[sweetmadness]

http://www.nytimes.com/2012/12/26/op...zophrenia.html

I'm just so sick of it. Every person who commits an atrocity is called a schizophrenic. Schizophrenia isn't even schizophrenia when treated with a different approach, like not calling it schizophrenia.

And hallucinations are not always demonic suggestions or gross misrepresentations of reality, often they can be psychic or precognitive, often they can be soulful illuminations of what the world is.

Why was I ever called schizophrenic? It still doesn't make sense...but this is the world we live in, and I guess I'm an anachronism. I was born in the wrong era, I was supposed to be in a world full of light, laughter, love, and peace.

Maybe a big dreamer and a big imagination can feel like a curse in a world run by media propaganda and hostility. I can't reach anyone anymore. People are too broken in their minds. If Jesus came to America, he'd probably be shocked.

God does need a place in our culture, the real God, the one who is within and without, above and around, everywhere. The God who cures and heals sickness, the God who bestowed miracles on man.

WTH does schizophrenia mean anymore? Everyone is a schizophrenic. And no, violence has not been statistically proven to happen more in people with schizophrenia than our "normal american" family. A load of bs. The factory of madness created schizophrenia.

[FireBird]

They blame schizophrenia for EVERYTHING. Every murder it seems, well at least the high profile ones. That is why its on the news it seems. It is awful and I hate being blamed for everything that goes wrong in the world. That article blames schizophrenics for everything. They make a short sentence to say that the majority of us are not violent but then blames us for all the killing. This just sickens me.

I also don't like people who say schizophrenia is caused by demons like a lot of people in the world thinks. People in this world don't have an understanding of mental illness. We are not bad people. We are not the devil for some reason some people who are overly religious think this. God loves everyone. Even the people who have problems.

We are not killers. Voices are not always evil. But at the same time the command hallucinations can command you to do awful things such as killing yourself. But the thing is that in the end, you have control over your own body. This is what I say to all the people who hears voices out there. You might not be able to control that command hallucinations which can be dangerous, but there is help out there. People who are showing signs of mental illness of all kinds should be sent to a psychiatrist or psychologist. Not all psychotics are evil and not all psychotics are bad.

I wish there is more positive stories about someone with schizophrenia. That is my dream one day. Here is my dream story: "Someone with schizophrenia has huge accomplishments in their life. They changed the world for the positive." This would be a nice change from the usual, "this schizophrenic killer just murdered many people today in a mass shooting." Or "this schizophrenic is poor, will never make anything of his life, has attempted to kill people before, scares people off, etc." I believe that the MEDIA is EVIL. While there are psychotic killers, they are rare, NOT the majority. The media makes us sound like wild animals that need to be shot on sight. That we have demon eyes. Darkness surrounds the schizophrenics...the world according the the average person and better yet the media that the entire world sees. OK, that is what I think of this article and all previous and future articles about schizophrenics. Although I do agree that too many schizophrenics have been left untreated. But not all killers are us.

[newtus]

@firebird

but what about those few or small percentage that ARE violent and still out there but havent done anything huge...yet.

just a challenge question. im not trying to be mean. but...rather start a conversation...or at least keep one going.

[FireBird]

I just hate how everyone focuses on the small percentage of actual bad evil killers instead of people with schizophrenia who actually accomplishes something in their life. The media makes all of us (not just a small percentage) look evil/ bad. I mean when was the last time any one of us heard about a schizophrenic doing something positive? Evil this, evil that. Killer. Demon. I agree that something needs to be done about untreated schizophrenics though. And i ain't just talking about throwing all schizophrenics in the mental hospital, I would only throw the bad ones in that have had past violent tendencies. Or warning signs for future predictors of violence. Maybe drug problems as well because there is an increased likelihood that a schizophrenic with an addiction disorder is more violent than a schizophrenic without an (drug) addiction disorder. If they are treated then they shouldn't be locked up and the key thrown away. There are kindhearted people who are schizophrenic including some of my friends, including my best friend. He has never hurt me or others. He is treated. He is very nice, and friendly. He is also gentle. He is not crazy, or a crazy killer. No murders. No one hurt. I have several friends like that. I don't personally know a single person who is bad. The one person who I know is violent is not schizophrenic. He has intermittent explosive disorder (or whatever its called.. the one with explosive anger). He HAS attacked people. But he is still my friend.

[newtus]

firebird
honestly i dont take meds
i have violent tendencies and past
i drink & i smoke...stuff.

would you literally put me in a hospital? because of THAT?

[FireBird]

NO. I would not. I didn't say everyone. Some people are worse than others. I don't want to fight so I guess this is it. At least I pray. I should have never said anything.

