As is made clear in the video your brother is mentally ill to the extent that he needs medication, and it seems that you have collectively decided to tape a video to show him at a later date in order to show him 'how he was'. He isn't an alcoholic who you can show the video to in the morning and he will 'vow never to drink again'. This is how he is when he doesn't take medication, and it seems in this video that you're just venting your frustrations at him.
I'm liking 'Tony Tones'. He actually makes sense to me. Tony appears to be a good man and I personally know, threw my own mental illness, what being a "prisoner in your own mind" feels like. From England, I wish Tony all the best for the future.
Very interesting interview. Im under the influence currently under cannabis (ie: stoned) and to me what he says is perfectly understandable and also quite important meaning. there must be a closer behaviour link between cannabis users minds and that of schizophrenic. anyway all the best! those antipsychotics lead to far too much weight gain.
@144thstonedmind - i f you are gaining weight, exericise. Go on 50 miles bicycle workouts or 10 mile hikes a few times a week. It will burn off the fat and clear you mind in ways cannabis cannot begin to touch. On the other hand, you could just stay stoned and blame everything on the meds. That would be the lazy thing to do.
My girlfriends dad is schizophrenic and he often makes up ridiculous stories about things. He tries to talk in riddles when you ask him simple questions and 99% of the time the riddles are not even really riddles. Often he will get angry like a child and he has to leave.
peace to you Dennis, we had my wife's mother and my mother both living with us and both were disabled and we had two smaller children at the time. Not the same situation, but I can understand dealing with a trying and sometimes irrational situation.
Dollars-to-donuts, he had a traumatic childhood. Look for Adam Curtis documentaries or message me for more info . . I think we're too quick to call people crazy when they've had trauma. Are soldiers murders, indeed serial-murders? We judge, and of course there's organic brain disease, but too many people are given dangerous anti-psychotics, and get diabetes or movement disorders.
@dennisallard I apologize, I didn't mean for it to come across as a judgement. I had an aunt with bipolar who lined me and my uncle up against a wall and was crying because she didn't want to kill us but had to, she had a glock and let off 2 rounds before I got it from her. I can patently see the compassion you have for your brother. I only asked because of the Rosenhan experiment, and also that when schizophrenics (typically when younger), when they were taken out of their family
@dennisallard Again, I try and understand how my aunt could do that to me, she was about to murder me and luck saved me. So I don't base anything on this 9 minute video, I base it on such things as the Rosenhan experiment, and also that there are some machinations that are indeed kept veiled from us. Sincerely,
can some one explain what is going on here, is he lying in the sense its not true but he thinks it is. i really want to know about things like this. i want a real persons point of view not some doctor who is payed by drug companies to push supply on poor folks.
@thegreenbastard42011 - He believes what he says and thinks it all happened. Taking meds is the only thing that has enabled my brother to function in society. The social workers and doctors who prescribe meds to him do that to help him, not "push" drugs. I dislike the for-profit pharmaceutical industry but I do not blame the doctors for that. I blame the voters of the US who refuse to get rid of the for-profit private health insurance industry.
@dennisallard oh ok, thank you for clearing this up, i smoke pot and i had a head doctor ( i cant think of the spelling right now sorry) tell me i was going to turn schziophrenic, which you can understand is sickening. but the second point you made is very true, the public needs to start taking a stand , it almost as if they either feel defeated or cant be bothered. i hope things go well and a balance is found with your brother.
I notice he has a lot of mental activity. You can note that observing the movement of her eyes, his face movements, etc. As a lot or everything on his life is constantly modified by his mind, his mind itself never stops. I suppose this, but I can note this. He can either be happy or unhappy as any person, just the way in which is mind perceive the world or the reality is different.
It's upsetting to here him talk about the Julie woman living in Paris. It sounds like he really had a period of happiness before his schizophrenia ruined all of it. Did he really talk to this Julie woman or did he just cook it up in his head?
Being overly conscious of "being a prisoner" will make you a prisoner. You have to, instead, realize you are free. Meditation helps between thinking and not thinking so much.
@grimsr05 - Meditation does not change reality. Meditation is good for many people. Personally I use aerobic exercise (road bicycle). This thread about being a prisoner is drifting away from the main topic so I will stop approving posts in that thread.
The impatience a brother or sister feels about their own blood losing it, is just painful. I see both sides. This is a very difficult thing to live with if the severity doesn't allow you to discern what is real nor not.
@rakabir1 A prison is a human construct, such a thing does not exist in nature because nothing natural can have it's free spirit (free range), so to speak, stripped from it. Limitations exist in nature and perhaps that's what you mean. Mechanisms of limit exist in things as large as stars (metallicity) and in small yet extraordinarily complex systems (the brain, computers). It's not bad to have limitations, it can be trouble to be without them.
@dennisallard And the keys to this prison doors are only with us schizos. :) One day I will successfully get my mind outta my way and I will be free. Sad that in order for this to happen I have to go through all the loops of my mind in my thoughts about everything that bothers me. I wana see an end to this mind talks we have. Thanks for replying. Very kind of you :).
doesntt take long to realize that you can never reason with a schizophrenic. logic does not work. if it did, then they wouldn't be schizoprenic to begin with. a very high functioning one might realize when their logic is messed up but ive never heard of any.
There are a host of rational reasons for refusing neuroleptic medications. They are notorious for causing a litany of nasty side effects, including irreversible movement disorders. Also, they cause a horrifying form of inner torment known as akathisia. You will never be able to empathize with somebody who is non-compliant unless you've personally experienced the hellish side effects. It's often not as simple as 'not wanting to take medication because the client is psychotic and irrational'
@dennisallard Have you contacted NAMI? They might have some insights into dealing with a non-compliant, schizophrenic family member. I donate money to them even though I disagree with their stance on involuntary treatment. They might be a useful resource. Since your brother threatens others, I can empathize with your frustration esp. since you note he actually improved on anti-psychotic medication. That being said, I think compliance is enhanced when side effects are minimized
@Bigshotism - Our late father was president of a NAMI chapter in the late 1980s when my brother was first afflicted. My father agreed with E. Fuller Torrey and was a strong advocate of medical treatment. As the blog associated with this YouTube video shows, the only times my brother is able to function in society is when he takes meds.
He will get out of prison in mid 1013. I predict he will go off meds again and then be conviected of a third strike felony. But I hope not.
@dennisallard Greetings Dennis. Your brother's story is what causes me cognitive dissonance re: my own civil libertarianism on mental health. Note to self: rigid ideologies don't explain how the real world operates.
I'm sorry to hear that he has been incarcerated, especially since his judgment is obviously impaired and I suspect that whatever trouble he got himself into was influenced by his schizophrenia.
It sounds like you probably have some insight into civil commitment..
@Bigshotism You seem to have an open mind, so ask yourself if civillibertariantism is not a rigid ideology. (Personally, I never use the term "libertarian" - I always use the term "fundamentalist libertarian").
Have you ever petitioned to have your brother committed as mentally ill and dangerous to others (or dangerous to self)? I'm wondering if he could be treated in the community, even against his will. I know some states have ACT (assertive community treatment) laws that allow for forced treatment in the community via long-acting neuroleptic agents and other treatments. I'm not saying I'm 100% comfortable w/ this approach, but given your situation I'd be hard pressed to do nothing.
@Bigshotism - Twice the process of obtaining a conservatorship for my brother was initiated. Not by me, although with my encouragement and the encouragement of my brothers closest friends. The state would have appointed a public guardian. In both cases the process was preempted. Once because he was on trial and once because he was being :"restored to competency to stand trial". Both situations were absurb mockeries of logic and truth. It's how the US justice prison system works.
@dennisallard Re: NAMI. I actually only became involved with NAMI as a result of Torrey leaving. My own viewpoint was that he was too extreme with forced community treatment. However, I think your brother's specific case is exceptional. Based on your assessment and his dangerous behavior, he's probably better off being treated even against his will. Unfortunately, the long-acting injections are typically phenothiazines with the worst side effect profiles. What a dilemma.
@Bigshotism - I am acutally not all that familiar with Torrey. Our father thought he was a pioneer. I only judge from my own experience with my brother. That has lead me to believe that that his brain and consciousness is bipartite. When the system gives "him" the right to stay off meds, it is really giving the mental illness body snatcher that takes over his brain rights. Of course forcing meds on someone is harsh. De facto, that's what happens anyway to my brother in prison.
I see you have the intention to understand him and not spoiling him. This is real! I just know a few works portraying those people.
Im writing down all kinds of stories from my brothers past because now after 12 horrible years he's finally able to talk about a few things just like your brother here. Its about Mental hospitals, the Police, how he sees the world, medication problems, marijuana addiction, attempts to make him live alone, escapeing, ecc. Good luck for the future!
@Mikaeloettli Marijuana Addiction are you kidding me? any normal person can quit cannabis just as easy as one can quit coffee, But when dealing with someone with mental disorders that use the herb to help with there problem will not want to quit something that actually works. cannabidiol (one of the cannabinoids found in cannabis) is an effective ANTIpsychotic.
