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"Prior to onset, my father had been a very loving and caring parent. By the time he was diagnosed with schizophrenia, I was receiving calls and letters that were openly delusional and references to the government and a conspiracy that involved my family and things like that. "

The World Health Organization has identified Schizophrenia as one of the ten most debilitating diseases affecting human beings.

Schizophrenia is a devastating brain disorder that affects approximately 2.2 million American adults, or 1.1 percent of the population age 18 and older. Schizophrenia interferes with a person's ability to think clearly, to distinguish reality from fantasy, to manage emotions, make decisions, and relate to others.

Another serious thought disorder is Schizoaffective Disorder. The symptoms of Schizoaffective Disorder look like a mixture of two kinds of major mental illnesses - mood disorders (depression, bipolar disorder) and schizophrenia.

While there is no cure for Schizophrenia or Schizoaffective Disorder, they are highly treatable and manageable illnesses. However, people may stop treatment because of medication side effects, disorganized thinking, or because they feel the medication is no longer working.

Stigma is another major problem facing both the sufferer and family members. Those involved with schizophrenia are concerned about the dozens of misconceptions about the illness. Many believe that people with schizophrenia are violent and dangerous, which is not true. One parent stated that he was often accused of abandoning his daughter when he took her to the hospital. Another parent said that clerks in stores ignored her son when he asked for help or tried to make a purchase. Some religious groups hold the view that the illness is one of God's punishments.

If you think you or a family member have a thought disorder, you should seek information and treatment. At HealthyPlace.com, we believe that the more you understand about Schizophrenia and Schizoaffective Disorder and issues like antipsychotic medications, the more likely you are to get the full benefit of treatment. We want to help you learn as much as you can about Schizophrenia and Schizoaffective Disorder and to offer you support in your or your loved one's recovery.

So Much Weirdness... So Little Time...
AlienNation wrote: "

I got high on life last year. A little too high. Like totally [censored] wasted high on life. I had an "episode" or so they say. The implication is that I'm somehow afflicted but I don't see it that way. Anyway, being insane was fun at the time. Fun in that I didn't have the "normal" anxiety.

 Continued here.

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Schizoaffective Madness: Living With Schizoaffective Disorder

The Madness of Adam and Eve: How Schizophrenia Shaped Humanity

100,000 years ago we became human, and technical, religious, artistic, military and criminal abilities emerged. The first modern humans migrated from Africa to Eurasia and Australasia, carrying with them the genetic basis of schizophrenia, the only major illness found to the same extent in all racial groups. Modern evidence shows that families where schizophrenia is present are also exceptionally creative in many different fields. Albert Einstein and James Joyce each had a schizophrenic child. David Horrobin draws on his knowledge of evolution, medicine and psychiatry to generate a startling hypothesis: we are human because some of us are schizophrenic and because a “touch of schizophrenia” is associated with that creativity which defines us and separates us from our nearest primate relatives.

Buy the book. Other books on Thought Disorders.

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