SakuraLi:: Jaffe sounds like a real douche bag!

Jaffe presents himself as an advocate for the most seriously "mentally ill" Sakura. I wrote more on my encounters and explorations here: DJ Jaffe and the Treatment Advocacy Center and here: I'm supporting TAC's lobby to retain "anosognosia" in the DSM5 revision I'm not sure "douchebag" is a term I would consider for him but I do consider that he deliberately presents "distortion" and "fear mongering" as a means of furthering his own agenda, often to the detriment of the millions of afflicted who are not what he portrays them to be.

what is considered a normal life for a schizophrenic.

Truthfully Sakura, the answer varies and it's a complicated answer. Overall, the odds are very good for your boyfriend and this is because he:

a.) Is working
b.) Is going to school
c.) Is involved in a long-term intimate relationship

All of the above may not be without their trouble points but the mere fact he can do them points to good daily function and that's how recovery is best measured -- not by medication status but by an individual's ability to re-engage with the demands of life.

However, there is a very great deal we can do as caregivers/support people and larger society that can increase the odds that an individual will recovery. Those three links I posted above in regard to successful treatment programs help provide us with insight into what some of those things might be.

One thing we should be doing is to stop talking about schizophrenia as if there is no recovery because that strips people of hope and hope is essential to recovery. I would encourage you to read through that link on Schizophrenia and Hope and also to read through those links at the Voices of Recovery blog -- a number of which are the personal stories of individuals diagnosed as schizophrenic who then went on to become professional caregivers -- psychologists and psychiatrists.

Also consider that there is an entire demograph of people who never show up in the studies and these are the people who have gotten well and dropped out of the programs. Bear in mind, merely dropping out of the program isn't enough to determine wellness -- always, we have to look to function to determine that.

There is more I could say but my time is limited this morning. I would encourage you to keep on learning and keep on learning about yourself as well and what you can do to be your own healthy best.

~ Namaste