@MWCstream - in the case of my brother, I tend to believe that cannabis worsened his situation. I favor legalization of all drugs, by the way, beacause keeping drugs illegal does not prevent or even lessen its use and it being illegal helps the Mexian Mafia, which is stupid and inhumane policy. But I hope my brother won't resume use of Marijuana. He knows that staying off it is better for him, in his case.
@dennisallard tell him not to use Sativa its higher in THC and low iin CBD. He needs something with a high CBD level, i would recommend and strong indica strain.
he picks up on your frustration and apparent condescending tone, becoming noticeably more agitated ... may not have been your intent ... but it is how it came across here, and looks like to Tony as well ... just a thought ... best wishes
@garyarthurs Was about to type that out, almost verbatim. Those who suffer from mental illness of any type can certainly be frustrating to deal with, but it's good to keep in mind that many of them are stuck experiencing that frustration and more, from within, and on a constant basis. The feeling of disappointing and burdening others as a result brings added stress, if not perpetuating and/or exacerbating the illness itself.
@damyre - I agree that it is better to be loving and not angry or judgemental with ones loved one who has schizophrenia. To a point. First, at least in the case of my brother, he appreciates honesty. He sees right through disingenuousness and insincerity. He would rather have someone tell him how it is rather than beat around the bush.
Also, his acts become so intolerable that many of his friends end up reading him the riot act, and you can't blame them.
@damyre - For example one of his friends found that my brother started showing up at night and trying to get into his place or sleeping in the back of his pick up truck. That friend has been helpful to Tony many times over the years. Now, when Tony shows up, that friend carries a baseball bat with him when he answers the door. My brother is six foot four, 230 pounds, and can sometime appear to be very belligerent. You get my drift?
@wolfumz - He is serving time for a conviction on felony vandalism and criminal threats.
He'll be released mid-2013. He is taking his meds and is extremely lucid and rational. He plans to continue his writing - an autobiography and some other stuff.
I will post an update to the blog when I find the time and motivation to do so.
@dennisallard that's really too bad he had to be arrested to start accepting treatment. It's incredible how schizophrenia can blind a person to the fact they are not sharing the same reality as everyone else. It sounds like he's working on understanding his illness and that's good. Best of luck to the both of you.
@HarrySackthatsme - At the time of this interview, my brother had been on meds and was coming off of them. The blog linked to from this YouTube video explains better.
@valsharai LOL! The pharmacology of the brain is still very misunderstood. I don't mean to degrade your WikiEducation, but even the leading research institutions in the world don't have a definitive answer to schizophrenia. You also have no evidence to support your claim. Any yahoo can get on the internet and claim he cured himself of mental illness, but it is really meaningless until you provide some sort of proof. I for one do not believe you.
It's a sad to see an intelligent man having mental health problems. He looks like a good guy and I think all the weird things he might do, ( I read Dennis Allard blog about this story), like being violent or shouting and so on it's because of the illness. Hope he continues with his medications.
thank you for sharing this. it's not only a classic example of schizophrenia/paranoid delusions but also a great example of how to communicate with someone suffering from such a disease. i hope your brother is doing better now that he is back on his meds and am glad he has you to look out for him.
My dad suffers from schizophrenia, and this man reminds me an awful lot of him...his manner of speaking, the topics he speaks about, as well as his mannerisms.
Omg this sounds just like my sister, right after she had her baby! She came off her meds when she found out she was pregnant and it took her 6 months to convince her to get back on her meds! It's draining for the family, and her new husband!
Hey guys. I'm battling from schizophrenia. I'm not asking for money or views or anything, but just for support and for people to hear me out. My psychiatrist said to let people know about your problem, but everyone thinks I'm weird and my family cannot understand or take me seriously. I made a blog about my problems, and I hope we can talk on there. My blog is battlingschizophrenia.blogspot.com . Fellow schizophrenics, you should also come. We can fight the battle together.
I'm not denying that dude has a mental illness, but I think he's pretty much normal. He might have let too much of the world affect his thought process. Their is enough evidence to support the existence of secret societies, but to someone w/ a mental illness may go overboard w/ anxiety of it. I believe he's fearing the true fears that this world offers and acting in a rage, from time to time, is his self therapy. I believe he needs to take his meds and I definitely believe he understands........
@mfcrush12 - the interview was made at a time where my brother had been on meds on only recently gone off them, so he was somewhat rational. He quickly degraded after this interview and a couple week later was totally delusional. Attempting to rationalize about his beliefs about secret societies misses the point. Those things are mere props in his delustional framework which is not rational in any way, so attempting to impute reason to his conclusions is a mistake.
@dennisallard How can you 100% say that secret societies don't exist? Sure it's hard to believe especially when we live in such a protected society (Im English) but the fact of the mater is, history shows us Governments lie, they deceive, there are people with bad intentions, secret societies have happened for 100s of years, so why not now? I'm not saying your brothers delusions are 100% true, but as mfcrush12 said maybe his mental disorder is blowing it out of proportion?
@dodexodus - sometimes I don't remove postings here about secret socities so I can clarify... Secret societies exist. So what? The wrong of governments is not secret. It is front page news. People who need secret societies as a reason to criticize goverments and power not only miss the point, they distract from the real problems, which are totally in the open (invasion of Iraq, for example). My brother's delusions interweave those beliefs and superstitions into his reality.
@dennisallard Totally agree. The crimes of governments are committed overtly (in large part). Sure, there are many dialogues that take place in secret, but to believe that secret societies are running the world like some conspiracy theorists do is nothing more than superstition.
I happen to know a conspiracy theorist (a mentally healthy one), and the amount of irrational fear and anxiety that he experiences is pretty awful. I cannot even imagine how a schizophrenic deals with it.
Thank you for posting this. These mental disorders are very serious and there are so many people who just don't understand the severity of these disorders. You are helping to educate the masses and for that I applaud you.
Man, there are unfortunately too many stories like his. It is a shame that even in the United States there is very little in the way of help for the severely mentally ill. Either you have money to pay for professional medical care or you end up in between jail and living on the street. It is so sad.
That kid who asked him to buy some liquor wont be doing that again! Poor man- schizoprenia is horrible. There a prisoner of there own mind. when im manic thats what im like. paranoid delusions.
I have to say, at first it seemed like you were pointlessly berating him with questions about his delusions which seemed useless but how you got him to slowly leak information to you regarding his meds was amazing.
Meds...fuck the meds how can you live. meds don't do shit but cause more problems and when this illness occurs that is the only thing people are worried about 'are you taking your meds'
@bzspo509 - Meds are the only thing that has helped my brother and he would tell you that himself. If you want to ask him yourself, contact me and I will provide you with his mailing address.
@dennisallard Actually, I'm with the other guy thinking that the meds do more harm than good. I grew up with a member of my family who was bat shit crazy. The meds simply put him in what I would call a zombie state. The meds are not designed to help the person with the condition but to simply make them easier for the rest of the world to deal with. I think, as far as quality of life goes, I'd choose constant mania over lethargy any day.
@Ilovetheplatypus - my brother becomes a raging maniac when off his meds - he has threatened people and damaged property - read the blog assoicated with this video.
@dennisallard My uncle broke more stuff than i can remember, told everyone he ever met that he was going to kill them at one point or another, and talked to people that had been dead for years. He took the punishment for his crimes as anyone else would have had to, and he still wouldn't go back on the meds. As I said before, the only people that the meds help are the people around the person taking the meds. If your bother was so found of them; he'd still be taking them.
@dennisallard Lol; so hostile... I don't know jack shit about your bother, but I have done a lot of work with people with mental illnesses. Every case I've saw were mania was present; the person taking the meds was either forced into taking them, or they chose to take them after 20 people told them how much more pleasant they were to be around. I think your judgement is clouded by the fact that you just want you brother to be "normal". I'd bet your bother falls into one of those two categories.
@Ilovetheplatypus - the only thing clear is that you don't think my brother should take meds. The last time off meds, he damaged property and made so many threats to people he was convicted on charges of criminal threats. Although he has not physically harmed anyone, he is 6 foot 3 tall, weighs 230 pounds and is not someone anyone want so be around when he goes bonkers. If you want to writ e to him to ask him if he wants to be on meds, contact me and I'll give you his addres in prison.
@dennisallard I never said that your bother shouldn't take meds. I simply made the statement that I believe it should be of his own volition to do so: Not because he is forced or because he has been coerced into thinking he should. Fact is, those meds have a ton of side effects, and something like 1 in 100 people that take them die. I do think that if one makes the choice to not take meds; then they should be held responsible for their actions. Unfortunately, in our system that often means jail
@Ilovetheplatypus - Define "he" and "his". That is like saying that you should let Mr. Hyde decide to take meds in order to help Dr Jekyll. And, if Mr. Hyde does not take the meds, then who do you hold responsible for "his" actions? Dr. Jekyll?
@dennisallard Don't know what you mean by definitions. Meds are not effective on all people with a mental illness. As such, they are held responsible for their actions, in our society, no matter what mental state they are in. You can't have one set of rules for one group of schizophrenics and a different rule for another. As unfair as it is, Mr Hyde would be responsible for Jekyll's actions.
@Ilovetheplatypus - You said "on his own volition", "his". So you are saying that when the schizophrenic virus takes over my brother like a body snatcher, my brother is responsible for the actions of that body snatcher? I disagree. Those actions are not "his", they are the actions of a body snatcher that has coopted my brother's body.
