Schizophrenia - General Discussion

Noah Garcia4 said:I officially filed my divorce papers today at the Los Angeles County Superior Court 🙂 ☕

Honestly? I think you’ve made the smartest, bravest move possible. Just keep moving forward!

Chloe Lewis4 said:It's commendable that you want to be a friend and support her. Most people run from that kind of responsibility. I don't want to scare you, but since you admitted you don't know what you're stepping into, you need to hear this: schizophrenia, like most mental illnesses, is incurable, and 50% of patients commit suicide. No matter how attractive she is, do not initiate sex. People with these conditions often have a lowered libido due to the illness itself or the medication; you have to let her decide when it happens. If you aren't being honest and you're just looking to get under her skirt, you will only make things worse.

The bolded part isn't accurate. While I am not claiming schizophrenia is just a common cold, the suicide rate is significantly lower than 50%, appearing to be well below 10% from my perspective.
About twenty years ago, there was a belief that 25% of schizophrenia patients could achieve a full recovery.
Some of the diagnoses I personally dealt with were the most severe forms, specifically hebephrenic and paranoid schizophrenia. By definition, hebephrenia is considered incurable, yet I managed to almost completely recover in less than two years, though the accuracy of an initial diagnosis is always a matter of debate.
There is a vast spectrum of schizophrenia types, and every patient experiences them differently; many never require hospitalization, and even those who do sometimes find their way back to health.

I know plenty of people living with schizophrenia, and honestly—if I’m being completely blunt—not one single person I’ve met has ever truly been cured.

fadedlynx96 said:The bolded part isn't accurate. While I am not claiming schizophrenia is just a common cold, the suicide rate is significantly lower than 50%, appearing to be well below 10% from my perspective.
About twenty years ago, there was a belief that 25% of schizophrenia patients could achieve a full recovery.
Some of the diagnoses I personally dealt with were the most severe forms, specifically hebephrenic and paranoid schizophrenia. By definition, hebephrenia is considered incurable, yet I managed to almost completely recover in less than two years, though the accuracy of an initial diagnosis is always a matter of debate.
There is a vast spectrum of schizophrenia types, and every patient experiences them differently; many never require hospitalization, and even those who do sometimes find their way back to health.

Fair point. I misread that—it's 50% who attempt suicide at some point in their lives. My sister falls within that 10% bracket. By the way, if you say you're cured, does that mean you're off the meds? Can you actually function normally without antipsychotics?

Larry Lewis said:Honestly? I think you’ve made the smartest, bravest move possible. Just keep moving forward!

I appreciate the support. 🙂

Larry Lewis said:I know plenty of people living with schizophrenia, and honestly—if I’m being completely blunt—not one single person I’ve met has ever truly been cured.

The truth. ☕

I think it’s about time we finally established once and for all on this thread that schizophrenia is a legitimate physical brain disease.
Essentially, the neurotransmitters in the brain aren't functioning the way they should, which then manifests through behavior; however, unlike other medical conditions where you might see visible physical symptoms on the body that anyone can spot with the naked eye, people don't see the internal disruptions in the brain.
With schizophrenia, there is no way to actually witness the brain malfunctioning, yet that is precisely what is happening under the surface.
Instead of acknowledging that reality, everything gets wrapped up in vague labels like "psychosomatic issues," when in truth, the problems are purely physical in nature.

Noah Garcia4 said:I think it’s about time we finally established once and for all on this thread that schizophrenia is a legitimate physical brain disease.
Essentially, the neurotransmitters in the brain aren't functioning the way they should, which then manifests through behavior; however, unlike other medical conditions where you might see visible physical symptoms on the body that anyone can spot with the naked eye, people don't see the internal disruptions in the brain.
With schizophrenia, there is no way to actually witness the brain malfunctioning, yet that is precisely what is happening under the surface.
Instead of acknowledging that reality, everything gets wrapped up in vague labels like "psychosomatic issues," when in truth, the problems are purely physical in nature.

