Schizophrenia - General Discussion

granitefalcon9 said:If there happens to be a schizophrenic out there who isn't currently confined to some psychiatric ward and actually feels like talking, I would genuinely welcome your perspective

After seven suicide attempts, I was diagnosed with manic depression, though they ended up treating me with antipsychotics instead.🤷What specifically are you looking to know?

Carol Palmer66 said:After seven suicide attempts, I was diagnosed with manic depression, though they ended up treating me with antipsychotics instead.🤷What specifically are you looking to know?

That sounds harrowing. I’m dealing with Type II bipolar disorder myself, complete with psychotic episodes that mimic schizophrenia, though there is always that looming possibility of developing schizoaffective disorder.
I am curious about your current status—what medications are you currently on, what has your journey been like from the beginning to now, and which facilities or doctors handled your care?

granitefalcon9 said:That sounds harrowing. I’m dealing with Type II bipolar disorder myself, complete with psychotic episodes that mimic schizophrenia, though there is always that looming possibility of developing schizoaffective disorder.
I am curious about your current status—what medications are you currently on, what has your journey been like from the beginning to now, and which facilities or doctors handled your care?

I’ve practically lived in every psychiatric ward or facility out there. It started when I began using drugs at fourteen; they tell me all these disorders stem from that. They tried everything—every antidepressant imaginable, various injections, you name it. These days, I've been doing great for about a year. Just taking Effexor and cruising along.🙂

granitefalcon9 said:If there happens to be a schizophrenic out there who isn't currently confined to some psychiatric ward and actually feels like talking, I would genuinely welcome your perspective

So, what kind of meds are you on?

Carol Palmer66 said:I’ve practically lived in every psychiatric ward or facility out there. It started when I began using drugs at fourteen; they tell me all these disorders stem from that. They tried everything—every antidepressant imaginable, various injections, you name it. These days, I've been doing great for about a year. Just taking Effexor and cruising along.🙂

I have no idea what exactly you’ve been taking, but I can't help but wonder. As for me, I’ve only ever messed with marijuana, and even then, it was maybe ten times at most. It certainly wasn't that. Besides, I carry a genetic predisposition for these things, which adds a rather grim layer to the whole situation.
What exactly is AD? It’s one of those acronyms that gets tossed around in medical circles and online forums with such casual frequency that people often forget how heavy the reality behind the letters actually is. If you're asking about Alzheimer's Disease, we're looking at a progressive, neurodegenerative condition that essentially rewires—or rather, unravels—the brain's ability to hold onto itself. It isn't just "forgetfulness" or losing your keys, though I suppose that's where the frustration starts. It’s a systemic breakdown of cognitive function. I remember an old colleague of mine back in Chicago; a brilliant man, a real stickler for detail, who began to lose his grip on even the simplest sequences of thought. Watching someone of that intellect drift away is a quiet, slow-motion tragedy. Of course, depending on the context of your question, you might be referring to something else entirely, but in most clinical discussions, we are talking about the gradual erosion of memory and identity. It's a heavy subject, to be sure.
Have you ever found yourself wandering through those sleepy little towns out in the Midwest, like maybe some quiet corner of Iowa or rural Nebraska? I can't recall if I've specifically set foot in places like Vrabčac or Popovača—not that they'd be on my radar, given how much more interesting the outskirts of Chicago or even a small town in Ohio can be. I tend to stick to more established routes, though I do occasionally find myself drifting through those nondescript suburban stretches when I need to clear my head.
Are you still smoking weed? Honestly, if you ask me, it only serves to make everything worse.
I used to be on a regimen of Moditen, Akineton, and Normabel, but I’ve since transitioned over to Zyprexa. It turns out that when my doctor prescribed the Zyprexa, the Normabel had to be phased out entirely.

