How to gain insight into your illness | Am I actually sick?
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- Опубликовано: 1 ноя 2022
- Lack of insight or anosognosia is something that many people living with schizophrenia can struggle with. It can be really hard to gain or maintain insight into the seemingly simple reality that you have an illness which can lead to feelings of confusion and mistrust and result in the person abandoning treatment. In this video, I go over some of the reasons this can be so difficult, as well as provide some tips for how to work on developing insight for yourself, and also potentially with a loved one.
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I have also been diagnosed with Schizoaffective disorder, and your channel is the thing that pulls me through on the rough days. Thank you for helping this community in such a beautiful way ❤️
That is exactly what my son said to me… and I keep him taking with me for a walk every single day to smell fresh air…I will keep helping him…. And I love your videos my friend
That’s nice of you, continue the walks 🙏🏻
I have a psychotic disorder. One point I’d like to add to this discussion is that people with schizophrenia spectrum illnesses have symptoms that can be related to other conditions, such as complex trauma.
What tends to happen in clinical settings (and sometimes with friends and family) is that ALL symptoms are pinned to the schizophrenia-spectrum illness, thus pathologizing the person with the illness and silencing important discussions about the impacts of trauma, harm, and abuse that they may be experiencing (or have experienced).
If you are a believer in “what we resist, persists,” as I am, it seems natural that someone may deny the more prominent diagnosis to allow the suppressed one to have a voice.
I am not anti-psychiatry, I do believe there is a very real biological component to schizophrenia-spectrum illnesses, and I think Lauren makes some good points here. What I would love to see enriching these discussions is a deeper dive into the ways that trauma comorbidities can contribute to illness denial, due to the fact that it is difficult to have trauma heard and acknowledged by health care providers when you are deemed an unreliable narrator of your own experience.
I think this issue is becoming old. Well, certainly In the UK I am seeing a turn around.
@@wheelchairgeek I’m glad you’re seeing some progress in the UK on this issue. I find that in Canada the medical system is embarrassingly behind when it comes to the nuances of trauma and abuse.
@@80islandia I've found the same here in the Netherlands
@@80islandia I am experiencing this now..I think the real taboo is trauma..no one is ballsy enough to talk about the root of the dis-ease dis-alignment coz they don’t want to be seen as “blaming the parents” maybe its too much of a western masculine disconnected thinking…I donno
Yes!!!
Lauren,
I just got out of the hospital yesterday (11/1/22). While anosognosia wasn’t the reason for my hospitalization, I can say I have struggled with this in the past. It always happens when I first accidentally forget my meds. And because I feel fine, I stop them for 2-3 days and then I go back on because I feel ratty.
Thank you so much for the videos you do, they have helped me a lot with my schizoaffective disorder (bipolar type)
My son has schizophrenia and it's been 4 years and he still don't want to accept it. I like watching your channel so I can learn from others on how to deal with this mental illness and try to help him.
I can't explain how much I needed this. After almost 7 years I'm just now really trying to come to terms with what I go through from schizoaffective disorder. It's been a very confusing time and when I was directed to you, it was like a light in the dark. Thank you for everything you have done and are doing.
This also happens with eating disorders with almost everyone with an ED. We often think we are "not sick enough" or "don't really have an eating disorder" because we eat or do or don't do XYZ.
Nofap gods
And so many people always think we’re not sick.
You’re asthmatic?!? No- you run!
Or you have ADD, Depressionrhafs just life?
As a recovered (or as recovered as you can get, given the nature of the illness) anorexic, this hits hard. Never feeling sick enough to have a problem while experiencing distress from symptoms is such an awful paradox, especially when it pushes others away. It’s unconditional love that gets people through - while you can’t always convince someone they’re ill, you can always hold them close through the worst times and offer them the hope of recovery in whatever form it may assume should they choose to take it. So thank you so much for the video, Lauren - the kindness, empathy, and information you share is incredible.
