<story><title>How I Fell in Love with a Schizophrenic</title><url>http://asserttrue.blogspot.com/2013/01/how-i-fell-in-love-with-schizophrenic.html</url></story><parent_chain><item><author>guylhem</author><text>I&apos;ll cast a dissenting opinion.&lt;p&gt;Do you really, honestly think the author will be happy - and for long (say more than 2 years, after the initial thrill of doing something odd and new)?&lt;p&gt;It does not looks like a sane relation to me, but more like a relation based on needs - such as the need to &quot;save&quot; someone (frequent with young upperclass women) or such as a profound emotional need to display love.&lt;p&gt;&lt;i&gt;&quot;I&apos;ll throw myself in front of a bus for her if she wants it&quot;&lt;/i&gt; - this doesn&apos;t looks like a good thing to say about a relationship - especially about a relationship with someone hearing voices who might recommend such things.&lt;p&gt;Are normal persons (or life) so boring that one needs to import another person problems - especially unfixable problems given the state of our technology regarding schizophrenia?&lt;p&gt;(my cousin has a severe form and spends most of his time in various institutions)</text></item></parent_chain><comment><author>gaustin</author><text>I was diagnosed with schizo-affective and bipolar disorders when I was 19. I was on disability until I was 26 (I am now almost 31), even though I worked part time as a software developer through that entire period.&lt;p&gt;I&apos;ve managed to live a pretty &quot;normal&quot; life so far, even with my health issues. I have both Bachelor&apos;s and Master&apos;s degrees. I&apos;ve been with my wife for 5 years so far. I&apos;ve held down jobs pretty well, with ever-increasing levels of responsibility. I have healthy hobbies that take quite a bit of attention but do not become overriding obsessions.&lt;p&gt;My wife and I have different struggles than most other couples. She is most definitely not with me because it&apos;s novel, nor to &quot;save&quot; me or any other sort of co-dependent nonsense.&lt;p&gt;Schizophrenia may not be fixable, but it is controllable to a degree and with care it doesn&apos;t have to mean a life in institutions or a life without a satisfying career.</text></comment>
<story><title>How I Fell in Love with a Schizophrenic</title><url>http://asserttrue.blogspot.com/2013/01/how-i-fell-in-love-with-schizophrenic.html</url></story><parent_chain><item><author>guylhem</author><text>I&apos;ll cast a dissenting opinion.&lt;p&gt;Do you really, honestly think the author will be happy - and for long (say more than 2 years, after the initial thrill of doing something odd and new)?&lt;p&gt;It does not looks like a sane relation to me, but more like a relation based on needs - such as the need to &quot;save&quot; someone (frequent with young upperclass women) or such as a profound emotional need to display love.&lt;p&gt;&lt;i&gt;&quot;I&apos;ll throw myself in front of a bus for her if she wants it&quot;&lt;/i&gt; - this doesn&apos;t looks like a good thing to say about a relationship - especially about a relationship with someone hearing voices who might recommend such things.&lt;p&gt;Are normal persons (or life) so boring that one needs to import another person problems - especially unfixable problems given the state of our technology regarding schizophrenia?&lt;p&gt;(my cousin has a severe form and spends most of his time in various institutions)</text></item></parent_chain><comment><author>DanBC</author><text>&amp;#62; &quot;I&apos;ll throw myself in front of a bus for her if she wants it&quot; - this doesn&apos;t looks like a good thing to say about a relationship&lt;p&gt;I tend to agree.  But it&apos;s something that common to many relationships, not just those involving people in unhealthy relationships.&lt;p&gt;&amp;#62; - especially about a relationship with someone hearing voices who might recommend such things.&lt;p&gt;I&apos;m not sure people with a psychotic illness recommend directly that another person should throw themselves in front of a literal bus.&lt;p&gt;And I hope that OP has enough insight to recognise when the (metaphorical) bus is real or a product of illness.&lt;p&gt;&amp;#62; Are normal persons (or life) so boring that one needs to import another person problems - especially unfixable problems given the state of our technology regarding schizophrenia?&lt;p&gt;I am not talking about the OP here.  With that disclaimer out of the way: sometimes life with someone who has a severe mental illness is just more fun; it&apos;s more exciting; there&apos;s more stuff to do.  This can be useful - you go to different places and experience life in a different way.  Or it can be unhealthy, with dependence and enabling and people wanting to &quot;fix&quot; others and getting locked into a cycle of recovery and relapse.  The pre-mania phase of bi-polar can be incredibly productive for some people.</text></comment>