Posted by SLS on September 6, 2009, at 6:04:19
In reply to Re: Suggestions re: Someone Who Refuses Medications, posted by bleauberry on September 5, 2009, at 7:22:53
> Schizophrenics from all walks of life can live healthy functional lives without medicines. It happens by the thousands every single day all across the nation.
What happened to "happy"?
How many paranoid schizophrenics do you know personally? How about those with 24/7 auditory hallucinations? I lived among such people for over 8 years, and I know for sure that these wonderful people were more functional and self-described as being happier with drug treatment rather than being allowed to continue separated from the flow of humanity. You know, there is a dangerous period during the recovery process of some individuals with schizophrenia when they are most apt to commit suicide. It is when they first respond to treatment and try to comprehend the years that they lost in the midst of such an unfair, malignant, and warping alteration of consciousness; the magnitude of which is unfathomable for them - just as it is unfathomable to me. They just can't comprehend how they could have lived with such an illness for so long. They can't accept it, and would rather not remain alive to deal with living in a strange new world so unprepared and inexperienced.
Until Abilify came along, I found myself working with a woman almost every day, trying to comfort her by telling her that there were no such things as witches that were going to kill her before she got home. Another woman was convinced that they were feeding her the flesh of infants in the meals that were prepared for her in her boarding home. It was difficult to have her believe otherwise so that she would eat. Another talked loudly and belligerently with her dead mother all day long as she roamed the halls.
I'm afraid I must take issue with your posture on this issue. I think that it is very unfair to people with schizophrenia that anyone judge the quality of their lives - with or without treatment. I try my best to listen to my brothers and sisters who live with schizophrenia. From speaking with many of them, I am left with the impression that most prefer to be treated medically, and join the brotherhood of man rather than to remain involuted and separated from others by the ravages of a devastating brain disorder.
- Scott
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> For some it means specialized approaches. For some it is targeted nutrtional therapy. For some it is a psychotherapy approach. For some it is undergoing scientific detective work to identify the underlying pathology. For some it means choosing to prefer being a street person rather than a social person. For some it means being saved and walking with Jesus. In all cases, it requires special love and support above and beyond a normal healthy loving relationship. That is basic. Without that, it all crumbles...meds, alternatives, everything.
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> I submit that this woman deserves a chance at a different journey. The very limited confined journey she has been on has fallen so short. Probably because it has not encomppased the whole person, but rather, only an artificial medicine molecule forced into the brain. That is probably in my estimation only about 10% of the bigger picture, so it is no surprise to me that her treatment has resulted in 90% disappointment.
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> As this is an opinion board and the disclaimer says not to believe everything you see, we are all free to disagree.
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> Obivously I am all for meds. Just not when they have led to a bad outcome repeatedly and other alternatives have been scoffed without even consideration.
poster:SLS
thread:915268
URL: http://www.dr-bob.org/babble/20090902/msgs/915874.html