For instance—and I've experienced this myself—I'll go to bed feeling perfectly fine, my head in a good place, only to wake up gripped by this overwhelming, crushing anxiety. And don't even get me started on the dreams. It's exhausting. I try so hard to stay positive and act "normal"—which is a massive uphill battle—but it isn't a matter of willpower; it feels like some internal force is just forcing me to feel miserable. I mean, it's not constant, but I definitely spend more time feeling low than high, or maybe just hovering somewhere in the middle. I'm not doing anything wrong, I'm not living a life of sin, so I truly believe your theory is spot on.

Larry Lewis said:I know plenty of people living with schizophrenia, and honestly—if I’m being completely blunt—not one single person I’ve met has ever truly been cured.

I was hospitalized just once about twenty years ago, involving a single prolonged episode that spanned several different facilities.
Back then, the consensus was that 25% of patients with schizophrenia could actually recover, an idea that even the patients themselves embraced, which meant they didn't view being admitted to a psychiatric ward with such a diagnosis as a particularly dire fate if it happened to be their first time.
Check the other reply for more details.

Chloe Lewis4 said:Fair point. I misread that—it's 50% who attempt suicide at some point in their lives. My sister falls within that 10% bracket. By the way, if you say you're cured, does that mean you're off the meds? Can you actually function normally without antipsychotics?

I’ve cycled through several diagnoses over the years, mostly varying forms of psychosis and schizophrenia, specifically hebephrenic and paranoid types. I'm not entirely sure if they even use the term "schizophrenic psychosis" much these days, but that was my last official label. The medication I was on, Lexapro, is essentially the same whether the diagnosis is psychosis or schizophrenia. My primary psychiatrist told me it didn't really matter what the specific label was; the priority was staying on the meds and attending follow-ups to prevent a total relapse. Things gradually improved, and we started tapering my Lexapro dose. However, about a year after being discharged, my blood work came back abnormal, forcing me to stop taking Lexapro entirely. There wasn't an alternative that worked; I tried everything the hospital systems could throw at me, and nothing helped. I kept seeing psychiatrists and going to my appointments, and eventually, things stabilized enough that I didn't need any medication at all.
Nowadays, most psychiatrists argue it wasn't actually schizophrenia, though back then the consensus was split between those certain it was schizophrenia and those who viewed it strictly as psychosis.
My current diagnosis is bipolar disorder, and I only take lithium. I also have an antipsychotic on hand that I don't actually take, which is intended for emergencies if I feel a lapse coming on, though the logic always escaped me because when you're in a psychotic state, you usually feel perfectly fine and wouldn't realize you need something to bring you back to reality.
The bottom line is that no one can accurately pin down what my diagnoses used to be, as I appear completely normal to the outside world.
And unfortunately, my sister took her own life; she was the most level-headed person in our family and never had a single diagnosis.

fadedlynx96 said:I’ve cycled through several diagnoses over the years, mostly varying forms of psychosis and schizophrenia, specifically hebephrenic and paranoid types. I'm not entirely sure if they even use the term "schizophrenic psychosis" much these days, but that was my last official label. The medication I was on, Lexapro, is essentially the same whether the diagnosis is psychosis or schizophrenia. My primary psychiatrist told me it didn't really matter what the specific label was; the priority was staying on the meds and attending follow-ups to prevent a total relapse. Things gradually improved, and we started tapering my Lexapro dose. However, about a year after being discharged, my blood work came back abnormal, forcing me to stop taking Lexapro entirely. There wasn't an alternative that worked; I tried everything the hospital systems could throw at me, and nothing helped. I kept seeing psychiatrists and going to my appointments, and eventually, things stabilized enough that I didn't need any medication at all.
Nowadays, most psychiatrists argue it wasn't actually schizophrenia, though back then the consensus was split between those certain it was schizophrenia and those who viewed it strictly as psychosis.
My current diagnosis is bipolar disorder, and I only take lithium. I also have an antipsychotic on hand that I don't actually take, which is intended for emergencies if I feel a lapse coming on, though the logic always escaped me because when you're in a psychotic state, you usually feel perfectly fine and wouldn't realize you need something to bring you back to reality.
The bottom line is that no one can accurately pin down what my diagnoses used to be, as I appear completely normal to the outside world.
And unfortunately, my sister took her own life; she was the most level-headed person in our family and never had a single diagnosis.