[ickydog2006]

I had a friend and classmate who was schizophrenic and killed someone before later killing himself in prison. But there were extreme warning signs. He told people that the voices were telling him to do this and he couldn't handle it anymore, he had to. His sisters locked him in a room and called the police. The police said they were too busy. The next day is when he killed the person (who was someone he loved and is one of the few people who showed him love). And it still hurts so much to think that the media spin made it out like he was this horrible awful crazed schizo, when he wasn't, and he would have been compliant with medication if it had been available to him and/or if they had locked him up. The police were warned and chose not to treat it as important; I know my friend is the one who did the crime but with all these warning signs, I feel the system is largely to blame. I know often they arn't, especially for those who hide their thoughts and intended actions, but what good is it if there are warning signs and no one is willing to help.

[ickydog2006]

As for non-violent schizos, there are plenty of us, but I think most of us are too scared to come out. For good reason, but maybe we are to blame as well, for not showing others the other side of the coin, and for sitting idly by when others talk negative about mental illness. I know IRL I stand up for mental illness (as a whole) a lot, but when it comes to being open about my hallucinations, that has been a big no no.

this anoys me too.

not just with schizophrenia but with any mental illness.

really puts us to shame

[newtus]

Originally Posted by FireBird

NO. I would not. I didn't say everyone. Some people are worse than others. I don't want to fight so I guess this is it. At least I pray. I should have never said anything.

no no im not fighting.
im really sorry...

[costello]

Originally Posted by sweetmadness

I'm just so sick of it. Every person who commits an atrocity is called a schizophrenic.

It's disturbing that a psychiatrist - who admits in his own letter that he's violating an ethical standard of his own profession - implies that Adam Lanza had sz. There's been zero evidence presented of that. He's speculating.

I'll agree that Cho, Loughner, and Holmes did. But the Columbine shooters didn't. And more importantly, tons of people with sz never hurt anyone. Do we have a really good way of knowing who will and who won't? Shall we lock them all up?

[Squirrel1983]

Originally Posted by FireBird

I wish there is more positive stories about someone with schizophrenia.

Being a math major when I was in college, there is one "story" that always amazed me.

John Nash (a mathematician) was schizophrenic and he came up with some amazing mathematical solutions. The movie "A Beautiful Mind" is Hollywood's take on him and they make him look crazy at some points of the movie, which I do not agree with.

I am not schizophrenic, but I do have schizoaffective, so I get upset too when the media blames things on people with mental illnesses.

[newtus]

@Costello

i think you as in people DO have a way. what im saying is people dont look hard enough. people like cho and loughner and then those like lanza are in so many places. im saying people dont look hard enough and when they do they turn a blind eye.

now is just one of those times that they are now identifying people. but this soon shall pass. its all bs to me. its just inflation of news.

[KUREHA]

I agree and I don't have schizophrenia.

[CastlesInTheAir]

http://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_..._schizophrenia

[newtus]

im on that list

[EmptyReflection]

Originally Posted by FireBird

I wish there is more positive stories about someone with schizophrenia. That is my dream one day. Here is my dream story: "Someone with schizophrenia has huge accomplishments in their life. They changed the world for the positive."

I'm not willing to divulge personal details at the moment, but I am willing to say that these stories exist, I am one of them, and they are more common than anyone realizes. Would be nice if the media stopped demonizing people like us - I feel it's the equivalent of blaming everyone with a bum leg for car accidents, and calling for their institutionalization. It is also the primary reason I won't divulge personal details...I'm pretty sure that, even if my employers were understanding of it (and they probably would be), many people I work with wouldn't be.

[OutofTune]

The only thing these mass shooters have in common is that they are all young men living in a culture which has desensitized them to gun violence. I'd be more apt to blame machismo and video games, not mental illness.

Statistically people with mental illness are more likely to be targets rather than perpetrators. Branding psychotic people as violent helps no one. This type of misinformation and stigma keeps people from seeking help.

[costello]

Originally Posted by OutofTune

The only thing these mass shooters have in common is that they are all young men living in a culture which has desensitized them to gun violence. I'd be more apt to blame machismo and video games, not mental illness.

It's a complex issue. I'd add being alienated to the list. I'm sure others could add more to it.

Statistically people with mental illness are more likely to be targets rather than perpetrators. Branding psychotic people as violent helps no one. This type of misinformation and stigma keeps people from seeking help.

Very true.

stop! i scared

[costello]

Originally Posted by brookwest

stop! i scared

What's going on, brook?

arguements trigger fear of violence. i thought this was a safe thread.

[costello]

Originally Posted by brookwest

arguements trigger fear of violence. i thought this was a safe thread.

I don't think anyone intended to argue or scare anyone. They made up, I think.

I'm sorry you stumbled across something scary when you're grieving.

[faerie_moon_x]

Thread is too triggering for me, so I've kind of avoided it myself.

[newtus]

say mass shooters are white male. true. TRUE. but large acts of violence go across all genders and races.