Hi Lauren, I prolonged watching this video even though I know I needed to. I have a sibling who was diagnosed with Schizophrenia at young age and although I did not know what was going on (as I young and my family did not inform me formally of his condition), I eventually figured out what it was. For 10+ years, he was very good on taking his own medication. The downfall started when he started working at a mental facility and he started to believe the government was somehow causing mental illnesses on individuals, including himself. He stopped taking his medication (without our awareness), his symptoms got worse along with his behavior. Fast forward, although he has been hospitalized and been on medication due to court orders, he continues to show symptoms of anosognosia, wants to discontinue treatment, and refuses therapy. Although we've tried many times to get him to trust us, it seems his anosognosia is quite severe because he does not believe what is out there from studies and research. As you've said, his anosognosia has caused my arguments, which lead to him pushing people away in his life. Although you've made some great suggestions, unfortunately i don't think my sibling is willing to take any steps towards educating and accepting his condition. I myself don't know how to help him towards this acceptance, which has led me to pushing him away/distancing myself. I would appreciate any tips from the community or yourself would help and I very much appreciate you for making this video. At this point, I'm just hoping that one day he comes to terms with his condition.
NAMI has Family to Family,
Peer groups that has helped up. Also she offers Groups
I am a filipino suffering from paranoid schizophrenia some of your videos help me a lot from managing and help me understand better of my illness thanks a lot
Hi Lauren, I've lived with SA bi polar type for over 20 years. Anasognosia is tricky symptom to deal with. I have found total acceptance of all your symptoms is key to keeping anasognosia at bay. Your advice on researching the condition and how it applies to you is a game changer and keeps your symptoms within your awareness whether you're symptomatic or not. Thank you for keeping people informed on your channel. It's a terrific resource for people with Schizo affective disorder. All the best.
Are you Muslim?
I ask myself that same thing. It can be confusing when you can't trust your own perception of reality. I have people in my family and in my friendship circle who don't believe that I have this disorder because it developed later in life than most people. It's exhausting just going through it and I don't want to have to defend myself. If I'm having a good day, I feel like people are judging me and saying how I'm not really sick, but they don't see me on the bad days. It's misery and I wouldn't wish it on anybody. It totally wrecked almost every aspect of my life.
Thank you Lauren. You're very helpful to me. I appreciate you. 😊
I almost thought I was reading my own writing.
The bane of being sick is dealing with others who don’t believe you.
This is a brilliant video. I have bipolar one and I have dealt with this especially when more symptomatic but also when I’m well. It is so hard to discuss with loved ones. I am lucky to have a psychiatrist and therapist who are completely open to my explorations and also know that when I become more attached to this idea, it’s a sign I’m getting more ill. I am a psychiatrist myself and I do have tons of information about this. It does help but obviously it’s not always enough. I teach person centered care and what I believe about myself and my patients is I focus on goals and strengths first and foremost, along with symptoms. I agree it’s not always helpful to focus on the illness concept. It helps to focus on what are your goals, what’s important to you. For me, my daughter is important to me as is my job. When I start questioning for all these reasons I have trained myself to think about what I want to keep achieving and the people I take care of. My doctors know this about me too and know to discuss the things I value. Ultimately it always comes back to what has happened when I’ve given up on treatment - being separated from work and not being able to care for my child the way I want to. I have written about those times so that’s my evidence! Those are my photos, those depressed, manic, and psychotic writing. Thank you SO much for your video. I wish I had peer support but that’s hard in my psychiatrist life. I do teach on this topic and I learn from patients every day.
It's in my medical records how much opposed my bipolar 1 diagnosis. It took getting very unwell multiple times before I finally accepted it
Mona this is incredibly insightful, thank you for sharing!
I have BPD and I struggle with this a lot. I think this is a common thread across many mental illnesses. Thank you for all your helpful content Lauren ❤️
I don't know if i have schizophrenia, but the more i watch your videos, the more i can relate. I'm diagnosed with Bi-Polar Typ 2, but mood/personality switches every few days. Accepting that i'm sick is so hard for me, especially on "good" days. I'm thankful for your videos, because it helps me accept, that i'm sick and i need to seek treadment.
I'm 32 (m) years old and most of my life i did not take meds. But i will start later this month and will stick to it.
Thank you for your videos and your self-confidence to put yourself out there!
I feel like I get a sudden feeling of insight into illness whenever the derealization goes away for a moment. It shows me how I'm supposed to feel/how it's normal to feel/how healthy people experience the world. It also shows you how it is possible to feel, so the experience leaves me with more hope.
Anosognisia may be a bit tricky when you don't have a lot of hallucinations/delusion, but mostly the more subtle symptoms.
