Schizophrenia - General Discussion

I feel like I'm constantly overthinking things here 🥳

I’ve still got three agonizing weeks stuck in the middle of nowhere, Chicago—instead of being out on the water, soaking up the sun, and actually catching some decent bass 👎

Hey everyone!
First off, I just finished reading all 198 pages of this thread, and honestly, props to you guys for sticking together through all this. You’re incredible.

But now, I really need some help...
It’s about a close friend of mine.
He’s 23, and this whole thing started about a year ago with his first "episodes." He hears voices, claiming he’s finally realized his true self—that he’s a descendant of Pharaohs, or Scarface, a vampire, or even the god of the universe. After those hallucinations kicked in, the aggression followed. He actually tried to strangle his sister, kicked his mom in the head, and... well, he flashed her something pretty graphic because she told him to stop being such an idiot. They called the police, and his mom reported him for using weed. They took him in, held him overnight, and then sent him to court, where he was ordered into "treatment" at a local psychiatric facility in Chicago. But after two interviews and a psych eval—and despite his mother begging them to just hospitalize him—absolutely nothing happens. The psychiatrist basically brushed it off, saying he’s just "a little eccentric" and that it’s too early to make any official diagnoses. It’s getting worse by the day. He spends most of his time locked in his room, "talking" to people who aren't there, asking them questions, and laughing hysterically at things only he can hear. When he does go outside, he’s a total loose cannon; he’ll start ripping trees out of the ground in public parks or telling random strangers they need to be killed.
What I’m desperately asking you all is: how do we force the authorities to actually hospitalize him and get him on medication? Should we try to provoke a reaction so we can call the cops again?

Gary Foster4 said:Hey everyone!
First off, I just finished reading all 198 pages of this thread, and honestly, props to you guys for sticking together through all this. You’re incredible.

But now, I really need some help...
It’s about a close friend of mine.
He’s 23, and this whole thing started about a year ago with his first "episodes." He hears voices, claiming he’s finally realized his true self—that he’s a descendant of Pharaohs, or Scarface, a vampire, or even the god of the universe. After those hallucinations kicked in, the aggression followed. He actually tried to strangle his sister, kicked his mom in the head, and... well, he flashed her something pretty graphic because she told him to stop being such an idiot. They called the police, and his mom reported him for using weed. They took him in, held him overnight, and then sent him to court, where he was ordered into "treatment" at a local psychiatric facility in Chicago. But after two interviews and a psych eval—and despite his mother begging them to just hospitalize him—absolutely nothing happens. The psychiatrist basically brushed it off, saying he’s just "a little eccentric" and that it’s too early to make any official diagnoses. It’s getting worse by the day. He spends most of his time locked in his room, "talking" to people who aren't there, asking them questions, and laughing hysterically at things only he can hear. When he does go outside, he’s a total loose cannon; he’ll start ripping trees out of the ground in public parks or telling random strangers they need to be killed.
What I’m desperately asking you all is: how do we force the authorities to actually hospitalize him and get him on medication? Should we try to provoke a reaction so we can call the cops again?

Look, the police don't decide who gets committed—that's entirely up to the psychiatrist. The cops are just there to provide backup and keep things from turning violent. You need to get to a specialist immediately and lay out the full, unvarnated truth of everything that’s happened. If he snaps and acts out again, don't hesitate—call 911 immediately.

It seems like everyone has completely vanished...
I was hoping for a little self-deprecating humor to liven things up, but apparently, that's asking too much. 😁

😍Seriously, is this place actually dead, or am I just talking to myself?🥳 ☕

Noah Garcia4 said:It seems like everyone has completely vanished...
I was hoping for a little self-deprecating humor to liven things up, but apparently, that's asking too much. 😁

😍Seriously, is this place actually dead, or am I just talking to myself?🥳 ☕

You're just being neurotic😵 ☕

David Vaughn75 said:You're just being neurotic😵 ☕

I'm curious, where exactly 😂 is that coming from, or what specific evidence led you to ☕ that conclusion?

So, I just finished my psych eval—you know, those little tests they make you take—and the woman tells me there aren’t any psychotic elements present, but apparently, I’ve got some anxiety issues going on. Everything else? Perfectly fine, according to her.

