Just Finished Surviving Schizophrenia by Torrey

I may have read the book in 2018 after my son’s first psychotic episode, but I don’t remember. I can’t praise the book enough. It covers everything, but the most important is how to understand what our relatives are going through and with this understanding will be a renewed respect for their ordeal.

Torrey thinks our society has failed the mentally ill in so many ways and frequently makes reference to the jailed and the homeless. Most people, however, live with their caregivers and they (assuming we do our job well) are the fortunate ones.

In the last few chapters Torrey makes the case for schizophrenia being the worst of all diseases, as it often starts in early adulthood after the person (usually) has a mostly normal childhood, and lasts until death often robbing a person of the ability to live the normal kind of life we take for granted.

I don’t think most people with schizophrenia are lucky enough to have caregivers. I used to work in shelters and I saw many people there with schizophrenia. The sad truth is that most can’t handle mental illness and end up having to shut them out of their lives. Care centers can help but they must have Identification. The lack of identification or the ability to hold on to such things is a common problem for those with schizophrenia.

@MikaMoon You’re right. Only 25% live with a family member:
http://schizophrenia.com/szfacts.htm

  • 6% are homeless or live in shelters
  • 6% live in jails or prisons
  • 5% to 6% live in Hospitals
  • 10% live in Nursing homes
  • 25% live with a family member
  • 28% are living independently
  • 20% live in Supervised Housing (group homes, etc.)