Posted by LostBoyinNC43 on December 24, 2012, at 9:55:35 [reposted on December 26, 2012, at 10:23:04 | original URL]
In reply to Re: Please sign this official White House petition » LostBoyinNC43, posted by Phil on December 24, 2012, at 8:54:50
Yeah that is great for her that she is a high performing schizophrenic and is able to make it without medical intervention. Great for her. Unfortunately, facts are facts and the facts are that most schizophrenics are not doing all that well. Even if they are medication compliant. The combination of the limitations of currently available medications (they dont treat the negative symptoms much), they have high side effect profiles and the stigma that is associated with this brain illness makes EFFECTIVE treatment difficult.
Getting it out of the psychiatry/psychology arena into the Neurology arena would at the absolute minimum, probably decrease stigma. Instead of being seen as a "psycho," the person with schizophrenia would gradually begin to be seen more as like a person diagnosed with epilepsy or narcolepsy...Neurological diseases of the CNS.
I ask you again, please sign my petition. It will do no harm and only do good. Im honestly not expecting an actual recategorization out of a petition, but if it can get published on the White House site (150 signatures are needed for that), people across the country will see it and probably begin thinking about it. And who knows it might be able to get to the needed 25,000 signatures for a mandatory Presidential response, complete with video and all of obama talking about the subject.
Right now is the time to get this petition rolling, with all the focus on mental illness and violence...its a popular subject in the news right now. Six months from now, probably not so.
Eric
> Hey Eric..This lady is a very high performing schizophrenic and is on a panel with many other 'brain people' on Charlie Rose's series The Brain. It's fascinating. She has been through hell and back. I thought you might be interested in what she has to say. It's been a while since I watched it but here it is.
> I don't recall if she is on meds but she does therapy almost every day. Merry Christmas
>
> http://www.charlierose.com/guest/view/6925
poster:LostBoyinNC43
thread:1033828
URL: http://www.dr-bob.org/babble/poli/20120327/msgs/1033835.html