So, what you're saying is you cured your schizophrenia just by switching over to bipolar?

Noah Garcia4 said:So, what you're saying is you cured your schizophrenia just by switching over to bipolar?

No, I don't think so, because from my perspective, bipolar disorder doesn't really overlap with schizophrenia or psychosis at all.
It’s entirely possible I’ve always been bipolar.
The schizophrenia and psychosis were simply much more severe and required active treatment, whereas the other labels—anxiety, panic attacks, OCD, or general mental instability—were mostly secondary things the doctors didn't bother focusing on.
To be honest, I can't see the connection between being diagnosed as bipolar now and having dealt with schizophrenia or psychosis in the past, though I never actually pressed my doctors for a direct explanation.
The bipolar diagnosis only came much later, once I was supposedly "recovered," back when I had lost interest in everything except avoiding a stay in a locked psychiatric ward.
I still maintain that bipolar belongs in the same category as schizophrenia and that they essentially exclude one another, which would imply that if I'm bipolar today, I couldn't have had schizophrenia twenty years ago, though I can't say for sure since even the psychiatrists couldn't reach a consensus on what was actually happening.

How am I supposed to play the nice guy here? Lithium is an incredibly heavy-duty medication. We're talking about serious, intense chemistry.
Larry Lewis and I were essentially trying to point out that there’s virtually no chance someone who has experienced psychosis and been prescribed antipsychotics will just magically walk away from them for good and live a perfectly normal life. That would be what you call a total cure.
I’m not sure if that makes sense to you now. I think that’s exactly what Larry Lewis meant when he used the term "cured."

I have heard quite a few accounts from others suggesting that some people enter spontaneous remission following an schizophrenia diagnosis, and I suppose there might be a roughly 25% chance of achieving a full recovery. However, there remains a significant possibility that psychosis could become a chronic condition... Still, I believe there are instances where individuals do recover, even if that percentage isn't particularly high.

ruggedtinker9 said:I have heard quite a few accounts from others suggesting that some people enter spontaneous remission following an schizophrenia diagnosis, and I suppose there might be a roughly 25% chance of achieving a full recovery. However, there remains a significant possibility that psychosis could become a chronic condition... Still, I believe there are instances where individuals do recover, even if that percentage isn't particularly high.

That might only apply to the early stages of schizophrenia when symptoms are still minimal.🤷

I suppose there are certain individuals who actually manage to recover and reach a point where they no longer require medication; one can find quite a collection of such testimonies scattered across the internet... though, I must admit, I am somewhat uncertain as to how much weight one should truly give them. That said, I have spent a fair amount of time watching documentaries and reading accounts from people who navigated through all of this and eventually maintained a state of remission....it seems some people simply get lucky and pull through, while others remain caught in the cycle....who can really say for sure?

Noah Garcia4 said:How am I supposed to play the nice guy here? Lithium is an incredibly heavy-duty medication. We're talking about serious, intense chemistry.
Larry Lewis and I were essentially trying to point out that there’s virtually no chance someone who has experienced psychosis and been prescribed antipsychotics will just magically walk away from them for good and live a perfectly normal life. That would be what you call a total cure.
I’m not sure if that makes sense to you now. I think that’s exactly what Larry Lewis meant when he used the term "cured."

No offense intended, but compared to antipsychotics, lithium is nothing more than a minor supplement; it’s practically on par with taking magnesium, iron, or Vitamin C. It isn't some complex chemical miracle engineered specifically for psychosis or Bipolar.
In my case, they didn't prescribe it to replace my antipsychotics, but rather as something entirely separate, and if I don't want it, I can just stop.
Beyond that, after I was discharged from the hospital, I didn't take anything for years—nearly a decade.
I consider myself cured of psychosis or schizophrenia, and frankly, the distinction doesn't matter to me, but let's at least avoid crushing the hope of anyone reading this.

ruggedtinker9 said:I have heard quite a few accounts from others suggesting that some people enter spontaneous remission following an schizophrenia diagnosis, and I suppose there might be a roughly 25% chance of achieving a full recovery. However, there remains a significant possibility that psychosis could become a chronic condition... Still, I believe there are instances where individuals do recover, even if that percentage isn't particularly high.

