Information and opinions on health from Don Fraser at HealthCentral.com. HealthCentral.com is one of the top health destinations on the Web, with more than 35 condition-specific, wellness and general health Web properties. http://www.healthcentral.com/profiles/c/9964/index http://www.healthcentral.com/profiles/c/9964/rss self application/xml en-us 15 120 19 http://www.healthcentral.com/images/hc_logo_sm.gif http://www.healthcentral.com/profiles/c/9964/index http://www.healthcentral.com/bipolar/c/9964/152860/post Fri, 11 May 2012 00:39:06 -0400 Don Fraser Hi - I`m partly bi-polar, I live in Canada.   Oh, the other half is schizophrenia. Ya, it`s kinda weird being treated for both disorders.     I feel pretty good, though; been on the same meds for 9 years, never had any problems.   I take Tegritol and 2 antipsychotics.  Work just fine. My doc was in a car accident last year so I`m seeing a new guy next week.   Should be... http://www.healthcentral.com/bipolar/c/9964/152860/post http://www.healthcentral.com/schizophrenia/c/9964/152716/elderly-man Sun, 06 May 2012 12:43:23 -0400 Don Fraser My stepfather is 85 and has advanced stage dementia.      It is so sad.  There is no cure and no meds to give him. All we can do is make him comfortable and watch him die. It occured to me that one day many of us will likely be seeing geriatric psychiatrists like he has.       Don't get me wrong - I think getting old is cool, but I don't think I'll have much to say about myself when... http://www.healthcentral.com/schizophrenia/c/9964/152716/elderly-man http://www.healthcentral.com/schizophrenia/c/9964/152093/successful Sun, 15 Apr 2012 02:06:29 -0400 Don Fraser Just got in yesterday from speaking at a Strengthening Families dinner.     This is a six-part course for families of people with SZ.        It went well, with many of the parents asking questions and expressing their thanks as I finished rambling about my history. The biggest issue was the one that plagues most of us at some point in our illness and that was non-compliance or refusal to... http://www.healthcentral.com/schizophrenia/c/9964/152093/successful http://www.healthcentral.com/schizophrenia/c/9964/151807/life-good Wed, 04 Apr 2012 00:31:15 -0400 Don Fraser    As my title suggests, life is going very well for me these days.    Thirty-five years ago I was diagnosed with paranoid schizophrenia and have spent the last ten years in recovery. I haven't written anything on this site for a while; I guess I'm just lazy or I lack motivation.     I will try to write more in the future as I believe my experience with the illness could be useful to others. I have... http://www.healthcentral.com/schizophrenia/c/9964/151807/life-good http://www.healthcentral.com/schizophrenia/c/9964/147365/finding-life Fri, 25 Nov 2011 19:27:06 -0500 Don Fraser Hello S.C. Connection, I'm stumbling and bumbling my way through this maze of the world as well as possible these days, in spite of obstacles and problems that we all face as adults with a mental illness.   Music has been a great source of relief for me and if there ever was such a thing as music therapy while in recovery, then I'm doing it.       I enjoy the ambient strains of Tangerine Dream and Steve... http://www.healthcentral.com/schizophrenia/c/9964/147365/finding-life http://www.healthcentral.com/depression/c/9964/144045/learn-answer Mon, 12 Sep 2011 18:36:28 -0400 Don Fraser After almost 30 years of living and surviving schizophrenia I was informed 2 years ago that I also have bi-polar disorder as well.     Needless to say it was a bit of a surprise.      Then I started to think back through the years gone by and it seemed to make sense.   The hallucinations, the delusions, the fear, all filtered sort of, through the maze of lows and highs.   The reason I... http://www.healthcentral.com/depression/c/9964/144045/learn-answer http://www.healthcentral.com/schizophrenia/c/9964/142317/future-good Tue, 02 Aug 2011 03:11:52 -0400 Don Fraser Well, I haven't written for a long while, so tonight when I answered a meds question, I thought I'd better put pen to paper.          I'm starting a new job rehab program this week and my case manager seems to think I'll do well.        I hope so.       It would be nice to work again, as my part-time janitorial work was 3 years ago and I... http://www.healthcentral.com/schizophrenia/c/9964/142317/future-good http://www.healthcentral.com/schizophrenia/c/9964/137231/walking Mon, 25 Apr 2011 02:11:44 -0400 Don Fraser I haven't written a post for a long while so I thought to myself, well, let's do it !   My life keeps changing, the world keeps moving and I'm learning and growing.   I haven't worked in two years but I feel this may change in the next little while as there are resources I work with that might find me the right job soon. My mental state is OK, and I've been on the same meds now for six years, though I still hallucinate visually... http://www.healthcentral.com/schizophrenia/c/9964/137231/walking http://www.healthcentral.com/schizophrenia/c/9964/128107/writing Tue, 04 Jan 2011 10:47:21 -0500 Don Fraser As I said, getting caught up.   It's like I've been away or something.     Truth be known I've had a few problems that I didn't expect and didn't have the time or right frame of mind to write here.            I've been getting some unexplained paranoia so I've been working closely with my case manager and doctor to try to see what I can do about... http://www.healthcentral.com/schizophrenia/c/9964/128107/writing http://www.healthcentral.com/schizophrenia/c/9964/124379/traveling Sat, 13 Nov 2010 00:24:02 -0500 Don Fraser Well, I'm on the road again, this time I'm visiting my brother in Calgary-Alberta.   I'm enjoying the break.      The Island kind of gets me down sometimes.   I think my medication needs some kind of fine-tuning.  I'm lethargic and I don't feel motivated at home to follow through with my plans, which is unlike me. The combination of Zyprexa-Seraquel in high doses for the last six years is starting to... http://www.healthcentral.com/schizophrenia/c/9964/124379/traveling