What does the illness schizophrenia do?

Here are a few facts of why it's difficult to function, hold down a job, find a relationship, keep a lawn mowed regularly, as I struggle living with this illness called schizophrenia. In my opinion the illness is also why all of the friends I had from my youth are all gone from my life.

 

Here are a few unforgettable facts about schizophrenia.

 

Schizophrenia is a chronic, severe, mental disorder that effects the way a person thinks, acts, expresses emotions, perceives reality, and relates to others. Although schizophrenia isn't as common as other major mental illnesses, it can be the most chronic and disabling mental illness.

 

People living with schizophrenia have a higher risk of developing physical illnesses  then the general population.

 

I'm forty-six now and I have just recently been diagnosed with diabetes and am developing now serious circulation problems. These problems directly result from using an antipsychotic medication named Olanzapine or Zyprexa.  Zyprexa has faced many class action lawsuits directed against the manufacturer by lawyers from people who in the late 2010’s who had used Zyprexa for schizophrenia. They had developed diabetes, had amputations, were people who were forced to have kidney dialyses, had damage to their pancreas, or other serious medical problems that were directly linked the use of Zyprexa.

 

I’ve been on Zyprexa since 1999. Using the medication has greatly reduced former aggression and loss of self control. The lack of self control presented itself in tantrums that destroyed my own property or that lead me to fight in the bars.

 

Zyprexa is the most effective drug I’ve used to control my delusional thinking which is it’s main use. 

 

As another side effect of Zyprexa I’ve lived with a severe social anxiety limiting my ability socially which after twenty years practically a recluse should be obvious. Thanks again to my old buddies for that you cowards.

 

People with Schizophrenia have a mortality rate that is three times greater each year then those without schizophrenia. A new study from the Lund University in Sweden shows that the average life expectancy of men and women with schizophrenia is 15 years and 12 years shorter respectively than those who do not suffer from the disease.

 

Persons with this illness have a greatly diminished life span overall. In general people with this disorder die more then 25 years earlier than the general population. The most common causes of death were cardiovascular disease, cancer (particularly lung cancer), diabetes, influenza, accidental deaths, and suicides.

 

People with different kinds of schizophrenia deal with variations of disabling problems like hallucinations, disorganized speech etc. depending on how the illness effects them.

 

A delusion is a firmly-held idea that a person has despite clear obvious evidence that it isn't true. Delusions are extremely common in schizophrenia, occurring in more than 90% of those who have the disorder.

Often these delusions involve illogical or bizarre ideas or fantasies. 

 

In my case the belief I have is that I'm being secretively watched in my home, widely known from the surveillance, with my life, all it’s goings on, broadcast by television technology to everyone else in society who keep the conspiracy secret from me. It’s a very unsettling, tormenting belief, a great disruption to my life, and very cruel for any persons life and peace living with this disease.

 

Common to these beliefs is also:

 

Delusions of persecution-- a belief that others, often a vague "they," are out to get you. These persecutory delusions often involve ideas and plots. (e,g. The CIA trying to poison the person with radioactive particles delivered through his/her tap water.)

 

Delusions of reference--A neutral environmental event is believed to have a special and personal meaning. For example, you might believe a billboard or a person on TV is sending a message meant specifically for you.  

 

Delusions of grandeur—A belief that you are a famous or important figure, such as Jesus Christ or Napoleon. Alternatively, delusions of grandeur may involve the belief that the person has unusual powers, such as the ability to fly. 

 

Delusions of control—A belief that your thoughts or actions are being controlled by outside, alien forces. Common delusions of control are through broadcasting ("My private thoughts are being transmitted to others"), thought insertion ("Someone is planting thoughts in my head"), and thought withdrawal ("The CIA is robbing me of my thoughts").

 

Another part of schizophrenia is the Disorganized behavior. Schizophrenia disrupts goal-directed activity by impairing your ability to take care of yourself, your work, and interact with others.

 

Disorganized behavior appears as:

 

A decline in overall daily functioning.  Unpredictable or inappropriate emotional responses. Behaviors that appear bizarre and have no purpose. Lack of inhibition and impulse control. 

 

Negative symptoms of schizophrenia refer to the absence of normal behaviors found in healthy individuals, such as:

 

Lack of emotional expression--inexpressive face, including a flat voice, lack of eye contact, and blank or restricted facial expressions.

 

Lack of interest or enthusiasm--Problems with motivation; lack of self-care. Seeming lack of interest in the world-Apparent unawareness of the environment; social withdrawal.

 

This list above I’ve presented of schizophrenias effects on people with the illness lives doesn’t describe everything about the illness. There is more in the lists to be typed and much more to be researched. This information is presented here in defense of my own limitations as well as dignity as well as all other persons dignity, whatever mental illness they happen to struggle with. We aren’t bad people we have illnesses that effect the brain and our thought,

 

 

I think something else should be said as an afterthought here. Many of us people living with this mental illness are interesting, likable, and good people in our own right. It’s an insult to be shown only a pitiful interest in us when really we  deserve far more then that from other imperfect people who might be sane but many of them as well may tend to be quite boring. 

 

In defense of my lifestyle who stays home for twenty years and never hardly ventures out into the world except with emotional support and direct help from people in my family. When a person retreats into loneliness living as a recluse for twenty years what fair minded person judgmentally suggests he’s not really struggling with some psychological distress of some kind.

 

 Why then can’t the world recognize this illness as a legitimate impairment like any other devastating illness respectfully by preserving the people’s dignity living through this illness.

 

Also as another rant when a person with a milder form of mental illness, who’s seeking praise and justification for their own overcoming of a milder form of mental illness, points toward a person with a more severe form of mental illness and suggests publicly that since he/she has themself overcame their own mental illness, with some success, why then can’t he do the same, and make a public spectacle of the whole business, then the entire spirit of caring and trying to support other people with mental illness is reduced greatly. Where is the solidarity and preservation of dignity for me and also many other mentally ill people struggling with mental illness by such a self serving attitude that causes compassion to go right out the window.

 

If we can’t even be kind and supportive between ourselves then we aren’t really mental health advocates I guess is what I’m really obviously trying to say. Thanks for reading this.

 

The unlikable guy