It's hard to suddenly see what's sort of become normal for you as a symptom.
This!! I think this is why my mom doesn't realize that she has out of proportion reactions to life--she has always had intense reacted to stress or things not going to plan, that is her normal. Thank you for putting words to that! Well said!
i’m epileptic and when i was younger, i would describe the sun flashing through the trees in a car ride as if i was “seeing cartoons” and i thought everybody saw that
then the cartoons were accompanied with losing all sense of time, in less than a second it could feel like the next day but in the exact same position and no fatigue from sitting in the same place. that’s how i knew it wasn’t an accurate timeline, that and when people would talk to me and then tell me to “stop pretending to have a seizure” or “stop breathing like that/jerking your head” and i would just reply saying “but i’m not doing anything, it’s the sun making me see cartoons”
boy was i right and how gladly and angrily did i say *”TOLD YOU SO”* to all 3 family members that said those things to me
they didn’t even remember apparently “after like ten years” but excuses excuses
Another way to help with this might be to write oneself a letter when one is not experiencing anosognosia and put that letter in the journal. The letter would be a compassionate and safe expression of encouragement to recall evidence of one's illness and to continue the treatment plan.
Such a heartfelt, positive solution to navigate challenging times :)
This has definitely been my life with EDs. I’ve been in recovery with medication and therapy for over a year now, but I constantly straddle that line of disbelieving that I am/was sick. Thank you for making these videos - they help so many people.
Yes!! I have that delusion all the time about how I’m “cured” or “I’m all better” or “I’m healed” and then I spiral downward into my illness and I feel much worse and hallucinate more and it all comes back!
I have experienced this issue. I did not think I was ill until after my 3rd episode. Once I realised I was having altered states of mind, I could see I needed treatment, which accelerated my recovery because I actively participated in my recovery after that! Thanks for the nice video!
"Anosognosia." My God, there's a name for it. I'm supporting my ex through what I pray will be a diagnostic time and the beginning of him finally getting treatment. But nine years of my life with him... so much is making perfect sense now that I've found your videos. Thank you, thank you, thank you. 💖
Thank you so much I have also been diagnosed with schizophrenia and your channel gets me through the rough times
Dearest Lauren your latest video came up pn my phone this afternoon, & ive since watched 11 mire! I just have to tell you how amazing uou are! Im sorry youre in the hospital right now,& praying all will be super well with you asap. You are Gods goft to many, Hes using you in ways you dont realise. God bless you keep strong! Youre super amazing & I admire you greatly.
You said you wanted to go to school and to learn to be a researcher - you are actually doing it already - doing amazing brilliant job Lauren ❤
Thank you so much for this. My daughter struggles with anasognosia for 8 years now. Your shows have helped me come along ways and I thank you. This symptom has made me not allow her to come home and I feel awful. Learning about anasognosia and it is hard to figure out.
The whole mental health system & issues are a lot to try to keep straight. I'm trying!! Thank you so much.
"what not" drives me crazy!!!!! It is similar to the word "like".
Much appreciated.
thanks for the vids ❤️
Thank you so much for this video on anosognosia and all your other videos. I was diagnosed schizophrenic 30 years ago. Over the years, I have realised that my negative voices (always in the "You" form) are me talking to myself. The more anxious or angry I'm feeling, the more fearful or nasty these voices become. I have started changing up the "You"... to "I", thereby owning my thoughts. When I do this, I feel more in control. Looking back on my own childhood/teenage years, my family, all three of them, were incredibly hectoring at me, a lot of finger-wagging, shouting, trying to control me. I think that, since I became schizophrenic, this memory of my hectoring family balloons up in me. Keeping up with my meds really does help though.
When I get het up with my mind/voice "at me", I do deep belly breathing, and, either journal about why I'm feeling anxious/angry/agitated, or divert my attention to calming or fun activities.... or do both: journalling and then fun activities.
Being indoors alone for too long doesn't help either. I start to get moody. Getting out amongst people, even if it's going shopping or going to a popular park with lots of dogs (I love dogs!) is a great mood enhancer for me.
I hope this helps.
thanks for sharing this
Thank you for talking about this.
