As a Schizophrenic, and an Anthropologist: this is the Holy Grail.

[Kire]

I'm writing to the authors of this study to thank them, and to see if I can help.

Psychiatrist Naren Wig crossed an open sewer, skirted a pond and, in the dusty haze of afternoon, saw something miraculous.

Krishna Devi, a woman he had treated years ago for schizophrenia, sat in a courtyard surrounded by religious pictures, exposed brick walls and drying laundry. Devi had stopped taking medication long ago, but her articulate speech and easy smile were eloquent testimony that she had recovered from the debilitating disease.

Few schizophrenia patients in the United States are so lucky, even after years of treatment. But Devi had hidden assets: a doting family and an embracing village that never excluded her from social events, family obligations and work.

Devi is a living reminder of a remarkable three-decade-long study by the World Health Organization -- one that many Western doctors initially refused to believe: People with schizophrenia, a deadly illness characterized by hallucinations, disorganized thinking and social withdrawal, typically do far better in poorer nations such as India, Nigeria and Colombia than in Denmark, England and the United States.

http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2005/06/26/AR2005062601091.html

Like I said in another post, when Skinner lets us change our user names again, mine will be "the Schizophrenic Anthropologist".

[knowbody0]

1. how wonderful, Kire

from the madness of metropolis to the serenity of a simple life.
i take my children to a remote island every summer. an amazing change in all of us is obvious within the first week.

[DemExpat]

2. Thanks, Kire, this is lovely.

Confirms many thoughts and feelings I have on many forms of mental illnesses.

And confirms my ever-growing dislike of much of western society and culture when it comes to real and stable social support systems.

DemEx

[no name no slogan]

3. It really makes you wonder

Why mental illnesses are much more debilitating in the "developed" world than they are in the other 4/5ths of the world.

According to NIMH, depression is the number one disability for workers in the industrialized world. Why is that?

I would posit that modern life, as it is lived in much of the world, is incompatable with humanity. We were truly not meant to live this way, IMHO. Yes, life is much more comfortable, but is it really "easier"?

I've often thought that the only sane reaction to an insane world is to go insane. Who knows? :shrug:

[DemExpat]

4. I am convinced that this is so, nnns.....

the comforts are nice, but the lack of real, hands on, daily community spirit all around us is deadly.

I also have always thought that my mental illness is actually very healthy - a real way (the only way?) of my soul to respond to the insanity all around.... :silly:

DemEx

[Tallison]

13. Exactly

I think there's an undeniable inverse relationship between existential orientation and the wide availability of material things that people construe as "comforts."

[mopinko]

5. sleep

at least that's my theory. in the developing world, people are still in tune with the sun and the seasons. i want to know why the cia seems to know more about the effects of sleep deprivation that the ama. it is well known that we are a sleep deprived nation. but no one seems to go the next step with that.

[TrogL]

7. The push to be "normal"

Conservatives cannot cope with people who are even faintly different than others. Someone who thinks differently, raised in a conservative household will be battered with abuse until its screws up their brain's response to dopamine/

[DemExpat]

6. Just found this on BBC....a small step in this direction, it seems...

http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/health/4625957.stm

Concern over mental health care

Mental illness is often associated with physical problems
People with severe mental illness are still receiving worryingly sub-standard levels of physical care, a report says.
Experts believe poor physical care contributes towards a three times higher rate of premature death among those with severe mental problems.

This group is at greater risk of physical illness, often due to their mental illness and lifestyle factors.

Among those contributing to the report are mental health charities Rethink and Sane, and the Royal College of Nursing.

Those affected by serious mental illness are being neglected

Paul Corry

The report calls for a holistic approach to treating mental health, with physical and lifestyle factors playing an important role.

________________snip_____________________________________-

Severe mental illnesses is usually defined as schizophrenia and bipolar disorder (manic depression).

'Tremendous impact'

Sue Carroll has benefited from the holistic approach on offer at the Brixton Wellbeing Support Programme in south London.

Sue has struggled with a range of severe mental illness since a breakdown in 1982 forced her to give up her work as a nurse.

She underwent drug and ECT therapy and was sectioned four times.

Two years ago, she was referred to the Brixton project and now attends three times a week, regularly joining trips to the local lido and gym.

"It gets me out of the house and helps me to meet new people," she said.

"Before I was quite isolated, and had very low self-esteem.

"The project has had a tremendous impact on my life."

DemEx

[no name no slogan]

8. This is very true

When I'm really down, I get a lot of physical symptoms. In particular my whole body aches, and it's painful to even walk around the house.

Treating the entire disease (and the entire person) is key to recovery and ongoing maintenance of ALL brain diseases, IMHO.

[mopinko]

9. when will neurology and psychiatry

start to work together? that's what i want to know. they don't seem to even speak.

[NMMNG]

10. Intriguing

I see some methodology in the article that in the US would be considered distinctly "unethical" but at the same time it seems to be working.

[mopinko]

11. ethics has sure gotten in my way

dealing with family members who need help. especially misunderstanding by some providers of the ethical guidelines about exceptions to confidentiality.
i now have a rule of thumb for deciding who i can work with- good communication with the family as an important goal of therapy, or forget it. if the therapist cannot establish a relationship without secrecy and isolation, they are not good professionals.

[Tallison]

12. Fascinating!

I'm an RN with experience (both personal and professional) in psych and have always been interested in the cultural context of DSM-IV diagnoses and the varying ways in which they're expressed/treated in different societies. You know, psychiatric phenomena has been the subject of a lot of research within the anthro department at Case Western Reserve univerisity for years. They even have a number of joint degree opportunities for mental health/medical professionals with an interest in the area. Wow. Thanks for the link!