Schizophrenia Expert Robin Cunningham shares Schizophrenia management news and commentary at SchizophreniaConnection.com. The HealthCentral Network, Inc. (www.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/schizophrenia/c/100 http://www.healthcentral.com/schizophrenia/c/100/rss self application/xml en-us 15 120 19 http://www.healthcentral.com/images/hc_logo_sm.gif http://www.healthcentral.com/schizophrenia/c/100 http://www.healthcentral.com/schizophrenia/c/100/34509/pound-gorilla Mon, 21 Jul 2008 08:24:03 -0400 Robin Cunningham   When looking for a job, it is essential for us to keep in mind that there are at least three participants in every job interview.  These are an interviewer, an interviewee, and the 800 pound gorilla.  [I'm obviously using the last of these figuratively.  If there was a real 800 pound gorilla in the room, no matter how much I might want to impress the interviewer, I would be the first one out the door.]  The 800 pound... http://www.healthcentral.com/schizophrenia/c/100/34509/pound-gorilla http://www.healthcentral.com/schizophrenia/c/100/33731/finding-job Sun, 13 Jul 2008 16:32:34 -0400 Robin Cunningham   In my last blog I observed that when measuring someone's level of functionality society tends to do so on an absolute scale (90-100% is an A, 80-89% is a B).  I also expressed the opinion that those of us with schizophrenia might be better served by measuring our individual levels functionality in relation to our capacity for functionality.  This is because our capacity for functionality is, to a significant degree, a function... http://www.healthcentral.com/schizophrenia/c/100/33731/finding-job http://www.healthcentral.com/schizophrenia/c/100/33040/functionality Sun, 06 Jul 2008 22:11:02 -0400 Robin Cunningham   At 3:30 in the afternoon on Sunday, April 8, 1956, Satan spoke to me for the first time.  At 11:00 in the morning on Friday, April 13, 1956, I saw Dr. Levy, my first psychiatrist, for the first time.  Within the hour, I had taken my first dosage of the only neuroleptic then available.  Unbeknownst to me, at that moment, my life-long struggle to establish and maintain my recovery had begun.   There is no cure for... http://www.healthcentral.com/schizophrenia/c/100/33040/functionality http://www.healthcentral.com/schizophrenia/c/100/32372/16-occasions Sun, 29 Jun 2008 16:30:00 -0400 Robin Cunningham    This blog is about another proactive coping skill.  It has a well known, but opposing truism in team sports that all serious fans have heard: "sometimes the best defense is an even better offense."  This coping skill embodies the flip side of that concept, i.e., that "sometimes the best offense is an even better defense."  It involves what would appear to be a paradox of sorts: proactively being reactive.  This... http://www.healthcentral.com/schizophrenia/c/100/32372/16-occasions http://www.healthcentral.com/schizophrenia/c/100/31706/medication Mon, 23 Jun 2008 03:21:33 -0400 Robin Cunningham   This blog is about a very basic coping mechanism that is easy to carry out and can make an enormous difference in terms of how long it takes you to get into recovery, as well as your prospects for staying there.  Unfortunately, most people don't even think about it until it is too late to capture the required information.  In my experience it is of critical importance if, for any reason, you find yourself seeing more than one... http://www.healthcentral.com/schizophrenia/c/100/31706/medication http://www.healthcentral.com/schizophrenia/c/100/30982/skill-precious Mon, 16 Jun 2008 01:07:53 -0400 Robin Cunningham   This is a blog about another proactive coping skill that has helped me immeasurably over the years.  It deals with refusing to let yourself become self-stigmatized.   How many people with schizophrenia have heard their psychiatrist, therapist or personal advocate [whether a family member or a treatment professional] say "You've got to recognize the fact that you have a serious disability [i.e., a mental illness, or brain... http://www.healthcentral.com/schizophrenia/c/100/30982/skill-precious http://www.healthcentral.com/schizophrenia/c/100/30309/pass-judgment Sun, 08 Jun 2008 23:47:49 -0400 Robin Cunningham    This is a blog about another proactive coping skill that has helped me immeasurably over the years.   I attended a class many years ago on how to improve my relationships with others.  This is a story about what happened to one of my fellow students.  I'll call her "Marg."   Marg was single, young (in her late twenties or early thirties), and lived with her mother.  She was attractive, but not... http://www.healthcentral.com/schizophrenia/c/100/30309/pass-judgment http://www.healthcentral.com/schizophrenia/c/100/29607/12-recreate Mon, 02 Jun 2008 00:12:24 -0400 Robin Cunningham    When I first developed schizophrenia, I lost track of who I was.  Confused, I no longer knew how to present myself to others, let alone what to expect from them.  Because of all this, I experienced a devastating loss of self esteem which was greatly complicated by the fact that just about everyone I knew began to treat me differently.  Some ridiculed me.  Others made special allowances because of my condition,... http://www.healthcentral.com/schizophrenia/c/100/29607/12-recreate http://www.healthcentral.com/schizophrenia/c/100/28861/coping-skills Sun, 25 May 2008 15:17:58 -0400 Robin Cunningham    Before you read this blog, please reread my blog posted on May 4, 2008 entitled "Be Prepared for Failure, But Don't Settle for It."  Also read Christina Bruni's comment on that blog.   "Taking a chance" involves deliberately undertaking risk.  After everything that those of us with schizophrenia have gone through and still must deal with on a daily basis, I think that most of us, if asked to voluntarily take on... http://www.healthcentral.com/schizophrenia/c/100/28861/coping-skills http://www.healthcentral.com/schizophrenia/c/100/28459/skills-courage Wed, 21 May 2008 00:46:07 -0400 Robin Cunningham   Maintaining a balance in our lives is thought by most to be a critical coping skill, myself included.  There are many derivatives of this important basic skill, such as sticking to a daily routine, going to a movie with friends every third Tuesday of the month, participation in a day program, going to a support group on a regular basis, and so forth.  The relative value of any of these variations depends on the consumer's past,... http://www.healthcentral.com/schizophrenia/c/100/28459/skills-courage