Schizophrenia (Q and A)

[Oats]

I have this "disease" and it's not as bad as people make it out to be. I do get paranoid mainly because people are always on the edge with me (or so I think)

I haven't taken meads for a long time and I'm fine. People judge us and tell us how to live when we are the ones who have to suffer...if you call it that. They say mainly smart people and creative people are schizophrenic ;)

One of the voices who I "banished" was an atheist at one point

I do have voices but it's more like a brother who I've always had. We'll see if it gets worse....I'm good with controlling him. So much so that I can run two trains of thought simultaneously....I naturally learned to do this out of frustration...

If you have questions ask me...

Don't assume.

Apparently my case is severe :

 

[johnny botwright]

being tolled you have schizophrnia , is like a consultant saying you have cancer.

on the bbc program horrizon , how mad are you, 3 experts had to correctly diagnose 12 people, some with problems, some with out, they got every diagnose wrong, apart from one that was the clearest to detect.

they would not use schizophrenia on the show, as the implications f they got that diagnose wrong,
would have had major implications.

they say officialy there is no cure for schizophrenia, but nothing is to hard for the Lord he can heal hearts and minds.

like wise this proffesion, pychiatry , do not take demon possesion, influence into account, according to them i would image there is no such thing.

most people on this forum, would/ could be considered by them to be schizophrenic, to lesser or greater degree.

at some point if its relevent i will show you how, if any ones intrested. johnny

 

[Strangelove]

I have this "disease" and it's not as bad as people make it out to be. I do get paranoid mainly because people are always on the edge with me (or so I think)

I haven't taken meads for a long time and I'm fine. People judge us and tell us how to live when we are the ones who have to suffer...if you call it that. They say mainly smart people and creative people are schizophrenic ;)

One of the voices who I "banished" was an atheist at one point

I do have voices but it's more like a brother who I've always had. We'll see if it gets worse....I'm good with controlling him. So much so that I can run two trains of thought simultaneously....I naturally learned to do this out of frustration...

If you have questions ask me...

Don't assume.

Apparently my case is severe :

Oats you are a brave man for doing a Q&A for us on this.

I have a question.

In what ways do the voices in your head differ from......you talking to yourself.

 

[Oats]

Oats you are a brave man for doing a Q&A for us on this.

I have a question.

In what ways do the voices in your head differ from......you talking to yourself.

Thank you


As per your question-

I talk to myself a lot. Usually I talk aloud, and I have full control of that (on/off)

Whereas the voices can be compared to a song you can't get out of your head, except the content is usually relevant. I've never been told to kill myself. I know it's not a demon


The voice I have now is a Christian- I think I created him to make up for my failures in my pursuit of righteousness.

He often lectures me at work and gives me thread ideas. He says "I told you so and you are wrong".

I can get him to say "we are wrong now". :D

He is the rapper in me...

 

[handy]

Do you sense that the other voice is you? I know you created him, but is he an extension of you or another person entirely?


Also, do you experience extreme mood swings? Happy one moment and then really angry the next? Are there triggers?

I also appreciate your willingness to share. My grandmother was raised in an era where a "mental illness" was so stigmatized, one simply pretended there was nothing wrong. But there was, and I still struggle with trying to make sense of certain things. It's so sad, because today, she most likely would have been diagnosed and treated and much happier.

 

[Oats]

Do you sense that the other voice is you? I know you created him, but is he an extension of you or another person entirely?


Also, do you experience extreme mood swings? Happy one moment and then really angry the next? Are there triggers?

I also appreciate your willingness to share. My grandmother was raised in an era where a "mental illness" was so stigmatized, one simply pretended there was nothing wrong. But there was, and I still struggle with trying to make sense of certain things. It's so sad, because today, she most likely would have been diagnosed and treated and much happier.

Do you sense that the other voice is you? I know you created him, but is he an extension of you or another person entirely?

Well It would seem so. Sometimes, however, when I'm at my wits end about things he has recollection and knowledge that I don't.

Also, do you experience extreme mood swings? Happy one moment and then really angry the next? Are there triggers?

My emotions are pretty balanced, when I was younger I would flip out. Not for any reason that another child wouldn't have. Now I just get normal emotional reactions. When people fail to out smart me or manipulate me they use my illness as an excuse.

