Schizophrenia

jeffbr said:

josevolution said:

My mother suffers from Alzheimers it's starting to get bad she's on meds and my father is retired so he takes care of her we all pitch in to help him out , i get depressed thinking about her everyday when ever i'm alone i think of her i cry as i'm driving alone just thinking of her , at least she does have a loving family around her ...

Really sorry, Jose. I know all too well how it affects family. My mother also has Alzheimer's. She's been living with my sister and her family for years, and over the past few years has deteriorated to the point where she doesn't know us (but will act like she does for family gatherings), lashes out, needs assistance with basic hygiene, talks about her childhood as if that is what she is currently experiencing (she's often waiting for her long-ago deceased dad to pick her up and take her home). It is crazy how she's gone from a charmingly forgetful woman to a shell of a human being. It is devastating to watch and is emotionally exhausting. She was my rock growing up. She's now just a shadow of herself. I wouldn't wish this affliction on anyone. Stay strong. It is a tough journey.

fife said:

Meltdown99 said:

PJ_Soul said:

Meltdown99 said:

PJ_Soul said:

It's a tough one for sure. The main issue, I think, is how a healthcare system keeps people with severe mental illness on medication.... As it is, there really isn't any way to do it unless they are proven to be dangerous, and thus locked up and/or monitored by the state. These kinds of mental illnesses specifically make the sufferers stop taking their necessary meds, and then it's all downhill from there, and with that being the case, even with a great mental healthcare system, what the fuck can anyone do, unless there is some way to force them to take their meds, which, of course, is a serious legal/constitutional/charter of rights problem. Honestly, until there is a cure or a vaccine or something, I'm not sure there is a really good solution at the end of the day.

You are in BC, according to a mental health nurse I know, she says BC is ahead of the country when it come to treating mental health, but there is a ways everywhere.  

Wtf, if that's true, then I can't even imagine how bad it is elsewhere. In Vancouver I can't go out without having some kind of run in with severely mentally ill people, and many streets downtown and some other places are lined with homeless people year 'round, and supposedly a good 60 - 65% of them are mentally ill.

It’s very bad in my area as well.

I can only relay the message.  I honestly do not know.  It’s getting bad everywhere, and will only get worse.

Maybe I am just being hopeful but things can get better but people have to start standing up and fighting for better funding.  when is the last time you heard any politician talk about mental health in a platform? 

I live in Ontario Canada and it is estimated that mental health is underfunded by 1.5 billion a year. 

The economic burden of mental illness in Canada is estimated at $51 billion per year. This includes health care costs, lost productivity, and reductions in health-related quality of life.

Also people with mental health issues are 20% more likely to also have addiction issues as compared with the general population and since we are talking about Schizophrenia, 50%of people of people diagnosed are more likely to also have concurrent substance use issues. 

I work with alot of people who have major mental health issue and do be honest, the way we as a country(Canada in my case)  treat people with Mental health and also addictions is horrible but I still have hope that it will get better.

Meltdown99 said:

fife said:

Meltdown99 said:

PJ_Soul said:

Meltdown99 said:

PJ_Soul said:

It's a tough one for sure. The main issue, I think, is how a healthcare system keeps people with severe mental illness on medication.... As it is, there really isn't any way to do it unless they are proven to be dangerous, and thus locked up and/or monitored by the state. These kinds of mental illnesses specifically make the sufferers stop taking their necessary meds, and then it's all downhill from there, and with that being the case, even with a great mental healthcare system, what the fuck can anyone do, unless there is some way to force them to take their meds, which, of course, is a serious legal/constitutional/charter of rights problem. Honestly, until there is a cure or a vaccine or something, I'm not sure there is a really good solution at the end of the day.

You are in BC, according to a mental health nurse I know, she says BC is ahead of the country when it come to treating mental health, but there is a ways everywhere.  

Wtf, if that's true, then I can't even imagine how bad it is elsewhere. In Vancouver I can't go out without having some kind of run in with severely mentally ill people, and many streets downtown and some other places are lined with homeless people year 'round, and supposedly a good 60 - 65% of them are mentally ill.

It’s very bad in my area as well.

I can only relay the message.  I honestly do not know.  It’s getting bad everywhere, and will only get worse.