I have to admit—and I say this with zero shame—I was practically tripping over myself to get out of there. I was rushing through those questions as fast as humanly possible because, frankly, I can't stand being poked and prodded by someone trying to "evaluate" my soul. It’s invasive, isn't it?

Lately, I've been trying to find ways to actually feel better—doing the work, seeking the balance—but honestly, it’s hit or miss. Some days are okay, other days they're just... not. That’s pretty much been the whole story of my last few days.

I’m not happy about it, and damn it, it sucks.🙂🤔

Larry Lewis said:So, I just finished my psych eval—you know, those little tests they make you take—and the woman tells me there aren’t any psychotic elements present, but apparently, I’ve got some anxiety issues going on. Everything else? Perfectly fine, according to her.

I have to admit—and I say this with zero shame—I was practically tripping over myself to get out of there. I was rushing through those questions as fast as humanly possible because, frankly, I can't stand being poked and prodded by someone trying to "evaluate" my soul. It’s invasive, isn't it?

Lately, I've been trying to find ways to actually feel better—doing the work, seeking the balance—but honestly, it’s hit or miss. Some days are okay, other days they're just... not. That’s pretty much been the whole story of my last few days.

I’m not happy about it, and damn it, it sucks.🙂🤔

Honestly, I’ve spent way more time wrestling with anxiety than I ever did with psychosis—it's a different kind of beast entirely.

Look, anxiety? That’s almost the "easy" route compared to full-blown psychosis—at least with anxiety, you actually have a fighting chance to fight back. But this hellscape you're living through right now? That's a different beast entirely. It’s pure, unadulterated torment, and honestly, most people don't give a damn. They just look the other way while you're burning alive. 🙄

David Vaughn75 said:Honestly, I’ve spent way more time wrestling with anxiety than I ever did with psychosis—it's a different kind of beast entirely.

Look, anxiety? That’s almost the "easy" route compared to full-blown psychosis—at least with anxiety, you actually have a fighting chance to fight back. But this hellscape you're living through right now? That's a different beast entirely. It’s pure, unadulterated torment, and honestly, most people don't give a damn. They just look the other way while you're burning alive. 🙄

The absolute worst part of this whole existence—the real kicker—is that you never actually know what kind of day is waiting for you around the corner. It’s completely unpredictable. Take today, for instance; I was dealing with this crushing wave of anxiety, though honestly, yesterday was just as bad—maybe even worse—and it just keeps circling back like a bad habit. It is utterly exhausting. After a few days of riding that emotional rollercoaster, I find my willpower just... evaporates. And that's where the danger lies—when you lose that drive, things can spiral quite quickly.

Larry Lewis said:The absolute worst part of this whole existence—the real kicker—is that you never actually know what kind of day is waiting for you around the corner. It’s completely unpredictable. Take today, for instance; I was dealing with this crushing wave of anxiety, though honestly, yesterday was just as bad—maybe even worse—and it just keeps circling back like a bad habit. It is utterly exhausting. After a few days of riding that emotional rollercoaster, I find my willpower just... evaporates. And that's where the danger lies—when you lose that drive, things can spiral quite quickly.

When you're dealing with anxiety, you've gotta stay busy with something, anything, to keep your head above water.

You know how they say it—idle hands are the devil's workshop.

David Vaughn75 said:When you're dealing with anxiety, you've gotta stay busy with something, anything, to keep your head above water.

You know how they say it—idle hands are the devil's workshop.

Idle hands are the devil's workshop. 😉

Dammit, I wasn't trying to give you a literal translation. 😬

David Vaughn75 said:When you're dealing with anxiety, you've gotta stay busy with something, anything, to keep your head above water.

You know how they say it—idle hands are the devil's workshop.

I hear you.
Exercise helps me quite a bit, though it’s a struggle—I wake up most mornings and the anxiety just hits me like a freight train, and then I’m immediately reaching for my 0.5 Xanax and 50mg Faverin just to level out; once those kick in, I can finally sit down and enjoy a cup of coffee in peace.

The real kicker is that this anxiety can push me toward these ultra-light psychotic episodes—but since I'm already on antipsychotic medication, I can't really increase the dosage.