I too have been diagnosed with Schizoaffective Disorder. Your videos have gotten me through so much and I have gained such an understanding of my diagnosis ❤
So adequate too put into words a thousand things
Excellent video.Thank you.
This is so good! I find this information so helpful You are such an inspiration. Thank you!
Thank you, this helps me gain a little insight with my loved ones.
Thanks!
Thank you :3
Thank you so much for everything....just going through a lot with my son and your channel helps so much. You should get an award for it. 💚💚💚
I agree❤
Hey,this is such a timely video. Thank you for sharing. I am diagnosed with bipolar disorder type 2. For the most part of this year, I have lived in denial and hence did not take my medication. However, from August, I have been on medication and consequently my symptoms have greatly reduced. Recently though, I have been carrying around a lot of doubt of my diagnosis and the severity of my disease and how debilitating it has been for me. I also carry around a lot of shame of not knowing how to deal with my disorder prior to consistent use of medication. This video is so reassuring. Lots of love from Kenya 🇰🇪 ❤️
I’ve been searching through your videos for one that talks about this! Thank you.
Hi. Thanks for the videos. U helped me so much
I always find your videos helpful it keeps me in line that I have the sickness for life
Well explained
Thanks for the videos. And well done 👍💐🌺
Thank you Lauren! Thank you so much! I just love your channel. Keep up the fantastic job you're doing helping with spread awareness. I appreciate you & all the knowledge you've given me about this illness.
Thank you for sharing this very informative video.
I’m a caregiver to my spouse with this. I’ve read “I’m Not Sick, I don’t Need Help” by Xavier Amador on this topic. I still find myself angry and frustrated with my partner for not accepting there is something wrong and the inconsistency in his follow through. This is certainly a wedge in our relationship. I articulate my anger with him not addressing his symptoms and I’m met with silence. It’s infuriating. How can I expect him to meet my emotional needs when he’s lost in his own?
I need help dealing with this.
Please know your basic needs also matter! I don’t know how long you and him have been coping with this, but if he continues to be extremely treatment resistant, you would be perfectly justified in separating, or even divorcing. It’s no different than when a loved one is dealing with the disease of addiction _and is refusing to get help._
@@DannyD-lr5yg I hear you. It’s tough because I want him to see it. It’s essentially an ultimatum. We go to therapy and I’m part of NAMI.
Bottom line is that you can't reason with the mentally ill. Reasoning won't help. He needs to hit rock bottom first for things to smooth out. Don't entertaining them helps too. Divorce is a fair option too.
@@genevagarnett3288 Please look after yourself. You matter. Your life matters. You can still help your husband but do not have to stay married to him if you are unhappy and he doesn't cooperate.
@@caterinas6863 we’ve been going for therapy and things have improved.
This helps me so much. I struggle with this anasignosia a lot. Also beacouse my family tells me often that I’m not schizophrenic even though I’m on injections with an antipsychotic every month…… it’s hard to tackle. I almost feel bad that I’m not symptomatic all the time. They have high standards for what I should accomplish in form of work and studies…. I was supposed to study but I quit before the education started…. They don’t get why I’m more tired than the average person (that can hold a full time job) I want to have the energy and I want to earn money so that I can live my life. But it’s not that easy. In Sweden we have money we can get if we are sick, it’s not much. Just so that you can buy food and pay bills. It’s minimum income…… my doctor said he can insure I’m sick and can’t work. He told me I can absolutely try. But I feel it’s very hard to find the right type of work…… that I can manage…… I feel like a total failure. I have both schizophrenia and adhd
And don’t get me wrong I HAVE tried…. I started working at my dondlads when I was 16. And I’ve been on 7 different jobs and I have tried to study but i did not finish. My self esteem is so low. They told everyone in class that it is almost impossible to fail the studies. But I failed, I went on the classes and did my best but it wasn’t good enough 😞
Please look up “gaslighting “. It describes what your family is doing.
@@mab790 thanks for the answer, i don’t believe they do it to be mean. They do it beacouse they believe i have recovered from psycosis they cant understand that i have an illness which i have to get treated for my whole life….. my doctor knows best i think.
They are also mad at me beacouse before i got schizopheria i tried a few illicit drugs. So they say it’s beacouse of the drugs. May be so but that does not change the fact that I have this illness and have been totally drug free for 8years (since I got help) and will continue to be of course
You’re not a failure; antipsychotics are notorious for causing sedation. It makes sense that you would feel more tired than the average person - being medicated doesn’t come without problems!
