Hello Marisol,

Schizophrenia can happen.  Just. Like that.

I've heard that if the onset is sudden, there's a better chance of recovery if someone gets immediate treatment with medication and therapy.

I, too, am the most down-to-earth and cool-under-pressure person you would ever meet.  And I had a swift, sudden breakdown.

Today I have a Masters in Library and Information science and I work as a librarian, a job I've had for 12 years.

My breakdown was certainly triggered by two things: environment and stress.  I could not deal with seeing my beloved Grandpa in a coma, hooked up to a respirator in the intensive care unit.

As well, I did not have the support of my parents when I was growing up.  I was a sensitive, quirky kid and I needed to be supported and accepted by parents just the way I was and not for them to try to change me or label me as dysfunctional and needing fixing.

I firmly believe a contributing factor in my breakdown was that all my life I couldn't express my feelings and so I was cut off from my feelings and developed schizophrenia.  A therapist told me just three weeks ago about this dynamic with my mother: "You felt rejected because she rejected your feelings."

Are you sure you have the whole story about what was going on before your cousin was diagnosed?  He may, even himself, be only now sorting things through.

Give him all your love and encouragement and he will do fine.

It is possible he can have a better life after the diagnosis than he had before.  Most of all, remember this: we are not our diagnosis, we are schizophrenics.  We are people with traits, personalities, life experiences and skills all our own apart from the illness.

So really anyone in the world can come down with schizophrenia.  It does not dsciminate who it chooses to effect.

Best wishes,

Christina

HI Marisol,

I meant to write, we are NOT schizophrenics, not we are schizophrenics.

Sorry.

Christina