I do think these are important considerations, @drhat77. And I’m not opposed to the availability of medical treatments. Certainly not suggesting that all schizophrenics dump their meds and try to master their condition on their own.
I am however intrigued by the direction Intervoice is taking. I like their mission. I’m interested in knowing what their efforts will have taught us 10, 20, or 30 years from now. I imagine there’s incredible value in studying (and developing, if it works well) this brand of therapy.. just as much as there is value in studying and developing drugs with less invasive side-effects for these patients.
Btw, did you get a chance to watch that video, @drhat77? Super cool story. She’s working on her PHD now, I believe. She dealt with thoughts of suicide, she’s been abused, she’s been through the worst sides of it all and she still hears voices to date. But it’s like she’s found a way to resolve the voices in her head and make use of them instead of having them causing trouble all the time.
My question is: Can her method be used by all patients with dependable results? Or is it just something that may work under exacting circumstances? (Of course, I don’t think she has a “method” down as yet. I think she’s just studying the matter with hopes of developing a testable method)
@drhat77 I do expect that this kind of research and testing (over 30 years, for example) will have its fair share of casualties in the same way that drug research and testing has had and continues to have. Mortal risk is unavoidable, pretty much whichever way you go. The only way to find out what really works best is to be brave and give it a try. After all, attempts at “safety” are just that: attempts.