Are there any good things and/or evolutionary benefits to having schizophrenia?

I’m just wondering as I am struggling to find the positive side (not positive symptoms) to this illness.

1 Like

I don’t think there are positive things about being schizophrenia, However is a condition wich we have to live with. We can hope in better medications and better quality of life. I think that this disease is a really disaster, It takes away life, but Maybe, with the right medications, we can feel better. Maybe.

1 Like

The positive thing for me is it taught me to have a lot more empathy for people, because you never know what someone is struggling with. It’s also helped me realize that I can overcome a heck of a lot more than I ever thought, and made me feel stronger.

6 Likes

No.

15 characters

1 Like

I don’t mean the following in a sardonic manner but rather an important insight that came to me much later in life.

Everyone who starts off starts off with their sanity handed to them
but what good is that? A sanity which you did not work hard to build yourself?

When you come to learn how ignorant and lazy minded many are isn’t it a worry they are the ones who served as the architect who built the basket we are hoping to get through this life with; keeping our crackers unscathed; our marble collection complete?

And since most are too lazy to ask or take time to think about bigger questions they won’t be there for each other should one of them drop their basket during tough times.

I propose that what many of your are going through now, whether or not you realize it, is building a much stronger impenetrable sanity for yourselves.

How many people do you know around you could still manage their life if they were to discover that good ol’ fashioned Star Trek telepathy was a ‘thing’ and that depictions of our world as floating ball of water in the middle of nowhere could be challenged by kids learning entry level physics?
Especially those who cling desperately to the smoo fed to them insisting everyone do so as well and not seek out further knowledge or ask more questions than most people do.

Epistemophobia is the fear of knowledge
There is no term for ‘the fear of ignorance’

At the end of all this you will have more empathy, insight, a much better understanding of how the mind operates and will rejoice in the fact that we are lost and that Donald Trump isn’t the best the universe can muster.
And you will be content with that fact; finding the novelty in the Twilight Zone making life a lot more interesting than it was back in that reality where everyone knew everything, took all for granted and no further questions needed to be asked because there was nothing strange going on there.

1 Like

Getting out of jury duty for life.

4 Likes

Getting to hang out with all you fine people :sunglasses:

5 Likes

I can’t think of any but I don’t say that to be discouraging. It’s just the truth.

You still have to thank God or whoever your higher power is that your still here though.

Things could always be worse.

1 Like

Made me physiologically weaker, but more religious. I’m still scared of crowds, so it’s a wonder how much benefit that is.

I guess I’m not scared of dying, now. But that’s hardly an evolutionary benefit.

2 Likes

It was kind of nice feeling like the center of the universe when I had delusions of persecution. Regaining my sanity was almost a letdown because I went from being the star of an action movie to just a regular Joe Schmoe.

4 Likes

That was my experience exactly lol. Life has never been that exciting since. :stuck_out_tongue:

1 Like

Lol yeah. I keep trying to do big impressive things partly because I like feeling impressive. Foster care has been really good for a lot of reasons, but one of them is that people keep saying how awesome and kind and special I am and I’m like “yeah I been knew”

2 Likes

Read the page ‘evolution of schizophrenia’ on Wikipedia. They believe the traits characteristic to the disorder are either being selected and are not random mutation. Seemingly the most negative scenario they put credence in is that it’s a ‘selective byproduct’.

Yeah, I pick that one too.

1 Like

It ain’t leprosy.

2 Likes

During my first crisis intake I claimed very boldly that I was dead. Well, now that I am alive again I seem to have power over the grave.

But like another member said sza definitely taught me to have a deeper sense of empathy. And I believe everyone on the planet gets a challenge at some point but I have certainly developed a sense of resilience from my challenges.

:rainbow:

2 Likes

It’s made me highly creative I’ve developed different skills when I’m really far gone.

I’m capable of changing my appearance within a month. I can draw when I normally can’t. My writing is art. I lose fear of all people. Feeling like God leaves a staine that can’t be wiped off.

I have a insane silent temper with the 1000 yard stare. My voice has changed over the years there’s enough pain in it to end any conversation dead in it’s tracks.

I’m gentle I’m nice I’m understanding I believe in individuals I’m forgiving of people’s past and not much of a critic.

The experience from the mistakes I’ve made gives me accurate judgement of each person I meet.

Criminals trust me
It’s my life

makes a colorful world to live in,

Well if you are supposed to love yourself then you have to find a way to love your schizophrenia. My voices are either energy parasites that siphon off all of my stamina by getting me worked up causing a mild to severe adrenaline spike depending on the intensity of my voices and then leaving me alone when the adrenaline plummets. OR my voices are kind and they teach me things like how to block the worst ones out without medication. I KNOW that the voices are not yours or anyone else’s but mine and if I choose to appreciate the beauty of the good ones as long as I don’t act on anything I’m not hurting anyone and I’m actually helping myself in appreciating the only beautiful thing to come from this experience. It is my experience and I don’t care what ANYONE says. I know what I heard and felt and I know that the story will continue with or without the portion that was given to me. I’ve said it before… God is going to have to talk to someone about His plan… Why can’t it be us? Because some of you all don’t believe.

This post will probably get flagged for triggering people or something but I stand by my belief that the voices that were once in the literal hundreds in a day are now mostly gone because they’re almost done with me. God, wouldn’t that be nice if my voices were telling the truth? but a short time to a God is an eternity to a human. “Almost done” could be a year or the rest of my life in God years so I wait and I listen. No action just 100% curiosity carrying me through this. Before I was schizophrenic I always wanted to know what the voices say to people who hear. Now that I hear them they are a part of me and I refuse to hate anything about my beautiful mind.

And YES I’M ON MY MEDS and they’re working just fine so go ahead and delete this or whatever it is you like to do to posts that don’t conform to YOUR belief system.

Hellllll noooo

Though maybe it has pushed me to become more spiritual in a way, maybbeee?? I was crying at church, tears wouldn’t stop coming down. But tbh I’m not sure why that happened… Maybe it’s just depression haha