When I was a young man I got involved in the Church. While I was a member of this particular Church a very good friend of mine developed schizophrenia. The first thing I was told was that my friend was possessed by demons and spirits. That there was no hope for this person and this person was on their way down to hell. The sad thing about the whole thing was that the Christians there had me convinced that this was true.
Meanwhile I was developing schizophrenia myself. When my schizophrenia got to the point where it was in full bloom and I started using drugs and alcohol again I was told the same thing about me. They told me that I was full of demons and spirits. This was after I left the Church. I was having difficulty living up to my religious beliefs because of my mental illness so rather than being a hypocrite I left.
A few years later I met a fellow and he attended a Church. We became very good friends. I started going to Church with him. I told him right up front the day we met that I had schizophrenia. This fellow showed me a book called "Pigs in the Parlor". It was about people that had schizophrenia were possessed by demons. In fact a whole legion of demons. Every symptom of the illness was caused by a different demon. Of course he told me that I was full of demons.
For awhile there he had me convinced that it was true. This had a very negative impact on my mental health which wasn't very good in the first place due to my schizophrenia. I started asking around looking for a Minister that performed exorcisms. I was in a big mess mentally and psychologically. After awhile I muddled through all this and came to the point where I no longer believed that I was possessed by demons. By the grace of God I came to believe this. Even though I still suffered from the symptoms of my illness believing that I was not possessed by demons brought some relief mentally and psychologically.
A few years later I was with a Christian from the first Church I was involved with. He even went as far to say that the Schizophrenia Society was of the devil. This really upset me. When I went home I told my Mom about this. She got angry, called him up, to tell him off. Didn't he deny that he said this. Not only did I experience stigma and discrimination from him but outright denied it. He wouldn't even admit to my Mom that he was prejudiced against those with mental illness.
At the present moment I'm writing this my schizophrenia is pretty much in remission. I still have my Christian beliefs. I would like to go back to the same Church I first started with but I can't because of the stigma and discrimination.
I need to find a Church that does not believe that mental illness is caused by demon possession and does believe that mental illness is a real biological disease. But that is still not good enough. I would probably still encounter other forms of stigma and discrimination there. I probably would not be accepted by the Church community. I would be left out in the cold there. They probably wouldn't even talk to me let alone have fellowship with me there.
Look at the gay community. They were rejected, stigmatized, and discriminated against by the Church. But they solved the problem. They started getting together all across this great country of ours and started their own Churches. So now we have gay people able to get together, worship God together, have fellowship together, and help and encourage one another with their Christian faith and walk.
I've been entertaining similar thoughts. Why don't we consumers get together and start our own Churches. Get together, worship God, have fellowship together, and help and encourage one another in our Christian faith and walk. Not only that if people that are not consumers want to attend our Churches we would gladly receive them into our Churches and let them be members if they so please.
But there is an obstacle. Consumers that believe in Christianity need to find each other so that they can get together and start our Churches.
We don't need ordained Ministers and we don't need to pay our Ministers a salary. We can all share in giving sermons at Church services. Those that have a gift for it. We can organize the way we want our Churches to be governed. Eventually have our Churches scattered all over this great country of ours. Why Not? The gay community did it. Why can't we?
Sunday, May 27, 2007
Monday, May 21, 2007
Schizophrenia and Poverty
Schizophrenia is a real biological disease just like any other disease such as heart disease, diabetes, cancer, or any other disease. Because of this a person is not responsible for developing schizophrenia.
When a person has schizophrenia they suffer much from mental and emotional torture and torment. They also suffer in another way needlessly. They suffer from poverty.
Most people with schizophrenia are not able to work and support themselves. There is government assistance for this population of people. But in reality it's a big joke. After one pays their rent there is not enough money left to live on.
After they buy their groceries there's nothing left and the groceries they do buy are not very good healthy choices. They can't afford to buy the food that is healthy and brings health to their bodies. A lot of consumers have very poor health because of the types of food they have to live on.
What about those who smoke. They say that smoking is a luxury. That is not true. Smoking is an addiction. One of the hardest addictions to break. Not only that scientists have proven that smoking has a biological effect on those with mental illness that makes them feel better mentally and psychologically.
What about money for transportation. The government allows traveling expenses but only enough to last a week out of the whole month. Therefore consumers are stuck and have no way of getting around especially if they live in the city.
What about monies for recreational activities. Recreation is a very important part of a consumers healing and recovery. Without the ability to get out and excercise and have social interactions a consumer is very isolated. They spend most of time alone. That's not good for ones mental health. How would the politicians like to spend their life being lonely and depressed most of the time.
What about having a phone. The government says that a phone is a luxury. That is not true. A phone is a necessity especially in an emergency. Like I said in the last paragraph it's not good for ones mental health to be isolated from having contact with other people. It's bad enough that one cannot get out to socialize but to not have the ability to talk to anyone at all because they cannot afford a phone isolates them even more.
There is no need for people living with schizophrenia to have to live their lives in poverty and be cut off from the rest of society. If the government wanted to they could find ways to supply more money to mental health consumers.
I think that the government has no compassion for this population of people and they just don't care about them and the fact that they have to live in poverty.
The government and society as a whole should be ashamed of themselves for this needless suffering that mental health consumers have to go through.
I also think that it is national disgrace for this country to treat their fellow human beings that suffer from mental illness in such a merciless way that we do.
There is just no legitimate excuse for this sad state of affairs.