 

[stovebolts]

Do you ever cross your stories or facts?

Like lets say you go to the grocery store to get that big sale item and when you get there, they are all out. So, it's reasoned that x person (or entity) is responsible for the store being out because of what happened at y and everything just gets connected whether it should be or not?

 

[jasoncran]

Thank you


As per your question-

I talk to myself a lot. Usually I talk aloud, and I have full control of that (on/off)

Whereas the voices can be compared to a song you can't get out of your head, except the content is usually relevant. I've never been told to kill myself. I know it's not a demon


The voice I have now is a Christian- I think I created him to make up for my failures in my pursuit of righteousness.

He often lectures me at work and gives me thread ideas. He says "I told you so and you are wrong".

I can get him to say "we are wrong now". :D

He is the rapper in me...

stupid question.

do you have schizophrenia. if that's it then hell add me as i have three of those when i think. i talk to them but they arent audible just each will take a persona.

its hard to describe that but i am in control of those and like you i can turn those on or off,
when i get in heated debate here i use them to argue

for instance if i wanted to debate sl. i will be the contra argument. and the other will be sl.

i have had done that for yrs.

there must be more to this psychosis as my bro had this and was institutionalised most of his teen life. he was cured as he no longer has it and no longer takes meds.

 

[Oats]

Do you ever cross your stories or facts?

Like lets say you go to the grocery store to get that big sale item and when you get there, they are all out. So, it's reasoned that x person (or entity) is responsible for the store being out because of what happened at y and everything just gets connected whether it should be or not?

It used to be that way, if I don't take my medicine it is that to the extreme. Everytime I lose it I have a different story for who is after me.

stupid question.

do you have schizophrenia. if that's it then hell add me as i have three of those when i think. i talk to them but they arent audible just each will take a persona.

its hard to describe that but i am in control of those and like you i can turn those on or off,
when i get in heated debate here i use them to argue

for instance if i wanted to debate sl. i will be the contra argument. and the other will be sl.

i have had done that for yrs.

there must be more to this psychosis as my bro had this and was institutionalised most of his teen life. he was cured as he no longer has it and no longer takes meds.

I have Scizoeffective disorder- a type of schizophrenia. He probably can cope like I can sometimes....but its hard to stop thinking that way. it becomes second nature. it may run in your family and you have a part of it. I think its not really a bad thing

 

[jasoncran]

It used to be that way, if I don't take my medicine it is that to the extreme. Everytime I lose it I have a different story for who is after me.



I have Scizoeffective disorder- a type of schizophrenia. He probably can cope like I can sometimes....but its hard to stop thinking that way. it becomes second nature. it may run in your family and you have a part of it. I think its not really a bad thing

lol. i used to think that i would have something . but i dont . i went to a shrink a few months ago. for a check up per the army.

my bro had it far worse then you do. he threatened others and was baker acted in school.

to tell my family history of psychosis.
paranoid shizophrenia
depression
mild adult retardation
and severe retardation

i had ptsd at one time.

my bro doenst like to talk about that time in his life and i asked him about this all he said was that was a lot anger and he had anger in his heart and one day he woke not being mad.

i dont full grasp that but i thank the lord for that as i saw him on the meds and the weight loss and the sadness he had when we left him at the mental hospital.

he used to draw very well and when went on those drugs that literally stopped.

 

[Mike]

I haven't taken meads for a long time and I'm fine. People judge us and tell us how to live when we are the ones who have to suffer

I pray I don't create a side bar with this. For those who follow, please don't take my post as a turning point. Oats, do you get pressure from fellow Christians to stop taking your medication? I hope not, but I'll bet you do. I've worked in the medical field for 20 years. I'm not a doctor but I play one on these boards. :yes

Seriously, because mental conditions are not necessarily visible, they aren't dealt with on the level of say... a paraplegic. Somehow it's okay for a paraplegic to use a wheelchair, but a schizophrenic is just weak in faith for taking meds. They do need to be constantly monitored and adjusted as "tolerance" becomes a problem. I know two people who have tried to stop a few times and ended up in the hospital.

Do you get that response? Is it almost always people who don't work in health care? Aside from other people, has a voice told you to stop taking the meds? There are likely people observing that will be helped by your candor. Thanks, Oats.

