Schizophrenia - General Discussion

Dana Martin87 said:My family has been dealing with my brother’s schizophrenia since 2008. I feel so incredibly bad for my parents. My mom is seriously ill, but she refuses surgery because she’s terrified of leaving my brother alone. My dad tries to cope by staying out of the house as much as possible. My brother has his good days, but the bad ones definitely outweigh them. Now he’s off his medication again, sending me messages claiming that big-time American groups are out to get him and that he’s going to take them all down. It's just heartbreaking. :-(:-(:-(
I don't think there's a harder battle than schizophrenia. Even though I know some people manage to handle this illness well, I’m losing hope that my brother will ever be one of them. 😢

He has to take the medication. Period.
Back in the day, I was playing the "tough guy" act, thinking I didn't need the pills—and my mom gave me an ultimatum: either take the meds or get out of the house. Since I had nowhere else to go and was still figuring my life out, I stayed put and swallowed the damn things. Looking back now, I just want to shake my younger self and say, "You idiot, you're lucky you listened, not because you were smart, but because you had no other choice."

And it shouldn't just be about the meds, either—he needs to get into some kind of outpatient program where he can do occupational therapy and actually socialize with people.

Psychosis isn't even some unsolvable medical mystery in this day and age; the real struggle is just convincing the patient that they actually need help.

It’s impossible to get through to him because he’s always been on his own wavelength; my parents never really knew how to handle him. He was one of those gifted kids—honestly, you wouldn't believe how early he was reading and writing. His teachers were practically begging my parents to let him skip grades, and they used to have him sit with the older kids to tutor them. He was a chess champion, art professors saw a future master painter in him, an American literary legend in the making, a math prodigy... he was so talented that he was the authority in our house, not the other way around.

At one point, he actually trusted this psychiatrist, but then the guy said a few things that made my brother start feeling like he was just some kind of idiot—the doctor was a religious zealot, and after that, my brother decided he was done with him. Now, he hasn't been to therapy in ages and he’s completely off his meds. I’m terrified they’ll try to force him into a psychiatric ward again. He refuses to take the pills because he says they just numb his brain. I don't know... I have my own life to live, but I feel for my parents. I feel for him too, but damn, it drives me crazy how he messes around with his medication when there's absolutely no way to make him understand why he needs it.

Dana Martin87 said:It’s impossible to get through to him because he’s always been on his own wavelength; my parents never really knew how to handle him. He was one of those gifted kids—honestly, you wouldn't believe how early he was reading and writing. His teachers were practically begging my parents to let him skip grades, and they used to have him sit with the older kids to tutor them. He was a chess champion, art professors saw a future master painter in him, an American literary legend in the making, a math prodigy... he was so talented that he was the authority in our house, not the other way around.

At one point, he actually trusted this psychiatrist, but then the guy said a few things that made my brother start feeling like he was just some kind of idiot—the doctor was a religious zealot, and after that, my brother decided he was done with him. Now, he hasn't been to therapy in ages and he’s completely off his meds. I’m terrified they’ll try to force him into a psychiatric ward again. He refuses to take the pills because he says they just numb his brain. I don't know... I have my own life to live, but I feel for my parents. I feel for him too, but damn, it drives me crazy how he messes around with his medication when there's absolutely no way to make him understand why he needs it.

Look, he can always just find a new doctor.
And if the side effects are trash, he can switch up the medication too.

The real trick is getting him to accept that he’s actually sick, and that he isn't being hunted down by some paranoid conspiracy involving Americans. If you can get him to swallow that, you're halfway to winning the battle against the illness.

When he’s actually taking his meds, he starts going off about all these hallucinations he’s having. He knows he's sick, sure, but he still rants about how psychiatrists don't know anything—claims the whole field of psychiatry is just one big joke.
Then he goes looking for "alternative" ways to get better, which always ends up being him trying to quit his medication, and that's when he starts losing his grip on reality. Even when he's medicated, he can still hear voices, just muffled.
The voices mostly tell him to kill himself or someone else, and honestly, it's terrifying.

