Schizophrenia - How many people are there that have recovered from sz?

Friday, July 03, 2009

David Robbins

There is no cure for SZ. I imagine there are some that have overcome it. I don't know though.

For me, taking meds IS a tool for control. I cannot live without meds.

I hope you find answers.

Dave

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re: How many people are there that have recovered from sz?
Daleri
Friday, July 03, 2009 at 05:25 AM

Thank you for your reply. That is what I am trying to find out if there are any known cases of people that have been cured. I am interested in what the experts will say.

re: re: How many people are there that have recovered from sz?
JULIE LEDFORD
Wednesday, September 16, 2009 at 10:20 AM

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Friday, July 03, 2009

DCROY9633

From what I have read, a small percentage of people who have been diagnosed with sz only have the initial psychotic break and go on to fully recover w/o meds. But the vast majority of us require medication every day in order to keep our heads above water.

Carolyn

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re: How many people are there that have recovered from sz?
Daleri
Friday, July 03, 2009 at 07:11 PM

It is likely there are some people that keep it a secret. A lot of people joke about it. They say things like, "It is alright to talk to yourself or to God as long as you don't hear someone talk back". That is a bit of a dilemma but for all (or most) intents and purposes, it is better to just ignore anything like that (unless it is God talking to you). Oh, the perils of the mind. What God says is supposed to be true and what szs see and hear is not true or dependable and therefore, not good (not what God is saying) because it is not true since it is not dependable. What gives a lie or image its power is if or when people believe in it. Otherwise it would be powerless. We need to believe (and fear) good will happen instead of bad.

Friday, July 03, 2009

Christina Bruni

Hello Daleri,

I was diagnosed with SZ in 1987 and I have made a full recovery because of the medication. If you actually had ragin', full-on psychosis, I doubt you would welcome that mental state and refuse the medication that could give you your life back. The medication is NOT a "tool of control" and I know that because I take one of the medications. I'm not sure if you were diagnosed with SZ. If you were not, how can you presume that the medication is a tool of control? People looking at the situation from the outside often have no idea what goes on. Hopefully by reading the SharePosts here, and reading my Profile and the Profiles of everyone else, you will see that recovery is possible even if there's no "cure."

Because, Daleri, the Geodon was as close to a cure as I could get; and I submit that's all that matters: I recovered.

The reality is, 95 percent or more of the people diagnosed with SZ need medication in order to have the best possible chance of recovery. Only about one percent have a single psychotic episode and never have one again and don't need medication.

So instead of using the absence of medication as the Holy Grail for determining whether someone is cured or recovered, look to the statistics and body of evidence here and elsewhere that show recovery is not only possible, it's probable when one stays in treatment.

Had you not suggested that the medication is used as tool of control, I wouldn't have come on so strong.

Regards,

Christina

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re: How many people are there that have recovered from sz?
Daleri
Friday, July 03, 2009 at 10:39 PM

I am not trying to be offensive and sometimes it seems a bit of control is needed but I don't see how it can ever be a cure. It doesn't make sense to me. Diabetics are OK as long as they take insulin but they are not cured. If I am in error I hope you allow me that grace for me to error long enough for me to be able to see what is wrong with my reasoning. It also does not bother me if you want to say you have recovered. That is a great aspiration to have. I am not judging anyone here and I don't have the pay grade to make a determination of who should take what or how much. I am just trying to get some answers and perhaps help someone along the way.

Friday, July 03, 2009

Christina Bruni

Hello Daleri,

Perhaps you didn't mean "tool of control" as defined by the common, anti-psychiatry belief that medication is mind control, used to keep people in line if they don't conform.

That is how I interpreted your use of "tool of control": the way it is commonly used- to infer mind control.

Please define what you mean by "tool of control." It is possible you merely meant "as a tool of controlling symptoms." If this is what you meant, it's true that medication is often the only way to control the symptoms.

However, I consider the Geodon, quite frankly, to be nearly a cure.