Surviving is enough! I tortured myself for years thinking I could get a high degree and great job but managing your health is so so hard and something you’ll never get credit for. Only you know your struggles and never compare to others.
I can’t thank you enough for your videos being a friend to someone that I very much care about and love and honor is going through this lack of insight into his mental illness. It has been extremely challenging and frustrating and scary things came to ahead recently where he put his life in other peoples in jeopardy, and I lost it and said you are so unwell that you don’t even realize how unwell you are, having no understanding of what this lack of insight is was overwhelming for me I know there is nothing I can do to get my friend to go to treatment, but the fact that I have an understanding now of what this lack of insight is has given me a lot of peace and serenity into this situation. I care about my friend, and I’m going to approach him in a much different healthier way I just want to thank you again, and I have a lot of gratitude for your time and effort into these videos
Lauren,
Thank you so much for your videos. I can't tell you how much you have helped my family and I. I have a family member diagnosed with schizoaffective disorder. Your videos have given me reassurance that we are not alone in this struggle. 🙂
THANK YOU FOR HELPINNG ME
I like your art on your wall. I'm also schizoaffective. You speak so well for yourself and others. You are appreciated.💞
Good video Lauren.....hope your doing well! 👍
I tried tracking all of my symptoms for a long time but I eventually had the same problem where I'd question if I really had a reality problem to begin with. I'm especially less likely to believe I'm ill when I'm being confronted about it
Rob - your note at the end is so true and is the most painful part I feel on this journey. When you love someone so much and they effectively don't feel the same or worse, is very difficult.
Your videos are very helpful. I understand better what my loved one might feel like when I try to talk them into seeing their extremely fearful and highly improbable ideas as “not real”.
Recently diagnosed with schizophrenia 24m and finding this channel has been a lifeline thank you for everything
Patient centered care- so necessary
Great vid
I’m myself diagnosed with bipolar disorder and your channel has helped me a lot to understand my illness, I’ve struggled with this problem quite a few times, sometimes I feel I just don’t need medication, that maybe I’m just faking it, but then depression hits me like a ton of bricks after feeling extremely happy and functional. I completely understand why bipolar is considered the bridge between depression and schizophrenia, the delusions are less noticeable but their impact is very strong
This is exactly where I'm at... Too much doubt going on makes me question everything so I live with bad faith trying to outrun the bad actors
Digging the royal look.
Thanks Lauren. Another really helpful talk. Acceptance is definitely a process and not a final destination xx
I have psychosis brought on by severe depression/past drug use and I can relate to a lot of this. Thanks! Great video.
Helpful
Thanks for this video Lauren, when would you have a live session to ask questions? I support my brother who is dealing with the illness. The most difficult/stressful part of the support is the financial. Will be great if in the future you can talk about it. As far as tips from a family support?? I would say the family needs to save a lot of money to be able to provide support to someone with this illness and of course developing an honest supporting relationship ..
You might also want to check out a podcast/RUclips video series called “Schizophrenia: Three Moms in the Trenches.”
I lost my life to anasignosia. I had a wonderful wife and a beautiful new baby. I started living in my own world and it was more powerful than reality.
I feel like I live with this everyday and always end up reminding myself I have my illness I have skitzofrenia and have been dealing with this for a long time
I wish I could get my sweetheart to join the peer support groups because he's really isolated and lacking even a desire for social interaction despite confessing loneliness and often talking about people who have ghosted him. But he's worried about hearing about other people's symptoms and picking them up himself because he can be a bit of a mimic and a hypochondriac. I would love for him to have more support than just me and what little his sister can spare from raising her son etc. In part because it's exhausting to be the only/main support for all his struggles but also because I really want the best for him.
I do not have schizophrenia or schizoaffective disorder, but I definitely identify with this. I have a hard time accepting my illness and am quite in denial about it. I don’t know whether it’s shame? (I have anxiety and depression)
I'm not diagnosed with any mental illness but your videos are excellent!
