info needed on Schizophrenia

What would you define as really rare?

Be careful...by doing this you're placing certain people's livelihood in your hands.

Dot.

Originally posted by dotgov101
What would you define as really rare?

Be careful...by doing this you're placing certain people's livelihood in your hands.

Dot.

By rare, i mean anything that takes a specialist to diagnose.
And yes, i am being very careful. I have spent alot of time researching this subject, and think that i should put all of the information stuck somewhere in my head to use.
I am trying to help.
Please, let my help.

My Irregularly Scheduled Program

Originally posted by dotgov101
You're lucky you have a timed schedule. Yesterday I was severely depressed, today I'm happy as a clam.

If only I was so lucky. One of the reasons I'm bipolar “not otherwise specified” is that there is no apparent rhyme or reason behind the timing of my “cycles”.

About the only thing regular about them is that they usually have some distinction, such as “depressive” versus “manic”, but even that is not always clear, since I have “mixed” phases as well.

Most of the time I'm fairly happy and easy to get along with, but sometimes I'm manic and have a really negative attitude. I call that “being snippy”, and anyone who has followed my posts here knows what that can be like.

“The morning after”, I hate myself for being that way, but when I'm in that state of mind, I consider my rudeness perfectly reasonable. In fact, I consider anything less than ruthless, strident vindictiveness to be immoral when I'm like that.

I'm working on it, but it is a difficult road, because my moods shift without my knowledge.

No matter how diligent I may be in trying to detect the changes, they always sneak up on me because they occur with no apparent causes and for no apparent reasons.

I try to impose some meaning on my “cycles”, but is an arbitrary and ultimately fruitless exercise.

I tell myself I could be pulling out of this latest depressive phase, but the truth is that I may not be, and that it may go on for another two weeks. Or a month, or several months, as it has before.

Thus my longstanding skepticism about making plans and predicting the future.

My future has always been impossible to predict.

Originally posted by Majic
My Irregularly Scheduled Program

Originally posted by dotgov101
You're lucky you have a timed schedule. Yesterday I was severely depressed, today I'm happy as a clam.

If only I was so lucky. One of the reasons I'm bipolar “not otherwise specified” is that there is no apparent rhyme or reason behind the timing of my “cycles”.

About the only thing regular about them is that they usually have some distinction, such as “depressive” versus “manic”, but even that is not always clear, since I have “mixed” phases as well.

Please note, I'm not trying to "one-up" you.

I am schizo-affective, which is a combination of schizophrenia with BPD, so I know exactly what you are talking about. I'm "mixed" right now. Ups and downs by the minute.

“The morning after”, I hate myself for being that way, but when I'm in that state of mind, I consider my rudeness perfectly reasonable. In fact, I consider anything less than ruthless, strident vindictiveness to be immoral when I'm like that.

Yes! It's exactly how it feels to wake up after a night of drinking, only instead of a headache I have bad memories of the things I said and did. I'll sometimes wake Ted up at 2, 3, 4 in the morning to tell him how awful I feel and will he forgive me.

I'm working on it, but it is a difficult road, because my moods shift without my knowledge.

Likewise. Everyone around me can see them coming a mile away. They know when I'll get terrified, depressed, elated, manic, etc.

No matter how diligent I may be in trying to detect the changes, they always sneak up on me because they occur with no apparent causes and for no apparent reasons.

My Zoloft, Valium, and Abilify are supposed to "mute" everything, but they work when they feel like it. Otherwise I'm on my own. I recite Norm's talk. I tell everyone I'm just fine, when deep down I feel like:
...........
.......
....
..
.

Thus my longstanding skepticism about making plans and predicting the future. My future has always been impossible to predict.

The only predictability I have is my unpredictability. Today is my brother's 23rd birthday, and he is celebrating by having friends and family go out with him to a tikki bar (yes, there is one in Fargo). Guess who wasn't invited.

I understand why. I witch when I get an invitation and I witch when I don't. He knows that crowd's faces turn into masks and I am reminded of days past .....

Ted's going.
Once again.

Dot.

from my basic knowledge of psycholgy i am able to say that biological forms of treatment can successfully relieve symptoms of schizophrenia. i am not sure which treatments apply. but it may be worth looking in to it. biological treatment includes drug therapy, psychosurgery and electro convulsive therapy.

By rare, i mean anything that takes a specialist to diagnose.

schizophrenia can be difficult to diagnose. research has shown that large numbers of black people are diagnosed with it and the rates of occurance were less in there native countries. there are massive problems with the classification of metal disorders.

Uhmmm..actually schizophrenia occurs in all races, continents, class-systems, socio-economic classes, and genders. Also, surgery and ECT are usually reserved as "last resorts" for those who do not respond to therapy and/or pharmaceuticals.

Dot.

Uhmmm..actually schizophrenia occurs in all races

in britain experiments have shown how the diagnosing of it is unfair and is shown in how more black people are diagnosed with it in britain than they are in their country of origin. there are several different models of defining mental abnormality and can lead to difficulties in diagnosing mental disorders.

Also, surgery and ECT are usually reserved as "last resorts" for those who do not respond to therapy and/or pharmaceuticals.

and once the surgery has been done there is no going back, it makes the person more placid and their poersonality is permanently changed

No Matter Where You Go

Originally posted by dotgov101
Uhmmm..actually schizophrenia occurs in all races, continents, class-systems, socio-economic classes, and genders.

It is also found in Councils, too.

Oh yes, we got fun.

Hope all is well on your end...

Majic

Originally posted by The Herbaliser

in britain experiments have shown how the diagnosing of it is unfair and is shown in how more black people are diagnosed with it in britain than they are in their country of origin.....