Dana Martin87 said:It’s impossible to get through to him because he’s always been on his own wavelength; my parents never really knew how to handle him. He was one of those gifted kids—honestly, you wouldn't believe how early he was reading and writing. His teachers were practically begging my parents to let him skip grades, and they used to have him sit with the older kids to tutor them. He was a chess champion, art professors saw a future master painter in him, an American literary legend in the making, a math prodigy... he was so talented that he was the authority in our house, not the other way around.

At one point, he actually trusted this psychiatrist, but then the guy said a few things that made my brother start feeling like he was just some kind of idiot—the doctor was a religious zealot, and after that, my brother decided he was done with him. Now, he hasn't been to therapy in ages and he’s completely off his meds. I’m terrified they’ll try to force him into a psychiatric ward again. He refuses to take the pills because he says they just numb his brain. I don't know... I have my own life to live, but I feel for my parents. I feel for him too, but damn, it drives me crazy how he messes around with his medication when there's absolutely no way to make him understand why he needs it.

I am so sorry you’re going through this, but if it helps, I can tell you that I truly understand what your brother is feeling. I take my medications and I go in for injections, but that’s barely scratching the surface of what it takes to recover from schizophrenia. Meds can definitely leave you feeling numb, even the good ones, though perhaps a little less so. It feels like choosing between two evils: either deal with the psychosis or deal with being visibly drugged, and I’ve chosen the latter. I don't think I made the wrong call. I attend group psychotherapy sessions with others who are all dealing with psychosis. You can tell by looking at us that we’re under the influence of medication, at least a little bit. And that’s not even mentioning the depression, which is such a core part of schizophrenia, regardless of whether the meds cause it or not. When you're on medication, you stop causing trouble for the people around you, but internally, you can feel a bit hollow or cold. Over time, most people find they can taper down, so the goal is often finding that sweet spot—a dosage that isn't overwhelming but is strong enough to catch all the symptoms. Personally, I think I'm right on that edge; sometimes my thoughts start to drift, but if we ramp up the treatment, I’ll just become a "dead man walking" all over again... if I'm not already. As long as it doesn't get worse, I suppose. Your brother, if there's any of that brilliant intellect left, will eventually realize that psychiatrists aren't playing God and that they deserve some level of trust... even a mediocre doctor is better for a sick person than no doctor at all, and a good one is worth their weight in gold.

David Vaughn75 said:So you were dealing with acute psychosis back then, huh?

Psychiatrists love handing out fancy labels, but usually, they just slap "acute psychosis" on your file the first time you walk through the door—even when they haven't got a clue what's actually going on. Then, if the psychosis flares up again down the road, they just pivot and write down F20.0 (paranoid schizophrenia) and call it a day.

Yeah, I’m fairly certain that was the standard practice twenty years ago as well.

Today marks exactly twenty years. Since the day of the week back then was a Friday, both September 6th and September 13th qualify as potential anniversaries.

Following the logic used two decades ago, if a second psychotic episode occurs after a twenty-year gap, they are treated as entirely separate incidents, which wouldn't be enough to meet the diagnostic criteria for Sch (though I'm not sure if that medical standard still holds up today).

Regardless, I am celebrating, whether there is a profound reason for it or not, though I've caught a cold so I won't be toasting with wine—one shouldn't drink wine when they are under the weather.

Even if I were perfectly healthy, I could tell by looking at that wine. One of my choices was a Tokaji, specifically a 5 Puttonyos, which was actually my first pick. I pulled a bottle off the shelf and saw it was from 1993; it didn't matter to me one bit, even if my own name had been printed on the label.

Years ago, an occurrence like that would have felt like a sign that the universe was conspiring against me, just waiting for its moment, but now it is merely a coincidence. It was just spoiled wine, nothing more, since most wines can't actually sit for twenty years. In the end, I returned all four or five bottles I had bought and kept only the dessert wines.

And I am completely fine, regardless of the bipolar diagnosis or the lithium. It isn't some grand struggle, and I handle it just fine.

Well, kids, my doctor went ahead and stripped me off the Zyprexa—again—so naturally, I’m right back on my old Risperdal... though at a dose large enough to knock out a thoroughbred, because clearly, I'm just a beast of burden. 🙂

As for that GP? I'm filing a formal complaint against her tomorrow morning. She flat-out refused to refill my prescription, and frankly, I've got the corporate office number right here—I might as well make her life a little more difficult for being so unhelpful.