When a person has schizophrenia they suffer much from mental and emotional torture and torment. They also suffer in another way needlessly. They suffer from poverty.
Most people with schizophrenia are not able to work and support themselves. There is government assistance for this population of people. But in reality it's a big joke. After one pays their rent there is not enough money left to live on.
After they buy their groceries there's nothing left and the groceries they do buy are not very good healthy choices. They can't afford to buy the food that is healthy and brings health to their bodies. A lot of consumers have very poor health because of the types of food they have to live on.
What about those who smoke. They say that smoking is a luxury. That is not true. Smoking is an addiction. One of the hardest addictions to break. Not only that scientists have proven that smoking has a biological effect on those with mental illness that makes them feel better mentally and psychologically.
What about money for transportation. The government allows traveling expenses but only enough to last a week out of the whole month. Therefore consumers are stuck and have no way of getting around especially if they live in the city.
What about monies for recreational activities. Recreation is a very important part of a consumers healing and recovery. Without the ability to get out and excercise and have social interactions a consumer is very isolated. They spend most of time alone. That's not good for ones mental health. How would the politicians like to spend their life being lonely and depressed most of the time.
What about having a phone. The government says that a phone is a luxury. That is not true. A phone is a necessity especially in an emergency. Like I said in the last paragraph it's not good for ones mental health to be isolated from having contact with other people. It's bad enough that one cannot get out to socialize but to not have the ability to talk to anyone at all because they cannot afford a phone isolates them even more.
There is no need for people living with schizophrenia to have to live their lives in poverty and be cut off from the rest of society. If the government wanted to they could find ways to supply more money to mental health consumers.
I think that the government has no compassion for this population of people and they just don't care about them and the fact that they have to live in poverty.
The government and society as a whole should be ashamed of themselves for this needless suffering that mental health consumers have to go through.
I also think that it is national disgrace for this country to treat their fellow human beings that suffer from mental illness in such a merciless way that we do.
There is just no legitimate excuse for this sad state of affairs.
Sunday, May 20, 2007
Needed: Treatment Programs for Dual Diagnosis
Nova Scotia needs to set up and develop treatment programs to treat those with dual diagnosis. Meaning those who have a mental illness and the disease of addiction.
To my knowledge there is only one treatment program in our province that targets this special population. I think that it is located in Halifax.
Why do we need such a program?
Treating dual diagnosis is very complicated and involved. To treat the mental illness alone would not successfully help the person recover. To treat the addiction alone would not successfully help the person recover. Both problems need to be treated simultaneously.
There are three main aspects to the disease of addiction. Mental, physical, and spiritual. The mental part is the unrelenting obsession to use drugs and alcohol. The persons whole thought life is focused on using.
The physical part is once a drug is in the persons system the person develops a physical compulsion to continue using. Once the drug is out of their system they go through a severe craving. Their body needs more drugs.
The spiritual part has to do with self-centered, self-absorbed, self-seeking, and self-willed thinking and behaviour. Their thought life is completely focused on themselves. They very seldom think about others.
Mental illness is even more complicated than addiction. When a person is experiencing psychosis they are not living in reality. They are hallucinating, suffering from delusions, their thoughts are very disorganized. They are living in their own little world completely cut off from what is going on around them.
So, if you treat the addiction alone the person still suffers the symptoms of their mental illness. If you treat the mental illness alone the person still suffers the symptoms of their addiction.
Because of this both disorders need to be treated at the same time.
This is why we need special programs to treat those with dual diagnosis.
Consumers, and the family members of consumers should get together, get organized, and start some real serious advocating on behalf of consumers to get treatment programs set up to treat those with dual diagnosis.
Because this is a real major problem amongst the consumer population. You would be surprised if you knew how many consumers have dual diagnosis. I don't know the exact statistics but there are many many consumers out there that have this problem.
To my knowledge there is only one treatment program in our province that targets this special population. I think that it is located in Halifax.
Why do we need such a program?
Treating dual diagnosis is very complicated and involved. To treat the mental illness alone would not successfully help the person recover. To treat the addiction alone would not successfully help the person recover. Both problems need to be treated simultaneously.
There are three main aspects to the disease of addiction. Mental, physical, and spiritual. The mental part is the unrelenting obsession to use drugs and alcohol. The persons whole thought life is focused on using.
The physical part is once a drug is in the persons system the person develops a physical compulsion to continue using. Once the drug is out of their system they go through a severe craving. Their body needs more drugs.
The spiritual part has to do with self-centered, self-absorbed, self-seeking, and self-willed thinking and behaviour. Their thought life is completely focused on themselves. They very seldom think about others.
Mental illness is even more complicated than addiction. When a person is experiencing psychosis they are not living in reality. They are hallucinating, suffering from delusions, their thoughts are very disorganized. They are living in their own little world completely cut off from what is going on around them.
So, if you treat the addiction alone the person still suffers the symptoms of their mental illness. If you treat the mental illness alone the person still suffers the symptoms of their addiction.
Because of this both disorders need to be treated at the same time.
This is why we need special programs to treat those with dual diagnosis.
Consumers, and the family members of consumers should get together, get organized, and start some real serious advocating on behalf of consumers to get treatment programs set up to treat those with dual diagnosis.
Because this is a real major problem amongst the consumer population. You would be surprised if you knew how many consumers have dual diagnosis. I don't know the exact statistics but there are many many consumers out there that have this problem.
Saturday, May 19, 2007
Healing and Recovery
I have just finished reading a news article on the Schizophrenia Society of Canada's new mission statement. Up to this point in their history their mission statement focused on symptom reduction to remove some of the suffering.