Regards,

Christina

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re: How many people are there that have recovered from sz?
Daleri
Friday, July 03, 2009 at 10:51 PM

Yeah, that is what I meant that medication is a tool of controlling symptoms so that people don't hurt themselves. My concern is the actual cause especially for people that previously did not show any symptoms and perhaps even for those children who seem to be born with it.

Saturday, July 04, 2009

sunfire

For alot of people on antipsychotics it is extremely hard to quit taking the meds the meds are extremly addictive and when some one decides to stop the meds the person will puke hurt all over and sometimes hallutionate. becuase they are so addictive people withdraw and the withdrawal looks so much like a relapse to everybody cause of the hallutionations etc that the person is not allowed to stay off of the med. This experience was from someone who had been on the meds 15 year and tried to come off. However I know another person who has had a similar problem they had the same experience although they had'nt been on them 15 yr. Sometimes doctors change meds to often too when someone starts doing better their meds get changed thats kindof silly to me but theirs nothing I can do but suggest to them a different doctor.

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re: How many people are there that have recovered from sz?
Daleri
Saturday, July 04, 2009 at 07:12 AM

Thank you for your response. There are websites that claim a high recovery rate among people that are affected by sz. I would like to know of any documented examples of that. If what you say is true, it doesn't seem like that is even possible.

re: re: How many people are there that have recovered from sz?
Christina Bruni
Saturday, July 04, 2009 at 01:06 PM

Hi Daleri,

Here's a link to studies documenting recovery:

http://www.namiscc.org/newsletters/September/Recovery%20from%20Schizophrenia.htm

Regards,

Christina

re: re: re: How many people are there that have recovered from sz?
Daleri
Monday, July 06, 2009 at 02:10 AM

I checked out the web page that you gave. I had seen it before and I read it again. My friend that was affected by sz no longer shows and of the symptoms of sz and was never treated, no more ups and downs, no more hallucinations or imaginary friends, no longer speaking irrational things, no more noises, no more unexplained terror etc.. He wasn't a perfect person before he flipped out. After, he tried to change everything he was doing and he tried to always do the right thing and that seems to be what made the difference. The thing that seems to have turned the tide was when he stopped believing in the hallucinations. The hallucinations would vanish the moment that he stopped believing in them. They just kept vanishing until they never came back. So it turns out that the cause could have been faulty reasoning in the first place. No one is able to think for anyone else and doesn't know the errors and false assumptions that other people have and no one can correct the thoughts or fears that other people have. Each person has to do that for themselves.

Sunday, July 05, 2009

sunfire

There are people who have recovered! The problem alot of people face is the withdrawal period. In the withdrawal period some people who does not realize that there is a withdrawal period believe the person is relapsing an push the person withdrawing into taking medication. This is a problem for people who would like to go without meds. It is hard for anyone who has been on antipsycotics to quit taking them if they have been on them awhile and but it has and can be done. Some people because of stigma (false beliefs) think that people with schizophrenia should not be allowed to make their own decisions about not taking meds and force them to go back on the medication. Some people who are withdrawing want to go back on the meds cause they are tired of pukeing, upset stomachs, body aches, and sleep hallutionations and people assumin that they are relapsing that they decide to go back on meds. Although some doctors are ignorant and help the family force the person to go back on meds. Some doctors also claim that their is no withdrawal period however that is a lie that is why it is dangerous for any ones meds to be changed or taken away quickly cause of the dangers of seizures, and sometimes death. BUT there have been people who have succeeded. HOpe this helps some. ALSO NAMI may be willing to help they are the national alliance for the mentally ill. Good luck and God bless you

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re: How many people are there that have recovered from sz?
Daleri
Monday, July 06, 2009 at 12:56 AM

Thank you for the clarification. It is the kind of information that I was looking for. I suppose that just because we can put someone on medication doesn't necessarily mean that we should. There are extreme cases where perhaps medication can be used to minimize the symptoms and the violent nature that some people have but if the person is not violent and not a danger to themselves or others, perhaps some good TLC and counseling would be in order. They wanted to put my friend on medication even though he had not even hurt or threatened anyone. The irronic thing is that violence is often learned from others and is sometimes not even related to sz.