When it comes to depression, it can be more common than not to have multiple conditions going on at the same time. Depression can be a co-morbid condition of many chronic medical diseases such as diabetes,Multiple Sclerosis,and Rheumatoid Arthritis. One can also be dually diagnosed with more than one mental or neurological disorder. Depression can be a problem for those who suffer from anxiety, Bipolar Disorder, or ADHD.
Today we are going to talk about depression and schizophrenia.
I have had the honor to get an interview with Christina Bruni who is the community leader and lead writer for Health Central’s SchizophreniaConnection. I visit the schizophrenia site regularly as my mother has this mental disorder. Christina had recently interviewed me about my experience with having a parent who has schizophrenia. I was eager to ask for Christina’s firsthand expertise in how one copes with having both schizophrenia and depression. In my experience in living with my mother, it seemed that her schizophrenia diagnosis took precedence over any depression symptoms, which largely went unrecognized or treated. I am hoping that this interview will help to increase awareness of the signs of depression for those who are also diagnosed with schizophrenia.
Can depression be a co-morbid condition of schizophrenia? Are the signs and symptoms of depression often missed because an individual has schizophrenia?
Christina Bruni: Depression can co-occur with the symptoms of schizophrenia. One debate is whether the person who experiences the negative symptoms of schizophrenia is actually depressed. A psychiatrist I interviewed about three years ago suggested adding an anti-depressant to the mix to see if the person would perk up. A negative symptom of schizophrenia-so-called negative because it takes away from ordinary experience or reduces it-can be a lack of motivation. So it can be tricky to know whether the person is depressed or simply exhibiting a negative symptom.
The doctor I spoke with said sometimes it's worth it to try an anti-depressant in this case. One thing is that there exists a diagnosis of schizoaffective: a combination of schizophrenia with a clear-cut mood disorder that could be mania or depression co-existing with the SZ. Or a person can have depression with psychotic features. So the psychiatrist has to carefully assess what might be going on.
I know other people with schizophrenia-and one person with bipolar-who take anti-depressants so it is possible for the psychiatrist to pick up on it. However like I said depression can be mistaken for a negative symptom.
What is the experience like to have both depression and schizophrenia?
Christina Bruni: Okay: for close to 10 years I had seasonal affective disorder. Starting in the late fall and lasting miraculously and exactly up until the first day of spring I was in tears at night for two hours straight every night. Only I didn't really connect the two-SAD and SZ-and felt I was just a crying mess and who would want to marry me if he had to deal with a crybaby all the time?
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With all respect, between Ms. Bruni's interview, Donna-1, and your own posts mentioning your mom during your growing up, I am learning how little I knew.
It just seems that the differences in neurological disorders may turn out to be micro in differences within our neurons. It all remains to be figured, I wonder if then, we would ever agree on ways to prevent these illnesses?
What kept her going in the early years before diagnosis and treatment and how do you deal with voices commanding you to kill yourself, or others and telling you how worthless you are, to mistrust everyone? How do you deal with being told things no one else can hear? How do you even think to yourself?
I'm sure this question is asked a lot of Schizophrenics, as much as depressed people are told to, Shape up! :) How do you even get diagnosed, let alone find a doctor who can help.
Depressed people more than understand the latter part of the last question, too.
Were the depression and anxiety treated successfully, or dealt with separately, or did hers go away with successful treatment of Schizophrenia? I don't expect answers, I have a lot of questions and not good at phrasing them. Just, my respect to Ms. Bruni, for what she is dealing with, and for helping others.
I agree that respite programs, professional or within families are wonderful, and I really found this interview helpful.
Hello Paul,
What kept me going before I was diagnosed [in the year before my breakdown which could be considered the prodromal or early stage of the illness] was that I was involved in a labor of love that gave me great happiness:
I was a disc jockey at 88.9 FM, WSIA a radio station on the FM dial for two years. Music is a love second only to writing for me and it was my career as a disc jockey that helped me cope with the oncoming, subtle changes in my brain. The on-air studio was my sanctuary.
As to how someone can recognize that the voices are tricking them into doing something I recommend you read Pamela Spiro Wagner's book Divided Minds: Twin Sisters and Their Journey Through Schizophrenia. She routinely heard command voices telling her to do things like light herself on fire. She was a hostage to her voices. Her way of coping is to see a psychiatrist every week for a session instead of monthly.
I would say that hearing command voices is one of the most severe symptoms of schizophrenia and one of the most dangerous. To outsiders like yourself it would seem unbelievable that someone could actually listen to what the voice is telling them.
Only some people who hear voices receive positive messages so they think they have special powers and this ties into having delusions of grandeur.
You can Google this exact search string of words: hearing voices coping techniques and find some solutions people have found to combat what the voices are saying. The Hearing Voices Network is a worldwide organization of voice hearers that support each other.
I must disclose the truth: I never heard voices. I had other classic symptoms of schizophrenia. It is possible for a person to be diagnosed with this illness even though he or she doesn't hear voices.
Yes: it is a lot harder if the person lacks the insight that they should not do what the voice is telling them to do. The classic and in my opinion best memoir to date about schizophrenia is The Quiet Room by Lori Schiller who was tormented by voices until she started taking Clozaril a new miracle drug for her that halted the voices.
My memoir Left of the Dial-a reference to my disc jockey career at the radio station that broadcast left of the commercial end of the FM dial- I expect to publish within three years so I've love for you to be on the lookout for it.
What helped me early on in my recovery is that after one short relapse and a second hospitalization of two weeks I had the courage to confront the truth: that I had schizophrenia, it was a real medical condition, and it would not go away on its own.
So for 19 years I've taken the medication every day as prescribed and thus I've been in total remission for 19 years.
Regards,
Christina
To be honest with you, I read The Quiet Room recently on a Kindle app and it was my first introduction to this subject. I loved reading the book. I just do not understand it yet, how one holds it inside and deals with such a thing. In fact, she was well aware of what they were, yet still struggled so hard against them, not always successfully.
It is only one symptom, I understand that, I don't even know them all, and yet it surprises me that people do deal with it, prior to drugs, or diagnosis. Many people seem to carry it for years, or maybe it's just some people don't believe them.
I will get Miss Wagner's book, and hopefully, you'll come by and let us know when your memoir is done.
Thank you for your time responding, and this information.