granitefalcon9 said:I have no idea what exactly you’ve been taking, but I can't help but wonder. As for me, I’ve only ever messed with marijuana, and even then, it was maybe ten times at most. It certainly wasn't that. Besides, I carry a genetic predisposition for these things, which adds a rather grim layer to the whole situation.
What exactly is AD? It’s one of those acronyms that gets tossed around in medical circles and online forums with such casual frequency that people often forget how heavy the reality behind the letters actually is. If you're asking about Alzheimer's Disease, we're looking at a progressive, neurodegenerative condition that essentially rewires—or rather, unravels—the brain's ability to hold onto itself. It isn't just "forgetfulness" or losing your keys, though I suppose that's where the frustration starts. It’s a systemic breakdown of cognitive function. I remember an old colleague of mine back in Chicago; a brilliant man, a real stickler for detail, who began to lose his grip on even the simplest sequences of thought. Watching someone of that intellect drift away is a quiet, slow-motion tragedy. Of course, depending on the context of your question, you might be referring to something else entirely, but in most clinical discussions, we are talking about the gradual erosion of memory and identity. It's a heavy subject, to be sure.
Have you ever found yourself wandering through those sleepy little towns out in the Midwest, like maybe some quiet corner of Iowa or rural Nebraska? I can't recall if I've specifically set foot in places like Vrabčac or Popovača—not that they'd be on my radar, given how much more interesting the outskirts of Chicago or even a small town in Ohio can be. I tend to stick to more established routes, though I do occasionally find myself drifting through those nondescript suburban stretches when I need to clear my head.
Are you still smoking weed? Honestly, if you ask me, it only serves to make everything worse.
I used to be on a regimen of Moditen, Akineton, and Normabel, but I’ve since transitioned over to Zyprexa. It turns out that when my doctor prescribed the Zyprexa, the Normabel had to be phased out entirely.

AD stands for antidepressants. I've taken pretty much everything you mentioned. I used to call Zyprexa "Zyprex" because it always made me feel so stuck.😁I've been to those state psychiatric hospitals—it was terrifying. Both the ones in the countryside and the urban ones. I actually had an intake interview yesterday. As for the weed... I don't think it caused anything directly, but I did go overboard with 15 grams once, so maybe that sent things spiraling.🤷Akineton is for schizophrenia, which I’ve dealt with too. It always kept me wired.😁

granitefalcon9 said:That sounds harrowing. I’m dealing with Type II bipolar disorder myself, complete with psychotic episodes that mimic schizophrenia, though there is always that looming possibility of developing schizoaffective disorder.
I am curious about your current status—what medications are you currently on, what has your journey been like from the beginning to now, and which facilities or doctors handled your care?

Marijuana actually works wonders for me; it keeps things level. My mom is totally cool with it, so I can smoke at home without any issues. There was a stretch where I was drinking way too much, though... that really messed my head up completely.

Yeah, I’m actually on Zyprexa right now if things get a little too heavy for me

Zyprexa just isn't doing it for me. I guess everyone needs something different, right?

Well, if it actually works, fine by me. I recall hearing some folks say things were a total disaster over in Seattle, while everyone else claimed Portland was heaven on earth—or maybe I had those two flipped, I can't quite recall precisely.
As for myself, I’m still stuck in the middle of my recovery program, so I’m staying far away from the bottle.

Well, I spent an entire month checked into a psychiatric ward before they finally managed to get my medication dosage right.

granitefalcon9 said:Well, if it actually works, fine by me. I recall hearing some folks say things were a total disaster over in Seattle, while everyone else claimed Portland was heaven on earth—or maybe I had those two flipped, I can't quite recall precisely.
As for myself, I’m still stuck in the middle of my recovery program, so I’m staying far away from the bottle.

The first place is a disaster, but the second one is basically for people who can barely string a sentence together. I went there with my mother about 15 years ago with a referral, and she told me straight up she wasn't leaving me there.

granitefalcon9 said:Well, I spent an entire month checked into a psychiatric ward before they finally managed to get my medication dosage right.

so, what was it like at the psych ward?🤷>

Carol Palmer66 said:The first place is a disaster, but the second one is basically for people who can barely string a sentence together. I went there with my mother about 15 years ago with a referral, and she told me straight up she wasn't leaving me there.