But symptom reduction by itself does not produce healing and recovery. In order to get healing and recovery you need to be able to live. You need to experience happiness and success. You need to live a life of meaning, purpose, and be a productive member of society. Recovery means that you can be independent. Have your own place. Be able to keep it clean, cook your own meals, learn to budget your money, learn to shop for groceries, and learn to pay your bills.
It also means to have a social life and be able to participate in recreational activities. If a person gets well enough. To get and hold down a job, or go back to school and get an education.
It also means to have access to good service delivery from the mental health field, to have access to funding if the person is not able to work, and to have access to affordable housing.
The new mission statement still aims to reduce symptoms and the suffering but it also promotes healing and recovery. I personally believe that the things I've mentioned is what healing and recovery is all about.
But symptom reduction by itself does not produce healing and recovery. In order to get healing and recovery you need to be able to live. You need to experience happiness and success. You need to live a life of meaning, purpose, and be a productive member of society. Recovery means that you can be independent. Have your own place. Be able to keep it clean, cook your own meals, learn to budget your money, learn to shop for groceries, and learn to pay your bills.
It also means to have a social life and be able to participate in recreational activities. If a person gets well enough. To get and hold down a job, or go back to school and get an education.
It also means to have access to good service delivery from the mental health field, to have access to funding if the person is not able to work, and to have access to affordable housing.
The new mission statement still aims to reduce symptoms and the suffering but it also promotes healing and recovery. I personally believe that the things I've mentioned is what healing and recovery is all about.
Dual Diagnosis
There are many types of dual diagnosis. For the purpose of this article this term refers to people that have both a mental illness and the disease of addiction.
According to (About.com) there is a problem for those who work in the mental health field. That is making an accurate diagnosis. It is very problematic to recognize dual diagnosis. The reason being someone with a mental illness is most likely to be in denial about their drug or alcohol abuse. Also when it’s obvious that someone has an addiction problem this can cover up the symptoms of a mental illness.
The (Better Health Channel) states that because the mental health system lacks knowledge about dual diagnosis this could cause problems for the patients and their families.The health care workers often point the finger at their clients accusing them of being difficult and not responding to treatment. When in reality the mental health system is not providing adequate treatment and support for their clients.
If a client decides to seek treatment first for the drug problem, the addictions workers treat their mental illness as a "secondary issue". Or, if the client decides to seek treatment first for their mental illness the mental health workers treat their addiction as a "secondary issue". They do not view these two problems with equal importance and as "interdependent" with each other.There is usually no specialized or "early intervention treatments " available for those with dual diagnosis.Many times the family is not involved in the treatment process even though the family can offer more insight into their loved ones "problems and experiences".
(HELPGUIDE.org) informs us that looking back historically there have not been very effective programs developed for treating dual diagnosis. The mental illness and the addiction problem were treated separately.
Here are some suggestions from (HELPGUIDE.org) as to treating those with dual diagnosis:
(1) Both disorders ought to be treated at the same time. Not separately.
(2) The first step in treating drug addiction is to have the person detoxified. The drugs need to be washed out of their system.
(3) The detoxifying should be carried out with medical supervision. Otherwise there could be complications that could even cause death.
(4) Treatment should be carried out gradually. Healing takes time and people with this problem need to go at their own pace.
(5)The program should look towards complete abstinence but should not be a pre-requisite to enter the treatment program.
(6) Some people may not be successful in working the 12 step programs offered by various self-help groups.
Furthermore, another very important thing in treatment is having a survival network set up. This would include:
(1) The opportunity to engage in socializing and "recreational activities" in order to have relationships with their own "peer group".
(2) Partake in groups that offer education on the issues surrounding dual diagnosis, education concerning medications, daily life skills, and well-being.
(3) The family should be involved in the treatment process. They need to be given support and education to be better equipped to help their loved one.
A major problem among those with dual diagnosis is denial. They usually lack insight concerning their mental illness and addiction. They need to know that it is truly difficult to get clean and sober. They should be praised and given encouragement for their successes.
There are three major types of care offered.
(1) Stay in hospital full time.
(2) Stay in hospital during the day and going home at night.
(3) Be treated completely as an out-patient.
Because of simultaneous treatment for both disorders, patients should be allowed to receive psychiatric medications while being detoxified.
(CIGNA Behavioral Health) says that receiving treatment for both problems at the same time should be implemented by one clinician and treatment team, which is often called the "integrated approach".
People with dual diagnosis need "hope, knowledge, skills, and support" if they are going to effectively deal with their problems and be successful at achieving their goals in life.
If this population can receive "effective treatment", it will give them a better chance at recovery. It would reduce problems such as "increased symptoms of mental illness, hospitalizations, financial problems, family problems, homelessness, suicide, violence, sexual and physical victimization, incarceration, serious medical illnesses, and sometimes even early death".
If recovery is going to be achieved it must be the client’s decision to seek recovery. They must choose to seek recovery for themselves, not for someone else. People cannot be forced into giving up drugs and alcohol. Once this decision is made, recovery then becomes possible.
It takes "time, hope, and courage". It does not happen overnight. Sometimes it takes months and even years.
Programs that offer "appropriate, integrated services" will bring about recovery for those who suffer from dual diagnosis"Recovery can reduce the repercussions on family, friends, and society as a whole.
By encouraging people to "stay in recovery, help them find housing and jobs, and develop better social skills and judgement", it is possible to greatly reduce the tremendous suffering caused by dual diagnosis."
References:
Buddy T. Dual Diagnosis The Problem About.com
Retrieved 8 April 2007 From the World Wide Web
http://alcoholism.about.com/cs/dual/a/aa981209.htm
Dual Diagnosis Better Health Channel
Retrieved 8 April 2007 From the World Wide Web
http://www.betterhealth.vic.gov.au/bhcv2/bhcarticles.nsf/pages/Dual_diagno
Dual Diagnosis: Information and Treatment For Co-Occuring Disorders HELPGUIDE.org
Retrieved 8 April 2007 From the World Wide Web
http://www.helpguide.org/mental/dual_diagnosis.htm
Dual Diagnosis CIGNA Behavioral Health
Retrieved 8 April 2007 From the World Wide Web
http://www.cignabehavioral.com/web/basicsite/bulletinBoard/dualDiagnosis.jsp
According to (About.com) there is a problem for those who work in the mental health field. That is making an accurate diagnosis. It is very problematic to recognize dual diagnosis. The reason being someone with a mental illness is most likely to be in denial about their drug or alcohol abuse. Also when it’s obvious that someone has an addiction problem this can cover up the symptoms of a mental illness.
The (Better Health Channel) states that because the mental health system lacks knowledge about dual diagnosis this could cause problems for the patients and their families.The health care workers often point the finger at their clients accusing them of being difficult and not responding to treatment. When in reality the mental health system is not providing adequate treatment and support for their clients.
If a client decides to seek treatment first for the drug problem, the addictions workers treat their mental illness as a "secondary issue". Or, if the client decides to seek treatment first for their mental illness the mental health workers treat their addiction as a "secondary issue". They do not view these two problems with equal importance and as "interdependent" with each other.There is usually no specialized or "early intervention treatments " available for those with dual diagnosis.Many times the family is not involved in the treatment process even though the family can offer more insight into their loved ones "problems and experiences".
(HELPGUIDE.org) informs us that looking back historically there have not been very effective programs developed for treating dual diagnosis. The mental illness and the addiction problem were treated separately.
Here are some suggestions from (HELPGUIDE.org) as to treating those with dual diagnosis:
(1) Both disorders ought to be treated at the same time. Not separately.
(2) The first step in treating drug addiction is to have the person detoxified. The drugs need to be washed out of their system.
(3) The detoxifying should be carried out with medical supervision. Otherwise there could be complications that could even cause death.
(4) Treatment should be carried out gradually. Healing takes time and people with this problem need to go at their own pace.
(5)The program should look towards complete abstinence but should not be a pre-requisite to enter the treatment program.
(6) Some people may not be successful in working the 12 step programs offered by various self-help groups.
Furthermore, another very important thing in treatment is having a survival network set up. This would include:
(1) The opportunity to engage in socializing and "recreational activities" in order to have relationships with their own "peer group".
(2) Partake in groups that offer education on the issues surrounding dual diagnosis, education concerning medications, daily life skills, and well-being.
(3) The family should be involved in the treatment process. They need to be given support and education to be better equipped to help their loved one.
A major problem among those with dual diagnosis is denial. They usually lack insight concerning their mental illness and addiction. They need to know that it is truly difficult to get clean and sober. They should be praised and given encouragement for their successes.
There are three major types of care offered.
(1) Stay in hospital full time.
(2) Stay in hospital during the day and going home at night.
(3) Be treated completely as an out-patient.
Because of simultaneous treatment for both disorders, patients should be allowed to receive psychiatric medications while being detoxified.
(CIGNA Behavioral Health) says that receiving treatment for both problems at the same time should be implemented by one clinician and treatment team, which is often called the "integrated approach".
People with dual diagnosis need "hope, knowledge, skills, and support" if they are going to effectively deal with their problems and be successful at achieving their goals in life.
If this population can receive "effective treatment", it will give them a better chance at recovery. It would reduce problems such as "increased symptoms of mental illness, hospitalizations, financial problems, family problems, homelessness, suicide, violence, sexual and physical victimization, incarceration, serious medical illnesses, and sometimes even early death".
If recovery is going to be achieved it must be the client’s decision to seek recovery. They must choose to seek recovery for themselves, not for someone else. People cannot be forced into giving up drugs and alcohol. Once this decision is made, recovery then becomes possible.
It takes "time, hope, and courage". It does not happen overnight. Sometimes it takes months and even years.
Programs that offer "appropriate, integrated services" will bring about recovery for those who suffer from dual diagnosis"Recovery can reduce the repercussions on family, friends, and society as a whole.
By encouraging people to "stay in recovery, help them find housing and jobs, and develop better social skills and judgement", it is possible to greatly reduce the tremendous suffering caused by dual diagnosis."
References:
Buddy T. Dual Diagnosis The Problem About.com
Retrieved 8 April 2007 From the World Wide Web
http://alcoholism.about.com/cs/dual/a/aa981209.htm
Dual Diagnosis Better Health Channel
Retrieved 8 April 2007 From the World Wide Web
http://www.betterhealth.vic.gov.au/bhcv2/bhcarticles.nsf/pages/Dual_diagno
Dual Diagnosis: Information and Treatment For Co-Occuring Disorders HELPGUIDE.org
Retrieved 8 April 2007 From the World Wide Web
http://www.helpguide.org/mental/dual_diagnosis.htm
Dual Diagnosis CIGNA Behavioral Health
Retrieved 8 April 2007 From the World Wide Web
http://www.cignabehavioral.com/web/basicsite/bulletinBoard/dualDiagnosis.jsp
My Story
When I was fourteen years old I became addicted to drugs and alcohol. I became a very heavy drug and alcohol user. Many times I overdosed and came very close to death. In fact I believe the only reason I’m alive is because of God’s divine providence and intervention. According to the laws of science I should be dead a hundred times over. Finally after three years of living hell I got clean and sober.
