Overcoming Schizophrenia

Rough times. All relationships with deal them. What does that look like? Ongoing disagreements and arguing. Shifts in attitude and definition of personal space. That awkward silence and growing division. Ultimately, the invisible wall that creates distance. There are infinite reasons partners disagree. For those of us with health challenges such as schizophrenia this health problem creates another challenge in relationships that demands attention. Being Attentive and Understanding When I wasn't well and stuck in my depression these moments challenged my relationship as did other health-related situations. Bad days looked like being chained to the bed with less words to share. I recall my partner helping me overcome that period by continuously checking on me. While understanding I might not be in the mood to talk and giving me more space whenever I made that known. Some days I didn't feel like talking. I'd text and tell him that then follow up later on. Skipped Doses and Poo...

I discovered how to regain control of my recovery by redirecting the focus onto stress management techniques. Initially, I was diagnosed with schizophrenia, however, my symptoms presented those which resemble both bipolar disorder and schizophrenia. Specifically, my symptoms included: mania, anxiety, depression, delusions, paranoia, and hallucinations, etc. Accordingly, my diagnosis became schizoaffective disorder. Managing the mania is an ongoing battle for me.      Reflecting on my past behaviors, especially shifts in my mood and symptoms, I created a blueprint on how to rejuvenate and get back on top of life. In this blog article, I will list seven early warning signs to be mindful of. Moreover, I will discuss methods which I personally use to fight back against the odds. However, I am not promising complete healing and avoidance of relapse, but I am simply sharing the tools that I utilize to maintain my health goals.      Whenever I exhibit certain sign...

I read the chapter "Developing a Relapse Prevention Plan" by Kim T. Mueser , PhD, and Susan Gingerich , MSW, in their book The Complete Family Guide to Schizophrenia I found some interesting information on how to prevent a relapse. First, the early warning signs of a relapse vary, and sometimes some relapses do not have any warnings. However here are some common early warning signs to watch out for: Social Withdraw Suspicious of Others Irritability Depression Appetite Changes Sleeping Too Much or Too Little Change in Routine or Unusual Behavior Concentration Problems Feeling Anxious or Nervous Social withdraw could be an indication that psychotic symptoms are returning, and the individual feels that people are either against them or they are hearing voices. Feeling irritable could mean feeling annoyed by things that don't usually annoy you, or feeling impatient and on the edge. Some people may feel depressed or worthless and not carry an interest in things that used to ...