I was diagnosed with schizophrenia a few years before I was treated for alcoholism in 1990, the length
of time I have lived in Guelph. I'm 58 and I have had some form of schizophrenia for about the last 40 years approximately.
That includes about 7 years of prodromal symptoms, 12 years of untreated psychosis, and 22 years of treatment with antipsychotics and antidepressants.
Between 1980 and 1990, I was experiencing a very disabling health,, and major
psychosis. I couldn't work, and I lived in abject, solitary poverty. I eventually got in trouble with
the law in 1988 and received three years probation with the condition that I
see a psychiatrist for those three years. I've been to jail, been actively
alcoholic, attempted suicide, and was homeless for six months in 1980.
My story illustrates
an interplay of biology and sociology that can make schizophrenia a very
devastating condition. There are the real life experiences, and the way we, as
a society, treat people who have those experiences.
There is good cause for optimism for psychosis and schizophenia though. The atypical medications
are more effective with fewer side effects. There is
growing recognition of the value of early intervention and
relapse prevention. The public is developing a much greater interest in schizophrenia and positive movies like "A Beautiful Mind", were quite popular in their time.
These three trends promise a far
less destructive psychosis experience then what I had to suffer. Psychosis is a serious health event. You should only have a first episode, if that. The causes though are still unknown and the causes of my experiences appear to be somewhat atypical.
The charts for schizophrenia are mostly from dinner presentations and conferences I have attended
between 1995 and 2002. I have permission to use them here.
The information here is updated from time to time, but I don't have the access to the latest research that I used to. I entered retirement. The page on medications for schizophrenia is limited only to what is available in Canada, and my knowledge extends only to about 2004.
I am indebted to various psychiatrists who, for the most part, took the time to
answer my questions about schizophrenia. I also have the benefit of my experiences, both on and off medication.
I was forced to close the guestbook and keep only a small part of it up so readers can see how schizophrenia can have a major impact on people's lives. The earlier years included email addresses which caused a lot of problems for everyone who signed the guestbook.
You can contact me by email, (ichovil at bell.net).
You can access the charts by the regular link or if your javascript is enabled, charts and graphs
pop up by a click on the link following the symbol.
The opinions I am sharing on my website are only mine alone
and offer an insight to the experiences of schizophrenia. This is what I have been able to learn about schizophrenia because of its impact on my life.
Understand that I will continue to have schizophrenia for the duration of my life. Feel free to use any material you find useful on this site. Check out the links page for other
resources if you need other references which I check every February. I hope you find this site useful.
