A mental health question

[Tina97]

Does anyone work with the mentally ill or have a friend or family member that has been severely mentally ill maybe suffering from hallucinations and hearing voices? I ask this question as I'm writing a screenplay and want to understand whether it's possible for the mentally ill person to "Ever come back" to a normal life, if they do can they remember when they were really ill and what are their thoughts of themselves when they think about it, do they see it as it was almost another person completely and feel disassociated from themselves or are they fully aware of every part of the illness?

[saxy_jag]

I think what you're talking about is something like shcizophrenia, although I'm no expert. I do, however, have a couple of close relatives with other mental illnesses, as well as a couple of friends studying to be psychologists. The general consensus is that once you have a mental illness then you pretty much have it for life. However, you can keep it under control, by and large, with drugs, therapy and coping strategies - perhaps a combination of any or all of these.

[Huderon]

Like saxy_jag, I'm no expert, but there is one condition where you can go through that and come back without treatment (takes around 6 months or so with no treatment and a few weeks with it). BUT as it only occurs in women who have given birth recently, it may not suit your needs. Google postpartum psychosis (or puerperal psychosis or post natal psychosis - they are all the same thing).

To answer a couple of your questions, yes they can remember some of it, no they are not fully aware through every part of it, and before you ask, it is no fun at all for their family, especially the first time it happens.