Maybe I am just being hopeful but things can get better but people have to start standing up and fighting for better funding.  when is the last time you heard any politician talk about mental health in a platform? 

I live in Ontario Canada and it is estimated that mental health is underfunded by 1.5 billion a year. 

The economic burden of mental illness in Canada is estimated at $51 billion per year. This includes health care costs, lost productivity, and reductions in health-related quality of life.

Also people with mental health issues are 20% more likely to also have addiction issues as compared with the general population and since we are talking about Schizophrenia, 50%of people of people diagnosed are more likely to also have concurrent substance use issues. 

I work with alot of people who have major mental health issue and do be honest, the way we as a country(Canada in my case)  treat people with Mental health and also addictions is horrible but I still have hope that it will get better.

You would know better than me if you work in the system.  I agree, you never hear mental health take centre stage.  I see all 3 political parties are promising more funding ... bu I don't believe any of them.  And where I think the funding needs to be extended is by covering counselling through OHIP for those without benefits to cover this expense...I myself benefited immensely from counselling.  

PJ_Soul said:

Perhaps a lot more focus needs to be on preventing mental illness, where it can be prevented. Depression and debilitating anxiety, by far the most common mental illnesses that are preventing people from being consistently productive and functioning citizens and workers/earners, have skyrocketed in recent years. Who in the government is working to figure out why this huge increase is occurring, and then working towards actually cooperatively doing something meaningful about the causes/prevention? Nobody, that's who. Business is doing way more about it than the government is, and that's not saying much.

PJ_Soul said:

oftenreading said:

PJ_Soul said:

Perhaps a lot more focus needs to be on preventing mental illness, where it can be prevented. Depression and debilitating anxiety, by far the most common mental illnesses that are preventing people from being consistently productive and functioning citizens and workers/earners, have skyrocketed in recent years. Who in the government is working to figure out why this huge increase is occurring, and then working towards actually cooperatively doing something meaningful about the causes/prevention? Nobody, that's who. Business is doing way more about it than the government is, and that's not saying much.

I don’t see government’s role as trying to figure out the “whys”. There are people far more qualified to do that. I see government’s role more as funding the research into the whys, and then assisting to implement evidence-based recommendations. We already have part of that piece of the puzzle, of course; it’s the funding part that is a challenge. 

Oh no, haha, I'm not suggesting politicians actually do the research, lol. I meant they need to fund the research, initiate the research/initiative for it to happen and devise a clear plan as to how the results/conclusions of said research are put into action in the healthcare system. Sorry, I thought that was implied.

PJ_Soul said:

oftenreading said:

PJ_Soul said:

oftenreading said:

PJ_Soul said:

Perhaps a lot more focus needs to be on preventing mental illness, where it can be prevented. Depression and debilitating anxiety, by far the most common mental illnesses that are preventing people from being consistently productive and functioning citizens and workers/earners, have skyrocketed in recent years. Who in the government is working to figure out why this huge increase is occurring, and then working towards actually cooperatively doing something meaningful about the causes/prevention? Nobody, that's who. Business is doing way more about it than the government is, and that's not saying much.

I don’t see government’s role as trying to figure out the “whys”. There are people far more qualified to do that. I see government’s role more as funding the research into the whys, and then assisting to implement evidence-based recommendations. We already have part of that piece of the puzzle, of course; it’s the funding part that is a challenge. 

Oh no, haha, I'm not suggesting politicians actually do the research, lol. I meant they need to fund the research, initiate the research/initiative for it to happen and devise a clear plan as to how the results/conclusions of said research are put into action in the healthcare system. Sorry, I thought that was implied.

Yes, I knew you didn’t mean politicians doing it. What a gong show that would be . I thought maybe you were suggesting setting up government-run research programs, because the government is involved in research in other areas. I just think that would be an unnecessary duplication of effort. 

Well, if that is necessary, then yes, that should be done. I actually have no idea if it would be an unnecessary duplication of effort... At the very least, the government would need to coordinate a way for current researchers to use their findings in a cooperative way with the government to put their solutions into action, and that is no small feat. I haven't read much about researchers specifically gearing their work towards how it can be implemented in a government-run setting...