Living With Schizophrenia? Options

Hello, I'm a diagnosed schizophrenic and was wondering if anybody else is, or has experience dealing with a schizophrenic in their lifetime. I started this topic because since I was 16 I've been trapped in my own reality. I'm looking for methods or techniques for dealing with different symptoms like; fear that somebody is reading your mind, talking to the radio or television, hearing voices, and overall paranoia. I'm now 20 years old and have accomplished nothing in my life because I've let my illness get the best of me. The only achievement I've made since my first psychotic episode is graduating from high school. I'm really just looking for ways, other than taking medication, too stop my thoughts or subconscious mind from what seems to me as being "broadcast" to people and technology around me. My main problem is the fear that my mind is being read. Hopefully some of you have some advice for me; other than wearing a tinfoil hat, jk. I'm currently taking Zyprexa and Geodon if you were wondering what my meds were. Thanks in advance.

Only a professional can really help you.

I imagine you already know a lot about schizophrenia and know more about your state of mind that anybody else as well. Schizophrenia is described by some psychiatrist as a "psycho-spiritual crisis". Treatment depends on the exact type as schizophrenia seems to be caused by both genetic and environmental factors. One psychiatrist (I can't remember his name) claimed that schizophrenics choose be sick. Not that they choose to get schizophrenia but they choose to remain as such. He claimed that if a schizophrenic desires to be better than get better.

According to him (I will try to find his name and litterature you can follow up on) what one should do is tap into their logical and rational mind to understand the nature of their erratic behavior, delusional thinking and hallucinations. Do not feed into them through magick. That is the danger of magick in your case I wouldn't recomend engaging in any further ritual magick. By banishing "demons" or doing other such feats you acknowledge your sickness and give it control over you. Whenever you have a hallucination you should dissociate yourself from the situation. Sort of step back from yourself and and realize that what you are experiencing is not real only that it can be scary and confussing. Calm yourself down and take control of yourself and examine your state of mind. What are you doing what are you thinking? What could have triggered your episode? Learn the triggers if you have not already. I have read somewhere that laughter is an excellent way to "banish hallucinations". This works on the principle that you are not acknowledging your episode, but rather realizing just how absurd they are and use that to generate a sense of humor that, in theory, grounds the mind back into a state of normalicy. Also Use a day and a dream journal to look for patterns both while you are awake and dreaming. Some also describe schizophrenia as never being fully awake and succeptable to dream like conditions 24-7.

You mentioned depression and paranoia. Both of these are usually caused by chemical imbalances. This imbalance can happen for a number of reasons and sometimes there doesn't appear to be any external cause. Some people are simply genetically predisposed to such mental disorders. Life style changes can be effective in dealing with both. As well as counciling. I would not recomend drugs if possible in treating these two because in my opinion drugs only mask the condition an enable the person to continue in their disruptive pattern of behavior that caused either. If you can understand the triggers to your episodes you can learn to control your depression and paranoia.

Some also describe schizophrenia as a person having an evil, magickal, doppleganger or twin. In metaphysical terms schizophrenia is like a form of soul fragmentation. If you are looking for a metaphysical "magickal" cure for your condition this is what I would look into - soul craft, shamanism. Soul fragmentation occurs because of repressed emotions - especially fear and anger. It can also hapen because of abuse - physical, sexual, even verbal. Another very common cause of schizophrenia is guilt. A number of schizophrenics simply can't bare something they may have done or should have but did not and so they generate their own fantacy world and live in it. Being a schizophrenic is like a part of you is trying to attack yourself because of the trauma or repressed emotions boiling over. While you can supress your episodes, this is only temporary. The hardest part of treating schizophrenia is dealing with the pain, what ever that maybe, and moving on in life. That is why you need the help of a professional.

A schizophrenic is not happy. They have no sense of fulfilment and feel helpless to find happiness. Sometimes they may feel that they do not diserve to be happy. They live in a state of constant crisis and confussion. According to this guy who's name I just can't remember, this is why schizophrenics "choose" to be schizophrenics. They know what is wrong with them. They might even know all the triggers and the causes for their condition - they simply choose to not get better and instead remain in a state of misery. Getting past the pain and controling the episodes is only half the battle. The rest is in maintaining a life style that promotes happiness, fullfillment and spiritual contentment. If you do not move past the causes of the disease and work towards living a better life, where you are in control , you are in essence choosing to remain sick.

Don't scape goat, don't cut any corners, don't be in denial, don't minimize your condition, sure as hell don't ignore it and above all else don't hold onto the the attitude that you will not get better and live a better life. This is what is called "stinking thinking" and it can ruin years of therapy. If you want to get better you actually have to want to be better and motivated to work to get better.

Now knowing all of this is you choose to not get help from a professional, or you deny yourself treatment you are choosing to be a schizophrenic.