And when the system give rights to "him" to not take meds, it is actually giving rights to the body snatcher.
@Ilovetheplatypus - In point of fact, it is not true that everyone is "held responsible for their actions, in our society, no matter what mental state they are in", as you state. For example, in the court system, a plea of not guilty by reason of insanity removes responsibility.
Anyway, our current society, as inept as it is in treating mentally ill people and giving rights to the mental illness, is not a model of rightouness.
@dennisallard Lol; I've never read the book. An insanity plea doesn't actually remove responsibility. Depending on the severity of the crime it will get you put into a mental hospital. As many loonies will tell you, jail is actually preferable to the looney bin, and, based on the one I worked in, I'd agree. Now, there is this relatively new notion of "temporary" insanity. Judges do not factor such a notion into their rulings. This is something that is used to get a not guilty from a jury.
@dennisallard I don't want to start listing off statistics, but the insanity defense is rarely used in the US. Less than 1% of cases invoke the insanity defense and temporary insanity is almost extinct. If found guilty by a jury, insanity does not factor into the sentencing as we have minimum and maximum punishments for crimes. A prosecutor may decide to apply lesser charges. Several US states have banned the insanity defense. In the UK they do have reduced punishments for the insane.
@Ilovetheplatypus - 1 per cent of all cases? Most criminal cases do not involve mental illness. That one per cent lead to a plea of not guilty by reason of insanity is statistically significant. I did look up the stats and per one authority, one fourth of those pleas result in not guilty verdicts. So, that's some progress in a society that is otherwise extremly narrow minded about the problem of schizophrenia and, to my original point, gives rights to the mental illness.
@dennisallard I think we're quoting numbers from the same Frank Schmalleger study. If you continue to read said study it will go on to explain why progress is not being made in the field. On average, less than 50 criminal cases use insanity as a defense per year. Even though the number is so small, those cases get a lot of coverage in the media. The public view the insanity defense as a last resort. As such, more and more states are abolishing the insanity defense.
@Ilovetheplatypus - although this topic is relevant, we've drifted away from the original point. My brother is not the same person when delusional. He becomes someone else. That person does not have the competence to decide whether or not to take meds. The delusional one does not take meds. The sane one does. Your willingness to grant the insane one rights to decide does not help my brother. You can write to him if you like to get his take on this. I'll provide his address .
@dennisallard I have a family member who suffers from this. When hes not on his medication, he is really just the most insane person ever. He exhibits similar things that your brother does. He gets very violent, and I've often had to use physical force against him.
Hes really artistic and intelligent. He got offered huge art jobs, but due to his state of being, he declined. The other person he can become is just something else. The personality changes is just something else.
@dennisallard im sorry but i have to agree with platypus. i think your brother just needs someone to understand him. a schizophrenic is forever misunderstood. I understand the paranoia and delusions your brother talks about in this interview. i dont know if im becoming delusional but after shrooms, my outlook on the world has changed has completely flipped. I know what he feels when he speaks about masons and how we ourselves are not in control of our lives. we are living for the wrong reasons.
@LawlCatsFTW - you make the common error of assuing rational response on the part of my brother when he is insane. His reactions are neither rational nor do they correspond to what you think he "just needs". In fact, when he is irrational, his converstaions are with himself, not with others. There is no communcation going on.
Of course things are not black and white. I and many of his friends over the past 25 years can only hope he will stay on his meds this time. Read the blog for details.
@LewisMB3000 - my brother was 28 years old when he was first showing signs of mental illness. He had what can only be described as a psychotic breakdown. This is relatively late in life for that to happen but is not unheard of.
@Jairzinho121 - I disagree. Some (just a few) mentally ill people hurt or kill sane people. Then many sane people blame the mentally ill person instead of the mental illness. Many of the sane people are ignorant and do not provide for mechanisms in our society to treat mental illness and help those having the mental illness. There are are also many sane people who are not ignorant and who are trying to change society to provide better solutions for the problem of mental illness.
@dennisallard I dont believe in false beliefs, but I also dont believe everything Im told.
I have an open mind.
Human history is littered with new ideas and peoples beliefs changing. Look at the earth being round, everyone believed it was flat, the same as the earth being the centre of the universe.
How do we know the truth? What if in the future we find out something that reshapes all of our beliefs. Science is already talking about alternative realities. Maybe mental ill ppl see it.
@Jairzinho121 - I think that the people who believe that mentally ill people are shamans may also still believe the earth is flat.
That being said, people like my brother do have insight into what is "wrong" in the world but they sometimes "over react" in ways that does not help anyone including themselves.
@dennisallard You are a douchebag brother for real, 2:37? He wants to move on with his life and you put him down like that? He is very intelligent and you sound like the mentally ill one. Your brother has experienced alot more than you though, thats for sure. I cant believe what your telling him in this video. so negative.
@nostolgia - why don't you read the blog associated with this video before making the kind of comment you are making. I've been trying to help my brother for 25 years and am in a much better position to judge whether he is moving on than you can after watching a nine minute interview. Better yet, read the hundreds of comments in this YouTube comment section made by people who understand the situation.
Off topic, but Tony reminds me of Christian Bale. I read about Tony's trial and I am sorry that he has been jailed. His writing is very enlightening. It is good that he is back on medication again and it is good that he has caring family.
My younger brother is schizophrenic. Today at my job I helped a customer who was talking to someone who was not there (the store was empty) and it got me thinking about my brother. I realize that even with meds, my brother will never get "better". I think this is something that most people don't understand. Its also hard to separate the strange behavior that's associated with the disease and his actual personality.
@RadAlly, your observations are right on. Some who is schizophrenic does not "get better". That person copes. And it is important for society to realize this.
We should not put schizophrenics in jail. We should provide treatment. At times, that treatment should be mandatory. Under some circumstances, the rights of the individual to "not take meds" should be over-ruled and they should be required to take meds.
@RadAlly Your brother will get better, regardless of what you believe. Science does not need to believe, we simply know. The faith you do not have with your attitude of accepting the worst possible scenario as being "realistic" is not necessary. Science progresses while the rest of the world struggles to emotionally accept the mentally ill. Science accepts, without needing these psychological trials of faith; because we see the progress we are making. WE will all recover together. YOU can help!
@dennisallard I have schizophrenia. Haven't heard voices since I was 22, after 2 years on a gluten free diet. Guess what? 30-35% of the protein in wheat is glutamic acid. Look it up on wikipedia and learn to be more academic in your criticism. While you're at it, read about glycine and how it, as a co-agonist, pairs up with glutamate at receptor sites in the brain to prevent that glutamate from running amok as an excitotoxin destroying brain matter. Live and learn, then show some respect.
@valsharai - who knows if you have schizophrenia. If it was as easy to cure schizophrenia as you and other all-it-takes-is-the-right-diet pundits claim, we would not have this scourge and, in particular, my brother wouldn't. I have little tolerance for preachers such as you.
@valsharai Faith, faith, faith. What is the purpose of faith? To remain comfortable when faced when uncomfortable evidence. If this is the only way you can cope, sure, fall back on your faith. Science may one day find a cure for schizophrenia, but having a faith that someone will be able to cure them in your lifetime is just unrealistic. You must accept things as they are and hope for the best, but have no faith that they will get better unless it's the only way you can continue living.
I feel terrible that people have to deal with this horrible illness. I'm sorry for your brother and you as well. Can you ask him if he likes to know that so many people out there (via Internet or whatever) feel for him and wish him well?
@forgtn - I will convey your thoughts to him. Any one who wishes to write to him directly can contact me at my YouTube coordinates and I will provide his address. He requested I do that.
Its very interesting how you can see his mind sway from "sane"(whatever that is) to full on delusion. from what i've read, it seem schizophrenia is largely due to a time lag in the brain. future events seem to happen in the past, and so on...making it seem like you're being controlled by outside influences. very scary. interesting video though. he seems like a good guy overall. and...the fact that mentally ill people are ever jailed...that's insanity.
@jewwithbill - my brother picks up a lot of street language during his incarcerations in jail and prison, which are where we house many of our mentally ill in California.
This is so sad. The people commenting on here giving you a hard time are ridiculous, they obviously have no idea what you've seen and been through with your brother. These people have no room to talk, YOU are the one who have been dealing with him and seeing that first hand, not them.
@anoceanwithinme - you acused me of abusing my brother based on a 9 minute conversation between bothers that occurred after my brother made threats against our 93 year old mother's care givers and vandalized some other ex-friends property. He was definitely not moving on and saying so does not constitute abuse.
I offered you his address which I will provide offline so you can directly give him your opinion and get his response so you will understand how wrong you are.
Nothing wrong which this guy except too intelligent with too much time on his own , angry and frustrated, the guy with the camera, the brother, is an asshole. Listen to him passive aggressive sob "tony you're not moving on" keeps reinforcing the notion that he's ill, do you keep taking your meds" Drugs screw most of these people up which is why they sounded messed up, slurry.
@DJSpinoza is totally clueless. If you want to write to my brother so he can inform you how utterly stupid your remarks are, I will provide you with his address. In the meantime, read the blog associated with this YouTube video to get some glimmer of how I and other of his friends and relatives have tried to help him for over 25 years.
