[jackflashdrive]

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"Any chance you could elaborate more on some of the schizophrenics? For some reason I am in utter awe and absolute fear of how it just seemingly strikes anyone at random."

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Odds are pretty good that you or someone you love will not get Schizophrenia. It afflicts one percent of the population (though if an immediate family member has Schizophrenia then the odds go up dramatically).

I have lots of stories about strange schizophrenic behavior. My favorite is probably the story of "Milky" (which is the nickname the nurses/techs applied to him, which he didn't like at all).

Milky was about 60 years old, had pasty white skin and snow white hair. This is not why he was called milky. He earned his nickname because he refused to eat anything but dairy products for his meals. Three times a day he would be served a heaping helping of cottage cheese, covered by slices of American cheese, and he would drink a few cups of milk along with it. Every meal.

On smoke breaks he would always have cigars that a family member would bring to him. He would suck down two cigars over the course of the 15 minute break, literally puffing on the cigar like he was in a race.

Milkys thought was incredibly disorganized (as is characteristic of schizophrenia). He would spend his days walking around the unit mumbling about this or that, occasionally walk up to a tech or nurse and start complaining loudly about a perceived injustice like 'Why does this guy get to wear a belt and I don't?" "This guy" of course being a visitor to one of the other patients who is now scared shitless that milky is going to bite him in the face (while Milky occasionally got agitated he was never violent).
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"I've heard psychotic drugs (LSD, shrooms, etc.) can trigger it to develop in people sooner in life, but if you are going to get schizophrenia, you are going to get it, even if you never did the drugs. Any chance if you know if this is true/false/just pure speculation?


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Environmental factors can definitely trigger the onset of schizophrenia. E.g., a period of high stress such as separation from family. I've never heard of illegal drugs such as these triggering the onset of schizophrenia but it certainly seems plausible that the drugs could have such an effect. For the most part Schizophrenia is something you will get or not get but timing can vary.