I feel that a person is more apt to accecpt their illness as they age. Seems the younger the person, the more they fight the reality that they deal with this illness. I say this from two perspectives. My uncle has dealt with this since age 8. A time i which state hospitals where still open and ran. He is now in his late 60s and is on less meds than he was over the 1st 40 yrs of his life. My spouse has dealt with same thing since teen years he is now 2yrs from 50. Early in his life, he knew he had this was also hospitalized, had various procedures including shock therapy back in the 90s.. did more harm then good. As they both have aged, they are much more calmer about things they experience.
Ty 4 ur work.
Thank you so much for this channel! I wish I could help on patreon but I can’t
I'm not afflicted with this problem but I thought it was a very fascinating question. This video confirmed what I think would happen and the thinking. I believe it would be really hard if you were very well for a while -- and you are subject to believing things too quickly. I don't want to say more because I don't want to be the cause of anyone having issues.
This video is really well timed for me. I'm currently doing a paper on the effects of anosognosia for someone with schizophrenia. My 28yo son was diagnosed with Aspergers back in 2019 and then he sustained a TBI that damaged the right frontal cortex which interestingly has been associated with insight levels. He started having hallucinations about a few years after the TBI (wish I knew then what I know now) but he now uses alcohol to cope with the intensity of it all. So a two pronged issue now. He doesn't believe he is "ill" and talks about these different "entities" (goddesses, male and female voices and other things) ...as if they're normal and doesn't understand why the rest of us don't hear them.
I've learnt (through painful experience) to be a listening ear.. non judgemental...non opinionated..i try to use reflective listening and apologise that I don't hear them like he can and could he tell me more about it. Over time we have built up enough of a trusting relationship that he will sometimes come to me for advice about things these entities say to him.
Thank you for your work
When I had my first break, I was in denial about having schizoaffective disorder. But after my second on I'm on better meds and I'm learning to accept myself. I'm lucky I don't need a lot of meds to go into remission.
Hi Lauren 👋🏾
Thanks for your support Tyler!
I have been hit with a series of diagnoses over the years (most notably, bipolar, BPD, PTSD and culminating in Schizoaffective disorder - bipolar type). I Have struggled initially with all of these diagnoses, and fought them every step of the way, (especially when armed with the fact that my family DO NOT want to accept that I suffer from something that (to them) is SO TABOO, and so socially unacceptable). That has been the hardest part for me. The fact that my family refuse to accept or acknowledge what I am (and have been, for the past thirty years) going through, thanks only to their judgemental and prejudiced outlook. I feel it would help me a lot if they would only acknowledge my suffering, and offer support and care, instead of distancing themselves behind their judgements. A number of my so called friends have a similar outlook, and as I reflect on this, it is little wonder why I feel so alone and isolated as I navigate my mental health journey. Thank you Lauren, for all that you do. Your informative and inclusive channel has done a lot to improve my self esteem, and to inform those around me better with their stigmatised views. I should add that historically, I have quite quickly come to accept my various diagnoses, and comply with my medication schedules, only to come unstuck when friends/family assure me that I do not need to fill myself up with medications i DON'T need - and to add insult to injury, they further comment that I am "just feeling sorry for myself", and "running away from life".
I have bipolar and the good times when I'm stable make me think I'm okay. Then I look at the many hospitalizations, the 40 years of psychiatrists and antipsychotics, mood stabilizers and effects it has had on my family. That usually brings me back.
The hardest part is the reality
Hi Lauren and LWS Community! I was diagnosed 4 years ago with schizoaffective with bipolar disorder. I am also diagnosed BPD, paranoia and severe depression. I feel like a kid still trying to figure out how to live like this. I'm actually in my local respite center right now messaging you this. It was one of my case workers that asked me to look up this video tonight. She actually wants me to watch three of them so we can talk about it tomorrow. I'm 43 years old with three sons and a wife and I'm still trying to figure this out
You are on your way❤️. You are Not Alone.
This is so me, I keep thinking because my family took me to a psychiatrist..then I am not really schizophrenic!
Also narcissistic personality disorder combined with schizophrenia. Individuals who were already very narcissistic prior to having a psychotic break are a pain in the you know what to convince thru have an illness!
anosognosia also happens to those with Alzheimer's Disease.
I sometimes feel I don't need my meds but then I think about my illness and I take it anyway.
