How can you believe a confessed lunatic like Darda Gregurev

I have a number of close family members who have been diagnosed with Paranoid Schizophrenia and Schizo-affective Disorders. For me it has been literally a life-long experience of being a carer. My elderly mother now seems to have developed Dementia in addition to her various other ailments which include Paranoid Schizophrenia. It is difficult to diagnose and be clear about the best possible treatment when two such difficult diseases come together. Even my daughter who has been diagnosed with Schizo-affective Disorder and is very protective of other people with serious disorders, is running out of patience with her grandmother. Nothing seems to work and very little help has come my mother's way from the psychiatric profession. She is a survivor of extreme abuse by her family, concentration camps, and migration to Australia. It appears to us that her problems are overwhelming even to the professions intended to deal with it. I would like her last years to be peaceful if not happy but as she often is very suspicious and does not know who we are it is very difficult to reach. She receives medication but the side effects make her Parkinson's Disease worse. I am grateful that you have shared your experience from the inside out. It is the view that is so often missing from the equation. Information really needs to become more widely available. I find even general practitioners are often very ignorant of major aspects of the disease. I have not found a dentist who is willing to attend to my family members without me being present. People really are not out of control unless a combination of circumstances lead to a major crisis. I am so annoyed with the lack of compassion and the level of fear among the public. As a carer I have tried to make myself familiar with the disease and its effects on individuals. I really really really HATE schizophrenia and am waiting for the day when medication can target the disorder more carefully. Thank you for your site. Darda Gregurev <Pooraka@senet.com.au>Adelaide, South Australia Australia - Wednesday, June 24, 1998 at 22:27:54 (EDT