Should human rights be taken away from someone if they are diagnosed with schizophrenia?

Hi . No if I go to another doctor. The Doc will say "well you are not getting better so I want you to stop the research". Well I assume that anyways. I mean a doc is suppose to look after the welfare of the patient. But if people like me dint take these trials then FDA would never approve anything. So for a few more months I believe for the welfare of all that it might be best if I stay in this trial. Weather or not the drug works. My life is just one of millions affected by this disease. So I would feel very selfish if I said forget the others and think solely of yourself. I know its not whats best for Pete. But I beleive its whats best for Pete's disease. Does that make sense?

No, it doesn't make sense, because you don't know what another doctor will say until you actually go out and consult one. You got a letter from the VA quite some time ago asking you to please check in for arranging a follow-up appointment, so stop trying to guess in advance what their medics might say and call right now to make an appointment. They do have volunteers to provide transportation to the clinic if that's a problem, so call the clinic today.

While the intention seams noble the Highs Seas advice its wiser...

Regards>FILIPE DE ALBUQUERQUE

Well I did what the letter told me. They never did schedulle me for one. So I am not sure why they send it to me in the first place. But Ill discuss it with my new doc before going to them. If it conflicts with the research. Well then I will have to make a choice. Trow away the research and go back to tranquilizer style drugs. (well at least thats how I feel on them) or finish the research. And Thank You but you see my dilema? I havent found any drugs that work yet. All the ones the VA gave me dint work and I told them. I asked them "Can We try something different?" And the Reply was "no I want you to stay in these". That realy gave me a felling of hopelessness. Does that make sense?

Read what you write!

You don't face a dilemma now. And maybe, if, and whenever, you do get advice from the VA doctor you consult that happens to be in conflict with the new doctor the drug testing company's has assigned to you (the old one was no good, never mind why), then you will face a dilemma.

At that point you can decide what to do, you don't have to decide now. I'm sure that JPB, who's an expert in drug trials, will confirm what I just wrote. The VA is a bureaucracy, they wrote you a letter, what else do you want them to do, drive over and carry you off for treatment - you're not a baby, you're the one who must call and make an appointment. Your letter had a code number on it, right? Call again and insist, mentioning your code.

When you call them you can add that you've posted on the internet asking for advice what to do, and that you think, you don't know for sure, that, maybe, somebody on a website may have called General Shinseki's office in DC, given your name and location, and asked the general's office to follow up.

Read this however many times it takes to sink in, then pick up the phone, call your clinic and read it out to the receptionist if necessary. You'll get an appointment. What have you got to lose? Nothing, so do it now. Come back and post if anything still isn't clear - JPB will reply. Good luck.

Oki will do first thing in the morning Thank You

Hi Peter. Just checking back to see how your call to the VA went. Did you get through to someone and/or make an appointment?

hiyas Well I called after getting diverted 3 or times someone finaly told me "dont worry about the code on the letter they dont mean anything" I then replied "ok but I still want to make an app with mental health. I do not have transportation does VA provide any service for pick up?" I then got diverted again. then moms cell phone cut off a few times. Then some one finaly said call your old phyc doc" and then moms cell phone batterie died. So be patient let me take a break wile it recharges cause it only works in the balcony Ill update more When I get an Appt . Thank You for asking

Well, that sounds like a fun way to spend your morning (kidding). Yep, keep trying. I hope you make some headway soon.

ok after more never ending machines and "All representives are busy I finaly got thru to the Broward mental health VA. They told me they could not schedule me for a appt and that I needed to go find a family doc first. I said "look I gotta see and mental healt doc and tryed to explain so they put me on hold and said for me to come to a crisis clinic 9-4 weekdays and then they can refer me to a mental healt specialist. So lol guess ill update more on monday

Well i got lost on wich topic is to describe whats happening to me so hehe guess ill use this one . Ok well I have no idea were I left off. One off the big ways I fell my condition has gotten worst is that I can no longer be inside a moving vehicle. Just taking the bus to the clinic. When I wake up that day I trow up out of nervenous . even if I havent ate. When I am inside a movong vehicle and i see the cars on the road. My mind races and argues to find evrey possible outcome. I try to look at a magazine and just ignore the outside but the anxiety its preety close to unberable. Since I stared this trial my weight went from 215 down to 177. Well thats 20% of my body mass. It concerns me. Its not physical. Its mental. My mind has a hard time putting eating as a priority and it just forgets or goes to something else. Well also I was more objective about the voices well thats not an acurate description realy. I dont know how you think I do know the way I do. Its having more than one mind. Nonstop discutions. Voices yes for my mind is a voice and has more than one. But anyways the point is I can no longer find an argument against it Being God to my understanding. I tryed asking if anyone else could find one and no luck so far. And thats a symtom of my disease. Before i was objective out of fear of being rejected by society. But now I am asking society " Can you give me a clear explanation why they wouldnt be?
Well ok Thank you for reading. Ill update more when I got more. Have a pleasent day afternoon or night.

Cheers for sharing your condition and your thoughts so openly, that in itself is already a good start !
You try to rationalize whatever happens to you in order to understand it...I believe that can help in the long term.
...Still you also must keep up with medical counselling and look for the right pills which eventually will show up if you are persistent patient and rational enough to endure the challenge.

Have a nice day !
best Regards>FILIPE DE ALBUQUERQUE

Cheers. and Thank You .

If we disenfranchise schizophrenics regardless of whether or not they are symptomatic, we should also disenfranchise the excessively stupid and bigoted because they ARE symptomatic.

Hmm ok I have tossed youre paragraph around my conference room trying to figure it out. It seems you are saying not only should people aflicted with my disease be isolated from society 'disfranchised'. But people that dont have formal education and that are overly self confidend with 'Grandiosy' Delusions. Should also? I am not sure if that was the meaning. Can you please elaborate?

JLN isn't advocating we do those things, pete. Focus on the IF at the beginning of the statement. He's saying that because we obviously wouldn't do the later then we shouldn't do the former either.

Spot on JPB, thank you. I'm saying that it's not simply the diagnostic status of schizophrenia that might (and I stress "might") disqualify a vote, this might only apply while the schizophrenic is not taking his medication. A person who is "stupid" (in terms of his behavior, not his level of education: I know lots of formally educated individuals who are stupid behaviorally) cannot take a pill to qualify him as a rational voter.

The right to vote is not based upon intelligence.

Well, duh! That's an easy one: if any of those voices really was from God it would make all those other voices shut up - and that's not happening, is it?!

Ahh ok see Good thing I asked I was way off. Thank you. Yes well Im not sure on what the qualifications should be to vote or other rights. I dont understand why ones disability qualifies or disqualifies a person for these rights. Theres alot I dont understand. Because I dint grew up learning like most people. I have a hard time getting accross the way I see the world. Sometimes its frustrating because I see so clearly. I assume people find the same frustation with me. Maybe thats why peole with this disease got isolated from society? I dont know. I do know that its very scarry to admit to yourself and others that you have it. If you ask someone. Ok I am sick and I hear voices and have all my life. I the way my thought proccess works. Well thats in my point of view because of the attempts of treatments of the past. Is the same as saying lock me up in a padded cell and trow away the key lol. I am not sure if its even curable. That would have to take something to change the way I think. Does not seem rational. The medications I experienced so far was to treat things associated with it. Like anxiety or drug it up so your mind works slower but still the same way. I dont know maybe theres a magic pill out there I just havent found it yet. Again thank You for posting. It helps me understand why people look at me the way they do