What's it like to live with #schizophrenia?

What's it like to live with #schizophrenia? How well do existing medications work?

Schizophrenia affects more than 21 million people worldwide, according to the World Health Organisation. Sufferers commonly experience delusions, hallucinations, cognitive issues leading to problems in decision-making in daily life, loss of self-esteem and withdrawal from society.
Current treatment focuses on #antipsychotic drugs, with additional #psychosocialtherapy in some cases. The drugs used to treat schizophrenia have changed little in the last 50 years.

Autifony Therapeutics, which specialises in developing new drugs to treat serious disorders of the central nervous system, is developing a promising new drug, which could treat #schizophrenia with fewer side effects.

Autifony’s drug AUT00206 targets neurons in the brain that are important for cognitive function. Studies have shown that the ability of these neurons to regulate brain activity is degraded in people with schizophrenia.

Chief Executive Dr Charles Large says: “If our drug does prove effective it could be revolutionary. It would enable patients to get back to a level of functioning potentially compatible with holding down a job and living independently. From what we have seen already, we anticipate that this would be with relatively low side-effects.”

Here, ‘Rich’ talks about what it’s like to live with Schizophrenia and his experiences of existing medications.

[aaronbarnes]

This hits hard when you have it. I can't describe to you how real the hallucinations become. It becomes so vivid that there's no way in hell anyone can convince you that what you're seeing and experiencing isn't real. It's something that changes you.

[tinycrimester]

A condition like this never goes away, that's why diagnosis and support are so, so important. People can cope when they know what they're dealing with, and they have someone who cares.

[dannysmith]

My heart goes out to all who are suffering with mental illness ❤️

[mrcntn]

so, what happened next? the video ends just before the important part. my best friend stopped the treatment and after 3 months he committed suicide. Everybody is different and what works for someone may not work for someone else.

[theonecroissantmoon]

The sad thing is that this usually happens around late teenage years, probably a lot of it is caused by stress

[PoloBoyMal]

As someone who is diagnosed with Schizophrenia I have to say that hallucinations are the most agonizing thing I have ever had to deal with. They're Hell come true

[ohhadivist]

I’ve been on and off medications since I was 11 years old, and it took me until just last year to find a combination that both helps with my symptoms and lets me be myself. I’m 23 now. It’s always best to keep trying if your mental illness is putting you in a bad state.

[themourning]

WOW "My reaction to finding out I had schizophrenia was half and half" Truer words have never been spoken.

[donlloreda]

This is so accurate.... Mine began by age 22-23, same thing. I began getting very, very stressed out at university, fearing people, getting paranoid about classmates, professors, tutors and small things happening during commuting. Then the need to keep doors closed, or keep everything well-lit began, a feeling of someone or something standing in dark corners or behind doors was just subconscious, I needed to close the doors or have the light on because of some primal fear, but I did not rationalize what I was afraid of.

Then, I began to find myself trying to slap flies or mosquitoes out of thin air, gradually stopped going out with friends or to public spaces, and swatting even more imaginary insects off... Family noticed it, but let's say I've always been a weird kid/guy/dude/adult so they might have passed it out as a stupid quirk.

I snapped out one day, 2014 IIRC, but I smashed every TV on our house. I knew, just knew as illogical as it was for the rational me, that they were spying devices. It does not help that to this day, I live nearby an antinarcotics police base, which does like 80 fligh operations per day, and their helicopters pass overhead that many times a day. So TV's and helicopters, and paranoia.

After that, I just isolated myself, I was studying architecture at the time, and same... receeded to my creative world, guided by this new superpower, and also I began to take ridiculous doses of dissociatives.... I went on and off meds and self-medication, including LSD, mushrooms and cannabis. I think I had a year or so of a purely manic episode, and was the most productive, creative and brilliant I've ever been (so I thought). And then it all slowly went downhill. I lost interest in almost everything I used to love, hobbies alike. I felt everyday just a mess, a shivering mess, paranoid and waiting for IDK....

And well, since then I got diagnosed, gone off-on meds, but controlling it. It helped me a lot to read a lot about my illness, and to keep educating me in whatever topic interests me. I try and avoid giving the voices any attention, but if I get an interesting comment, Ill exploit it and try to use their insight for my benefit.

I found happiness again, a couple years ago. I got in a long term relatonship with an amazing woman, and to this day, she's not only been my sole source of happiness and motivation, but she's helped me find satisfaction from designing again and doing some of those things I thought were lost.

[mykarrr]

As a person with schizophrenia, who has many friends with schizophrenia as well, I just have to say that choosing to not be medicated is a very risky choice and you should always try to find a blend of medications that work for you. Good meds are available, it just may take some time to find the right combination. Don't give up, a stable life is possible.

[recycledfelines]

I suffer and also finally went with out medication, it just made me feel too disconnected. It helps so many, but not all, peace on your journey

[Ladybuggames]

This is so sad, I hope one day, scientists can look into Schizophrenia more, and hopefully find a cure for it.

[louiswendlander]

I just want to say I really appreciate all the experiences people have shared in the comment section as well as this video as it's given me a deeper understanding of Schizophrenia I did not have. Thank you, all of you. I learned a lot!

[joee]

I always interpret things wrong . I am convinced that what I’m thinking is correct, I fixate and obsessed over detail . Therefore I think good people think I’m fragile and they have to be cautious what they say to me in case I go off. And horrible people just subtly take the p out of me

[sammysimpleton]

feel it's kinda dangerous to end on that note. of course everyone is gonna find their own problems with meds, some can be disastrous or even life threatening, and this man clearly had a bad experience. but they can be so incredibly helpful and even life saving. sometimes it takes a number tries to find the one, or ones, that work for you.

[kevenquinlan]

Awww, that was great. I develpoed schizophrenia about 7 years ago. I don't take med's either, they make ya feel 'wooden'. I feel like it's lessened over time or my ability to deal w/ it has gotten better, I can't tell. I don't get the grandiose swings I used to but I go down deep spirals sometimes and become just- unhinged- and I feel like I'm besieged on all sides- at the same time. Drinking has been a real benefit. It like 're-sets' me and I can start the process all over- and it tamps down the fear pretty well. It's best never to tell anyone because it will never lead to a sympathetic reaction but a judgemental one, I used to be more honest about it in the beginning- I never tell anyone now. And I don't really talk to people, I talk to myself, I guess I've kind of crafted this imaginary world, that's a safe place for me to drift through- but it doesn't entail engagin people or as little as possible. Frankly, I don't miss them. I like it here now, just being inside myself. Anyways, thanks for the video- I always like to hear the experiences of others that have what I have.

[carolinebell]

This video reminds me these are real people behind these illnesses. I used to kind of see just the mental illness and a disability as the person, but no matter how severe it is, there is always another human behind it with emotions and a life just like me. I find it hard to imagine what it must be like as a person with this or any other mental illness, but somehow they manage to keep going which must be so hard. Anyone who has schizophrenia is so strong

[wishfuldeity]

This sounds absolutely terrifying. I hope anyone that is dealing with anything even remotely similar is doing well

[drottle]

Lost my job last October, moved back in with my parents, It's been tough; now I'm working full time again and my boss is totally understanding about my last freak out. Those of you that just start the process of diagnosis remember to take your meds, trust your family and medical team. They're here to help you even when your brain says they're not.

[CedenoJose]

I remember several years ago I suffered from severe depression and mental disorder. I was addicted to illicit pills, alcohol, and smoking until I was recommended for psilocybin mushroom treatment. Psilocybin treatment saved my life honestly I'm 8 years clean now. It's quite fascinating how effective they are against anxiety and depression.