Dear Rossa,
You just answered my prayers. I just read your blog about the best and cheapest alternative therapy for schz…and it had all the answers that I was wondering about. Sometimes I wonder if what I am doing is wrong, because my daughter does not go out at all, and no longer I force her to go to her session. Instead , I pay a girl her age to come visit and listen to her, even though she doesn’t want to talk. Since I don’t take my daughter to any therapist, somehow I feel alone, just relying in your blog and what I read from other books. Just reading about Catherine Penney from the book “Dante’s Cure”, and knowing that she recovered while living in a locked ward for 3 years, and seeing his medsfree doctor almost everyday in the hospital, gives me hope. Like you said, I can encourage growth at home. If my daughter does not want to go out of the house, I can bring people to her such as a dance helper, or a friend to lend a listening ear.
So far, I think she is happy at home, sings, listens to music, watches tv, eats healthy food when she wants, writes in notebooks, draws pictures, talks to her brother who is in Mexico thru skype, her sister visits her, and is willing to go out with her, and sometimes wants to do some chores. I feel relieved that she is not going out, trying to go to other peoples backyards. The apartment complex next to ours put a sign “no tresspassing or will call police” I think it was placed for my daughter because last summer she would go there, but never caused any problems, but I still cry when I see that sign.
Please keep reminding others in your blog that the best and cheapest alternative is home. In California, SSI and IHSS provides funds to care at home. They DO require the person to see either a doctor or therapist for a diagnosis and a yearly review. I will have to take my daughter to see the therapist again in time for the yearly review, and it is ok. They are www.medsfree.com therapists, and even though my daughter is a good business for them, right now, I see that home is better for her.
Hugs,
“Maria”*
P.S. Also, if it is helpful, I would like you to mention a lawyer, and psychiatric survivor Ted Chabasinski who has helped me rescue my daughter from many hospitals for just a donation. If anyone would like more information, feel free to refer them to me.
* not her real name
Awesome!