Two Sites Worth a Visit

In my last column I explored what living in the community was like for myself and people I know with schizophrenia. We have all had less than optimal treatment, numerous relapses, and have experienced major disruption in our lives as a result. People being diagnosed with a first psychotic episode these days will generally fare much better. The dynamics of schizophrenia are better understood now, the new atypicals more effective over a broader range of symptoms, and there is more of a focus on family education and relapse prevention. People are being treated earlier, even before a hospital admission is needed, and their prognosis is much better than it was for my generation. With good relapse prevention, the steady deterioration and increasing disability caused by schizophrenia can be avoided. People are more likely to return to school, to work, and to a much more "normal" life.

This is a very promising trend in the treatment of schizophrenia, and first psychotic episode programs are sprouting up across the continent. The flip side of inadequate care and treatment also remains a major issue. I want to focus this week on a couple of unique and controversial sites dedicated to the optimal treatment of schizophrenia, the Treatment Advocacy Centre "http://www.psychlaws.org" and the NAMI organization "http://www.nami.org". There is a lot of good material at these sites on schizophrenia, some of it very disturbing. Take for example this paragraph from the Treatment Advocacy Centre site index page:

"Consider this: Americans with untreated severe mental illnesses represent less than one percent of the total U.S. population. These individuals commit nearly 1,000 homicides each year, or between four and five percent of the total annual murders. At least one-third of the nation's estimated 600,000 homeless population suffers from schizophrenia or manic-depressive illness, and 28 percent of these people forage for some of their food in garbage cans. At least 10 percent, or 170,000 individuals, of our jail and prison populations suffer from these illnesses, costing American taxpayers a staggering $8.5 billion per year."

The Treatment Advocacy Centre only wants a mental health system that will provide optimal treatment for serious mental illnesses. With optimal treatment the mentally ill are less violent than the greater population and don't end up homeless looking for food in garbage cans. They and NAMI are only advocating for a higher quality of life for people coping with mental illness, something those people are unable to obtain on their own if they are

Go To Page: 1 2