After that I became heavily involved in the Church. Eventually I got to the point where on Sunday nights I used to get up and preach the gospel. I also took public part in the Lord’s Supper, in other churches known as communion. I also took part in public prayer at the Bible Studies. At what we called the Children’s Gospel Hour I used to speak to the children.
I stayed involved in the Church for a few years. But meanwhile I was developing schizophrenia. I had very severe psychological problems. I was having trouble living up to my religious beliefs. Finally I left the church.
I decided to go back to school. While there my psychosis started getting very severe. I quit school and started using drugs and alcohol again.
I was suffering from both visual and auditory hallucinations. Paranoia started settling in my thought life. I did drugs and alcohol from the time I woke up until I went to sleep. I just wandered around town day and night stoned right out of my mind. I very seldom talked to anyone because of my paranoia.
Finally I was taken to the hospital, given a couple of needles and sent down to the Nova Scotia Hospital, a hospital for the mentally ill. I was put on chlorpromazine and stayed there for about six weeks.
The second day home I started taking my meds for the purpose of committing suicide. Mom came out and caught me. I was sent back down to the hospital. I was put on a injectable called modecate. After a couple of weeks I was sent back home.
After arriving home I managed to get clean and sober. My positive symptoms, the hallucinations, delusions, and thought disturbances kept under good control. But I suffered from negative symptoms. I couldn’t do anything. Get showers, read, do house chores, etc. All I did was pace the floor continually because of anxiety, and restlessness which was a result of the side effects of my medication.
In about a year after being discharged from the Nova Scotia Hospital my family doctor decided that I didn’t have schizophrenia. He took me off of my meds. Within three weeks I got sick again. This was the beginning of experiencing long term chronic mental illness. I was put back on medication. Approximately for the next 15 years my illness was in full bloom.
After being put back on meds I started using drugs and alcohol again. Between my psychosis and the drugs and alcohol I lived in my own little world. I had completely left reality. I lived in my own psychotic world completely cut off from being able to think rationally, logically, and make sense of the outside world.
During the next few years I was tried on several different medications. None of them worked. Finally it got to the point where I was on 825 mg of chlorpromazine, 250 mg of nozinan, 15 mg of artane, 3 mg of xanix, a day and 15 mg of fluanxle im every two weeks. I was kept on these meds for a few years.
While on these meds I bounced back and forth between positive symptoms and negative symptoms. I was always sick. I had no relief from mental torture and torment. Many times I was suicidal during this time period. Sometimes my Mom and Dad had to watch me 24 hours a day. They took turns so they could get some sleep.
After years of my suffering I was sent down to the psychiatric unit at the hospital in Truro. I was put on olanzapine. It worked. I was able to get showers, read for long periods of time, I went on long birdwatching hikes. My life seemed to make a turn around. Then something happened. I got sick again. My well period only lasted about four months.
While in Truro hospital I met a woman there. We started going out together. I decided to move to Truro. While there I was still sick. I started using drugs again. I was hospitalized four or five times while living there.
It got to the point where I couldn’t stay in Truro. I called Mom to see if I could come back home. They said yes. Meanwhile I went up to out patients at the Truro hospital. I wasn’t admitted but arrangements were made for me to go to detox in Springhill which is only a twenty minute drive from Mom and Dads. I went back to my room. Mom and Dad were there. After everything was packed we headed out.
Mom and Dad dropped me off at detox. After being there a couple of weeks I went home to Mom and Dads. I lived at their place for awhile and stayed clean and sober.
Then I decided to get my own place in town. After two days in town I started the drugs and alcohol again. I was using so much I hardly ate anything. For the next few months all I did was use drugs and drink. I just sat at my kitchen table smoked lots of cigarettes and listened to music. I also went out to drink sometimes at a friends place and went to the bar sometimes. But most of my time was spent home by myself.
I got tired of my lifestyle. One night I called detox to see if they had a bed. It was around 11 at night. The nurse told me there was no bed but proceeded to talk to me because she knew me and my drug habits. Before I hung up she told me to go lay down. About ten minutes after I called the phone rang. It was the police. The officer asked me if I would go downstairs and let a couple of police officers in. They wanted to take me to the hospital. I went downstairs. They told me to get in the car. I had no coat, no cigarettes, and no boots on. They wouldn’t let me go back upstairs to get them
After arriving at the hospital they gave me some kind of charcoal mix to drink. I started vomiting a lot. I was really sick and very close to death. I knew the security guard and when he made his rounds he stopped by, took me outside and gave me a smoke.
The police came and picked me up in the morning and drove me back home. I arrived home at six in the morning. As soon as I got in I called detox again. They had a bed. I was there by noon. I stayed there about two or three weeks. When it was time to go home the staff there talked me into going back home with Mom and Dad. They knew that if I went back to my apartment I would start using again.
I went home to Mom and Dads. I went through the motions of Christmas. In February I decided that life wasn’t worth living anymore. I’ve been living in hell for the last fifteen years. I decided that I was going to kill myself and this time I will succeed.For some reason I called my nurse up and told her my intentions. She said, "well, you could give up and kill yourself, or you could do something about your life".
