The whole community has to be better educated about how to handle severe mental illness with more confidence and more compassion. If there was less stigma around psychosis and better outcomes, then I think people would be more inclined to stay on their meds and talk more openly about their symptoms and behaviours to watch out for with friends and family and eventually colleagues and managers. Things are better than they were but there is still so much more to do to rationalise this illness in the mind of the general public. This will then lead to quicker recoveries. People in recovery will be able to educate others about what this illness feels like, eventually creating a virtuous circle of better understanding and better care. 🙏
Thanks for sharing your story. My mother was diagnosed with schizophrenia in 1953 and died in an institution in 1966. I've been trying to understand since then who she might have been aside from her illness. It was a different time and "treatment" was mostly institutionalization, because there were few tools at the time. Your story is important.
Thank you, Janice. Your sharing your mother's history is meaningful to me. I often think how I'm lucky to live in a time where there are effective out patient treatments.
Another great post Mat. I sincerely believe recovery from schizo-spectrum disorders is wholly dependent on having the right, as you put it, to express yourself surrounded by a supportive, non-judgemental "family" empathetic to your situation and intent on helping you find stability. This family could be your actual family, close friends, a group home, or even the occasional well-run mental hospital.
Schizophrenia in isolation feeds its own vicious cycle of misrepresentation of reality leading the person quickly to an extreme perspective that is difficult to unwind.
Great information with perspective. It's such a delicate balance. I especially appreciate the point from AA and having a right mind. How do we allow individual family members their freedom to govern their life and protect them from an unright mind?
I'm so fortunate that Shade has such deep love and respect for others, and our family. She's not pushing back or trying to force anything or escape the uncomfortable aspect of the home. It seems natural to allow her as much freedom as she can handle, while still protecting her from her unwell mind when it flairs up.
There is real hope when we compare how treatment was in the past till now. But there is so much work to be done. The best way to help right now is exactly this Mat, document and share experiences for others to grasp the humanity involved & necessary in each decision. To create awareness and empathy.
Also, your writing is so very open and captivating. I'm enjoying your articles very much.
The whole community has to be better educated about how to handle severe mental illness with more confidence and more compassion. If there was less stigma around psychosis and better outcomes, then I think people would be more inclined to stay on their meds and talk more openly about their symptoms and behaviours to watch out for with friends and family and eventually colleagues and managers. Things are better than they were but there is still so much more to do to rationalise this illness in the mind of the general public. This will then lead to quicker recoveries. People in recovery will be able to educate others about what this illness feels like, eventually creating a virtuous circle of better understanding and better care. 🙏
Thanks for sharing your story. My mother was diagnosed with schizophrenia in 1953 and died in an institution in 1966. I've been trying to understand since then who she might have been aside from her illness. It was a different time and "treatment" was mostly institutionalization, because there were few tools at the time. Your story is important.
Thank you, Janice. Your sharing your mother's history is meaningful to me. I often think how I'm lucky to live in a time where there are effective out patient treatments.
Yes. There are more effective treatments today. Not perfect, obviously, but better. You're living in a better time.
Another great post Mat. I sincerely believe recovery from schizo-spectrum disorders is wholly dependent on having the right, as you put it, to express yourself surrounded by a supportive, non-judgemental "family" empathetic to your situation and intent on helping you find stability. This family could be your actual family, close friends, a group home, or even the occasional well-run mental hospital.
Schizophrenia in isolation feeds its own vicious cycle of misrepresentation of reality leading the person quickly to an extreme perspective that is difficult to unwind.
I think we have way too much isolation in our ever connected world. Thanks for your comment.
Great information with perspective. It's such a delicate balance. I especially appreciate the point from AA and having a right mind. How do we allow individual family members their freedom to govern their life and protect them from an unright mind?
I'm so fortunate that Shade has such deep love and respect for others, and our family. She's not pushing back or trying to force anything or escape the uncomfortable aspect of the home. It seems natural to allow her as much freedom as she can handle, while still protecting her from her unwell mind when it flairs up.
There is real hope when we compare how treatment was in the past till now. But there is so much work to be done. The best way to help right now is exactly this Mat, document and share experiences for others to grasp the humanity involved & necessary in each decision. To create awareness and empathy.
Also, your writing is so very open and captivating. I'm enjoying your articles very much.
Thanks for your kind comments. I'm optimistic for Shade.