Schizophrenia success story?

is anybody here who had schizophrenia and was able to undo the knot and lives without meds now? If so, what was your experience? what did you find out? what helped you?

....for you who reads this question and is about to write that schizophrenia is a lifelong illness and needs lifelong treatment, please go to www.schizophrenia.com and inform yourself. I don't need to hear it is a hopeless situation, nor can I imagine that anybody else needs to hear it. We all know it often is a lifelong illness, but we also know that there are still many people who suffered from it and it got better over time or even dissapeared. So please do me a favor and shut up, just shut up.

You are brave and need an honest answer. Most who can say yes to your question are reluctant to do so as it is the most difficult diagnosis to interface the public with. All the bad M.H. movies are associated with this word and the worst cases in history . Nonetheless I feel that I can say yes . There is only one way for recovery after a full psychosis to happen and that is after a separation from the life that created the problem. That means the people who were then in your life must be estranged until you are again strong. Then only god can really help you because a schizophrenic can really trust no one for the truth except god's angels. Time will seem like forever but if you will be safe in a safe place and seek your own group of people to be with then you can return to a functional level. The recovery is by definition impossible as one needs to assimilate back into the society as a whole totally and as yet I don't think it is possible . You will ever be in the small group of outsiders the rest of your life. I dont consider 30 years of medication and a damaged brain to be a success.

Watch the Movie "A beautiful Mind"
Based on a true story about a man with Severe schizophrenia at a time when not a lot was known about it.
Although I do not know anyone personally with schizophrenia . I do believe that any mental illness can be "cured" and or maintained by the person who has it. Doctors and medication can help. But the real cure has to come from the person with the disease. You have to decide how you want your life to be...then live it according to that decision.

I have a dual diagnosis of bipolar/schizo affective disorder.. I am not on meds.. (spent several years on them) .. I will not claim to be a success story.. but the affliction no longer controls my life. Still has a huge impact.. it just doesn't define me anymore. Hard to explain exactly what I am trying to say.
The key to this transformation for me was educating myself about the afflictions and focusing on changing the things I have control over. I live a VERY boring life. I eat well and sleep well. I minimize stress to the point of having none at all in my life that can aggrivate my condition.
My contact information is in my profile.. send me an email and I will give you my online screen name if you think you might want to chat about things.
I shy away from all the personal details of my life on here.. but if they can help someone else out there, I am very open and honest about it in a far more private setting.

Well, I don't think schizophrenia is always chronic, just like bipolar or major depression aren't always chronic. I'm bipolar and I need the meds because my symptoms never go away. You should fill out a psychiatric advance directive, go to bazelon.org to get a link to your state. That way, if you do ever relapse, there will be a legal document specifying the kind of care you would want.

All the best to you!