@anoceanwithinme is another idiot posting to this site because he, perhaps understandably, has sympathy for my brother. In no way does the frank dialog I have with him in this interview constitute "abuse". See the other comments that point that out. If you want to write to my brother so he himself can better educate you, contact me and I will provide you with his address where you can write to him.
Thank you for posting this. As a psychopathology student, it is helpful to see a real person with a disorder rather than reading about it . Schizophrenia is one of the most heart-breaking disorders . I am so sorry your brother, who seems so intelligent, has to live in a time when we don't yet have a real solution for it. We should be spending more on schizophrenia than any other research project, in my opinion, because the patients suffer (not to mention their families) more than anyone.
Thanks for posting. I'm sure that you have had more than a few challenges with your brother. He actually seems like a decent guy (besides his disconnection). What did he do to be put in jail? Are they treating him correctly? Typically, the mentally ill and criminals are lumped together! I believe the truly mentally ill should be separated from the general population in prison and treated. Billions of dollars are spent studying human psychology so why not apply that to the actual people!
In reponse to @444nice, the reason my brother is in jail now is that while suffering from delusions, he vandalized an old friend's car (keyed it). Then, while in a psychiatric hospital being "restored to competency to stand trial", he made phone calls threatening future witnesses in his trial.
I agree with you that those suffering from mental illness should not be treated by the prison judicial industry. We spend billions in Afghanistan and should be spending that inside the US instead.
@zacksoares94 - meds may not always be the solution, but for my brother so far they have been the only solution that works and he agrees that they are the only thing that has worked for him.
@zacksoares94 Sure, what about those millions of years with no medical knowledge, having coronary artery spasms? Just get the shaman to dance around a bit and shew away the demons... Now if you'd just stuck with the one thing you had right (nutrition), you'd have had a good point: adrenoleukodystrophy is a great example of how the right diet can make a huge difference! (lorenzo's oil). Good diet, exercise and a good sleep routine can only get you so far, for some of us meds are salvation!
Its such a sad illness that ppl r ignorant to until it hits home. I have always wondered why they all have pretty much have the same delusions, and delusions of camereas watching them. Its got 2 b more than a coincidence. There's a new theory that's holding weight about the cause. PBS did a documentary. HEARTBREAKING for any1 hav'n 2 deal or family member hav'n 2 watch em deal with it. HEARTBROKEN I AM
He seems like an interesting dude, instead of being so negative "nagative". You could sit and have a conversation with him about something. Instead of bombing him with your negativity, and harassing him about taking corporate death pills he seems to not want. Like talking about him painting some woman's house gray, I think people would like to hear his reasoning behind that action and what symbolism he saw in doing that. And what made him think it was ok to do that to another persons property.
@mg03nma - I have been talking with my brother for over 50 years, including the past 25 years of his illness. I was not harassing him, I was trying to find out if he is taking his meds and he was not answering the question due to his flight of thought.
Currently he is in LA County jail, taking meds, and agrees that the meds are his only hope.
You can write to him yourself and ask him.
Send me a message to my YouTube account asking for his address and I will provide it to you.
@UniqueCola - his diagnosis has changes over time. In recent years it has been Bipolar with schizo-affective disorder. The classification of these conditions are an inexact science. There are many different factors, poorly understood, that affect brain function and manifest themselves in different ways,. The attempts to classify them into a small set of named conditions is only an approximate system to aid diagnosis.
IF I may say, sometimes gerneric drugs do not do well as the patent ones. They will at times not work. So please pay atention to your love one to assure that it is working. The Dr will right it in the box. I have had to change 3 people from generic to name brand ad they did very well when switched back. I wish him well
@1666cinnamon - the generic drugs are exactly equivalent to the name brand drugs. They are the same thing. So any observation you made about one working where the other did not is due to other factors.
@dennisallard Im going to explain it as the DR explained to me, hope you understand it. They have the same ingredients, this is true, however each person reacts diffrently to each medication. for example generic acetemenphine is the same as tylonol however tylonol is patent. They may mix it 30 times and genrics mix it 10 which give it a diffrent effect. I found it srange as well and inquired why it was. its just something to be knowledgable on. it is however, very true for the 3 men i serve.
As is made clear in the video your brother is mentally ill to the extent that he needs medication, and it seems that you have collectively decided to tape a video to show him at a later date in order to show him 'how he was'. He isn't an alcoholic who you can show the video to in the morning and he will 'vow never to drink again'. This is how he is when he doesn't take medication, and it seems in this video that you're just venting your frustrations at him.
ListenToBigFace 6 days ago
I'm liking 'Tony Tones'. He actually makes sense to me. Tony appears to be a good man and I personally know, threw my own mental illness, what being a "prisoner in your own mind" feels like. From England, I wish Tony all the best for the future.
jamesstasiak 1 week ago
Very interesting interview. Im under the influence currently under cannabis (ie: stoned) and to me what he says is perfectly understandable and also quite important meaning. there must be a closer behaviour link between cannabis users minds and that of schizophrenic. anyway all the best! those antipsychotics lead to far too much weight gain.
144thstonedmind 1 week ago
@144thstonedmind - i f you are gaining weight, exericise. Go on 50 miles bicycle workouts or 10 mile hikes a few times a week. It will burn off the fat and clear you mind in ways cannabis cannot begin to touch. On the other hand, you could just stay stoned and blame everything on the meds. That would be the lazy thing to do.
dennisallard 1 week ago
@dennisallard
Or you can smoke weed while hiking. I shall take the best of both worlds!
Chemicallobodomy 1 week ago
@dennisallard i just got up to 17 miles today. i am working towards more and more.
phallictractor 5 days ago
My girlfriends dad is schizophrenic and he often makes up ridiculous stories about things. He tries to talk in riddles when you ask him simple questions and 99% of the time the riddles are not even really riddles. Often he will get angry like a child and he has to leave.
fretzombie 2 weeks ago
Did you really have a itch.......?
nuclearthreat545 2 weeks ago
@nuclearthreat545 - I did, yes.
dennisallard 2 weeks ago
He's right about who owns the world
37rod37 2 weeks ago
peace to you Dennis, we had my wife's mother and my mother both living with us and both were disabled and we had two smaller children at the time. Not the same situation, but I can understand dealing with a trying and sometimes irrational situation.
garyarthurs 2 weeks ago
maybe he is telling the truth? Maybe he just needs somone to take him seriously even if they dont believe him
fatheadnumber215 3 weeks ago
@fatheadnumber215 - Maybe. Not. Please read the blog associated with this YouTube video to understand what my brother's condition has lead to.
dennisallard 3 weeks ago
Is he paranoid schizophrenic? How is Tony doing now?
I hope things are improving for you both. I wish you all the best.
rednogo 3 weeks ago
@rednogo - Tony's original diagnosis was that, but his more recent diagnoses have been bipolar with schizo-affective disorder. Thanks.
dennisallard 3 weeks ago
Dollars-to-donuts, he had a traumatic childhood. Look for Adam Curtis documentaries or message me for more info . . I think we're too quick to call people crazy when they've had trauma. Are soldiers murders, indeed serial-murders? We judge, and of course there's organic brain disease, but too many people are given dangerous anti-psychotics, and get diabetes or movement disorders.
monoamine1980 1 month ago
@monoamine1980 - Your judgement based on a 9 minute video that my brother had a traumatic childhood is incorrect.
dennisallard 1 month ago
@dennisallard I apologize, I didn't mean for it to come across as a judgement. I had an aunt with bipolar who lined me and my uncle up against a wall and was crying because she didn't want to kill us but had to, she had a glock and let off 2 rounds before I got it from her. I can patently see the compassion you have for your brother. I only asked because of the Rosenhan experiment, and also that when schizophrenics (typically when younger), when they were taken out of their family
monoamine1980 1 month ago
@dennisallard Again, I try and understand how my aunt could do that to me, she was about to murder me and luck saved me. So I don't base anything on this 9 minute video, I base it on such things as the Rosenhan experiment, and also that there are some machinations that are indeed kept veiled from us. Sincerely,
monoamine1980 1 month ago
@monoamine1980 - No problem. Good luck to you.
dennisallard 1 month ago
@dennisallard you too, and your brother. =)
monoamine1980 1 month ago
can some one explain what is going on here, is he lying in the sense its not true but he thinks it is. i really want to know about things like this. i want a real persons point of view not some doctor who is payed by drug companies to push supply on poor folks.
thegreenbastard42011 1 month ago
@thegreenbastard42011 - He believes what he says and thinks it all happened. Taking meds is the only thing that has enabled my brother to function in society. The social workers and doctors who prescribe meds to him do that to help him, not "push" drugs. I dislike the for-profit pharmaceutical industry but I do not blame the doctors for that. I blame the voters of the US who refuse to get rid of the for-profit private health insurance industry.
dennisallard 1 month ago 7
@dennisallard oh ok, thank you for clearing this up, i smoke pot and i had a head doctor ( i cant think of the spelling right now sorry) tell me i was going to turn schziophrenic, which you can understand is sickening. but the second point you made is very true, the public needs to start taking a stand , it almost as if they either feel defeated or cant be bothered. i hope things go well and a balance is found with your brother.
