I think some symptoms of psychosis are more receptive to treatment with anti-psychotics such as hallucinations, voices, etc. However delusions which are experienced over long periods of time, be it from occasional or persistent psychosis become a part of who we are and how we operate. Aspects of an illness that change our perception and habits for long periods of time should not be expected to stop with medication alone. I think this is an area where therapy is critical to breaking down those perceptions and habits.

I think sometimes the T's and Pdocs and us as clients too, sometimes fail to realize how much of our dis-function is from a mental illness, and how much of it is based in life experiences or trauma. We can do things for "real reasons" that also look like symptoms of a textbook illness. So many different disorders look very much alike, and some of these very similar disorders have very different mechanisms for existing. While one illness may be mostly comprised of brain chemistry/structure abnormality, and another may be entirely due to life experiences.

It must not be forgotten where symptoms carry parallel purpose either. For example having a very real reason to fear something, and having that same fear as a function of a mental illness. Say for example a schizophrenic person who was stalked and kidnapped in heir past. They fear anything that even remotely resembles that event or circumstance. They also could fear those same things as a function of paranoia from psychosis.

When considering effectiveness of anti-psychotics I think a person has to look at the entire list of positive and negative symptoms of psychosis. Which symptoms are being experienced without meds? Which symptoms are being experienced while taking meds?

I firmly believe that some symptoms simply can not be medicated away, especially if they have existed long enough to become a part of who we are and what we expect to happen in life.

Being misdiagnosed and/or having multiple major disorders comorbid may cerainly make treatment seem to be ineffective, be it medicine or therapy. Think of a person with borderline being treated with SZ methods,or a person with DID being treated for SZ, or Bipolar.

Lets face it. How long dos the pdoc take to DX you and prescribe meds? An hour or so? And if they are like the pdocs I've seen they were only interested in symptomology and not in life events. Without the whole picture, how could the difference be determined between say borderline and did or schizophrenia? The short answer is they may well be wrong. But they don't question their dx, they up the dosage or try more of the same kind of drugs thinking that you are just resistant to drugs. Maybe you are, nd mybe you don't have the particular disorder they are trying to treat.