What is Schizophrenia?

A - It doesn't exist - Thomas S. Szasz - http://psychclassics.yorku.ca/Szasz/myth.htm

B - Existential Crisis - http://www.rethinkingmadness.com/#/the-book/4558919669

C - Shamanic Initiation - http://www.1stpm.org/articles/shaman.html

D - Spiritual Emergency - http://spiritualemergency.blogspot.co.uk/

E - Vitamin Deficiency (Orthamecular medicine) - http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Orthomolecular_medicine

F - Double bind/Laing/upbringing/family dynamics - http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Double_bind

G - Double Trauma Mechanism - http://www.drmckenzie.com/the-mckenz...d-content.html http://www.drmckenzie.com/

H - Brain Disease (many theories) - http://www.schizophrenia.com/disease.htm

I - Symbolic & meaningful transformative experience - http://www.global-vision.org/papers/JWP.pdf http://www.tygersofwrath.com/psychosis.htm

More presumed causes here - http://spiritualrecoveries.blogspot....renia-and.html

Wikipedia Entry - http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Schizophrenia

Is it lots of different things labelled as the same thing? Is it aspects of many different things? Is it primarily physiological/biologic, or part biologic, psychological & social? Is it wholly or in part spiritual? Is full recovery & healing possible? or is it incurable? Are the people that recover dealing with different conditions to those who don't? Is prognosis dependant on how it's treated, or doesn't that matter?

Is what is happening in each case of what gets labelled as 'schizophrenia/psychosis' as individual as the people that experience it?

Punishing the Patient
 

https://sites.google.com/site/richardgosden/book

Description

Schizophrenia is the medical name for the most baffling form of mental disorder that afflicts human beings. There are no laboratory tests available to confirm a diagnosis, and psychiatrists have many divergent and contradictory theories about its cause. Yet the profession is certain that schizophrenia is a medical problem, and is virtually unanimous about the correct treatment for it: most people diagnosed are treated, often involuntarily, with powerful, debilitating drugs that manage but do not cure the condition.

Now there is a growing worldwide attempt to identify 'pre-psychotic' adolescents, and to treat them similarly.

But what if psychiatrists are wrong? In a radical shift of perspective, Punishing the Patient argues that people with schizophrenic symptoms should be thought of as belonging to two broad, non-medical classes: those who are undergoing a spiritual/mystical emergency, and those who do not conform to social expectations. In each case, psychiatric misunderstanding and mistreatment has led to patients' human rights being violated on a massive scale.

This seminal book is bound to lead to a re-examination of schizophrenia by patients, ex-patients, parents, psychiatrists, politicians, and the State.

Conclusions -

https://sites.google.com/site/punish...ent/conclusion

I haven't read all the of the thread, but did read a little. I found this quote:
I would say, IMHO/E that this would be a fair assessment.

I guess in terms of throwing in my 2cents .....Is it lots of different things labelled as the same thing? I view the dx "psychosis/schizophrenia" as a broad umbrella term from which may causes may be the result, and it's up to the skill or knowledge of the MH professionals to discern the appropriate dx.

Is it aspects of many different things? I don't think I could say, as I don't have a broad base of experience to draw from.Is it primarily physiological/biologic, or part biologic, psychological & social?I imagine it may be a combination of biological/psychological conditions perhaps aggravated by social conditions. Is it wholly or in part spiritual?Define spiritual. If you mean akin to perhaps an existential crisis, then I do think that may be a part of it. Is full recovery & healing possible? Yes. or is it incurable?I do think there are those who are deeply entrenched, but I just view that as our science hasn't caught up yet to the point to help those folks. Are the people that recover dealing with different conditions to those who don't? I couldn't say as I haven't delved into any research on the subject. Is prognosis dependant on how it's treated, or doesn't that matter? From what I know, once you get the dx., it's almost akin to a death sentence, but personally, don't view it that way, so....I guess it doesn't matter to a certain extent.

