Veterans Describe the Effectiveness of Schizophrenia Treatments

Chuck:
I was crawling outta depression. I was getting into this other life and all of a sudden I started seeing things, you know how you dream when you're sleeping? Imagine if your dream channel is open while you're awake, but it also has dominant power at the same time.

Ed:
I didn't want that label on me. I didn't want that label of me being depressed or mentally ill. So I would stop taking medications. I would stop going to the VA and I would just try to distance myself because I didn't want that label.

Richard:
Having a problem sleeping and I was anxious and I was sort of screaming and that sort of stuff. Voices, do this, do that, that sort of thing, or don't do that, it got to be pretty noisy.

Mindy:
They sent me to the hospital and they gave me medicine and I was in there three months. I was discharged after that.

Chuck:
I went to the VA and said, "I need your help, I've been outta control for years and I gotta stop." And so I got a psychiatrist and she monitored me every week.

Ed:
I would diagnose with schizophrenia in prison. Sometimes I would talk to myself, you know, so they got back with that, I need to take my medication because when I don't take my medication, I'm not in the right state of mind and bad things can happen when I'm not in the right state of mind.

Richard:
And they said, "You're schizophrenic and we'll give you some medication and that should take care of you." It helped, it dealt with the depression, that helped too.

Mindy:
Talk to a therapist or a counselor or a psychiatrist. They can help you out with your medications 'cause that's the best route.

Ed:
Just try it, take a step, go and be completely honest to someone and tell them what's going on with you and see what can happen.

Richard:
There is hope, you can become well. So I'm saying get hooked up young if you can be responsible and live your life.