I stayed awake for three days and nights thinking about what my nurse said. I decided that I wasn’t going to give up and that I was going to do something about my situation and make my life better. Some how some way. I didn’t know how I was going to do this.
A couple of days after making my decision my nurse called me up and told me about the Beacon Program at the Rehab in Waterville. I was there within a couple of weeks.
Dr. Mulhal, my psychiatrist, told me about clozapine, and the dangers of taking it. I thought about it for a couple of weeks and decided to try it. He put me on the clozapine and combined it with lamictal. It worked. I started getting well. I felt better than I had in my whole life. Even better than I was before I got sick.
While there I started attending the Annapolis Valley Work Activity Centre. I started off full time but couldn’t handle it. I went into a severe depression and stopped going for a couple of weeks. They called me up and talked with me. We decided that I would just attend the centre for a half day in the morning. So I did. After a few months I felt that I could handle going full time. I did. I took upgrading, personal development, job development, and woodworking.
Meanwhile the staff at the Beacon Unit were working with me so I could achieve rehabilitation. They taught me how to cook, do laundry, they taught how to solve my psychological problems, and most of all they taught me how to make my own decisions. I tried to get the staff there to make my decisions for me. But they wouldn’t. They made me make them. If I made the right decision I reaped the benefits, if I made the wrong decision I reaped the consequences.
Meanwhile I met my present wife on the bus while going to the Work Centre. We talked every morning and every afternoon on the bus. Then we started getting together and doing things.
Finally it was time to leave the Beacon Unit. Kim, my wife helped me find a room in Kentville. A few months after leaving the Rehab it was time to graduate from the Work Centre. My family and Kim attended my graduation.
Around the same time I graduated Kim and I got a place together. A few months later I landed a job at a candle factory. A couple of weeks after landing this job Kim and I got married. We’ve been married for over five years now. I also worked at the candle factory for over five years.
During this period after I started working I started up a Schizophrenia Newsletter. Our local chapter of the Schizophrenia Society sponsors it. A real good friend of mine by the name of Harold helps me with the newsletter.
During this time I was also diagnosed with obsessive compulsive disorder. I was put on medication for this problem.. I take celexa for it. My OCD still gives me trouble but I am slowly getting it under control and being quite successful at it.
At the present moment I’m writing this article I have been laid off from the candle factory for over five months. I didn’t realize how important work was in my life until I got laid off. I’ve been holding out hoping I would get back to work at the factory. But I’m not back yet. I’m hoping to get back there soon or find another job.
To end on a positive note. There is hope for those who have a mental illness and/or addiction. It is possible to get well and live lives of meaning, purpose, and become productive members of society.
After that I became heavily involved in the Church. Eventually I got to the point where on Sunday nights I used to get up and preach the gospel. I also took public part in the Lord’s Supper, in other churches known as communion. I also took part in public prayer at the Bible Studies. At what we called the Children’s Gospel Hour I used to speak to the children.
I stayed involved in the Church for a few years. But meanwhile I was developing schizophrenia. I had very severe psychological problems. I was having trouble living up to my religious beliefs. Finally I left the church.
I decided to go back to school. While there my psychosis started getting very severe. I quit school and started using drugs and alcohol again.
I was suffering from both visual and auditory hallucinations. Paranoia started settling in my thought life. I did drugs and alcohol from the time I woke up until I went to sleep. I just wandered around town day and night stoned right out of my mind. I very seldom talked to anyone because of my paranoia.
Finally I was taken to the hospital, given a couple of needles and sent down to the Nova Scotia Hospital, a hospital for the mentally ill. I was put on chlorpromazine and stayed there for about six weeks.
The second day home I started taking my meds for the purpose of committing suicide. Mom came out and caught me. I was sent back down to the hospital. I was put on a injectable called modecate. After a couple of weeks I was sent back home.
After arriving home I managed to get clean and sober. My positive symptoms, the hallucinations, delusions, and thought disturbances kept under good control. But I suffered from negative symptoms. I couldn’t do anything. Get showers, read, do house chores, etc. All I did was pace the floor continually because of anxiety, and restlessness which was a result of the side effects of my medication.
In about a year after being discharged from the Nova Scotia Hospital my family doctor decided that I didn’t have schizophrenia. He took me off of my meds. Within three weeks I got sick again. This was the beginning of experiencing long term chronic mental illness. I was put back on medication. Approximately for the next 15 years my illness was in full bloom.
After being put back on meds I started using drugs and alcohol again. Between my psychosis and the drugs and alcohol I lived in my own little world. I had completely left reality. I lived in my own psychotic world completely cut off from being able to think rationally, logically, and make sense of the outside world.
During the next few years I was tried on several different medications. None of them worked. Finally it got to the point where I was on 825 mg of chlorpromazine, 250 mg of nozinan, 15 mg of artane, 3 mg of xanix, a day and 15 mg of fluanxle im every two weeks. I was kept on these meds for a few years.
While on these meds I bounced back and forth between positive symptoms and negative symptoms. I was always sick. I had no relief from mental torture and torment. Many times I was suicidal during this time period. Sometimes my Mom and Dad had to watch me 24 hours a day. They took turns so they could get some sleep.
After years of my suffering I was sent down to the psychiatric unit at the hospital in Truro. I was put on olanzapine. It worked. I was able to get showers, read for long periods of time, I went on long birdwatching hikes. My life seemed to make a turn around. Then something happened. I got sick again. My well period only lasted about four months.
