This is just my opinion and I just want to share it, it doesn’t apply to everyone but it is something to consider. I myself consider it regularly.
I fully understand the ‘roller coaster ride’ that is schizophrenia, especially schizophrenia combined with drug addiction. I understand that (especially in the beginning) medicines need constant regulation and some work for a time and then stop working all together. I also understand non compliance and all of the downfalls that go with that, but, I have been around a lot of seriously mentally ill people in my life, my son, my sister and other family members just to name a few.
In my own personal experience the ones that do fully comply and stay drug free from street drugs and alcohol and who have strong and steady support and regular medical care increase their chances of doing the best in the long run. Does everyone go into remission? No. Are they 100% cured, not usually. BUT can many people eventually get very stabilized, function basically well from day to day, communicate effectively, have less positive symptoms, re-engage meaningfully with their family members, and find their own ways to enjoy every day life and create less of a burden on their loved ones? Absolutely! It is possible (not promised) but possible that it can happen. My son and I are this example and I never take it for granted.
I for one wish everyone was guaranteed these basic milestones with their ill loved ones, maybe someday, mental health care will become as much of a priority in the medical community as cancer and heart disease is today. Then maybe great advancements will be made and hopefully our loved ones can reap the benefits.
In the meantime, This forum is the perfect place to share our sadness or our happiness, our victories and defeats, and our own despair or joyful moments and our personal tales of care taking and its many ups and downs, we have all been there and we all need a helping hand or a listening ear along the way…
Even though I actually rarely see it–the times I do see it- breaks my heart —Wholly negative blanket statements like “Things will never improve for anyone with schizophrenia”, or “just give up on loving any schizophrenic partner because it is nothing but downhill all the way” or “No medicine will do anymore than reduce symptoms for anybody” (while this is true in essence depending on what symptoms are actually reduced it can feel much like a cure to many) Let’s speak personally about our experiences but let’s never assume that all will have the exact same outcome or exact same feelings about our experiences, let’s not cast shadows, let’s only shed light…so we can see and respond and share with each other.
Even if as caretakers we feel gravely sad and depressed, or sick and discouraged or we’ve just thrown in the towel, we need to bravely address that within ourselves, get support and then mental and medical care for ourselves when it’s needed. In this forum we have to find our strength somehow and then share it with others when we feel like we can.
Caring for those we love who are very sick is often extremely depleting and harsh and can sometimes kill off our very spirit if we let it happen or lose our self awareness.
Then where are we? and where are our loved ones without us? Try to remember that everyone is so very different, in every way possible-even when very ill… although we all share many distinct similarities in our shared stories…no two schizophrenic patients are the same, no two treatments are the same and not everyone (caretaker or patient) wants the exact same rewards or goals from life…some just want peace and quiet, some want quality time, some want good communication, some want laughter and smiles, others would be happy with good hygiene and regular eating habits and some want the whole enchilada: for life to go back exactly as it was before the onset of the disease,
Let’s cautiously and carefully try to never accidentally extinguish hope for anyone, because hope is free and comforting and necessary and we all have different amounts of it at different times and we never know if our next unintentional 'negative blanket statement" just squashes somebodies last drop of hope out of them. I would never want to do that-ever. I love all of the contributors here especially the ones who have taken the time to reach out to me personally, because I know they truly understand, I feel less alone and more understood and that means the world to me.
Just food for thought, thank you all.
