Can a mind be sick?

[ASchwartz]

There was a recent comment to an essay I wrote about Schizophrenia in which the writer stated that he was one of the people with schizophrenia who does not take his medication. He then went on to ask if a mind can be sick.

There are those people who believe that this and all of the psychoses are not are not any different than depression and that psychotherapy and psychoanalysis are effective treatments. They do not believe in the use of anti psychtic medications. They maintain that schizphrenia is curable with regular psychotherapy.

There are others who believe that schizophrenia and the other psychoses are diseases of the brain and can be treated only or primarily with medication. Many of these people do not believe that schizophrenia is curable. In fact, these people state that psychotherapy and psychoanalysis can be harmful for people with these illnesses.

What are your experiences and beliefs and the psychotic illnesses?

[Solara]

My beliefs are non existent because I've never been offered these ideas till now and have just recently been diagnosed with schizophrenia, which my family refutes to be my problem, thinking I need another doctors opinion. So for a beginning, I think I am just learning about these issues, yet, no doctor I've seen has given me any other type of opinion regarding treatments other than the traditional ones. I didn't know there was any other way except medications. I take Seroquel, mainly because I have anxiety and trouble sleeping, as well as other symptoms of the disease. Most people think it is a brain disease, to my knowledge, which as I said is rather limited due to being new to the condition. I'm researching all possible reasons for my condition currently and am learning knew things all the time. What I have been told is that behavior issues are separate from my disease and must be treated separately via therapy or counseling. So I'm doing both therapy and medication for different reasons, not just for the schizophrenia.

[WinterSky]

Hi Solara, I don't have schizophrenia myself but have experienced psychosis before, and have also met other schizophrenics. I understand that stress can trigger symptoms?

Dr. Schwartz, didn't the mathematician Dr. John Nash (in A Beautiful Mind) make it without medication and control his symptoms by controlling the stress and the symptoms themselves? As I stated above, I have experienced psychosis but do not really understand what is going on in the brain to cause this. It is my understanding that the "mind" is just a model in psychology and does not exist, so aren't all mental illnesses brain diseases if not considered situational? Sometimes I get so depressed and cry so bad that I am embarrassed to say nobody died. :o And these moods I experience have no explanations. Yes I do experience reactions to situations which I should be able to control, but most of the time it is chemical related.

IMHO, I do see them as brain diseases, although I do not see myself as "sick". I also have Diabetes but do not consider myself "sick" either.

Back when I experienced psychosis, if it weren't for weekly talk therapy I don't think I would have overcome that situation. If it weren't for my pdoc I would have become institutionalized back then and just given up, or I would have committed suicide because I was extremely suicidal. I even begged him to help me with that.

[JustTrying]

I am PTSD, Bipolar I and they say .. a touch of schizo...

As for me stress is a big trigger... .If I am under a lot of stress the hallucinations, THEM ( THEM meaning the voices... I think there are 7 of THEM) , and the paranoia tend to come out.... I do think therapy can help. I know I can control or change things if I realize they are happening. Living alone most of the time is a bad thing for me... because If someone was here they could say "what are you doing? " Or " Are you sure about that?" I may could stop , think and Analise the situation....

I CAN and HAVE gotten myself out of a MILD depression... Play kids music... Dance with the dogs.. call someone who will make you laugh.. or even my favorite... get on the CB radio and start a NOT serious argument or discussion... I think the last one was about the new styles of womens undies!!!

I do not know about the Schizo .. because since I have been on this Lithium, I at first had some wild hallucinations... but THEY haven't been around and I have had some paranoia But I think I will always have that... but that was weeks ago... a little depression.. but it is winter and the Holidays.. A few manic moments.. but no real WAY OUT there stuff..... so maybe it was all brought on by the bipolar.....

I have heard and read.. got a link from this site about it too .. pertaining to depression.. that it can be cured with therapy... I do not KNOW for a fact that Schizo can be CURED that way but I think It is a good tool...

Hope I made sense... not too sure of myself right now.. got people in my life that think it is funny to make me feel... well let's say bad....and unsure of myself...

JT