I quit my medication once. It went well for about 6months. I was so so happy and energetic and I lost weight and felt like a feather in the wind. But then it crashed. I started having delusions, hearing a lot of voices. I could not sleep. I woke up screaming the few hours I slept
And also….. my feelings were much more intense so I cried like a mad man. I was devistated. And I banged my head in things, in the floor and screamed beacouse I was so so mad at the people in my head trying to control me. They forced me to NOT do yoga for example they said I was not allowed to do yoga, beacouse I was a evil person and they felt hate against me….. I was pathetic. And I could not think straight. My mental capacity decreased a lot. I heard voices talking directly to me though tv and headphones.
To be honest I think I lost a whole lot of working memory to that relapse
A common delusion is that the voices wants me to be super fat and die in a heart attack. I know it sounds strange. But they tell me to eat more and excise less. They tell me I am NOT allowed to have anorexia in any way
Interesting, I do explore this "maybe I'm not mentally ill" idea quite often, but it's not in the sense that I'm in denial of my symptoms and think I'm totally fine. I know I'm experiencing lots of symptoms of depression and anxiety, but It's more about not labeling myself as mentally ill so this diagnosis won't lead or limit my life too much. I've tried to get diagnosed and treated through therapy and medication in the past, but focusing so much on my mental health only made me feel more ill and incapacitated. My whole life had become centered around treating my depression, and since the medication and therapy weren't working for me, I felt even more hopeless. I find that I feel better when I try (to the best of my abilities) to live like a somewhat normal, functioning adult. I often think "stop blaming depression, it's just who you are as a person and you gotta live with it" and that helps me get my shit together more than medication or therapy ever will.
You make an excellent point that actively removing the label of illness is a way to avoid placing limits on our lives. For me, this has been a coping strategy for meeting other demands in life (such as work), and has succeeded in some instances and not others. I also relate to the de-centering of mental illness as a way of evolving out of treatment strategies that aren't working.
I have black mold , too
For the first 5 minutes, i kept telling myself, you ain’t sick, you don’t pills, pills will make you like everyone else, a zombie, you’ll be fine without it. Am I sick or just overreacting?
My body isn't making the chemicals I need to function. I take the chemicals and in my mind, that "fixed my deficiency," so to speak, and I get to have a relatively normal life. Like a vitamin deficiency, diabetes or high blood pressure. They take their meds, and no more high blood pressure, can metabolize glucose, what have you. Stop meds = high blood pressure. See where I'm going?
For myself, I take this pill every morning at 8:15. This lets me have a pretty good life. I don't let myself forget what life was like before, because this life is so much better. The hoops, the doctors appointments, money and the pills... worth it.
I have stopped taking my medication, but I have a mild form of schizophrenia.
With a severe course of the disease, the refusal of medicines is dangerous.
I know a man who found out about his schizophrenia only at the age of 35, also an easy form.
Dr. Chris Palmer has had success treating schizophrenia (and other mental illnesses) with a ketogenic diet. I switched to a zero carb diet five years ago, hearing that it helped with bipolar disorder, and the results have been remarkable.
I would like to learn more about how he copes during those times when your meds are not working well or you've stopped them .
I am diagnosed with bipolar disorder which can be chronic & can be episodic. I don't see myself as "sick" or "unwell" all the time. I see it as a disorder & a disability that needs constant management to try stay as stable as I can.
happy fall
I started to say I was sick in the hospital so I could be discharged, lol. I have improved in my over 50 years of life but I'm burned out. I know I'm still sick but I get by on very little medication. I never got Tardive D. so I can say it's not inevitable. I feel today I am still sick but I also feel I'm taking the medication simply for sleep because otherwise my insomnia would cause psychosis.
I took a photo of my support dog for what he has to go through as a support animal
I have anasognosia pretty bad. Sometimes I forget I'm sick
Thank You Lauren.
💐🎉🌟💐🎉🌟💐🎉🌟💐🎉
Your Experiences, Insights, Openess and Honesty is Much Appreciated.🌟😊🌟
💖🌟💚🌟😊🌟💖🌟💜🌟💖
Deep Respect
for your choice to Bringing Awareness to the complexities and realities of these experiences and for the Sincere, Authentic
and Compassionate
way you do that. 🌟😊🌟
Thanks also to Rob for your Insights and Contribution.
💐🎉🌟💐🎉🌟💐🎉🌟💐🎉