Love on the Schiz, is un conventional romance between a schizophrenic millionaire Kerry Gumpy and his love interest Chi Phen an ex heroin user on the run from a drug lord intent on killing the only witness to his slaying of a rival pusher. To protect Chi, Kerry must put his life on the line more than once to protect her fragile Vietnamese beauty. Fleeing to rural Victoria, to his well known stomping grounds, Kerry introduces Chi To a gentler, kinder Christian life which appeals to the damaged frightened woman he has fallen in love with. But can love save them when a killer stalks their every move?
This indispensable book about love and mental health addresses the short-term, daily problems of living with a person with mental illness, as well as long-term planning and care. Of special note are the forty-three “Quick Reference Guides” about such topics as: responding to hallucinations, delusions, violence and anger; helping your loved one comply with treatment plans and medication; deciding if the person should live at home or in a facility; choosing a doctor and dealing with mental health professionals; handling the holidays and family activities; managing stress; helping siblings and adult children with their special concerns. “Ms. Woolis produced a handbook which is both practical and accessible, eminently useful for all of us who have a family member with a serious mental illness.” –E. Fuller Torrey, M.D., author of Surviving Schizophrenia “Rebecca Woolis presents easy-to-follow practical guidelines for coping with the multitude of problems that regularly confront families. In minutes the reader can find helpful suggestions for dealing with any problem that might arise.” –Christopher S. Amenson, Ph.D., Director, Pacific Clinics East
Love for a Deaf Rebel is the true story of a tumultuous romance. With pathos and nostalgia, the author recounts his roller-coaster ride with Pearl, a vivacious deaf maverick, who, unknown to him, had paranoid schizophrenia. We follow their encounters through actual notes written before Derrick learns sign language; we go on their motorcycle ride to Mexico and Guatemala; we watch as the happy couple moves to Bowen Island, a British Columbia community with just three paved roads. Pearl and the author marry and build their dream home and hobby farm. They encounter one obstacle after another while building their life together as Pearl’s perception of reality—and, crucially, their perception of each other—begins to change. The author learns what it means to be deaf, what it means to struggle with mental health, and what it means to love such a woman unconditionally—the ecstasy and the agony. There are other books about discovering schizophrenia in the family and about deaf woman-hearing man relationships, but none that tells the true story of a woman who struggled with both. [Bowen Island, Clozapine, Cochlear, Deaf, Deafness, Delusion, Dialectical, Disability, Hearing, Hidden Valley Road, Children of a Lesser God, Mental illness, Psychotic, Psychosis, Schizophrenia, Thorazine, Vancouver, Marriage, Love, Man-woman relationships, Deaf-Marriage, Mentally ill-Marriage, Deaf-Family relationships, Schizophrenics-Family relationships]
Rado and Janicak define schizophrenia and explain what is known about its causes discuss the difference between negative symptoms (such as lack of emotion and social withdrawal) and positive symptoms (such as hallucinations, delusions, and thought disorders) describe medication and psychosocial and behavioral treatments—and the importance of early diagnosis and treatment for better long-term outcomes explain what people with schizophrenia and their families can do to help keep the person well explore how schizophrenia affects the entire family detail medical conditions that people with schizophrenia are more likely than other people to have—including heart disease, obesity, and diabetes offer key takeaway points for every topicDesigned for the lay reader and based on the most recent medical literature, Living with Schizophrenia offers information and understanding to help people coping with this often misunderstood disorder to best achieve recovery and healing.
Professor Reis Welling's life is idyllic. A respected professor of botany at Cornell, he's been granted early tenure, has received a grant to carry out field research in the Adirondack Forest, and has met Ellen, the love of his life. Everything is perfect--that is until the forest turns its back on him, department heads start spying on him, Ellen starts lying to him, and all start transmitting thoughts into his head. Herein lies Reis's slow and insidious descent into a vicious and damaging world of mental illness. Reis's Pieces uncompromisingly explores one man's struggle for his place in an altered world and two women's search for their place in his. Welcome to the life of Reis Welling and all his pieces, an engrossing and provocative world of love, loss, and schizophrenia.
This story chronicles challenges met and victories realized while living with schizophrenia. Dialogue is included to clearly illustrate the battles faced. Showing that faith in Christ has been the saving grace through it all, is the intention of the authors. Their story can be an inspiration to anyone facing a life challenge.
Will the person you love ever get better? Chances are you've grappled with the question. With care and support from their families, people with schizophrenia can and do make vast improvements. Noted therapists Kim Mueser and Susan Gingerich deepen your understanding of the illness and cover a wide range of effective treatments. Based on decades of research and experience, they offer pragmatic suggestions for dealing with depression, psychosis, and other symptoms. They show you how to prioritize needs, resolve everyday problems, and encourage your loved one to set life goals. Plus, individual sections highlight special issues for parents, children, siblings, and partners. Whether you’re facing schizophrenia for the first time or you’ve dealt with its impact for years, you’ll discover innovative ways to handle challenges that arise over the course of treatment, from reducing the chances of relapse to making friends and finding work. Recovery isn't an endpoint--it's a lifelong journey. With love, hope, and realistic optimism, striving for it can lead to a richer, more rewarding life for your entire family. Winner, NAMI/Ken Book Award
In this book, thirty-five young, recently diagnosed patients speak about schizophrenia and the process of recovery, while two specialists illuminate the medical science, psychoeducation, and therapeutic needs of those coping with the illness, as well as access to medical benefits and community resources. A remarkably inclusive guide, the volume informs patients, families, friends, and professionals, detailing the possible causes of schizophrenia, medications and side effects, the functioning of the brain, and the value of rehabilitation and other services. In their dialogues, participants confront shame, stigma, substance use, and relapse issues and the necessity of healthy eating, safe sex practices, and coping skills during recovery. Clinicians elaborate on the symptoms of schizophrenia, such as violent and suicidal thoughts, delusions, hallucinations, memory and concentration problems, trouble getting motivated or organized, and anxiety and mood disorders. Adopting an uplifting tone of manageability, the participants, authors, and clinicians of this volume offer more than advice--they prescribe hope.
A critical study of the myths and realities of schizophrenia discusses the symptoms of the disease and offers a practical guide for families and friends of schizophrenics on ways to cope with the problem.
When readers first meet Ben, he is a sweet, intelligent, seemingly well-adjusted youngster. Fast forward to his teenage years, though, and Ben's life has spun out of control. Ben is swept along by an illness over which he has no control—one that results in runaway episodes, periods of homelessness, seven psychotic breaks, seven hospitalizations, and finally a diagnosis and treatment plan that begins to work. Schizophrenia strikes an estimated one in a hundred people worldwide by some estimates, and yet understanding of the illness is lacking. Through Ben's experiences, and those of his mother and sister, who supported Ben through every stage of his illness and treatment, readers gain a better understanding of schizophrenia, as well as mental illness in general, and the way it affects individuals and families. Here, Kaye encourages families to stay together and find strength while accepting the reality of a loved one's illness; she illustrates, through her experiences as Ben's mother, the delicate balance between letting go and staying involved. She honors the courage of anyone who suffers with mental illness and is trying to improve his life and participate in his own recovery. Ben Behind His Voices also reminds professionals in the psychiatric field that every patient who comes through their doors has a life, one that he has lost through no fault of his own. It shows what goes right when professionals treat the family as part of the recovery process and help them find support, education, and acceptance. And it reminds readers that those who suffer from mental illness, and their families, deserve respect, concern, and dignity.