thegreenbastard42011 1 month ago
I notice he has a lot of mental activity. You can note that observing the movement of her eyes, his face movements, etc. As a lot or everything on his life is constantly modified by his mind, his mind itself never stops. I suppose this, but I can note this. He can either be happy or unhappy as any person, just the way in which is mind perceive the world or the reality is different.
fabrigarciao 1 month ago
It's upsetting to here him talk about the Julie woman living in Paris. It sounds like he really had a period of happiness before his schizophrenia ruined all of it. Did he really talk to this Julie woman or did he just cook it up in his head?
caffeinated4671 1 month ago
@caffeinated4671 - He is talking about events earlier in his life. I'll let him reply to this if even he chooses to.
dennisallard 1 month ago
Being overly conscious of "being a prisoner" will make you a prisoner. You have to, instead, realize you are free. Meditation helps between thinking and not thinking so much.
grimsr05 1 month ago 3
@grimsr05 - Meditation does not change reality. Meditation is good for many people. Personally I use aerobic exercise (road bicycle). This thread about being a prisoner is drifting away from the main topic so I will stop approving posts in that thread.
dennisallard 1 month ago
The impatience a brother or sister feels about their own blood losing it, is just painful. I see both sides. This is a very difficult thing to live with if the severity doesn't allow you to discern what is real nor not.
truvelocity 1 month ago
@rakabir1 A prison is a human construct, such a thing does not exist in nature because nothing natural can have it's free spirit (free range), so to speak, stripped from it. Limitations exist in nature and perhaps that's what you mean. Mechanisms of limit exist in things as large as stars (metallicity) and in small yet extraordinarily complex systems (the brain, computers). It's not bad to have limitations, it can be trouble to be without them.
MrCaptain221 1 month ago
@dennisallard And the keys to this prison doors are only with us schizos. :) One day I will successfully get my mind outta my way and I will be free. Sad that in order for this to happen I have to go through all the loops of my mind in my thoughts about everything that bothers me. I wana see an end to this mind talks we have. Thanks for replying. Very kind of you :).
rakabir1 1 month ago
doesntt take long to realize that you can never reason with a schizophrenic. logic does not work. if it did, then they wouldn't be schizoprenic to begin with. a very high functioning one might realize when their logic is messed up but ive never heard of any.
AhYaOk 2 months ago
There are a host of rational reasons for refusing neuroleptic medications. They are notorious for causing a litany of nasty side effects, including irreversible movement disorders. Also, they cause a horrifying form of inner torment known as akathisia. You will never be able to empathize with somebody who is non-compliant unless you've personally experienced the hellish side effects. It's often not as simple as 'not wanting to take medication because the client is psychotic and irrational'
Bigshotism 2 months ago
@Bigshotism - the effects of my brother going off his meds are that he becomes completely delusional and threatening to others.
dennisallard 2 months ago
@dennisallard Have you contacted NAMI? They might have some insights into dealing with a non-compliant, schizophrenic family member. I donate money to them even though I disagree with their stance on involuntary treatment. They might be a useful resource. Since your brother threatens others, I can empathize with your frustration esp. since you note he actually improved on anti-psychotic medication. That being said, I think compliance is enhanced when side effects are minimized
Bigshotism 2 months ago
@Bigshotism - Our late father was president of a NAMI chapter in the late 1980s when my brother was first afflicted. My father agreed with E. Fuller Torrey and was a strong advocate of medical treatment. As the blog associated with this YouTube video shows, the only times my brother is able to function in society is when he takes meds.
He will get out of prison in mid 1013. I predict he will go off meds again and then be conviected of a third strike felony. But I hope not.
dennisallard 2 months ago
@dennisallard Greetings Dennis. Your brother's story is what causes me cognitive dissonance re: my own civil libertarianism on mental health. Note to self: rigid ideologies don't explain how the real world operates.
I'm sorry to hear that he has been incarcerated, especially since his judgment is obviously impaired and I suspect that whatever trouble he got himself into was influenced by his schizophrenia.
It sounds like you probably have some insight into civil commitment..
Bigshotism 2 months ago
@Bigshotism You seem to have an open mind, so ask yourself if civillibertariantism is not a rigid ideology. (Personally, I never use the term "libertarian" - I always use the term "fundamentalist libertarian").
dennisallard 2 months ago
Have you ever petitioned to have your brother committed as mentally ill and dangerous to others (or dangerous to self)? I'm wondering if he could be treated in the community, even against his will. I know some states have ACT (assertive community treatment) laws that allow for forced treatment in the community via long-acting neuroleptic agents and other treatments. I'm not saying I'm 100% comfortable w/ this approach, but given your situation I'd be hard pressed to do nothing.
Bigshotism 2 months ago
@Bigshotism - Twice the process of obtaining a conservatorship for my brother was initiated. Not by me, although with my encouragement and the encouragement of my brothers closest friends. The state would have appointed a public guardian. In both cases the process was preempted. Once because he was on trial and once because he was being :"restored to competency to stand trial". Both situations were absurb mockeries of logic and truth. It's how the US justice prison system works.
dennisallard 2 months ago
@dennisallard Re: NAMI. I actually only became involved with NAMI as a result of Torrey leaving. My own viewpoint was that he was too extreme with forced community treatment. However, I think your brother's specific case is exceptional. Based on your assessment and his dangerous behavior, he's probably better off being treated even against his will. Unfortunately, the long-acting injections are typically phenothiazines with the worst side effect profiles. What a dilemma.
Bigshotism 2 months ago
@Bigshotism - I am acutally not all that familiar with Torrey. Our father thought he was a pioneer. I only judge from my own experience with my brother. That has lead me to believe that that his brain and consciousness is bipartite. When the system gives "him" the right to stay off meds, it is really giving the mental illness body snatcher that takes over his brain rights. Of course forcing meds on someone is harsh. De facto, that's what happens anyway to my brother in prison.
dennisallard 2 months ago
Hi I live in uk I take quentiapine and its really helped me I get it on nhs not sure how usa works, all the best with your brother x
jasonmhall1972 2 months ago
I see you have the intention to understand him and not spoiling him. This is real! I just know a few works portraying those people.
Im writing down all kinds of stories from my brothers past because now after 12 horrible years he's finally able to talk about a few things just like your brother here. Its about Mental hospitals, the Police, how he sees the world, medication problems, marijuana addiction, attempts to make him live alone, escapeing, ecc. Good luck for the future!
Mikaeloettli 2 months ago
@Mikaeloettli Marijuana Addiction are you kidding me? any normal person can quit cannabis just as easy as one can quit coffee, But when dealing with someone with mental disorders that use the herb to help with there problem will not want to quit something that actually works. cannabidiol (one of the cannabinoids found in cannabis) is an effective ANTIpsychotic.
MWCstream 2 months ago
@MWCstream - in the case of my brother, I tend to believe that cannabis worsened his situation. I favor legalization of all drugs, by the way, beacause keeping drugs illegal does not prevent or even lessen its use and it being illegal helps the Mexian Mafia, which is stupid and inhumane policy. But I hope my brother won't resume use of Marijuana. He knows that staying off it is better for him, in his case.
dennisallard 2 months ago
@dennisallard tell him not to use Sativa its higher in THC and low iin CBD. He needs something with a high CBD level, i would recommend and strong indica strain.
MWCstream 2 months ago
he picks up on your frustration and apparent condescending tone, becoming noticeably more agitated ... may not have been your intent ... but it is how it came across here, and looks like to Tony as well ... just a thought ... best wishes
garyarthurs 2 months ago 20
@garyarthurs - it is how it came across to you. You can't know how it came across to him.
dennisallard 2 months ago
@garyarthurs Was about to type that out, almost verbatim. Those who suffer from mental illness of any type can certainly be frustrating to deal with, but it's good to keep in mind that many of them are stuck experiencing that frustration and more, from within, and on a constant basis. The feeling of disappointing and burdening others as a result brings added stress, if not perpetuating and/or exacerbating the illness itself.
damyre 2 weeks ago
@damyre - I agree that it is better to be loving and not angry or judgemental with ones loved one who has schizophrenia. To a point. First, at least in the case of my brother, he appreciates honesty. He sees right through disingenuousness and insincerity. He would rather have someone tell him how it is rather than beat around the bush.
Also, his acts become so intolerable that many of his friends end up reading him the riot act, and you can't blame them.
dennisallard 2 weeks ago
@damyre - For example one of his friends found that my brother started showing up at night and trying to get into his place or sleeping in the back of his pick up truck. That friend has been helpful to Tony many times over the years. Now, when Tony shows up, that friend carries a baseball bat with him when he answers the door. My brother is six foot four, 230 pounds, and can sometime appear to be very belligerent. You get my drift?
dennisallard 2 weeks ago
so how is your brother doing? this video was posted a while ago...
wolfumz 2 months ago
@wolfumz - He is serving time for a conviction on felony vandalism and criminal threats.
He'll be released mid-2013. He is taking his meds and is extremely lucid and rational. He plans to continue his writing - an autobiography and some other stuff.
