We had an answer to this question in the results of a rigorous research study at the then NIMH, comparing people with early episode schizophrenia sent to a regular hospital and getting drugs and people sent to Soteria House where they had company at all times and sometime to talk to and minimal use of drugs if any. The people who went to Soteria House had much, much better outcomes than those sent for standard treatment. But the study was not listened to in the onslaught of big pharma and the biological model of mental illness.

I would say to the person who asked you this question, you don't have to use drugs to treat schizophrenia. There may be a minority of folks who will end up not doing well with alternatives and taking the neuroleptics, but that is no reason not to try alternatives first with everyone before drugs.

Soteria House, in my opinion, should exist in each state, at the minimum, in the United States, and then go from there. It must be [in my opinion],an alternative option for housing for mental health patients.Until the mental health system looks beyond the current paradigm, we are going to be frustrated and treading water for many years to come, and people will lead 1/2 lives, or less-- than what their true potential can be and should be.

I suspect that love, and tenderness, and working in a garden all end up with better effects than harsh, lethal atypicals. I suspect this is what one might find in India. I also suspect that careful analysis followed by supplements can have a clear and positive effect. And, don't forget, there are other medications available for manic depression. Most state Medicaids seem to have forgotten about these because they are not on patent and no one bothers to bribe state officials for these. The power of the industry and its bottom line has suppressed these alternatives, much to the sadness or death of people with mental illness.

I keep thinking about Soteria House and how much cheaper that model is than the drug and warehouse model we are using today, also, how much more effective. And then there's the real estate crisis. Here in Atlanta we have both lots of homeless and lots of vacant residential housing. Surely eventually someone will make the connection.

The "problem" is that a Soteria House in every state would completely contradict the darwinist-capitalist paradigm that prevails in the United States. What would these Communists think of next: that society do something to effectively help America's many homeless?

A question that many Americans ask when visiting Europe is why they don't see homeless people as they do in the US.

Ralph, The mainstream approach the homeless is this: America's many homeless are only homeless because they are selfish, dangerous, crazy, firebug, drug addicted, severely mentally ill people who blatantly refuse to take their medication. Oh, and all homelessness was caused by psychiatric survivor human rights groups who dared to suggest that people should be let out of the snakepits (oh excuse me) hospitals.

Homelessness has nothing to do with the fact that in the 20th century, and now the 21st, real wages are decreasing and the price of housing increasing. Hopefully as housing prices fall, homelessness will decrease and some of this horror will abate, but only if we can find jobs for homeless people.

Hi Philip,

I can't speak for the reader who posted the original question, but speaking for myself I find myself terrified and confused as to what to think about my treatment. Answers are few and far between. But I have a job and a family to support, the job expects me to do something, and I have no idea whether I'm doing the right thing.

Currently I'm on Abilify, Wellbutrin, Klonopin, and am being weaned off of Seroquel. The Abilify seems to be helping with mental acuity and mood much better than the Seroquel did. But I find I'm constantly waiting for the other shoe to drop. Every drug I've ever taken, and I've taken a bunch, show promise for a while and then lose their efficacy.

I don't think it's incumbent upon you to provide options, but perspective would be appreciated. I value the information you provide, but it often leaves me wondering if there's any light at the end of the tunnel. At the end of the day, I use the information you provide to talk to my doctor. How he answers my concerns goes a long way towards establishing the trust. Do I take some of the vilified medications? Yes. But I'd like to think I'm taking them with my eyes open.

Thanks!

I met an Invega sales rep at the psych, and asked him if he was representing the "Son of Risperdal", as he sat with the enormous orange coffee/latte' mugs stuffed with Invega samples, in the psych waiting room. It wasn't hard to miss the suit with his badge and goodie bag. He actually answered "Yes" when I called Invega "The Son of Risperdal". I asked for his business card in case I had other questions, and as he reached for his pocket, I think he finally came to his senses and realized I was a consumer, and told me he didnt have a card, but to call the company. I asked him how he stored Invega samples. He had his smooth correct answer ready to go "In a climate controlled environment." I don't think he understood the significance of a consumer asking him questions, or basically making fun of his product.