anymore; he saw us as demons or government spies..

He was certain there was this massive conspiracy being cooked up against him

Then, right when he finally got released to come home

He grabbed a shotgun and just... took his own life

It absolutely wrecked all of us. It was brutal

Looking back on it now, honestly? Things could have gone so much worse, and that thought haunts me... it could have ended with:
him killing the whole family in their sleep before turning the gun on himself

druid said:I almost find it hard to believe in that specific brand of "madness." To me, the whole thing smells like the "manufacture of insanity." It feels completely illogical and inhumane to just slap an "F-22" label on someone, as you put it, or simply assign them a disease name. But I suppose that’s what the system needs to function. "Crazy" people are often on the fringes or entirely outside the system, and the system is terrified of that. They are frequently romantics, and by that definition, they are "inefficient." And the system demands nothing but promptness and efficiency. Then there's the mountain of social syndromes to consider. Again, I'm not saying there aren't actual dangers or that someone isn't perfectly fine if they aren't labeled "insane." After all, what does it even mean to be "completely normal"? Nobody truly knows, yet everyone pretends they do—especially those who invent these illnesses. They define it as behaving according to norms, even if those norms are unhealthy. In that sense, "crazy" people might actually be the "healthier" ones. It brings up so many other questions about the true causes behind these conditions, beyond just the medical diagnosis itself.

It is also quite interesting to note that while there are about 20 recognized "types" of schizophrenia in Russia, there are at least 100 in the USA. I might not have the exact statistics on hand, but in any case, the number in the States is five to ten times higher. Is it because our medicine is more advanced? You can certainly think that if you want. Or perhaps it's just bigger business and higher profit margins.

On a related note, the work of psychiatrist Ronald Reagan is fascinating; he exposed the secrets of his own profession, which is why he wasn't exactly the favorite among many of his colleagues. He is often associated with the concept of "anti-psychiatry." There are plenty of similar authors out there; if anyone is interested and hasn't encountered them, I'd be happy to share specific names and their seminal works. Of course, they weren't just talking nonsense; they very often backed everything up with their own lived experiences and were distinguished by their unique approaches and, quite often, their selfless dedication to their patients.

I couldn't agree more. For instance, a woman I work with says this, yet her own daughter barely survived because she lacked access to medication for AIDS—so surely, there must be a cure for schizophrenia too, right?

Besides, every doctor has contracts with certain pharmaceutical companies
to provide the medications they prescribe. Not just the major ones, but smaller side deals as well.
Well, considering how rotten the world is, I suppose things could be much worse.
Personally, I'm doing great; what hit me hardest was seeing that difference in how we are classified compared to everyone else.
Even my immediate family looks at me strangely, almost unnervingly, because they started treating me like some precocious child, asking me for advice when I was only 15 or 16.
Perhaps there is some sort of privilege in that.
RESISTANCE is FUTILE😂 😂 😂 ☕