Accepting Schizophrenia

Health and Recovery
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I think acceptance is a significant factor in reducing both stigma and self-stigma, in adhering to treatment, in maintaining insight into one’s condition (combatting anasognosia). In fact, I think these 4 issues are heavily interrelated. For example, http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/18840563 shows that higher levels of self-stigma predict higher rates of treatment non-adherence, leading to poorer overall outcome:

Additionally, it has been documented that higher levels of insight into the condition predicts higher levels of self-stigma and depression: http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/23883668

Accordingly, it may not be surprising that models have been proposed in which lack of insight, or anosognosia, is not merely accounted for in terms of cognitive deficits, but also by motivational factors: https://www.researchgate.net/publication/259742085_Cognitive_and_motivational_factors_in_anosognosia

On the other hand, lack of insight is, unsurprisingly, also associated with treatment non-adherence, which in general leads to poorer outcomes in terms of (quality of) life. http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/25867885

I think we can deduce from this that a crucial step along the road to recovery is combatting self-stigma, if we are to optimize treatment compliance and associated optimal outcomes in terms of quality of life. Though I did not cite research on this, it seems almost a truism to me that self-stigma also directly impacts quality of life negatively. To resist self-stigmatizing tendencies, http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/24582272 suggests, self esteem is one of the contributing factors. Here I think we have arrived at the notion of acceptance, for it seems to me self-esteem practically coincides with acceptance of the kind of person you are.

Hence, thinking it being a crucial move towards recovery, maybe it’s a good idea to share some tips that have helped you to accept schizophrenia, if you do, and also, some reasons that are keeping you from doing so. For me, to kick off, I accepted schizophrenia as the interpretative frame for my experiences that was much more preferable than my delusional interpretation. If I would have the choice between it all being real, or it all being hallucinations etc., I would choose the latter.

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I think a little patience is needed, it’s not like we can pick insight on trees and bushes. It grows, sometimes never, sometimes late, sometimes early, depends on the person.

We are born with psychosis and other mental issues, accepting that is not easy at all, once we do accept it life is easier. We can feel sorry for ourselves or we can try and lead the best life possible.

Hope and patience, willing to go through the recovery path to minimize the issues.

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Maybe it is true that we just have to wait and sit out the ride… But I like to think there are some steps we can take ourselves along that road, that would be hope to me.

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18 years ago i would hallucinate uncontrollably even on meds.
I would say to my guiding spirit “im powerless over my mind” and the visions would disappear… Wtf that means idk but it worked… I continue taking meds and praying although i respect Atheists and Buddhists the same in my eyes. Anyway, that admission was a step for me… Maybe it won’t work for others but it did for me

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I always viewed sz as one of the cards I have been dealt in the game of life. How that card affects me depends on how I play it.

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Very professional-looking article with citation.

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What you say is absolutely correct. A pound of patience is better than a pound of brains.

It’s no fun what we’ve got. In no way do I trivialise it. It’s tough, period. Especially when you’re young and just starting out in life. I lost almost everything when I got Sz in my late teens like I guess everyone else did on here. We need to adapt to it and that takes time. For some that happens quickly, for most others it takes longer. You have to be self aware that it’s the way things are for you now. If you loose two arms, you never get them back and you need to adapt.

If I could tell my younger self anything it would be to give myself time to adjust to Sz’s nuances before crying out ‘I want to suicide’. Why bother with things you cannot change?

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Self-stigma is definitely something I’m struggling with now. It feels like I have to hide the fact that I have a mental illness around people who I know would most likely have no type of understanding if they knew. I don’t think society is ever going to get to the point of understanding that schizophrenia is a genetic disorder that doesn’t make anyone less then-if anything people who struggle with it are extremely strong for being able to deal with their symptoms and still live their lives.Does anyone have any tips on how to reduce self stigma and accept the fact that they have this illness?

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Please define to me what you mean by accepting it! I can never accept it because then I would always be Heavily medicated… Only after years of learning the enemy, fighting my demons, could I understand who they are. I have accepted the war that I battle in each and every day but I do not accept it. I hate it! It destroys everything good that I try to do. I am wasting my whole life fighting the demons just so my M.D. says its ok for me not to take medications. So, please explain to me acceptance.

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I suppose it pertains primarily to the diagnosis. You are right, if acceptance would amount to giving up, then it wouldn’t be desirable. There are therapies out there, however, that encourage patients to accept disturbing thoughts, not so much to fight or try to resist them. I suppose this can help diminish the salience of such thoughts and reduce secondary effects of meta-thoughts spiralling out of control. But that’s only a guess, I never had any real therapy myself.