I will post an update to the blog when I find the time and motivation to do so.
dennisallard 2 months ago
@dennisallard that's really too bad he had to be arrested to start accepting treatment. It's incredible how schizophrenia can blind a person to the fact they are not sharing the same reality as everyone else. It sounds like he's working on understanding his illness and that's good. Best of luck to the both of you.
thank god for antipsych meds, right?
wolfumz 2 months ago
seems more like mania what he was going through instead of psychosis
HarrySackthatsme 2 months ago
@HarrySackthatsme - At the time of this interview, my brother had been on meds and was coming off of them. The blog linked to from this YouTube video explains better.
dennisallard 2 months ago
@valsharai LOL! The pharmacology of the brain is still very misunderstood. I don't mean to degrade your WikiEducation, but even the leading research institutions in the world don't have a definitive answer to schizophrenia. You also have no evidence to support your claim. Any yahoo can get on the internet and claim he cured himself of mental illness, but it is really meaningless until you provide some sort of proof. I for one do not believe you.
rore5455 2 months ago
It's a sad to see an intelligent man having mental health problems. He looks like a good guy and I think all the weird things he might do, ( I read Dennis Allard blog about this story), like being violent or shouting and so on it's because of the illness. Hope he continues with his medications.
zooropah82 2 months ago
thank you for sharing this. it's not only a classic example of schizophrenia/paranoid delusions but also a great example of how to communicate with someone suffering from such a disease. i hope your brother is doing better now that he is back on his meds and am glad he has you to look out for him.
mythos8709 2 months ago
one of my younger brothers has bipolar. Have had these conversations over and over with him. My heart goes out to you.
bdinger74 3 months ago
My dad suffers from schizophrenia, and this man reminds me an awful lot of him...his manner of speaking, the topics he speaks about, as well as his mannerisms.
msanthropanachronism 3 months ago
Omg this sounds just like my sister, right after she had her baby! She came off her meds when she found out she was pregnant and it took her 6 months to convince her to get back on her meds! It's draining for the family, and her new husband!
mmushy1977 3 months ago
Hey guys. I'm battling from schizophrenia. I'm not asking for money or views or anything, but just for support and for people to hear me out. My psychiatrist said to let people know about your problem, but everyone thinks I'm weird and my family cannot understand or take me seriously. I made a blog about my problems, and I hope we can talk on there. My blog is battlingschizophrenia.blogspot.com . Fellow schizophrenics, you should also come. We can fight the battle together.
jaco0bx 3 months ago
This is very interesting for those who want to understand schizophrenia better. Thank you for sharing.
estory76 3 months ago
I'm not denying that dude has a mental illness, but I think he's pretty much normal. He might have let too much of the world affect his thought process. Their is enough evidence to support the existence of secret societies, but to someone w/ a mental illness may go overboard w/ anxiety of it. I believe he's fearing the true fears that this world offers and acting in a rage, from time to time, is his self therapy. I believe he needs to take his meds and I definitely believe he understands........
mfcrush12 3 months ago
@mfcrush12 - the interview was made at a time where my brother had been on meds on only recently gone off them, so he was somewhat rational. He quickly degraded after this interview and a couple week later was totally delusional. Attempting to rationalize about his beliefs about secret societies misses the point. Those things are mere props in his delustional framework which is not rational in any way, so attempting to impute reason to his conclusions is a mistake.
dennisallard 3 months ago
@dennisallard How can you 100% say that secret societies don't exist? Sure it's hard to believe especially when we live in such a protected society (Im English) but the fact of the mater is, history shows us Governments lie, they deceive, there are people with bad intentions, secret societies have happened for 100s of years, so why not now? I'm not saying your brothers delusions are 100% true, but as mfcrush12 said maybe his mental disorder is blowing it out of proportion?
dodexodus 2 months ago
@dodexodus - sometimes I don't remove postings here about secret socities so I can clarify... Secret societies exist. So what? The wrong of governments is not secret. It is front page news. People who need secret societies as a reason to criticize goverments and power not only miss the point, they distract from the real problems, which are totally in the open (invasion of Iraq, for example). My brother's delusions interweave those beliefs and superstitions into his reality.
dennisallard 2 months ago
@dennisallard Totally agree. The crimes of governments are committed overtly (in large part). Sure, there are many dialogues that take place in secret, but to believe that secret societies are running the world like some conspiracy theorists do is nothing more than superstition.
I happen to know a conspiracy theorist (a mentally healthy one), and the amount of irrational fear and anxiety that he experiences is pretty awful. I cannot even imagine how a schizophrenic deals with it.
rore5455 2 months ago
"You fuckin punk ass NIGGER!"...."You Crip!" ROFLMAO!
nb22x 3 months ago
Thank you for posting this. These mental disorders are very serious and there are so many people who just don't understand the severity of these disorders. You are helping to educate the masses and for that I applaud you.
AjaX820 3 months ago
Man, there are unfortunately too many stories like his. It is a shame that even in the United States there is very little in the way of help for the severely mentally ill. Either you have money to pay for professional medical care or you end up in between jail and living on the street. It is so sad.
rore5455 3 months ago
Sad that some people cannot handle what they learn about.
StatHacker 3 months ago
That kid who asked him to buy some liquor wont be doing that again! Poor man- schizoprenia is horrible. There a prisoner of there own mind. when im manic thats what im like. paranoid delusions.
mrbipolarman 3 months ago
@mrbipolarman - "A prisoner of their own mind". Well said. I guess we are all prisoners of our own mind. But schizophrenics more so than others.
dennisallard 3 months ago 16
@dennisallard No, we are'nt prisoners of our own mind, iff we don't regard ourselves as prisoners of our own mind.
If you 'do' so, then you shall be so.
TheJonathankang 1 month ago
I have to say, at first it seemed like you were pointlessly berating him with questions about his delusions which seemed useless but how you got him to slowly leak information to you regarding his meds was amazing.
radicalaceshasbrin 3 months ago
Schizophrenic delusions are quite fascinating to be honest. terrifying disease...
radicalaceshasbrin 3 months ago
Meds...fuck the meds how can you live. meds don't do shit but cause more problems and when this illness occurs that is the only thing people are worried about 'are you taking your meds'
bzspo509 3 months ago
@bzspo509 - Meds are the only thing that has helped my brother and he would tell you that himself. If you want to ask him yourself, contact me and I will provide you with his mailing address.
dennisallard 3 months ago
@dennisallard Actually, I'm with the other guy thinking that the meds do more harm than good. I grew up with a member of my family who was bat shit crazy. The meds simply put him in what I would call a zombie state. The meds are not designed to help the person with the condition but to simply make them easier for the rest of the world to deal with. I think, as far as quality of life goes, I'd choose constant mania over lethargy any day.
Ilovetheplatypus 3 months ago 2
@Ilovetheplatypus - my brother becomes a raging maniac when off his meds - he has threatened people and damaged property - read the blog assoicated with this video.
dennisallard 3 months ago
@dennisallard My uncle broke more stuff than i can remember, told everyone he ever met that he was going to kill them at one point or another, and talked to people that had been dead for years. He took the punishment for his crimes as anyone else would have had to, and he still wouldn't go back on the meds. As I said before, the only people that the meds help are the people around the person taking the meds. If your bother was so found of them; he'd still be taking them.
Ilovetheplatypus 3 months ago
@Ilovetheplatypus - don't try to speak for my brother. He is taking his meds now and wants to take them.
dennisallard 3 months ago
@dennisallard Lol; so hostile... I don't know jack shit about your bother, but I have done a lot of work with people with mental illnesses. Every case I've saw were mania was present; the person taking the meds was either forced into taking them, or they chose to take them after 20 people told them how much more pleasant they were to be around. I think your judgement is clouded by the fact that you just want you brother to be "normal". I'd bet your bother falls into one of those two categories.
Ilovetheplatypus 3 months ago
@Ilovetheplatypus - the only thing clear is that you don't think my brother should take meds. The last time off meds, he damaged property and made so many threats to people he was convicted on charges of criminal threats. Although he has not physically harmed anyone, he is 6 foot 3 tall, weighs 230 pounds and is not someone anyone want so be around when he goes bonkers. If you want to writ e to him to ask him if he wants to be on meds, contact me and I'll give you his addres in prison.
dennisallard 3 months ago
@dennisallard I never said that your bother shouldn't take meds. I simply made the statement that I believe it should be of his own volition to do so: Not because he is forced or because he has been coerced into thinking he should. Fact is, those meds have a ton of side effects, and something like 1 in 100 people that take them die. I do think that if one makes the choice to not take meds; then they should be held responsible for their actions. Unfortunately, in our system that often means jail
Ilovetheplatypus 3 months ago
@Ilovetheplatypus - Define "he" and "his". That is like saying that you should let Mr. Hyde decide to take meds in order to help Dr Jekyll. And, if Mr. Hyde does not take the meds, then who do you hold responsible for "his" actions? Dr. Jekyll?
dennisallard 3 months ago
@dennisallard Don't know what you mean by definitions. Meds are not effective on all people with a mental illness. As such, they are held responsible for their actions, in our society, no matter what mental state they are in. You can't have one set of rules for one group of schizophrenics and a different rule for another. As unfair as it is, Mr Hyde would be responsible for Jekyll's actions.
