I find this hard to beleive! Of course there are some who can make it without antipsychotics, but it does not apply to everyone. I know first hand, my husband cannot function at home or in society without his meds. He has been in and out of hospitals and jail when not on meds…so I disagree. You talk of long term, but what happens in the in-between…we let our loved ones live in paranoia and fear of unrealistic hallucinations? Really? How does one get to the long term when they can’t survive the short-term without meds? I am not bashing you but I really don’t know where this post came from…do you have articles to back this up? All medications, regardless, have side effects whether if it is for mental illness or cholesterol. If your sibling chooses not to take medication then that is her prerogative but as for my loved one, there is no choice…meds or jail, plain and simple!
From the linked article: “Dr Gallego said it is ‘very common that some patients refuse antipsychotics for various reasons. But in the vast majority of cases, it’s more harmful not to be on an antipsychotic when indicated.’”
So, if someone has a psychotic disorder that is actually schizophrenia, AP medication is likely the best choice for treatment. I was initially against psych meds for a variety of non-scientific reasons. Once I did the research and saw the results of effective medication in myself and my family member, I had to accept that some of us truly need these medications for our recoveries. Lots of the side effects are awful, but being very ill, for us, was much, much, much worse.
I am truly amazed at how much better our lives with medication are. I had been somewhat sympathetic to the anti-psychiatry movement prior to two of us in our family actually becoming very ill. The anti-psychiatry movement is not based in science and has no place, response, or treatments for those of us whose mental illnesses are severe enough to cause major dysfunction in our lives.
Brain shrinkage from APs
Food allergy’s
There are different study’s being done linking schizophrenia to food allergy’s, heavy metal toxicity, and copper imbalances. I know it’s no simple thing to deal with. I just thought people might like to know that there are safe alternatives, and administering APs out of fear, might not be best. They Bandaid the underlying cause. There is a place called trace minerals that does hair mineral analysis
they test for any mineral deficiancys and heavy metal toxicity. It might be worth it to check it out and slowly transition to safer/healthier alternatives. Heavy metals can only be checked for by your hair because the stick to your tissues and don’t come out in urine or blood. Hair analysis can tell you what’s in your tissues. Medical school doesn’t teach nutrition. There are homeopathic doctors who have an all health approach to dealing with these problems.
Physiatrists drugs and nutritional defiecency
Also schizophrenia and Toxplasma (parasites) parasite cleansing might be worth a try
https://wwwnc.cdc.gov/eid/article/9/11/03-0143_article
Everyone has to make there own decisions in regards to there loved ones. I just hope everyone knows that there are other alternatives, and information in regards to the medications depleting people of nutrients, when it a nutritional imbalance causing it in the first place.
Here is an article on a study about how schizophrenics who didn’t take meds fared better.
Psych Central.com – 9 Jun 17
Diet And Schizophrenia: The Link Is More Important Than You Think
Today’s PsychCentral report that mothers who are sensitive to gluten have a higher incidence of children born with schizophrenia is not surprising. For many years, holistic therapists, physicians, and others have noticed correlations between…
There are different study’s being done linking schizophrenia to food allergy’s, heavy metal toxicity, and copper imbalances. I know it’s no simple thing to deal with. I just thought people might like to know that there are safe alternatives, and administering APs out of fear, might not be best. They Bandaid the underlying cause. There is a place called trace minerals that does hair mineral analysis
Site Name, i.e. Moz – 17 Apr 15
Hair Analysis for Toxic Metal Testing
The hair analysis is one of the most affordable and effective methods of identifying toxic metals in the body.
they test for any mineral deficiancys and heavy metal toxicity. It might be worth it to check it out and slowly transition to safer/healthier alternatives. Heavy metals can only be checked for by your hair because the stick to your tissues and don’t come out in urine or blood. Hair analysis can tell you what’s in your tissues. Medical school doesn’t teach nutrition. There are homeopathic doctors who have an all health approach to dealing with these problems.
Physiatrists drugs and nutritional defiecency
Also schizophrenia and Toxplasma (parasites) parasite cleansing might be worth a try
https://wwwnc.cdc.gov/eid/article/9/11/03-0143_article
Everyone has to make there own decisions in regards to there loved ones. I just hope everyone knows that there are other alternatives, and information in regards to the medications depleting people of nutrients, when it a nutritional imbalance causing it in the first place.
Here is an article on a study about how schizophrenics who didn’t take meds fared better.
Study finds some schizophrenics do well without long-term antipsychotics
UIC professor Martin Harrow found that after 5 years, schizophrenia patients who were no longer taking antipsychotics were actually doing better than those who still were, perhaps because they had been less ill to begin with
@Slwirt22 Thank you for these. I’ve been trying to be gluten-free (for my son). Cutting dairy would be rough as I can get Chocolate Milk with Omega 3 in it. And that’s how I get Omega 3 into him. I’m guessing I can find that in food (fish) and move to Soy. I can control his diet as he doesn’t leave the house to shop. It’s probably my best option at this point.
