4 ms·

I highly recommend looking into the work of Paris Williams: http://brainblogger.com/2012/08/07/schizophrenia-and-psychosis-brain-disease-or-existential-crisis/

I highly recommend looking into the work of Paris Williams: http://brainblogger.com/2012/08/07/schizophrenia-and-psychosis-brain-disease-or-existential-crisis/ http://brainblogger.com/2012/08/07/schizophrenia-and-psychos... http://brainblogger.com/2012/06/23/is-schizophrenia-really-a-brain-disease/ http://brainblogger.com/2012/06/23/is-schizophrenia-really-a... http://brainblogger.com/2012/05/29/full-recovery-from-schizophrenia/ http://brainblogger.com/2012/05/29/full-recovery-from-schizo... He also has a book called "Rethinking Madness" which is amazing. Basically, there is no medical evidence for classifying schizophrenia as a disease. He believes that it is a state the mind creates for itself when it's surroundings stress the person out too much. There are very high recovery rates for schizophrenia in 3rd world countries, which he believes is due to the lack of medication.

chimeracoder 14y ago
> There are very high recovery rates for schizophrenia in 3rd world countries, which he believes is due to the lack of medication. Looking at the state of schizophrenics in India, I find this hard to believe.
- Alex3917 14y ago
  If you're looking at scizophrenics then by definition you're looking at the ones who haven't recovered. My understanding though is that they don't just do better because they're given less drugs, it's also because of social differences in terms of how families interact with each other.
  - chimeracoder 14y ago
    > If you're looking at scizophrenics then by definition you're looking at the ones who haven't recovered. Well, yes, it's really easy to say that a disease doesn't exist if you ignore all the people who are suffering from it. > they don't just do better because they're given less drugs, it's also because of social differences in terms of how families interact with each other. What "social differences"? Schizophrenics in India are far more likely to go undiagnosed and untreated, which only exacerbates the problems for them and their families. That's a big difference from saying that there's a high recovery rate, let alone that it's not a disease.
    - Alex3917 14y ago
      "Schizophrenics in India are far more likely to go undiagnosed and untreated, which only exacerbates the problems for them and their families." Not sure if that statement is entirely reality-based: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Prognosis_of_schizophrenia#International http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Prognosis_of_schizophrenia#Inte...
  - illuminate 14y ago
    That's like saying an alcoholic isn't an alcoholic whenever they're sober, until their next relapse.
Alex3917 14y ago
"Basically, there is no medical evidence for classifying schizophrenia as a disease." I think the best way to think about it would be use the biopsychosocial model. It might start for psychological or social reasons, but it eventually causes biological changes in the person.
davidtanner 14y ago
I'll mention this in passing for those who are interested. Carl Rogers, in _The Carl Rogers Reader_ explains how he and some other psychologists and volunteer staff set up a small residential treatment center for psychotic patients. It was structured very differently from conventional psychiatric treatment centers. Most of the staff were volunteers and uniforms were not used. There were only a few clients/patients living there at any one time. The staff fostered an environment of trust and openness. They did not medicate the clients and instead they tried as much as possible to be open to the psychotic material of the clients. In such a supportive environment, most of the clients showed improvement in their psychotic symptoms in as little time as a week. Staff were picked on the basis of their personality and experience with altered states of consciousness as it was felt that would make them better able to connect with the psychotic clients. The doctors on staff did have the ability to medicate and sedate clients if absolutely needed. So, while I do think schizophrenia has a heritable component, the current medical model may not always be most appropriate or effective treatment.

chimeracoder 14y ago

> There are very high recovery rates for schizophrenia in 3rd world countries, which he believes is due to the lack of medication. Looking at the state of schizophrenics in India, I find this hard to believe.

Alex3917 14y ago
If you're looking at scizophrenics then by definition you're looking at the ones who haven't recovered. My understanding though is that they don't just do better because they're given less drugs, it's also because of social differences in terms of how families interact with each other.
- chimeracoder 14y ago
  > If you're looking at scizophrenics then by definition you're looking at the ones who haven't recovered. Well, yes, it's really easy to say that a disease doesn't exist if you ignore all the people who are suffering from it. > they don't just do better because they're given less drugs, it's also because of social differences in terms of how families interact with each other. What "social differences"? Schizophrenics in India are far more likely to go undiagnosed and untreated, which only exacerbates the problems for them and their families. That's a big difference from saying that there's a high recovery rate, let alone that it's not a disease.
  - Alex3917 14y ago
    "Schizophrenics in India are far more likely to go undiagnosed and untreated, which only exacerbates the problems for them and their families." Not sure if that statement is entirely reality-based: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Prognosis_of_schizophrenia#International http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Prognosis_of_schizophrenia#Inte...
- illuminate 14y ago
  That's like saying an alcoholic isn't an alcoholic whenever they're sober, until their next relapse.

Alex3917 14y ago

"Basically, there is no medical evidence for classifying schizophrenia as a disease." I think the best way to think about it would be use the biopsychosocial model. It might start for psychological or social reasons, but it eventually causes biological changes in the person.

davidtanner 14y ago

I'll mention this in passing for those who are interested. Carl Rogers, in _The Carl Rogers Reader_ explains how he and some other psychologists and volunteer staff set up a small residential treatment center for psychotic patients. It was structured very differently from conventional psychiatric treatment centers. Most of the staff were volunteers and uniforms were not used. There were only a few clients/patients living there at any one time. The staff fostered an environment of trust and openness. They did not medicate the clients and instead they tried as much as possible to be open to the psychotic material of the clients. In such a supportive environment, most of the clients showed improvement in their psychotic symptoms in as little time as a week. Staff were picked on the basis of their personality and experience with altered states of consciousness as it was felt that would make them better able to connect with the psychotic clients. The doctors on staff did have the ability to medicate and sedate clients if absolutely needed. So, while I do think schizophrenia has a heritable component, the current medical model may not always be most appropriate or effective treatment.