Information and opinions on Schizophrenia from Don Fraser 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/9964 http://www.healthcentral.com/schizophrenia/c/9964/rss self application/xml en-us 15 120 19 http://www.healthcentral.com/images/hc_logo_sm.gif http://www.healthcentral.com/schizophrenia/c/9964 http://www.healthcentral.com/schizophrenia/c/9964/92133/back-success Sun, 25 Oct 2009 13:59:36 -0400 Don Fraser Well, I was a hit in my two speeches last week.        I'll try to be modest here but the audiences really did like me, and, more importantly, what I had to say.   The first speech was the easy one, though the audience was a more formal one. The event was the United Way kick-off fund-raiser and I was in a room with about forty potential donors to the fine charity.   In my speech I told them... http://www.healthcentral.com/schizophrenia/c/9964/92133/back-success http://www.healthcentral.com/schizophrenia/c/9964/90389/podium Mon, 12 Oct 2009 10:15:40 -0400 Don Fraser Well folks, I'm off to do a couple of speaking engagements soon.   On the 22nd I'll be speaking at a United Way Kick-Off fund-raising event.    There will be about 40 people there (including the mayor) and I will be speaking about my personal struggle with SZA.        They've got me slated for 5-7 minutes so I guess I'll just have time to recount some of the highlights of the last 32... http://www.healthcentral.com/schizophrenia/c/9964/90389/podium http://www.healthcentral.com/schizophrenia/c/9964/89482/awareness Mon, 05 Oct 2009 12:01:52 -0400 Don Fraser  (this is partly in response to Christina'sharepost)   I have found that in past years, this week for us to stand up and have our voices heard is largely forgotten. at least here in Canada.        The news coverage has been dismal, at best and there is usually a picture in the paper of some corporate fat - cat presenting a check for $1000.. to a charity to keep up the good... http://www.healthcentral.com/schizophrenia/c/9964/89482/awareness http://www.healthcentral.com/schizophrenia/c/9964/88907/enjoying-life Wed, 30 Sep 2009 21:58:06 -0400 Don Fraser   I'm just wading my through another difficult book.   It's school-days for me and I like it, sort of.   The social aspect of it is good.   I'm meeting people outside of the mental health field and it feels right, though intellectuals can be a little boring at times.   Still, what did I expect- it's university and after a 30 year absence, I'm back at... http://www.healthcentral.com/schizophrenia/c/9964/88907/enjoying-life http://www.healthcentral.com/schizophrenia/c/9964/87376/news-life Sat, 19 Sep 2009 02:11:24 -0400 Don Fraser    Well, I'm me.     Thank God or I'd be someone else too. I'm 51, overweight, Canadian, and I smoke 2 packs of cigarettes a day.   I must say I've had a good life.   I could die tomorrow and not regret it. Being mentally ill for the last 30 years has taught me a lot of things I truly believe I would not have have learned otherwise.      I think that regular visitors and... http://www.healthcentral.com/schizophrenia/c/9964/87376/news-life http://www.healthcentral.com/schizophrenia/c/9964/86312/back-action Thu, 10 Sep 2009 22:23:30 -0400 Don Fraser Howdy folks!     Well as my title would suggest, I'm back.     I had a bit of a breakdown. Because my visual hallucinations are triggered by light, the long summer here on the west-coast took it's toll on me and I had a pretty rough time. At first I didn't notice notice it, you know , just some strange pattern in the trees or something, but after a while I was into a full blown psychosis and had to be... http://www.healthcentral.com/schizophrenia/c/9964/86312/back-action http://www.healthcentral.com/schizophrenia/c/9964/74566/times-check Sat, 13 Jun 2009 09:29:46 -0400 Don Fraser It's been a trying month since I wrote.          I found out I had siatica in my spine so that stopped my janitorial work for now.       It's very painful and all they can give you for it is pain-killers.   Unfortunatly, the pain -kller I was taking had codeine in it and the codeine made me psycotic. Needless to say , that's the one thing someone recovering... http://www.healthcentral.com/schizophrenia/c/9964/74566/times-check http://www.healthcentral.com/schizophrenia/c/9964/71684/wellness Wed, 20 May 2009 11:06:25 -0400 Don Fraser    For many of us who have been diagnosed and treated for schizophrenia, finding and maintaining a strong support system has been instrumental in our recovery process.     For others, whose loved ones are unwell, learning the ins and outs of the medical system help give us the edge we need and the vehicle for understanding.  It's hard to ignore the big factor here and that is, fear of the unknown, but the first... http://www.healthcentral.com/schizophrenia/c/9964/71684/wellness http://www.healthcentral.com/schizophrenia/c/9964/69615/schizophrenia Mon, 04 May 2009 01:04:37 -0400 Don Fraser   To most middle-aged people, the tech world is a bit scary and to someone with schizophrenia there are even more challenges.  We didn't grow up in a computer age; rather, we saw one grow up around us and many times , the people I talk to relate to T.V. when describing hallucinations and delusions. Do you hear 'special messages' from your T.V. used to be a standard psychiatric question. And between PCs and blue-rays and digital... http://www.healthcentral.com/schizophrenia/c/9964/69615/schizophrenia http://www.healthcentral.com/schizophrenia/c/9964/65897/society Sat, 04 Apr 2009 10:46:06 -0400 Don Fraser    It seems that everywhere I've been in BC, throughout the major cities and even the small towns , there is a distinct group of patients and ex-mental patients who seek each other out for advice and company.    Whether it be at drop-in centers or cheap coffee shops it seems that you'll find us there relating to each other just like we were old friends.     It's a most interesting social... http://www.healthcentral.com/schizophrenia/c/9964/65897/society