While in Truro hospital I met a woman there. We started going out together. I decided to move to Truro. While there I was still sick. I started using drugs again. I was hospitalized four or five times while living there.
It got to the point where I couldn’t stay in Truro. I called Mom to see if I could come back home. They said yes. Meanwhile I went up to out patients at the Truro hospital. I wasn’t admitted but arrangements were made for me to go to detox in Springhill which is only a twenty minute drive from Mom and Dads. I went back to my room. Mom and Dad were there. After everything was packed we headed out.
Mom and Dad dropped me off at detox. After being there a couple of weeks I went home to Mom and Dads. I lived at their place for awhile and stayed clean and sober.
Then I decided to get my own place in town. After two days in town I started the drugs and alcohol again. I was using so much I hardly ate anything. For the next few months all I did was use drugs and drink. I just sat at my kitchen table smoked lots of cigarettes and listened to music. I also went out to drink sometimes at a friends place and went to the bar sometimes. But most of my time was spent home by myself.
I got tired of my lifestyle. One night I called detox to see if they had a bed. It was around 11 at night. The nurse told me there was no bed but proceeded to talk to me because she knew me and my drug habits. Before I hung up she told me to go lay down. About ten minutes after I called the phone rang. It was the police. The officer asked me if I would go downstairs and let a couple of police officers in. They wanted to take me to the hospital. I went downstairs. They told me to get in the car. I had no coat, no cigarettes, and no boots on. They wouldn’t let me go back upstairs to get them
After arriving at the hospital they gave me some kind of charcoal mix to drink. I started vomiting a lot. I was really sick and very close to death. I knew the security guard and when he made his rounds he stopped by, took me outside and gave me a smoke.
The police came and picked me up in the morning and drove me back home. I arrived home at six in the morning. As soon as I got in I called detox again. They had a bed. I was there by noon. I stayed there about two or three weeks. When it was time to go home the staff there talked me into going back home with Mom and Dad. They knew that if I went back to my apartment I would start using again.
I went home to Mom and Dads. I went through the motions of Christmas. In February I decided that life wasn’t worth living anymore. I’ve been living in hell for the last fifteen years. I decided that I was going to kill myself and this time I will succeed.For some reason I called my nurse up and told her my intentions. She said, "well, you could give up and kill yourself, or you could do something about your life".
I stayed awake for three days and nights thinking about what my nurse said. I decided that I wasn’t going to give up and that I was going to do something about my situation and make my life better. Some how some way. I didn’t know how I was going to do this.
A couple of days after making my decision my nurse called me up and told me about the Beacon Program at the Rehab in Waterville. I was there within a couple of weeks.
Dr. Mulhal, my psychiatrist, told me about clozapine, and the dangers of taking it. I thought about it for a couple of weeks and decided to try it. He put me on the clozapine and combined it with lamictal. It worked. I started getting well. I felt better than I had in my whole life. Even better than I was before I got sick.
While there I started attending the Annapolis Valley Work Activity Centre. I started off full time but couldn’t handle it. I went into a severe depression and stopped going for a couple of weeks. They called me up and talked with me. We decided that I would just attend the centre for a half day in the morning. So I did. After a few months I felt that I could handle going full time. I did. I took upgrading, personal development, job development, and woodworking.
Meanwhile the staff at the Beacon Unit were working with me so I could achieve rehabilitation. They taught me how to cook, do laundry, they taught how to solve my psychological problems, and most of all they taught me how to make my own decisions. I tried to get the staff there to make my decisions for me. But they wouldn’t. They made me make them. If I made the right decision I reaped the benefits, if I made the wrong decision I reaped the consequences.
Meanwhile I met my present wife on the bus while going to the Work Centre. We talked every morning and every afternoon on the bus. Then we started getting together and doing things.
Finally it was time to leave the Beacon Unit. Kim, my wife helped me find a room in Kentville. A few months after leaving the Rehab it was time to graduate from the Work Centre. My family and Kim attended my graduation.
Around the same time I graduated Kim and I got a place together. A few months later I landed a job at a candle factory. A couple of weeks after landing this job Kim and I got married. We’ve been married for over five years now. I also worked at the candle factory for over five years.
During this period after I started working I started up a Schizophrenia Newsletter. Our local chapter of the Schizophrenia Society sponsors it. A real good friend of mine by the name of Harold helps me with the newsletter.
During this time I was also diagnosed with obsessive compulsive disorder. I was put on medication for this problem.. I take celexa for it. My OCD still gives me trouble but I am slowly getting it under control and being quite successful at it.
At the present moment I’m writing this article I have been laid off from the candle factory for over five months. I didn’t realize how important work was in my life until I got laid off. I’ve been holding out hoping I would get back to work at the factory. But I’m not back yet. I’m hoping to get back there soon or find another job.
To end on a positive note. There is hope for those who have a mental illness and/or addiction. It is possible to get well and live lives of meaning, purpose, and become productive members of society.
What is Schizophrenia?
First of all schizophrenia is not just a psychological problem. It is not the persons fault if they have this disease. It is not caused by the influence of outside forces on the person with schizophrenia. It is not a split personality. It is not caused by drug and alcohol abuse.
It is a biological disease caused by a breakdown in the bio-chemistry of the brain. Through much research scientists have discovered and proven that schizophrenia is a real physical disease just like heart disease, diabetes, cancer, or any other physical disease that plagues mankind.