Ilovetheplatypus 3 months ago
@Ilovetheplatypus - You said "on his own volition", "his". So you are saying that when the schizophrenic virus takes over my brother like a body snatcher, my brother is responsible for the actions of that body snatcher? I disagree. Those actions are not "his", they are the actions of a body snatcher that has coopted my brother's body.
And when the system give rights to "him" to not take meds, it is actually giving rights to the body snatcher.
That's what I meant by defining "him" and "his".
dennisallard 3 months ago
@Ilovetheplatypus - In point of fact, it is not true that everyone is "held responsible for their actions, in our society, no matter what mental state they are in", as you state. For example, in the court system, a plea of not guilty by reason of insanity removes responsibility.
Anyway, our current society, as inept as it is in treating mentally ill people and giving rights to the mental illness, is not a model of rightouness.
BTW, you got the Jekyll and Hyde roles backwards.
dennisallard 3 months ago
@dennisallard Lol; I've never read the book. An insanity plea doesn't actually remove responsibility. Depending on the severity of the crime it will get you put into a mental hospital. As many loonies will tell you, jail is actually preferable to the looney bin, and, based on the one I worked in, I'd agree. Now, there is this relatively new notion of "temporary" insanity. Judges do not factor such a notion into their rulings. This is something that is used to get a not guilty from a jury.
Ilovetheplatypus 3 months ago
@Ilovetheplatypus - Temporary insanity has been used successfully to both get defendents off and to reduce their sentence.
dennisallard 3 months ago
@dennisallard I don't want to start listing off statistics, but the insanity defense is rarely used in the US. Less than 1% of cases invoke the insanity defense and temporary insanity is almost extinct. If found guilty by a jury, insanity does not factor into the sentencing as we have minimum and maximum punishments for crimes. A prosecutor may decide to apply lesser charges. Several US states have banned the insanity defense. In the UK they do have reduced punishments for the insane.
Ilovetheplatypus 3 months ago
@Ilovetheplatypus - 1 per cent of all cases? Most criminal cases do not involve mental illness. That one per cent lead to a plea of not guilty by reason of insanity is statistically significant. I did look up the stats and per one authority, one fourth of those pleas result in not guilty verdicts. So, that's some progress in a society that is otherwise extremly narrow minded about the problem of schizophrenia and, to my original point, gives rights to the mental illness.
dennisallard 3 months ago
@dennisallard I think we're quoting numbers from the same Frank Schmalleger study. If you continue to read said study it will go on to explain why progress is not being made in the field. On average, less than 50 criminal cases use insanity as a defense per year. Even though the number is so small, those cases get a lot of coverage in the media. The public view the insanity defense as a last resort. As such, more and more states are abolishing the insanity defense.
Ilovetheplatypus 3 months ago
@Ilovetheplatypus - although this topic is relevant, we've drifted away from the original point. My brother is not the same person when delusional. He becomes someone else. That person does not have the competence to decide whether or not to take meds. The delusional one does not take meds. The sane one does. Your willingness to grant the insane one rights to decide does not help my brother. You can write to him if you like to get his take on this. I'll provide his address .
dennisallard 3 months ago
@dennisallard I have a family member who suffers from this. When hes not on his medication, he is really just the most insane person ever. He exhibits similar things that your brother does. He gets very violent, and I've often had to use physical force against him.
Hes really artistic and intelligent. He got offered huge art jobs, but due to his state of being, he declined. The other person he can become is just something else. The personality changes is just something else.
nbadjamesus 3 months ago
@dennisallard im sorry but i have to agree with platypus. i think your brother just needs someone to understand him. a schizophrenic is forever misunderstood. I understand the paranoia and delusions your brother talks about in this interview. i dont know if im becoming delusional but after shrooms, my outlook on the world has changed has completely flipped. I know what he feels when he speaks about masons and how we ourselves are not in control of our lives. we are living for the wrong reasons.
LawlCatsFTW 3 months ago
@LawlCatsFTW - you make the common error of assuing rational response on the part of my brother when he is insane. His reactions are neither rational nor do they correspond to what you think he "just needs". In fact, when he is irrational, his converstaions are with himself, not with others. There is no communcation going on.
Of course things are not black and white. I and many of his friends over the past 25 years can only hope he will stay on his meds this time. Read the blog for details.
dennisallard 3 months ago
Poor guy. :(
I hope he gets better..,
Chukkalow44 4 months ago
Good luck and all the best to your brother. Hope he stays out of jail and you seem like a nice brother.
Jairzinho121 4 months ago
Your brother must be a very brave man to sit infront of a camera, Didnt he mind it at all?
And i Hope the meds he's currently taking are working and helping him to fulfill his everyday life.
But just out of interest how old was he when he developed his ''illnes''?
Wish you and your brother the best.
LewisMB3000 4 months ago
@LewisMB3000 - my brother was 28 years old when he was first showing signs of mental illness. He had what can only be described as a psychotic breakdown. This is relatively late in life for that to happen but is not unheard of.
dennisallard 4 months ago
@dennisallard Ohh, Well i hope he's taking his Meds and i Hope he's Coping (:
LewisMB3000 4 months ago
@dennisallard mentally ill people keep sane people in balance, The universe is all about balance.
Jairzinho121 4 months ago
@Jairzinho121 - I disagree. Some (just a few) mentally ill people hurt or kill sane people. Then many sane people blame the mentally ill person instead of the mental illness. Many of the sane people are ignorant and do not provide for mechanisms in our society to treat mental illness and help those having the mental illness. There are are also many sane people who are not ignorant and who are trying to change society to provide better solutions for the problem of mental illness.
dennisallard 4 months ago
@dennisallard cant disagree with everything u just said. I applaud ur humbleness and lack of arrogance.
I still think bipolar/shchizo people tap into a part of reality that most people are unaware of.
But the whole point is we should be unaware of it,no good comes from opening this awareness up.
Jairzinho121 4 months ago
@Jairzinho121 - you sound like you are prone to believing in religion or some other form of false belief. Too bad.
dennisallard 4 months ago
@dennisallard I dont believe in false beliefs, but I also dont believe everything Im told.
I have an open mind.
Human history is littered with new ideas and peoples beliefs changing. Look at the earth being round, everyone believed it was flat, the same as the earth being the centre of the universe.
How do we know the truth? What if in the future we find out something that reshapes all of our beliefs. Science is already talking about alternative realities. Maybe mental ill ppl see it.
Jairzinho121 4 months ago
@Jairzinho121 - I think that the people who believe that mentally ill people are shamans may also still believe the earth is flat.
That being said, people like my brother do have insight into what is "wrong" in the world but they sometimes "over react" in ways that does not help anyone including themselves.
dennisallard 4 months ago
@dennisallard You are a douchebag brother for real, 2:37? He wants to move on with his life and you put him down like that? He is very intelligent and you sound like the mentally ill one. Your brother has experienced alot more than you though, thats for sure. I cant believe what your telling him in this video. so negative.
nostolgia 4 months ago
@nostolgia - why don't you read the blog associated with this video before making the kind of comment you are making. I've been trying to help my brother for 25 years and am in a much better position to judge whether he is moving on than you can after watching a nine minute interview. Better yet, read the hundreds of comments in this YouTube comment section made by people who understand the situation.
dennisallard 4 months ago
is he really schizophrenic??
MasterRolston 4 months ago
His most recent diagnosis is bipolar with schizo-affective disorder.
dennisallard 4 months ago
Off topic, but Tony reminds me of Christian Bale. I read about Tony's trial and I am sorry that he has been jailed. His writing is very enlightening. It is good that he is back on medication again and it is good that he has caring family.
halfideas 5 months ago
My younger brother is schizophrenic. Today at my job I helped a customer who was talking to someone who was not there (the store was empty) and it got me thinking about my brother. I realize that even with meds, my brother will never get "better". I think this is something that most people don't understand. Its also hard to separate the strange behavior that's associated with the disease and his actual personality.
RadAlly 5 months ago
@RadAlly, your observations are right on. Some who is schizophrenic does not "get better". That person copes. And it is important for society to realize this.