But I think there is a, difficult, period where one can be reasonably said to believe one has schizophrenia, but has not quite come to terms with it. Maybe comparable to when someone has lost a loved one, and can be said to believe that is true, but might also use the expression that he/she hasn’t accepted it yet. Whereas indeed, with time, that may change. I have difficulties finding another term than acceptence for this. In my native tongue, some people like the expression ‘giving it a place’, I wouldn’t know whether that is a common expression in English.

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That you have to accept it is a fact. And after acceptance comes habituation. This can take more than a year. Yes, a year or more of complete hell and people who do not understand you and behave towards you like are retarded or lazy or something. You have to learn to gradually deal with this mental torment and think of yourself and find any way possible to sit it out as long as possible.

I think not being able to accept it can cause a person to become more frustrated, angry and anxious. From my own experience, it seems acute anxiety exacerbates Sz symptoms. I feel that my habituation of Sz depended on my ability to accept my Sz and the fact I could not control it. I could only work on my overall response to it.

Self stigma is part of the bereavement process which often follows a dignosis of Sz. One day everything appears to be going okay. The next you are like a jellyfish, and sensitive to everything.

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I learned to accept it through my belief in the us constitution’s proclamation of universal human rights.

My self-stigma didn’t want to see myself as a doomed schizophrenic, a lower caste in society, a poor subclass of human beings. Through the constitution, I learned that I didn’t have to be doomed, as I was entitled to the same rights and opportunities as everyone else. If normal person X could do it, I had every right to do it, too. After I realized my self worth as a human being, schizophrenia became an obstacle, not the end of the road.

I know a lot of people say, “it’s a person who has schizophrenia, it’s not their identity,” but often, it is my identity, as my identity is formed by the contents and patterns of my thoughts, and I’m okay with that being a part of my identity now.

Also, I accepted it by deciding to become an advocate for human rights. By becoming dedicated to equality, I fought for my own equality at the same time. I think a lot of my acceptance has been by accepting that regardless of who or what I am, I am owed my civil rights. This gives me acceptance and even a purpose to life. I hate the illness of schizophrenia, but the trials it has put me through forged a suit of armor I am proud of. Kind of. :cookie: cookie

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I have a feeling I haven’t quite accepted my diagnosis yet.

I can say I am schizophrenic, or I have schizophrenia (whichever suits you better). The same way I can say I am right handed.

But I have a difficult time accepting that I experience ‘hallucinations’ and ‘delusions’ as these are terms thrust upon me by a psychiatrist.

To me those terms denote unrealism where to me those experiences are very real.

I don’t know if I’m really on point with my post.

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therapies that encourage to accept disturbing thoughts is exactly what the big drug companies want! Its big business reinforced though portrayals in the media. I have had cancer and schizophrenia so I speak for myself. I accepted the diagnosis of cancer but did not accept chemo and radiation before having the cancer mass cut out of me. Now I am cancer free! but not cured. The same with schizophrenia. My therapies involve ways of allowing me to chase away, cut out, remove, or capture and control the disturbing thoughts, demons, and so on. Drug companies do not want mental health clients employing these types of therapies because it effects their bottom line! They want clients to accept that they will always be sick therefore must always be medicated. Not so! I am not cured of schizophrenia but I do not accept that I cant fight it to keep the bad stuff out. Meds make you accept that you will always be sick with no hope, no life, no reason to live. Fighting everyday is my
reason to live.

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I learned to not dwell on the past as much when I realized that I didn’t know exactly what happened and what didn’t because I was hallucinating things that people seemed to be saying to or about me and it became too difficult to aspartame the truth from fiction. I also learned to appreciate my imperfections, embrace my creativity as something that is pretty cool by learning to appreciate all the wild stories the voices told as my own. My former step father once told me at the beginning of my illness that I needed to learn to like myself which was the best advice he gave me and it has been true of gaining insight into this illness. I know that I’m not being watched or having my mind read by others now and I can’t assume they know what I’m thinking. I have also learned to accept that I can’t have many of the things that others take for granted. However when I sat in the Psych Ward and noticed how costly taking care of such a facility is to take care of the needs of someone like me who was not contributing much to society I realized that people do care about me and I slowly learned to care about myself.

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blizzard. please tell me how you learned to like yourself. I have never been able to like myself. never. so I find things to like and maybe 3 people in my life to like. maybe. you could help people if you could teach them how to like themselves. please help!

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