So I bought this interesting book today called (removed by moderator) It’s all about new ways of looking at psychosis that go against conventional psychiatry.
Some of the things I read astounded me but I’m taking it with a pinch of salt - a little bit of conventional psychiatry and a little bit of these new theories. Good to keep a balance.
So in a nutshell this author believes sz is not a brain disease but an episodic disorder. But what stunned me is how he writes that antipsychotic meds when used in long term actually hinder recovery and even may cause psychosis! He says people with psychosis could even recover faster off meds. (A BIG pinch of salt on this one!) And that sz sufferers in developed countries (that have AP meds do worse than those in developing countries.) Wow.
Interesting was how he said psychosis is preceded by a sense of connection and euphoria which precedes difficulties and isolation. And that after psychosis comes a time where one returns to finding a meaning in life.
I saw with me that I was isolated from world as teenager then went thru profound artistic phase where my emotions were intense and euphoric. Then I went into psychosis. And several years later I went into remission and off meds. Then I found meaning in life with religion.
My second breakdown happened after profound religious experiences. And relapsed and presently i feel this pull to another remission and finding meaning again with my interest in hippie way of life and Islam. And art and writing.
But I have some way to go as I still struggling with motivation. I want to be involved with fellow sz sufferers like you guys and that drop-in club at my local psych hospital.
Read 90 pages of book so far. Will share more as I go on
Sadly anti-psychiatric views are quite popular…
Luckily his evidence is anecdotal and his opinions are known to be wrong by those that deal with sz or with sz people.
I’ve read Dr. Williams’ book, so I’ll state his belief as to what schizophrenia is. As I said, this is Dr. Williams’ belief, not necessarily mine, so I’m just the messenger. Don’t kill the messenger.
Dr. Williams believes that schizophrenia (sz) is a psychological coping mechanism, albeit a very risky and haphazard one, that is employed by the psyche in response to trauma in which the person believes that he or she is in an world that is unsustainable for them. This trauma may be, but is not limited to, psychological, physical or sexual abuse.
The coping mechanism is tantamount to dissociation, almost as if the person has escaped the abuse by becoming another person. Williams believes this leads to a personality disorder.
Williams does not believe that sz is a brain disease; he believes the brain of a person with sz is absent of disease.
This seems to me to be the hypothesis the book centers around.
The claim that schizophrenics in developing nations do better than those of us in developed nations is easily proven false. In developing nations, they chain psych patients to trees and just leave them there. That is not better. This book sounds like a lot of unfounded claims and nonsense.
My first major psychotic episode was also precluded by feelings of euphoria and like I was having a spiritual revelation. I was just so excited all the time. When I told my new pdoc about that I think that’s why he diagnosed me as being sza bipolar type because he thought that sounded like mania.
Thanks guys for your opinions, it is interesting to read what you all had to say. I’m wondering also about what Dr Williams had to say about hospitals. The six sz cases he has in the book all said hospital didn’t help them and I can’t believe that is the case for all sz patients. I mean, hospital helped me a lot and meds too. I am of opinion they can be weaned off but taken at minimum dose to keep well.
As I said before, I like to take the middle path. Some psychiatry and some alternative therapy.
