sCHIZoPHReNIa diARiES
TRUE STORIES BY REAL SCHIZOPHRENICS
Psychologist Overcomes Paranoid Schizophrenia
DR. FRED FRESE'S STORY
Criticism, even perceived criticism, can be paralyzing, he explains. Studies show that people with schizophrenia who are discharged from hospitals are more likely to relapse if they go home to family members who criticize them, he says. So, too, are patients discharged from hospital psychiatric wards that are run with excess control and rules, he says.
He suggests that people with schizophrenia "avoid persons, places and hostile environments where they are likely to be stressed.'' He tells family members not to agitate people with schizophrenia if they begin talking about subjects or delusions that seem odd. Instead, say: "That's very interesting. Tell me more.''
Frese's wife says she, too, has learned more about how to communicate with her husband. She no longer is bothered if he won't establish direct eye contact with her. She understands that people with schizophrenia have trouble picking up on social cues, so they have trouble ending a conversation appropriately or even sustaining one. She also avoids statements that might be interpreted as accusations. It's better to say,"Are those your socks on the floor?'' than "You left your socks on the floor again,'' she says.
These days, Fred Frese directs the Summit County (Ohio) Recovery Project, a program to help mentally ill people find jobs and fight discrimination.
He also is active in the Campaign to End Discrimination, a new five-year effort by the National Alliance for the Mentally Ill.
Started in February, it hopes to eliminate discrimination against the mentally ill in housing, employment and the media. A major goal of the campaign is to get Congress to pass laws requiring insurance plans to cover mental illness as fully as other medical problems. Though the Senate and House still must resolve differences, a bill recently got a big boost from three U.S. senators who have given moving personal testimony in its favor, based on their experiences with mentally ill family members.
"These are times of change for us," Frese tells the Detroit group.
"As I often say, in my 30 years with schizophrenia, there's never been a better time to be a person with serious mental illness. There's more hope than ever before."