The disease originates inside the brain. It is thought that the limbic system (part of the brain that involves emotion), the thalamus (the part that has to do with outgoing messages) and other areas of the brain are responsible for schizophrenia.
It is thought that neurotransmitters, particularly the dopamine, and serotonin are responsible for the symptoms of schizophrenia. These neurotransmitters carry messages from the receptors of one brain cell to another. There is an over-activity of these chemicals. For some reason there is too much of these chemicals and they don't bind properly to the receptors. As a result the messages get all scrambled up and this is what causes the symptoms.
What are the symptoms? There are different types of symptoms. The two major types are positive symptoms and negative symptoms.
The positive symptoms include hallucinations, delusions, and thought disorders. A person can experience both visual and auditory hallucinations. They will see things that are not there and they will hear things that no one else can hear. For example a person might see a friend of theirs in front of them and carrying on a conversion with them when in reality they are not there.
Delusions are false beliefs that defy reason. No one can convince the person that they are not true. Your just wasting your time trying to convince someone with delusions that what they are believing is not true. An example of a delusion would be someone that thinks that God and Satan are living inside of them battling for control of their mind. There is a battle between good and evil and one of them is going to win.
Thought disorders affect the way that the person organizes and processes their thoughts. Their thoughts get disorganized. They don't flow in a rational and logical manner. They get all mixed up. You can tell this symptom when the person tries to carry on a conversation. Their words don't flow in a rational and logical manner. It sounds like jibber jabber.
Negative symptoms include lack of motivation, blunted feelings, and depression.
Lack of motivation is when the person just has no get up and go. They cannot get interested in anything in life, and don't have any energy to do anything. This symptom is viewed by people as laziness.
Blunted feelings is when the person is not able to show emotion either with hand motion or facial expression. They appear to other people as not being able to show or feel emotion. This does not mean that the person does not have feelings. In fact their feelings might be more intense than other peoples but are just not able to show them. These blunted feelings might even be more observable as the disease progresses.
Depression is a common symptom among those with schizophrenia. A person with schizophrenia feels hopeless and helpless. There just isn't any hope of things getting better now or in the future. Their life is ruined and will never be the same again. Everything looks bleak. Many people with schizophrenia get so depressed that they attempt suicide and roughly 10% succeed.
But due to research there is hope for people with schizophrenia. Through scientific breakthroughs in research better medications have been developed that are able to combat and control the positive symptoms.
These same medications are also able to combat and get rid of the negative symptoms so that the person is able to function in life.
The foundation of treatment is medication but there is more. Through psycho-social treatments people with schizophrenia can live a life of meaning, purpose, and become productive members of society.
There is hope.
It is a biological disease caused by a breakdown in the bio-chemistry of the brain. Through much research scientists have discovered and proven that schizophrenia is a real physical disease just like heart disease, diabetes, cancer, or any other physical disease that plagues mankind.
The disease originates inside the brain. It is thought that the limbic system (part of the brain that involves emotion), the thalamus (the part that has to do with outgoing messages) and other areas of the brain are responsible for schizophrenia.
It is thought that neurotransmitters, particularly the dopamine, and serotonin are responsible for the symptoms of schizophrenia. These neurotransmitters carry messages from the receptors of one brain cell to another. There is an over-activity of these chemicals. For some reason there is too much of these chemicals and they don't bind properly to the receptors. As a result the messages get all scrambled up and this is what causes the symptoms.
What are the symptoms? There are different types of symptoms. The two major types are positive symptoms and negative symptoms.
The positive symptoms include hallucinations, delusions, and thought disorders. A person can experience both visual and auditory hallucinations. They will see things that are not there and they will hear things that no one else can hear. For example a person might see a friend of theirs in front of them and carrying on a conversion with them when in reality they are not there.
Delusions are false beliefs that defy reason. No one can convince the person that they are not true. Your just wasting your time trying to convince someone with delusions that what they are believing is not true. An example of a delusion would be someone that thinks that God and Satan are living inside of them battling for control of their mind. There is a battle between good and evil and one of them is going to win.
Thought disorders affect the way that the person organizes and processes their thoughts. Their thoughts get disorganized. They don't flow in a rational and logical manner. They get all mixed up. You can tell this symptom when the person tries to carry on a conversation. Their words don't flow in a rational and logical manner. It sounds like jibber jabber.
Negative symptoms include lack of motivation, blunted feelings, and depression.
Lack of motivation is when the person just has no get up and go. They cannot get interested in anything in life, and don't have any energy to do anything. This symptom is viewed by people as laziness.
Blunted feelings is when the person is not able to show emotion either with hand motion or facial expression. They appear to other people as not being able to show or feel emotion. This does not mean that the person does not have feelings. In fact their feelings might be more intense than other peoples but are just not able to show them. These blunted feelings might even be more observable as the disease progresses.
Depression is a common symptom among those with schizophrenia. A person with schizophrenia feels hopeless and helpless. There just isn't any hope of things getting better now or in the future. Their life is ruined and will never be the same again. Everything looks bleak. Many people with schizophrenia get so depressed that they attempt suicide and roughly 10% succeed.
But due to research there is hope for people with schizophrenia. Through scientific breakthroughs in research better medications have been developed that are able to combat and control the positive symptoms.
These same medications are also able to combat and get rid of the negative symptoms so that the person is able to function in life.
The foundation of treatment is medication but there is more. Through psycho-social treatments people with schizophrenia can live a life of meaning, purpose, and become productive members of society.
There is hope.
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