We should not put schizophrenics in jail. We should provide treatment. At times, that treatment should be mandatory. Under some circumstances, the rights of the individual to "not take meds" should be over-ruled and they should be required to take meds.
dennisallard 5 months ago 2
@RadAlly Your brother will get better, regardless of what you believe. Science does not need to believe, we simply know. The faith you do not have with your attitude of accepting the worst possible scenario as being "realistic" is not necessary. Science progresses while the rest of the world struggles to emotionally accept the mentally ill. Science accepts, without needing these psychological trials of faith; because we see the progress we are making. WE will all recover together. YOU can help!
valsharai 5 months ago 2
Dear @valsharai, your statement is pure bull shit.
dennisallard 5 months ago 2
@dennisallard I have schizophrenia. Haven't heard voices since I was 22, after 2 years on a gluten free diet. Guess what? 30-35% of the protein in wheat is glutamic acid. Look it up on wikipedia and learn to be more academic in your criticism. While you're at it, read about glycine and how it, as a co-agonist, pairs up with glutamate at receptor sites in the brain to prevent that glutamate from running amok as an excitotoxin destroying brain matter. Live and learn, then show some respect.
valsharai 5 months ago 5
@valsharai - who knows if you have schizophrenia. If it was as easy to cure schizophrenia as you and other all-it-takes-is-the-right-diet pundits claim, we would not have this scourge and, in particular, my brother wouldn't. I have little tolerance for preachers such as you.
dennisallard 5 months ago
@valsharai Faith, faith, faith. What is the purpose of faith? To remain comfortable when faced when uncomfortable evidence. If this is the only way you can cope, sure, fall back on your faith. Science may one day find a cure for schizophrenia, but having a faith that someone will be able to cure them in your lifetime is just unrealistic. You must accept things as they are and hope for the best, but have no faith that they will get better unless it's the only way you can continue living.
sean777333 5 months ago
I feel terrible that people have to deal with this horrible illness. I'm sorry for your brother and you as well. Can you ask him if he likes to know that so many people out there (via Internet or whatever) feel for him and wish him well?
forgtn 5 months ago
@forgtn - I will convey your thoughts to him. Any one who wishes to write to him directly can contact me at my YouTube coordinates and I will provide his address. He requested I do that.
dennisallard 5 months ago
Its very interesting how you can see his mind sway from "sane"(whatever that is) to full on delusion. from what i've read, it seem schizophrenia is largely due to a time lag in the brain. future events seem to happen in the past, and so on...making it seem like you're being controlled by outside influences. very scary. interesting video though. he seems like a good guy overall. and...the fact that mentally ill people are ever jailed...that's insanity.
avedic 5 months ago
Is he a racist?
boondocks123o 5 months ago
@boondocks123o - No he is not a racist. When delusional he focuses on stereotypes in society about various ethnic and religious groups.
dennisallard 5 months ago
@dennisallard ahh I see. In that case, best of luck to him and you and your family
boondocks123o 5 months ago
PUNK ASS NIGGER
jewwithbill 5 months ago
@jewwithbill - my brother picks up a lot of street language during his incarcerations in jail and prison, which are where we house many of our mentally ill in California.
dennisallard 5 months ago
i think schitzos would make great writers. their thot process is on another level
jackblacksutube 5 months ago
@jackblacksutube - my brother Tony is a good writer.
dennisallard 5 months ago
This is so sad. The people commenting on here giving you a hard time are ridiculous, they obviously have no idea what you've seen and been through with your brother. These people have no room to talk, YOU are the one who have been dealing with him and seeing that first hand, not them.
Kasidy009 5 months ago
@Kasidy009, you understand. Thanks.
dennisallard 5 months ago
the idiocracy is not me
nor do i feel bad for your brother
but mostly you
you calling people idiots
instead of leaving this for the world
to see you leave it for people to conversate about,
some one they dont know
this video shows what people will do with their own family
anoceanwithinme 5 months ago
@anoceanwithinme - you acused me of abusing my brother based on a 9 minute conversation between bothers that occurred after my brother made threats against our 93 year old mother's care givers and vandalized some other ex-friends property. He was definitely not moving on and saying so does not constitute abuse.
I offered you his address which I will provide offline so you can directly give him your opinion and get his response so you will understand how wrong you are.
dennisallard 5 months ago
Nothing wrong which this guy except too intelligent with too much time on his own , angry and frustrated, the guy with the camera, the brother, is an asshole. Listen to him passive aggressive sob "tony you're not moving on" keeps reinforcing the notion that he's ill, do you keep taking your meds" Drugs screw most of these people up which is why they sounded messed up, slurry.
DJSpinoza 5 months ago
@DJSpinoza is totally clueless. If you want to write to my brother so he can inform you how utterly stupid your remarks are, I will provide you with his address. In the meantime, read the blog associated with this YouTube video to get some glimmer of how I and other of his friends and relatives have tried to help him for over 25 years.
dennisallard 5 months ago
this guy doesnt need this abuse no matter what hes going through
anoceanwithinme 5 months ago
@anoceanwithinme is another idiot posting to this site because he, perhaps understandably, has sympathy for my brother. In no way does the frank dialog I have with him in this interview constitute "abuse". See the other comments that point that out. If you want to write to my brother so he himself can better educate you, contact me and I will provide you with his address where you can write to him.
dennisallard 5 months ago
He actually sounds like a genius, sad about not taking his meds.
kingjojothegreat 5 months ago 2
This guys delusions and paranoia put him in a mental prision
Sherpaful 5 months ago
....I feel SOO bad for this guy... :((
Mary5r3e5r 5 months ago
Thank you for posting this. As a psychopathology student, it is helpful to see a real person with a disorder rather than reading about it . Schizophrenia is one of the most heart-breaking disorders . I am so sorry your brother, who seems so intelligent, has to live in a time when we don't yet have a real solution for it. We should be spending more on schizophrenia than any other research project, in my opinion, because the patients suffer (not to mention their families) more than anyone.
mudskipper27 5 months ago
Thanks for posting. I'm sure that you have had more than a few challenges with your brother. He actually seems like a decent guy (besides his disconnection). What did he do to be put in jail? Are they treating him correctly? Typically, the mentally ill and criminals are lumped together! I believe the truly mentally ill should be separated from the general population in prison and treated. Billions of dollars are spent studying human psychology so why not apply that to the actual people!
444nice 6 months ago
In reponse to @444nice, the reason my brother is in jail now is that while suffering from delusions, he vandalized an old friend's car (keyed it). Then, while in a psychiatric hospital being "restored to competency to stand trial", he made phone calls threatening future witnesses in his trial.
I agree with you that those suffering from mental illness should not be treated by the prison judicial industry. We spend billions in Afghanistan and should be spending that inside the US instead.
dennisallard 6 months ago 2
meds this meds that meds is the only way. what about the millions of years without meds and just nutrution and shamanism
zacksoares94 6 months ago
@zacksoares94 - meds may not always be the solution, but for my brother so far they have been the only solution that works and he agrees that they are the only thing that has worked for him.
As for the past, can you say "insane asylums"?
dennisallard 6 months ago
@zacksoares94 Sure, what about those millions of years with no medical knowledge, having coronary artery spasms? Just get the shaman to dance around a bit and shew away the demons... Now if you'd just stuck with the one thing you had right (nutrition), you'd have had a good point: adrenoleukodystrophy is a great example of how the right diet can make a huge difference! (lorenzo's oil). Good diet, exercise and a good sleep routine can only get you so far, for some of us meds are salvation!
ninjatoothpaste 5 months ago
i have suffered psychotic breaks with reality through drugs and its really hard, i cant imagine being this guy, really sad
thehype04 6 months ago
Its such a sad illness that ppl r ignorant to until it hits home. I have always wondered why they all have pretty much have the same delusions, and delusions of camereas watching them. Its got 2 b more than a coincidence. There's a new theory that's holding weight about the cause. PBS did a documentary. HEARTBREAKING for any1 hav'n 2 deal or family member hav'n 2 watch em deal with it. HEARTBROKEN I AM
fockyoumang 6 months ago
He seems like an interesting dude, instead of being so negative "nagative". You could sit and have a conversation with him about something. Instead of bombing him with your negativity, and harassing him about taking corporate death pills he seems to not want. Like talking about him painting some woman's house gray, I think people would like to hear his reasoning behind that action and what symbolism he saw in doing that. And what made him think it was ok to do that to another persons property.
mg03nma 6 months ago
@mg03nma - I have been talking with my brother for over 50 years, including the past 25 years of his illness. I was not harassing him, I was trying to find out if he is taking his meds and he was not answering the question due to his flight of thought.
Currently he is in LA County jail, taking meds, and agrees that the meds are his only hope.
You can write to him yourself and ask him.
Send me a message to my YouTube account asking for his address and I will provide it to you.
dennisallard 6 months ago 10
@dennisallard ,why is he in jail ?
sn9696 3 months ago
@sn9696 - that is all documented in the blog associated with this YouTube video.
dennisallard 3 months ago
@UniqueCola - his diagnosis has changes over time. In recent years it has been Bipolar with schizo-affective disorder. The classification of these conditions are an inexact science. There are many different factors, poorly understood, that affect brain function and manifest themselves in different ways,. The attempts to classify them into a small set of named conditions is only an approximate system to aid diagnosis.
dennisallard 6 months ago
IF I may say, sometimes gerneric drugs do not do well as the patent ones. They will at times not work. So please pay atention to your love one to assure that it is working. The Dr will right it in the box. I have had to change 3 people from generic to name brand ad they did very well when switched back. I wish him well
1666cinnamon 6 months ago
@1666cinnamon - the generic drugs are exactly equivalent to the name brand drugs. They are the same thing. So any observation you made about one working where the other did not is due to other factors.
dennisallard 6 months ago
@dennisallard Im going to explain it as the DR explained to me, hope you understand it. They have the same ingredients, this is true, however each person reacts diffrently to each medication. for example generic acetemenphine is the same as tylonol however tylonol is patent. They may mix it 30 times and genrics mix it 10 which give it a diffrent effect. I found it srange as well and inquired why it was. its just something to be knowledgable on. it is however, very true for the 3 men i serve.
1666cinnamon 6 months ago