 

[Oats]

I pray I don't create a side bar with this. For those who follow, please don't take my post as a turning point. Oats, do you get pressure from fellow Christians to stop taking your medication? I hope not, but I'll bet you do. I've worked in the medical field for 20 years. I'm not a doctor but I play one on these boards. :yes

Seriously, because mental conditions are not necessarily visible, they aren't dealt with on the level of say... a paraplegic. Somehow it's okay for a paraplegic to use a wheelchair, but a schizophrenic is just weak in faith for taking meds. They do need to be constantly monitored and adjusted as "tolerance" becomes a problem. I know two people who have tried to stop a few times and ended up in the hospital.

Do you get that response? Is it almost always people who don't work in health care? Aside from other people, has a voice told you to stop taking the meds? There are likely people observing that will be helped by your candor. Thanks, Oats.

No, mostly because I go to a reformed church...if that makes any sense. The people believe in mental disease and there is a doctor who goes to my church with whom i am very close.

I'm the one who doesn't want it....But that doesn't matter much when it comes to what I need...

 

[Christ_empowered]

Hey. I've been diagnosed w/ Schizophrenia before...although it was changed to a form of Bipolar Disorder by a psychiatrist.

Anyway, when you read about mental illness, its interesting because not everybody responds to meds (even the newest/best ones), and not everybody ends up needing meds forever. I read this one book, called "Mad In America", and they unearthed a study that found that a lot of people with schizophrenia ended up only taking meds on an as-needed basis. I guess they had a big bottle of Thorazine or something, and when the paranoia and agitation started to get to them, they'd take some of it for a couple weeks at a time, then quit. Not exactly what your shrink would advise you to do, but it seems to keep some people out of the hospital.

Personally, I respond best to daily medication at a moderate dosage. Not too low, not too high; keeps things on an even keel. As long as you're functioning and you have a plan B for what to do if things get out of hand, then I think everything's fine, personally.

 

[Alabaster]

It is very common for schizophrenics, as well as those who suffer with bipolar disorder to choose to go off their medications. That is a very real problem with these patients. Usually, they feel they are doing better on the meds but really hate the side effects, so they go off, thinking they are OK, and then eventually, more manifestations of the disease occur and the whole cycle of confrontation and treatment begins again.

That said, God can certainly heal these people completely!

 

[Strangelove]

when i get in heated debate here i use them to argue

for instance if i wanted to debate sl. i will be the contra argument. and the other will be sl.

i have had done that for yrs.

Maybe you should try debating me as Jason, as your 'contra argument' alter persona is not having much success.

 

[Strangelove]

It is very common for schizophrenics, as well as those who suffer with bipolar disorder to choose to go off their medications. That is a very real problem with these patients. Usually, they feel they are doing better on the meds but really hate the side effects, so they go off, thinking they are OK, and then eventually, more manifestations of the disease occur and the whole cycle of confrontation and treatment begins again.

That said, God can certainly heal these people completely!

I think it's more likely that people simply get 'cold turkey' when they suddenly stop their meds just like people do with illicit drugs. These drugs are extremely addictive.

I certainly would never advise anyone to just throw their meds away and instantly quit. The best thing to do would be to find a Christian doctor with experience in weening people off psychiatric medication as you would need to be closely monitored.

As Alabaster said it certainly can be done with God's grace.

I would urge anyone who is taking psychiatric drugs to repent against it, as the Bible tells us to, but in a cautious and sensible mannor with professional help (certainly not with the Dr. who assigned you the meds in the first place).

 

[jasoncran]

uh, the illness has to cured in the first place, my unbelieving dr for my wife has stopped my wife from taking hers meds. as she didnt have mania at the time. so he then will meet her from time to time and check in her.

and no, my wife has stopped her so called "addictive" drugs cold and not had withdrawals.

it takes months or weeks for those to start working at full strenght and months to clear.

 

[Strangelove]

if you continue this in the the other thread, a warning will be issued.

So you are saying if I continue to urge Brethren to repent against the things the Bible teaches us to repent against....you are gonna give me a warning?

 

[l'Chante]

You said that you are back on your meds. How are you doing now? And please explain the difference between being on the meds and being off it. Does it change your personality?

 

[Pebbles]

Is there any reason why you've stopped taking your meds? did they have adverse side effects that you didn't like, Was it there cost? Or a personal matter?