olga Posted March 7, 2008 Share Posted March 7, 2008 I thought this article might be of interest to our members who are taking, or have taken Zyprexa: http://www.nytimes.com/2008/03/06/business...&ei=5087%0A What a surprise---Eli Lilly suppressed information about side effects like weight gain and diabetes. olga Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
wifezilla Posted March 7, 2008 Share Posted March 7, 2008 Good thing hubby only needs it once in a great while and only for a week or two. I DOES work well though. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
crazynotstupid Posted March 7, 2008 Share Posted March 7, 2008 Most schizophrenia patients are unemployed and receive medical coverage through Medicaid. Cute. I'd like to see some actual study to back that up (ha!). Is that really what they think of us crazies? Are we ALL unemployable and in need of help? Or is it maybe just schizos and the occasional really nutty bp? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
resonance Posted March 7, 2008 Share Posted March 7, 2008 Here's what I could find that compares employment rates in mentally ill vs non-mentally ill people: http://ps.psychiatryonline.org/cgi/content/full/50/11/1407 "unemployment rates are three to five times higher among persons with mental disorders than among those with no disorder" It's based on voluntarily returned surveys, which means that it may overestimate the incidence of unemployment overall (I mean, unemployed people are more likely to have time to fill out and return surveys), but the difference between the mentally-ill/non is likely to be accurate or possibly to underestimate differences if mentally ill people are spending more time dealing with being mentally ill. It's also an older study (from the late 90s), which could cause the difference to be higher than today, assuming we've gotten better at treating people. I've seen NAMI and other places say a much higher percentage, but I couldn't easily find a cite for that. I also found a study suggesting that among non-mentally ill people suicide rates are associated with more unemployment and some other stuff, but among mentally ill people, a combination of graduate school, being employed and earning a lot of money, and being married will kill you. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
lost Posted March 7, 2008 Share Posted March 7, 2008 I looked up a study investigating employment rates in schizophrenics right after seeing that article, because it coincided with the aftermath of a massive, ugly argument with my parents in which I pointed out that in the light of having spent the last 8 years since being diagnosed starting and stopping a whole string of menial jobs, it might be time to consider help from the government.. so they were horrified and my mum came up with some line - in between screaming at me and looking like I'd just done something unspeakable in front of her - about how most people like me do work. I'm now thinking that yeah.. y'know the meds do work well and maybe I should try employment one more time, but the study I found (no idea what its exact credentials were - you had to pay to download the whole thing) reackoned 10-20% of schizophrenics don't work in any capacity. From personal observation of friends and aquaintances I'd say that is about right. Trouble with me is what keeps me from work is chronic laziness and day-dreaminess, something that could just be an adjustable part of my personality, the meds or the illness. I'm pretty sure my parents just think I'm being lame and maybe I am.. but in this day and age should there be an obligation for anyone to work is what I ponder.. given the choice of a tiny amount of social security benefits and getting on the career ladder I reackon most people would go to work, leaving the option for those of us who can't be arsed with it to do our own thing, just with a lot less money. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
blackbird Posted March 7, 2008 Share Posted March 7, 2008 I work a part time menial clerical job. I had a severe psychotic breakdown in September resulting in hospitalisation. My mother chased me back to work after 3 weeks when I was still as psychotic as a box of frogs and against the advice of my p-doc. My mother has a horror of me being on benefits like incapacity or income support so I can identify with lost's parental predicament. She says "As long as you keep your little job I'll be happy" even though my job makes me psychotic. But I get generous Disabled Person's Tax Credits which I totally rely on to pay for my studies so I can grit my teeth and suffer the paranoia, voices, fantasies and visions for 4 hours a day for the sake of my education. This morning personnel rang and offered me a promotion to medical secretary in, of all places, the fucking mental ward working for my very own consultant. Needless to say, I declined. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
crazynotstupid Posted March 7, 2008 Share Posted March 7, 2008 given the choice of a tiny amount of social security benefits and getting on the career ladder I reackon most people would go to work Indeed. I just got my yearly benefits statement from the SSA, and if I were to go on disability now my monthly earnings would be cut in about half. And my current insurance is, I'm quite sure, better than Medicare. (and I get free money towards flex spending too, so that's like extra pay, even) So basically, for me, it's not worth it to give up and go batshit! Just stay on the hamster wheel and go 'round and 'round... and hope to find something that pays enough for me to have actual fun someday. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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