Where do you think you would be if you'd never developed mental illness?

DX'd - Other
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Weirdly enough I’ve never actually really thought about this question. I know I’d be in college, but I think this is the first time I’m thinking about the big and little ways my life would have changed. I honestly think down the line I would’ve become super successful, granted certain things fell into place, like quitting weed and focusing on priorities more. Where do you think you would be?

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Well, thanks to good medicine (Clozaril), I don’t feel like I have a mental illness and I can achieve to my best abilities. It’s true that mental illness took some years off my life, but I’m better now.

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I’d have sleepwalked into marriage and kids.

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Did you go through all other AP’s before trying Clozaril?

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I’d be doing crazy stuff with the army, or working in cyber security.

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I would have been wealthy, a doctor, mom and dad fine, my little sister no problems, healthy and stable, my older sister more successful, my body, skin, and hair perfect, married maybe…

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I’d probably have a wife, but I still might not have kids. I don’t know if I’d still make Industrial music with less to be angry and depressed about.

I really have no idea what I’d do for a living. I always think in terms of my psychological limitations with that stuff.
I wanted to do tech support so maybe that.
Except a lot of people that do that are on call all the time, and I don’t know if I could stand that, well or not.

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Probably going crazy at work instead of crazy lying in bed

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I have no idea how my life would have looked.
I would have so many things that interested me, so many things to do.
I am afraid I would not have enough time and energy to implement my plans.

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I tried Haldol, Trilafon, Latuda, Seroquel, Invega Sustena and Invega pills, Geodon, Risperdal, Rexulti.

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Ah okay. And you found Clozapine to be the only drug that helped you?

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Yes. With all the other ones I have persistent psychotic symptoms; I have the least with Clozaril.

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I’d probably be deeply invested in one of my passions and be out enjoying the world. Or I’d be partying all the time.

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14

Would have been completed a degree in program engineering with my buds from school, gone to be an officer in a prestigious unit in the army and then developed a startup with my buds and some new friends as I have planned in high school.

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I don’t spend much time thinking about the what ifs. It just is what it is, there’s been a lot of good in spite of the hard times.

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Maybe a millionaire.

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Ironically never having had a wife or a stepdaughter that really cares about me. Would have still struggled socially and otherwise without help for the ASD/NVLD symptoms.

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18

I still would have ended up in a psyche ward.

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My prognosis is that I might be functioning like a normal person without negative symptoms by next year. Right now I’d say I feel 75% recovered with only minor problems with attention, health, motivation, and memory. I don’t think schizophrenia should hold you back too much. Many still manage respectable lives by showering and taking care of themselves, exercising the body and mind, staying positive, going to peer support and reaching out to the community, and doing things that give life meaning.

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Everyone has a different experience symptoms/frequency/severity/response to
meds/support/finances…

Stats indicate that Sz/SzA does not hold the same prognosis for everyone.

Something to think about @anon62973308

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