Well, it sounds like your mother was a sensible woman. Personally, I’ve never felt the need to engage in such nonsense, and I doubt I ever will; I prefer to avoid making foolish mistakes whenever possible.

in Chicago

granitefalcon9 said:in Chicago

Well, I haven't actually been there. Why on earth are you getting ready to head to some hospital?

No, thank God, I certainly hope I never have to go through that again. Still, I find myself curious about other people's experiences. From what I can gather from my time here, there aren't many people dealing with schizophrenia—it seems they're either already tucked away in psychiatric wards or they're simply too terrified to step out into the world and join the conversation.

Both of my parents are living with schizophrenia. My dad has been battling it for 30 years now, and my mom has been dealing with it for about a year. I’ve seen people posting on these forums saying that folks with schizophrenia usually hate life and just shut themselves off from the world.

But honestly? That’s just not my dad. He is one of the most positive, genuinely happy guys you’ll ever meet. He wakes up with a grin on his face and goes to bed the same way. And let me tell you, he hasn't had it easy—on top of the schizophrenia, he’s fighting diabetes, high cholesterol, and blood pressure issues. He’s even survived a couple of heart attacks and dealt with prostate cancer. But the guy never quits. He’s always buried in some book about circuit boards or whatever 😉 and spends his time soldering chips together. Basically, he’s a total electronics whiz and fixes all the electrical stuff for the neighbors. Up until recently, he used to drive everywhere, but he can't anymore because he lost his ability to see colors—yeah, colorblindness—so he can't make sense of the traffic lights.

With my mom, though, it’s a completely different story. Ever since she got sick, she’s totally checked out. She stopped talking to people, then slowly stopped talking to us, too. Now she just locks herself in her room and hardly ever leaves. She’s basically drugged up on meds and sleeps through the entire day. I’m reaching out to any professionals reading this thread—if there are any out there—to please tell me what I can do to get her out of that bed. I am seriously at my wits' end here. The doctors aren't helping one bit; they just hand out prescriptions and send her right back home. Please, if anyone knows anything... help me. Thank you...

Look, as long as she’s staying on top of her medication, that’s the main thing. But honestly? You might just need to give her some breathing room to process everything. This whole situation is brand new to her, so she needs time to wrap her head around it. I’m no expert, obviously, but that’s just my two cents. =)

Hey everyone. So, my diagnosis is F20.0—paranoid schizophrenia. I’ve been navigating this since I was 21, which means I’ve been under medical care for about a decade now. To put it bluntly, I spent a massive chunk of my life stuck in a really dark, unstable state—though, being me, I spent most of that time stubbornly denying anything was actually wrong. Even when I was taking my meds, I was still spiraling. Everything finally hit the fan back in 2008; I lost my job, my girlfriend, and my circle of friends all at once. I just snapped. I ended up checking myself into a psychiatric ward at a facility similar to McLean Hospital, where I stayed for three and a half months. Back then, the symptoms were overwhelming—I was convinced people could communicate through telepathy, so I lived in constant fear that someone would somehow read my mind. I had auditory hallucinations too, though they were brief. Right before I was hospitalized, I spent two weeks just lying in my room with the blinds drawn, refusing to eat... I even convinced myself I was having mental conversations with my upstairs neighbor, thinking we were talking
all day long. Looking back now, I can almost find the irony in it and laugh, but at the time—and for quite a while after—it wasn't funny at all. It was terrifying. I have to give credit where it's due, though; the doctors at the hospital really helped get me back on track, and I haven't dealt with any severe episodes in a long time. The only thing still nagging at me are some mild intrusive thoughts. It seems to run in the family, too—my sister struggled with similar issues, and my aunt has been dealing with mental illness for years. I decided to post this because I genuinely appreciate how open and candid everyone is here, so I figured I’d share a bit of my own madness. I know my fellow survivors will get it. Hang in there, guys; stay strong.👍😉