How I Battle Schizophrenia
Schizophrenia is considered to be a disease of the mind, yet unlike a physical disease it can be difficult to determine when we are ill. How then do we know when the disease is taking hold and what to do about it?
For me there are warning signs before the onset of an episode. One common sign is holding the belief that someone close to me wishes to harm me in some manner. This idea can cause arguments, disagreement and irritability between myself and those around me. It is at this point of time that I believe constructive intervention can help the most.
[caption id="attachment_108" align="alignright" width="150" caption="Battling Schizophrenia"]
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During these early stages it helps to have people tell me that I am not thinking logically or rationally. Catching such beliefs early on can sometimes allow me to bend my beliefs or seek help from a doctor who can adjust my medication. Finding these mini outbreaks early on, can prevent a full blown relapse and much hardship.
In the later stages of psychosis, it can be much more difficult to control and change the course of my illness. This is mostly because the illness itself takes control of your rationality and leads you towards destructive beliefs and actions. Eventually I find yourself believing I am not ill at all, which can lead to me not taking medication.
These reasons are why I believe it is important to stay one step ahead of the disease, and try not to let it progress into the deeper stages. If you feel confused about situations, or that people are trying to harm you in some manner, it is imperative to realize that this is a sign of your illness and to follow a plan of action when this happens.
When I am confused about a situation, I try to speak with someone who will not judge me. Having a close friend check on my rationality is a good way to identify if my illness is reemerging.
I also try to distract myself from my delusions when they do occur, so I do not become obsessive about them. Becoming less obsessive about my delusions can sometimes not only ease the pain from them, but even help them dissipate altogether.
When I fall into the deeper stages of psychosis, I have found it almost impossible to dig myself out without changes to my medication. Often it needs to be temporarily increased which can further lead to more side effects. This only further emphasizes the importance of battling the illness everyday, to try and stay on top of it.
Identifying and preventing relapses as much as possible, I have found, is a great way to battle schizophrenia. If you are not yet at the stage where you can identify and prevent relapses yet, then try to get to that point through quality medical attention. Someday you may find yourself always one step ahead of your illness, in the race towards your sanity.
APA Reference
Hoeweler, D.
(2011, December 1). How I Battle Schizophrenia, HealthyPlace. Retrieved
on 2024, November 2 from https://www.healthyplace.com/blogs/creativeschizophrenia/2011/12/how-i-battle-schizophrenia
Author: Dan Hoeweler
Dan, I admire your insight and courage. Who or what has helped you gain this insight? My son finds it very hard to deal with delusions and has trouble understanding what is real or fiction. Do you have any tips that could help him here in central Florida. I try to be a supportive Mom but I don't always provide the best support because it is hard for me to understand what he deals with on a daily basis. Being in the public is so hard for him.
I think for me, the primary tool was the medication. Also I quite drinking and drugs around the same time, which seemed to help some with the symptoms. Gradually over time I got better, but the two biggest leaps in my treatment where the medication and the treatment of a sleep disorder I have (which I believe helped contribute). When I was extremely ill, it was impossible for me to see my illness for what i was. I knew something was wrong, but for me, I blamed the world around me. The illness itself, makes treatment difficult. I think a supportive environment and fulfilling basic needs can help ease some of the symptoms. I am not quite sure exactly why my symptoms dissipated with time, i am by no means cured, but am better. I do still have a lot of problems concentrating, and seem to have memory problems to a certain degree. There are a lot of residual effects from the illness, but I guess it is partly because of my insight into the illness that I became better. That is a very good question.
I've been schizophrenic (also too much LSD.sinc 1968). I take chlozaril and more and have to take a lot of naps because of the medicine. I am a successful artist and lately been making painting & mixed media peace symbols. I exihibit at a Gallery down the street. I want to open a shop in my house. I've done many things in my life. My biggest enemy is myself. I have to TAKE MY MEDICINE. I am feeling more rational and clearheaded with my belief and increasingly solid foundation in the Baha'i Faith.
I found release from delusions in Jesus Christ and medication which I daily continuously have taken since 1973. In 2003 I was introduced to Abilify with my medication which has been a tremendous help to my personality diag. In remission which is schizophrenia, paranoid. I am sedated by my medications but my faith in a born again relationship to my Heavenly Father keeps on a narrow path to forever. Only two hospitalizations where I needed to adjust medicines but life has been a bowl of cherries with stems cut off. Read your doctor's textbooks but follow his advice closely and obstacles will be gone.
I am recently diagnosed with a similar case and I am taking medication but it is so hard for me to concentrate at work. I am oftentimes confused and anxious. I don't know what I must do to remove all these anxiety. Should I quit my work and start resting?
I too suffer badly where I think I'm being bullied on a daily basis and can't control anxiety panic attacks nd anger around people where I'm at makes it worse meaning state cuz it where I was born I see life different nd still yet don't know if it my illness or summthing are happening I feel suicidal everyday nd want my life where I had it before how did u know it was all illness nd how do u find the right medicine
You've made some good points there. I checked on the net to find out more about the issue and found most people will go along with your views on this web site.
I found myself in a relaps, I have auditive halucinations again, and it's hard to stop them bullying me. I took my medication and I would not stop taking them, but hospitalization horrifies me, I don't want to go back to the istitute. From blocking fright and anxiety, I feel numb if I succeded. My life is collapsing on me, I struggle with my studies. How can I become stronger and more like my old self? I'm trying to find a way through belief, but priests said they cannot help me, not believing.
If you're having auditory hallucinations, the most important thing is to know they're not real, while you're hearing them. I hear auditory hallucinations quite frequently and knowing they aren't real helps me get through.