A 25% chance of a complete cure for schizophrenia or psychosis would be an astronomical figure.

If that were the reality for other conditions like diabetes, heart disease, or cancer, everyone would be satisfied and the entire hospital industry would collapse overnight.

Chloe Lewis4 As if anyone actually believes that.
It’s entirely possible that this refers to the early stages of schizophrenia, where the symptoms remain almost imperceptible. 🤷

That 25% figure specifically refers to the initial psychotic episode or an initial schizophrenia diagnosis, because once you hit that second one, there isn't much left to be done.

I suspect most young patients back then didn't give a damn about an schizophrenia diagnosis because we all lived under the delusion that a cure was just around the corner—though, looking back, we clearly weren't in our right minds.

I honestly felt like having schizophrenia or psychosis would have been preferable to living with Bipolar disorder, since for some reason, Bipolar is always framed as this uniquely horrific, incurable affliction.

In the end, I walked away with all three diagnoses, yet everything turned out significantly better than I ever could have anticipated or even dared to hope for.

fadedlynx96 said:No, I don't think so, because from my perspective, bipolar disorder doesn't really overlap with schizophrenia or psychosis at all.
It’s entirely possible I’ve always been bipolar.
The schizophrenia and psychosis were simply much more severe and required active treatment, whereas the other labels—anxiety, panic attacks, OCD, or general mental instability—were mostly secondary things the doctors didn't bother focusing on.
To be honest, I can't see the connection between being diagnosed as bipolar now and having dealt with schizophrenia or psychosis in the past, though I never actually pressed my doctors for a direct explanation.
The bipolar diagnosis only came much later, once I was supposedly "recovered," back when I had lost interest in everything except avoiding a stay in a locked psychiatric ward.
I still maintain that bipolar belongs in the same category as schizophrenia and that they essentially exclude one another, which would imply that if I'm bipolar today, I couldn't have had schizophrenia twenty years ago, though I can't say for sure since even the psychiatrists couldn't reach a consensus on what was actually happening.

How can you not know if you had schizophrenia? Were you experiencing auditory or visual hallucinations and those types of symptoms back then?http://www.nimh.nih.gov/health/publi...ophrenia.shtml?
On another note, I'm seeing a girl with Bipolar disorder. How should I handle this? She seems pretty promiscuous.

Noah Garcia4 said:How am I supposed to play the nice guy here? Lithium is an incredibly heavy-duty medication. We're talking about serious, intense chemistry.
Larry Lewis and I were essentially trying to point out that there’s virtually no chance someone who has experienced psychosis and been prescribed antipsychotics will just magically walk away from them for good and live a perfectly normal life. That would be what you call a total cure.
I’m not sure if that makes sense to you now. I think that’s exactly what Larry Lewis meant when he used the term "cured."

Yes, that’s exactly what I meant when I used the word "healing"—though, looking back, maybe that was an optimistic choice of words. I decided to cut my dosage in half just to see what would happen—purely out of curiosity, I suppose—and by the fourth or fifth day, things had already gone south. It wasn't even about whether I was actually taking the pills or not; it was more about the temperament... I didn't find myself cursing at the walls or losing my cool like I usually do during those few days, but let me tell you, it certainly wasn't "better."🙂
So, there you have it—the brain is broken, and that’s just the cold, hard reality of the situation. It’s all very simple, really, if you can stomach the simplicity of it—though I suspect most people find the whole thing far too complex to actually face. One's mind malfunctions, the gears grind to a halt, and suddenly you're left staring at the wreckage of your own cognitive processes. It’s a grim business, isn't it? Just... that's it. End of story.😢