Ageing: Live faster, die younger

That is the title of this article it talks about people with schizophrenia dying younger than the rest of the general population.  “For decades, evidence has suggested that people with schizophrenia have shortened lifespans.   In the early twentieth century, doctors observed that these patients tended to die younger and seemed less healthy than other patients in the same psychiatric hospitals.  And today, schizophrenia patients appear to suffer from heart, lung and metabolic problems at a disproportionate rate – and at startlingly young ages.”  I understand how they can have metabolic problems since that it from the medication we take.  Since I started antipsychotics my body had not worked the same.  I remember a guy telling me you don’t gain any weight.  Then I stopped smoking and did I gain the weight.

The only way I was able to lose any weight was to cut back on the portions I ate and walking that helped me lose twenty pounds.  Although it seemed like I plateaued at the same weight even though I am still walking.  The only thing I do not do the same is lift weights anymore.  The only reason I stopped is because I wear a ring and when I lift weights it always smashes and they told me at the jewelry store and will cost next time to fix.  I always forget to take it off so it is easier to not lift weights than to remember to take it off every time.  “There are plenty of potential culprits: suicide, for example, along with the negative side effects of antipsychotic medications, substance abuse, smoking and poor health care – any one of which could explain why people with schizophrenia die 15-25 years earlier, on average, than those in the general population.”  That is one of the first things I did was get a primary care doctor. I have been in good shape except the weight.
I am not too bad although I will never see the weight I was at for thirty five years of my life. They do say they found a reason for this dying younger. “But some researchers believe that these external factors do not fully account for the reduced longevity. They point out that the increased mortality among schizophrenia patients predates the widespread use of antipsychotics, encompasses diverse causes of death, and has been documented even among patients who are receiving high-quality medical care.  These observations have led several investigators to propose a new explanation for the early deaths of those with schizophrenia: the ageing process itself speeds up. ‘Our hypothesis is that one of the reasons that they die younger is because they get old faster than the general population.”  Well it looks like they have found out why hopefully they can help us live longer!
It is strange how life changes I remember when I was young I did not care if I lived to an old age.  There was some crazy stuff I did than it is a wonder I am around now a lot of my friends and family are not around.  Then I had my grandkids and daughter and now I want to see them grow up. I still eat my small portions and walk I am never hungry and I do enjoy the good weather when I am walking.  A couple of weeks ago I wrote a blog about solitary confinement and there is an update they have passed a bill not allowing mental ill patients to be put in solitary confinement for as long.  All we need is the governor to sign this bill and make it law.  If it could save one more person from developing a mental illness it is great.  That is where I had my first signs of mental illness in solitary confinement.