correlation between money(or lack of funds) and symptoms

curious the thoughts of what role money plays in all of this...
some say diet is the answer, others say meds play a role in wellness.
But what role does money play? is there a correlation betwen NOT having adaquate resources and symptomology of schizophenia? Literally having the means to spend on wellness equals wellness. My theory, the whole consciousness drifts to a more positive outlook and by means of money, the scizophrenic is able to engage or re-engage in substantial gainful acitivities again, hence lessons his/her symptoms. The etiology of schizophrenic symptoms can be traced to financial well being in some cases.

There are community health care centers that don't charge anything, or very little.
I get most of my meds for free. I still have to pay for a couple of them, but it is not expensive.

sardean: i was not referring to "paying for meds" i was talking about being very poor and how this affects your ability to enjoy life and be free.

I know it would for me. I know that will be me in the near future a dark black hole of a future. Most of my life my family had some money. It has been getting worse every single year. We used to be able to afford everything like a vacation. Now the only and I do mean only times that we go on vacation is that grandpa gives us the money to go. It never used to like that. We used to get brand new cars like they are nothing and now we get used. At the end of this year my brothers student loans will be due with no more delays. Since my brother has no job and no money whatsoever then the payments will fall to us approximately $1000 a month. My brother's app is a massive failure and was supposed to save us. Then my dad will retire with very little funds. It will be a massive cut from what we have now. Everyone knows that retired people has no money. I know by then my symptoms will be even more extreme than what they were this year when I had to be hospitalized. That episode involved me going completely out of control by taking more pills than I am supposed to and badly cutting on myself. I was also ready to slit my wrist. Out of control command hallucinations. That will be nothing. The stress was bad and right now getting worse. But stress causes my pills to almost have no effect on my symptoms. That is usually when I go to the hospital.

This is the only part of your statement I don't agree with. I've had times where I had money to spend on "wellness" activities or to get myself out of the house, but I just couldn't; I was too unwell.
My paycheque (for me anyway) doesn't really reduce my psychosis, it just takes away some of the anxiety I would otherwise have. What DOES reduce my psychosis is the process of getting the paycheque - the daily routine and the sense of 'having stuff to do'.

I think there's a correlation between poverty and being mentally unwell. It sounds so obvious, doesn't it? Not having enough money to meet your basic needs can make you anxious and depressed and fearful.

There's a good interview on Madness Radio by a researcher who looked at people who were clinically depressed when they joined a program to help poor people start businesses. As they gained in economic self-sufficiency, their depression level went down.

It seems like a no-brainer, but in a culture where "mental illness" means "biochemical imbalance in the brain," this obvious fact gets lost. We medicate people who need practical help in getting their lives together.

I got fired from a social work job once. Someone with a lot of money spent twenty minutes complaining to me about how they didn't know how to cope without their servant (I'm not being funny here). I told them -- in slightly nicer terms -- that they didn't have a mental illness, they had no life skills.

I bet I could write to the DSM V authors and get "loss of servant syndrome" added.

lol.....

I think financial stress can effect your mental health.

thanks for all your responses to this enigma of a question. i posted elsewhere what one possible soution is albeit, remaining a difficult mindset when you cannot see beyond the lack of finance in one's life. the solution:in a word: Gratitude. there is always something to be grateful for if we look within. The soul resists gratitude sometimes at it's own peril. perhaps, that is human nature, not to see it, or perhaps, one just needs to change one's perspective, then, one can recieve and give accordingly.
i have heard of people who have been thru some very trying medical circumstances in their own lives, they have been in car accidents, and suffered financial loss, but thru it all, they remained grateful. They say that is the key to finding peace within.

Hah! Thanks for that!

I concur. When basic human needs are not met, how in the world does one feel safe? Worry and stress on a day to daily basis thinking about proper shelter, nourishment, personal safety would seriously hurt anyone.

Then add isolation and lonliness, lack of emotional support and/or empathy (basic human compassion) and where could you possibly go from there other than to retreat into oneself.

I'm sorry to see guru's left us. I thought this was applicable to this thread.

I picked up this book at Half Price Books today: Recovery from Schizophrenia: Psychiatry and Political Economy. Well, I got the 2nd edition (1994). Still interesting.

Amazon's description of the 3rd edition: