Although I disagree with Daimon on the other thread, this is an interesting question.
In terms of symptoms that get attributed to psychosis I would argue that I am at the mild end of the serious mental illness spectrum.
And yet I have chronic ,long standing difficulties especially at a social level that some might say severely restrict my functioning. For example I have never been employed and have not had much of a social network even before coming under psychiatry’s wings .
Although from a psychotic symptoms perspective my symptoms are,I reckon, mild it has been said (a) that I have very poor social skills (b) limited ability to live independently in the community.
I know several here who though having experienced more severe psychotic symptoms ,as described in various sites etc, are, I would accept, more occupationally and socially functional than I am.
Before I came into this site and read books and stories about others accounts on sz, I thought I was a mild case. After I joined this site however, I think I’m more of a severe case and that I’m doing well medicated but that’s it. I had visuals, all the delusions in the book, paranoia, occasional audio and obsessive thoughts. Never had violent urges towards others, only towards myself.
Then I realized it’s not good to compare ourselves with others, it doesn’t really do us good to put us in that spectrum of psychosis. The only thing that really matters is how you view your symptoms regarding to your reactions to them, and how you intend to treat them. It makes my life more peaceful that way.
I don’t think it is constructive to compare one person’s illness to another’s. It’s kind of like comparing apples and oranges, though the features of a person’s sz are detrimental, not beneficial. A person can have the highest standards of cleanliness and still think his neighbor is informing on him to the CIA.
Negative symptoms are much more disabling than positive symptoms. I think it’s a fair guess that most of those on this forum who are doing really well socially and occupationally/academically do not experience the same level of negative symptoms that many others here do. It’s either that or supposing that most people with sz are lazy and just don’t try hard enough, which I really don’t believe. I’ve seen a study that said around 80% of people with sz are not at any time employed with actual, competitive work, and although this probably varies from country to country and based on how and what you measure, it is in my opinion clear that sz is a very disabling disorder for most people and that there are a few lucky ones who manage much better because their negative symptoms were never that bad to begin with or the negative symptoms were more secondary than primary in nature and got better with treatment.
I’m not saying effort doesn’t matter. I’m just saying the scope and magnitude of your negative symptoms probably matters more. I think I’m probably a mild case when it comes to positive symptoms and a pretty average case when it comes to negative symptoms.
The delusions definetely, I smoked a lot of weed so I have good coping mechanisms for paranoia. The obssessive thoughts I can dismiss, they’re just a pain in the ass. The delusions on the other hand, bother me a lot. I keep losing track of reality this way, it’s been better though, I’m making a lot of progress.
I was a real mess while psychotic. I didn’t eat or drink if noone put a fork in my hand. I was close to catatonic. When I was in hospital I was in the same position for 3-4 days without eating. I don’t remember much of it. But my trip from apathy to today is long and I have meds making me function. I was really bad, even my pdoc says that. But I can’t compare my suffering to anyone else’s.
It’s like tooth ache. It hurts like hell to everyone but you can’t compare the suffering because it’s individual.
Comparing those of us on the forum seems a bit silly when I think of people who are truly severely ill. You won’t find them posting on forums, they’re too ill. Everyone else has it mild.
Good point, but I think we have a lot of high functioning average cases too (if that even makes sense to anyone but me). I didn’t mean to compare myself to others on this forum in my post, just wanted to point out that I do not consider myself a severe case but it came out a little weird.
I guess there is a spectrum of severity even within serious mental illness or perhaps going further even amongst those of us at the mild end of that spectrum .
All I know is that at one point I was regarded as one of those “severe” cases fit at best for a group home and at worst a long stay ward. If I had not met my wife in hospital things could well have turned out very differently.
everyone is on a spectrum, there is a diagram i posted recently of a mental health continuum and it has to take everything into account from doctors, psychiatrists and even your own point of view to be able to know where you are on the chart-
so thats the chart, its called the mental health continuum, where do you think you are on it?
i’d say i’d be about north westerly lol, take care.
Living in the group home I really saw the whole spectrum of psychosis. Even the more functional were often times mean to the less functional … I consider myself very fortunate I’m functional and not miserable.