Interesting links though, thanks.:smile:

Hi Spiritualized,

Well, this is my first post, and I have read through the first couple pages of this thread and the last page, and I really admire the thoughtful way you've delved into all of this. I am a healer who has worked with people who said they had schizophrenia and/or MH stuff. Just a couple thoughts:

Personally, I don't get into the labeling people as schizophrenic because I haven't found it all that helpful. Western med wants "diagnosis" and that's understandable, from my pov, I tend to look at MH stuff more in terms of sensitivity. Energetic, spiritual, psychic, physical and emotional sensitivity. It isn't so much an "illness" to me as much as a sensitivity. The world is a loud place, and there isn't much room for energetically sensitive people, other than to label them as having a problem or something, you know? If people come in telling me they are schizophrenic, it's ok with me and they may or may not be according to some test, and it is all fine either way. It's more about how to help that person feel SAFER in this crazy culture that has no room for sensitivity. We don't tend to look at sensitivity as a gift, but sensitive people do bring enormous things into the world. Look at all the artistic masters through time that struggled with their sensitivity...

The thing called schizophrenia is, as you say, not just from one or two causes, and more experienced folks would agree that the answer is not just one or two things. It's a unique constellation of factors. Of course things like early childhood energetic shock, emotional distress, sensitivity in the body to physical stuff, do matter, and of course we're always healing that stuff as we go through This Thing Called Life. And since each person is so different, that is why there is no ONE answer that fits everyone.

I use a blend of ways to help folks with MH/Schizophreneia stuff that cross everything from physical to mind-body to emotional to deep spiritual work. It's not JUST an emotional thing or spiritual thing. It's not JUST nutritional or Reiki or shamanic journeying or looking at fish oil for the brain or detoxifying. Boy would that be nice and simple if it were, eh? And the more I do this work, the more I really know in my gut there is no one answer. Much as people would love it if there were, if you have seriously been doing this work, you know there is not.

Certainly there are things you may want to "fix" in your life, such as being able to have a job, etc. But IMO, it's not really about anything being fundamentally "broken" as much as it is about finding the right setting/environment/space such for these sensitivities to be supported, expressed, and not squashed out. Unfortunately our culture is not so open to that. Everyone is expected to be a certain way, etc.

No matter what the onset of the issue, I'll just leave you with two words that I've found to be important in dealing with this issue: Safety and sensitivity. Since you understand energy and the spiritual realms, you can grasp the depth of width of that and how it is important on your journey. Sorry to be cryptic but at the same time, how else can the enormity of the whole universe fit on post, you know? Words fail us but they are all we have at this time, so here we go.

Sorry I can't be more helpful. It would be inappropriate to suggest anything else without knowing more specifics of your situation, but I just wanted to encourage you to continue your research. Know that it helps a lot of other people.



Best of luck to you!

Thank you Orca for the wonderful reply. It is very helpful to me to know that there are others out there that do have the depth of insight & understanding that you so obviously do, as there appears to be very very few that have such knowledge & understanding.


Very true - & it would be far better if people were not labelled & instead treated according to their unique experiences & circumstances; & supported & helped in whatever ways are helpful to that unique individual. The way of the World is such that it can be hard after a certain stage to both escape from the label, & also to not in ways have to play the illness card.


I feel that is a very good way of seeing it all.


Very much agree. This is where I can get the frustration with this society & people in general - & where I have learned so much. We're very much dealing with a unique constellation of factors, a condition as complex as our lives themselves. Things are Not a case of either/or, or some singular factor - but rather exist on a spectrum of environmental, inter-personal, relational, psychological, physiological, emotional & spiritual factors.


Yes - very much so. I feel very strongly that this World could be a so much better place. We could have World Peace, sustainability, justice & well being for all. There is a potential to be able to live in a radically different World - a genuinely civilised global culture. I have many ideas & thoughts around it all & about why we currently don't. As hard as it is; I feel we have to accept & see things as they are, as much as possible to acknowledge objective truth & reality, & align ourselves with the Universe. Of course we need to do our best to improve things, & do what we can to genuinely hold to love & truth. There is so much more to life than meets the eye.


Thank you - it is not cryptic - it is wise & compassionate words.

I've been working on having more trust, faith & hope. In trying to trust more in the healer I am working with. In embracing more my inner World. I'm moving in around a month, to a quiet flat in a better area. I feel that it will make a big difference to my overall well being & healing.

I hope that we can chat further about things. Best wishes.