Posted by harryp on May 11, 2004, at 13:09:49
In reply to Re: Abilify, posted by kittencat on May 11, 2004, at 11:31:16
I have heard from people with schizophrenia that Abilify has been great for them.
There are different "schizophrenic" symptoms. The people you meet or talk to and seem quite normal generally suffer from positive symptoms (hallucinations, paranoia, delusions) that make it impossible to function. AP's like Abilify help "turn off" or quiet these symptoms so such a person has a chance to function normally.
Abilify (and Geoden, it seems) are unusally good for controlling those symptoms without making the patient too numb or sleepy to enjoy the benefits.
(In the "bad old days" which I'm sorry to say aren't over yet, even high-functioning people with schizophrenia were just doped up with AP's, and weren't able to do much of anything but watch TV and eat.)
People with predominantly negative symptoms i.e "catatonic" (just aren't there) seem to have a much poorer prognosis.
The positive symptoms of schizophrenia sometimes remit with age (take John Nash, for example). I think the best thing for someone with schizophrenia is to take enough meds to control the symptoms (but make sure not to be overmedicated) and be involved as much as possible in life.
Good experiences and relationships seem to encourage the brain to at least partially heal itself--in both schizophrenia and depression, IMHO.
poster:harryp
thread:345262
URL: http://www.dr-bob.org/babble/20040510/msgs/345754.html