i was just wondering bc we on here we are a minority within the one percent minority that has sz and manages to do ok mostly, we are like 1% of 1% of the population maybe less so i was wondering what you think that is down to. maybe we got lucky or maybe we try harder or maybe we are on a better med or we have better care, could be anything really, here is my list of choices-
I think that those people that are in recovery or are doing well are most likely on an effective AP for them. I also feel that some people dxed with SZ or SZA - bipolar can handle stress better than others. I for one do much better when I am not under stress - I have a hard time dealing with even a tiny amount of stress. This is one of the reasons why I can no longer work - the stress will unravel me. In other words I can do pretty well as long as I am not under stress of almost any kind.
There are a number of different factors involved- being able to handle stress is an important one- also having a less severe form of the illness also helps
I don’t think severity of illness has anything to do with it. I think the most important thing is to have a solid support network — family, friends, etc. — and an empathetic listener (therapist, etc). And lots of patience.
Of course it matters - these illnesses range from mild to severe. If you have a more severe form of the illness you will rely on the meds more - probably needing higher doses.
Having the right support system is also important.
Frankly speaking I am kind of surprised that you are a Newbie to antipsychotics- here I thought you were on these meds for years. Not being critical, just surprised
I don’t know why I have recovered to this degree. I know of people who take medication and see psychiatrists and don’t recover. I’ve pondered this question before. I guess it begs the question :is it luck? Or something I’ve done?
Because the first two years of my disease I suffered as much as anyone. I couldn’t function for those two years. I went through hell. I think a BIG part of it is that I pass for normal. And some people don’t. And some people don’t care if they do. I think also a big factor in my being able to accomplish anything is that I have ALWAYS had a part of me that knows what is happening. Even at most delusional. Part of me always knows what reality is and what’s going on and I can think rationally and logically and I can speak rationally and logically. And I can act like anyone else. If I DIDN’T take medication, I’m sure I would not have had this same life. But I also believe the luck of the draw plays a big part in it.You asked. I don’t think I’m better or superior to anyone else. Just luckier with some good help and some good opportunities that came my way that I took. Good examples of good opportunities is my current job, my housing, and a LARGE mistake by SSDI that got me my car.
My higher functioning friends have better social skills, better diets, more responsibilities, manage finances better, manage anger better and tend to get more exercise. They all take their meds, have some family history of mental illness and have been hospitalized multiple times in the past. The ones who stay out just seem to figure out how to take care of themselves better rather than expect someone else to do it for them.
If some people recover more because they’re less ill, then by your logic, people who are more ill are less likely to recover. I think a lot of subjective personal experiences would contradict that logic. The woman who wrote I Never Promised You a Rose Garden, for example.
Maybe those who are less ill are just able to hide their symptoms better. Has no bearing on actual recovery.
The right treatment can make all the difference in the world.
No what I am saying is for many people the meds actually improve their condition, even if it’s in an emergency situation. I really feel that you are not a good judge of what works and what doesn’t.
I mean you don’t have enough experience with the meds yourself - I mean it’s silly of you to take on an anti meds stance when you yourself have not given these meds a chance.
Who knows you could relapse less - look I am not here to judge you, I just wish that you would stop preaching to others on the negatives of taking their meds.
The simple fact is that the meds work for many
My psychosis is far less severe than full-blown schizophrenia
I have naturally heightened levels of awareness at all times, which makes it way easier to manage my delusions and paranoia. (I believe whatever makes me be able to become aware during my episodes is the same thing that lets me be aware during my dreams-my brain is weird)
I have coping methods I’ve built up over my entire lifetime, also a lot of my voices are very helpful, kind and supportive and they get me through almost all of my crises.
mrs. sith is the only reason i am still here.
i look around you guys’ and most of you are on meds and still have all the symtoms…
i admire you for taking them.
take care
In both real life and in the novel, Greenberg was diagnosed with schizophrenia. At that time though, undifferentiated schizophrenia was often a vague diagnosis given to a patient or to medical records department for essentially non-medical reasons, which could have covered any number of mental illnesses from anxiety to depression.
A 1981 article in the New York Times two psychiatrists who examined Greenberg’s self-description in the book claim that she was not schizophrenic, but rather suffered from extreme depression and somatization disorder.
