I’ve heard residual schizophrenia too. Schizophrenia is such a complex illness, presenting so diversely in different people that diagnostic criteria, deciding what clinical remission is - very difficult. Subtypes of schizophrenia which are correlated to poorer outcomes may have a increased stigmatizing and discriminatory effect and so really need to be avoided, so I’m glad about the changes in the DSM 5. I think the more neurological research we do the better we will understand which specific brain structures and neuropathways are involved the better interventions we’ll have-so I have a lot of hope for the future.
I also think that right now, with the right interventions many with sz can live satisfying lives. With my daughter, I see her struggle with certain things, and I think “she can’t do X Y Z”-that is until I ask her to do something I didn’t think she could do and she surprises me. This is my own prejudice. SZ is a diagnosis based off certain symptoms-but everyone is an individual and you never know what the illness mean to the individual until you try and push them past what you think their limitations may be. Lack of insight may actually be helpful for once, because they often think they can do things you don’t think they can do. Sometimes they’ll fail-but when they don’t it’s a victory worth witnessing!