It is incredibly frustrating when you feel this way without any clear reason; you can try to think positive or whatever people suggest, but honestly, sometimes you just have to grit your teeth and endure it—there isn't much else to be done.

I’m curious—how much of a struggle is it for you guys to actually unwind when you're hanging out with a new crowd? I know all too well that people often look at those living with this diagnosis through a lens that is anything but appropriate. It's usually just a mountain of unfair prejudice.
Let's say someone new approaches you. They already know your diagnosis, whether they're looking to be a friend or perhaps something more. Would you immediately go on the defensive? To what extent would you be feeling skeptical?

Larry Lewis said:I hear you.
Exercise helps me quite a bit, though it’s a struggle—I wake up most mornings and the anxiety just hits me like a freight train, and then I’m immediately reaching for my 0.5 Xanax and 50mg Faverin just to level out; once those kick in, I can finally sit down and enjoy a cup of coffee in peace.

The real kicker is that this anxiety can push me toward these ultra-light psychotic episodes—but since I'm already on antipsychotic medication, I can't really increase the dosage.

It is incredibly frustrating when you feel this way without any clear reason; you can try to think positive or whatever people suggest, but honestly, sometimes you just have to grit your teeth and endure it—there isn't much else to be done.

Look, if you can actually talk your way out of it or manipulate the situation, it isn't a full-blown psychotic break.

When a real psychotic episode actually grabs you by the throat? You're screwed. All you can do is pray to God it passes.

Lawrence Reyes46 said:I’m curious—how much of a struggle is it for you guys to actually unwind when you're hanging out with a new crowd? I know all too well that people often look at those living with this diagnosis through a lens that is anything but appropriate. It's usually just a mountain of unfair prejudice.
Let's say someone new approaches you. They already know your diagnosis, whether they're looking to be a friend or perhaps something more. Would you immediately go on the defensive? To what extent would you be feeling skeptical?

Some of us haven't told anyone about our condition

But man, I really regret keeping it under wraps.
Now I’m stuck sitting there in social circles, constantly having to cook up excuses for why I don't have a steady job or why I'm not married, which just makes me look like some lazy bum in their eyes. I should've just laid it all out there from the jump—that way, you see pretty quickly who's a real friend and who's just a total fake.

David Vaughn75 said:Some of us haven't told anyone about our condition

But man, I really regret keeping it under wraps.
Now I’m stuck sitting there in social circles, constantly having to cook up excuses for why I don't have a steady job or why I'm not married, which just makes me look like some lazy bum in their eyes. I should've just laid it all out there from the jump—that way, you see pretty quickly who's a real friend and who's just a total fake.

Look, you can't change people. They are who they are.
I used to wonder if things would be different—if someone knew about the illness and still didn't care, would we still end up being guarded? How hard is it to actually build a real connection? I know plenty of you lost friends right at the start, and obviously, that leaves scars.

Lawrence Reyes46 said:Look, you can't change people. They are who they are.
I used to wonder if things would be different—if someone knew about the illness and still didn't care, would we still end up being guarded? How hard is it to actually build a real connection? I know plenty of you lost friends right at the start, and obviously, that leaves scars.

Man, that really depends on who you're dealing with.
Personally, I'm a total social butterfly—I make connections pretty fast.

But nowadays, I mostly hang out with the crew I met while I was stuck in the hospital and the folks on this forum. It’s honestly great because they already know I'm a complete nutcase. 😬

It usually takes me quite a while to find my groove; I’ve always found it a bit tough to just kick back and relax when I'm hanging out with a new crowd.
And honestly, I tend to be pretty skeptical of newcomers at first. I usually keep people at a certain distance until I feel comfortable—it's just the way that works best for me.

David Vaughn75 said:Man, that really depends on who you're dealing with.
Personally, I'm a total social butterfly—I make connections pretty fast.

But nowadays, I mostly hang out with the crew I met while I was stuck in the hospital and the folks on this forum. It’s honestly great because they already know I'm a complete nutcase. 😬

😂
I assumed that was the case too, but I figured I’d better ask just to be sure. 😁 I know a few people living with schizophrenia, and let me tell you, they don't exactly have huge social circles. It’s honestly painful to watch how many people intentionally steer clear of them. Such a shame.