I’m glad it can help.
Most of those links are based on opinion rather than science. Mad in America is extremely biased as a source. Your Chicago newspaper link does not lead to an article. The diet link is unproven. First of all, most people with schizophrenia who are not cared for by others have a very poor diet, mostly fast food, because one of their symptoms is disorganization. When my son is on medication he is a great cook, eats healthy food, exercises and controls his weight. When he was not taking meds regularly he ate nothing but fried chicken and chips.
Secondly, real gluten sensivity (which is rare) is associated with celiac disease, which is an autoimmune disorder. There is recent research that says approximately five percent of people with psychosis are actually undergoing an autoimmune attack on the brain. And IF it proves possible to halt the attack (easier said than done, they are trying the same thing with Type 1 diabetics in the early stages), then those people will actually be cured (if the autoimmune attack doesn’t keep recurring). However, as with Tyoe 1 diabetes and with Lupus (also an immune disorder with psychosis as a symptom), knowing what causes onset doesn’t necessarily mean the disease can be stopped or reversed once the damage has been done and you can’t stop an autoimmune attack by moderating your diet. We’ll have to wait and see. But I’m not holding my breath.
I agree that life without antipsychotics would be better IF the illness stops recurring. But the evidence so far is that some people only have one single episode of psychosis and those people can live without APs. But if the psychosis recurs, it primes the brain to keep repeating the psychosis again and again. And psychosis itself produces brain damage including damage to cognition and insight.
You were married,did you leave him due to his illness?(my wife is noncompliant sz)
It was hard for me to answer this question, but I guess the answer is yes. His illness played a large role in our breakup because it caused him to act violently. Once he became violent with me, I knew our marriage was over.
We lived with his illness for 15 years of a mostly happy marriage. He was sometimes med compliant, but switched meds a lot and dosages. But his constant paranoia, frequent rages, delusional thinking, etc. ultimately took its toll on the marriage. We argued a lot.
Hi @Jan, I agree with you that, yes, the illness caused the awful behavior that broke your marriage apart. But he had the illness during 15 years of a mostly good marriage and you definitely loved him WITH the illness. I think you did the best thing by divorcing to protect yourself from violence, arguments, and rages.
Thanks Here,
I didn’t want things to get worse. I’m glad we ended it when we did. Now we are good friends. I do miss him but not the constant drama. I think he wanted out, too.
I’m still on the fence with this,most people who know our situation can’t believe I’m still here. We are homeless due to her mess but when I come home weekly I get a hotel for several days so we can rest. I can’t totally trust her and never know what she’s gonna do but we both still love each other. Its been so long with her noncompliance that I have very little patience with her and I hate that. I’m obviously codependent and working on that and whatever happens happens. It kills me that all she has to do is get proper meds and she can function normally but she wants no part of this.
Some people suggest I’m aiding her illness by constantly enabling her but to me I’m taking care of her. There are too many ways to look at all this.
Thankyou
It’s so frustrating, I know. In my case, I knew he could go stay w his mother who lived only about 1 hour and 1/2 away. I’m guessing your wife doesn’t have family close by? I wish you could “stash” her somewhere safe, while you take a break and get yourself together.
She doesn’t want it,of course they want her to get help as well. Its all my wife’s doing.
I fully agree. And we have to look at all the ways and try to figure out which is best for our situation.
I feel for your situation. I was separated from my husband for about 10 months last year: some of it due to him being kicked out of my mother in laws house and the rest was me not being able to handle anymore stress. I’ve dealt with medication noncompliance issues and other times, meds just not working. I had a good friend who constantly urged me not to stay with him, but it wasn’t her life, it was mine and my sons. It is a hard decision to make…I know for me during separation, all I did was worry about him and wonder what kind of trouble he was getting himself into with the law. It is a roller coaster of emotion for you and I feel for you and know what you are going though. There is no easy answer! I was constantly asking myself if I am doing the right thing and what kind of a wife am I to just leave my husband while he was stricken with an illness he can’t control. Guilt, guilt and more guilt!
For me, he came back home in December and 3 weeks later I had to call for help to have him committed again. He came home again at the end of February and this time he is on different meds and doing much better for now. I say “for now” because I know this may not last forever, but I am trying to stay positive.
Thank you,that’s how I feel and for some reason, most people don’t understand. I don’t see anyway of improvement on the horizon,part of the problem is the useless NH mental health system
I’ve had her committed 5 times and they never do anything. You’d think during 5 times someone would have helped her but a couple of early releases and only 1 meds change. I think only a miracle will work.