Sounds more like a socialogical problem, as well as a re-emphasis on the enigma of an actual set standards for schizophrenia, not a genetic inclination for mental disease inherent in a particular group.........

Originally posted by Majic
No Matter Where You Go

Here we is.

Hope all is well on your end...

Majic

I'm really happy because I got a letter in the mail saying that I HAVEN'T BEEN DENIED for disability, YET. That's a good thing. However, the reason why I haven't been (denyingignorance) denied is because more medical data is needed. I think that is really cool of them to give me a chance to 'splain myself.

Hence, they've set up an appointment with an independent doctor. I don't know what I'll say or do! The reason they did this is because the prior psychologist who tested me was biased, and his test results were disputed by the county. Boy, I bet he's mad.

Anyways, this illness is hard to live with, and even harder to diagnose. He might catch me on a good day, or he might catch me on a bad one. I can 't pre-think of my answers to his questions, because I want them to see the true me. Then comes the MMPI with it's 5039029348 questions. Do I look in the toilet before I flush? Am I left-handed? Do I have a direct link to God?

I'm still nervous. It was pretty blatant in the letter that his findings will be the final factor in their decision. I guess most normal people looking for a sit-at-home job would do everything they can to look nutzo, but I'm just going to be me.

In my omni-present gray sweatshirt.
And my PJ pants.

(((((((APPLAUSE TO SOCIAL SECURITY FOR BEING FAIR!)))))))))))))))

Never thought I'd say those words. I'll tell him the truth. That I'm a writer at heart. Then I'll take off my slippers and socks and show him why I can't work longer than a mere three hours now.

And I'll tell him that sometimes people get dealt the full deck. Mom and Dad were hoping I wasn't going to be one of those people, but the odds really weren't in their favour.

Finally, if he has any further questions, he can either find the answers at www.abovetopsecret.com, thread number 129189, or he can read my blog.

* edited for editing.

[edit on 13-6-2005 by dotgov101]

I thought it would be nice to inform you that i do not have Schizophrenia, i have been diagnosed with Biploar, but thank you for all of the information you have shared with me

Hey! Thats good news, of a sort,no? Good thing you stuck with the meds right? Else they'd be too caught up in that issue.

Originally posted by Nygdan
Hey! Thats good news, of a sort,no? Good thing you stuck with the meds right? Else they'd be too caught up in that issue.

they change my medication to lithium and the last two days, ive had numerous blood tests run, etc..

ive got to have blood tests every three weeks because if my blood level goes above .5 i become very ill due to the medication and if it goes above .7 i could go into a coma

Wow, thats terrible. I wasn't aware of that.

Die Lithium Crystals

Originally posted by Nygdan
Wow, thats terrible. I wasn't aware of that.

Lithium, like so many drugs prescribed for mania, is a two-edged sword.

As it turns out, lithium is one of many treatment cases where the effective dose isn't all that much less than a dangerous or even lethal dose.

I gave lithium (in the form of Eskalith) the Harvard try, but ultimately had to give it up due to some rather nasty side effects, including hand tremors (of the can't-drink-beverages-without-a-straw variety) and ultimately whole-limb tremors which made safe driving impossible.

The reason I was getting those side effects was because lower levels weren't working. We tried the higher levels to see if there would at least be some noticeable therapeutic effect in my case, but no dice.

If it did work, though, I would probably still be taking it -- on a PRN basis perhaps -- because as much as I love mania, too much of any good thing ultimately becomes too much.

Much as Bilbo Baggins complained, I eventually end up feeling thin, like butter spread over too much bread.

But enough of this anecdotalizing. I'm just stopping by, wanted to say “hi” and need to get back to the serious business of vacating.

See you later.

As it turns out, lithium is one of many treatment cases where the effective dose isn't all that much less than a dangerous or even lethal dose.

That is the main thing that worries me about Lithium, its like playing Russian roulette, which is very dangerous

Full Moon Rising

The full moon is coming, and I am beginning to feel the onset of a new manic episode -- or a false start.

Those suck -- the false starts, not the mania. Love the mania.

Fair warning: Councilors beware, as I can be a real handful when I'm amped (as you already know too painfully well).

My mitigating action is that I'm going to try to focus most of this energy on fiction writing and recording music, and hopefully cut way back on the energy budget for haranguing the Council.

May Mod have mercy on my soul.

Infinite

I only read the first page, but on that page alone there is a lot of misinformation. Schizophrenia is not very well understood, that is true, but it is not a conspiracy by the drug companies and it is not demonic possession and it is not caused by drug abuse, even if psychosis can be caused by drug abuse.

It has been suggested that schizophrenia has many causes and it definitely has many manifestations and indeed some have suggested that what we call schizophrenia is really a variety of different illnesses characterized by psychosis.

Even though, there is little known about the etiology, schizophrenia is not as hard to diagnose as some suggest. There are some rather strict criteria for a diagnosis of schizophrenia, even though there are no medical tests that can be given to identify schizophrenia as there are for most medical conditions.

Imaging tests have shown distinct differences in the brain structure of many schizophrenia sufferers:

Here is a Google Search.

Diagnostic criteria and symptom discussions can be found here:

cebmh.warne.ox.ac.uk...

www.mentalhealth.com...

www.athealth.com...

www.mentalhealth.com...

This is just a start, but be advised that the best material is not to be found on the internet unless you have a subscription to the professional literature. These can be found at any college library. There are some good books for lay people to be had. This is an excellent one by a psychiatrist who grew up with a psychotic sister and who has devoted his life to understanding the disorder.

Surviving Schizophrenia: A Manual for Families, Consumers, and Providers (4th Edition) -- by E. Fuller Torrey

It's available at Amazon.



[edit on 2005/7/19 by GradyPhilpott]

[edit on 2005/7/19 by GradyPhilpott]