What’s the standard equine dosage for Rispolept?

Robin Lopez2 said:What’s the standard equine dosage for Rispolept?

A steady 4 mg a day.

Larry Lewis said:A steady 4 mg a day.

My mom is actually on a much heavier regimen, taking something like 6 mg combined with a 50 mg injection every two weeks. On top of that, she’s managing things like Lexapro and Prozac, along with a few other medications... though her doses aren't quite as "extreme" as the ones I mentioned earlier.

My mom was recently diagnosed with schizophrenia. Based on everything she’s been experiencing, it seems pretty definitive. She’s only seen a psychiatrist once so far, so I need to check when her next appointment is scheduled. Looking back at the diagnosis, it’s clear she wasn't being entirely truthful about her symptoms during that first visit—she was essentially lying about parts of it. Now that I'm researching the symptoms online, it all lines up perfectly. My dad is planning to take her to see the specialist again soon to give them the full story so they can get her started on the right medication. Honestly, this is hitting me incredibly hard. I’ve been reading that these issues typically surface in people between the ages of 15 and 25. My mom is 46, which is older than the typical onset, but I also read that if you have a family member with schizophrenia, your own risk increases. I’m 23 right now, which puts me right in that window. It’s terrifying. I have a young son, and more than anything, I just want to be a stable mother for him. I mean, who wouldn't want that? xD Mom is at home right now, and my sister is mostly staying by her side because this whole situation feels so overwhelming to me. It's frustrating not knowing exactly why this happens or how we're supposed to navigate this new reality. Has anyone else here dealt with a situation where someone else in the family ended up developing the condition too?

Everything just feels different since I got that diagnosis

Donna Newman82 said:My mom was recently diagnosed with schizophrenia. Based on everything she’s been experiencing, it seems pretty definitive. She’s only seen a psychiatrist once so far, so I need to check when her next appointment is scheduled. Looking back at the diagnosis, it’s clear she wasn't being entirely truthful about her symptoms during that first visit—she was essentially lying about parts of it. Now that I'm researching the symptoms online, it all lines up perfectly. My dad is planning to take her to see the specialist again soon to give them the full story so they can get her started on the right medication. Honestly, this is hitting me incredibly hard. I’ve been reading that these issues typically surface in people between the ages of 15 and 25. My mom is 46, which is older than the typical onset, but I also read that if you have a family member with schizophrenia, your own risk increases. I’m 23 right now, which puts me right in that window. It’s terrifying. I have a young son, and more than anything, I just want to be a stable mother for him. I mean, who wouldn't want that? xD Mom is at home right now, and my sister is mostly staying by her side because this whole situation feels so overwhelming to me. It's frustrating not knowing exactly why this happens or how we're supposed to navigate this new reality. Has anyone else here dealt with a situation where someone else in the family ended up developing the condition too?

That's a new one for me... I mean, mental illnesses aren't contagious, after all. 🤷

It probably just means schizophrenia has a genetic component, so people living in the same house might carry the gene (which might stay dormant, but then gets triggered by extreme stress)

David Vaughn75 said:That's a new one for me... I mean, mental illnesses aren't contagious, after all. 🤷

It probably just means schizophrenia has a genetic component, so people living in the same house might carry the gene (which might stay dormant, but then gets triggered by extreme stress)

If we're talking about genetics... does that mean schizophrenia is triggered by high levels of stress?

Harold Anderson3 said:My mom is actually on a much heavier regimen, taking something like 6 mg combined with a 50 mg injection every two weeks. On top of that, she’s managing things like Lexapro and Prozac, along with a few other medications... though her doses aren't quite as "extreme" as the ones I mentioned earlier.

Yeah, well, my current regimen is a whole different beast: 4mg Risperdal, 600mg Seroquel xr, 300mg Faverin, 125mg standard Seroquel, and xanax as needed. You have to admit, that’s a pretty heavy-duty cocktail.

The thing is, I haven't even officially started this specific rotation yet because I'm in the middle of switching out my primary care physician—apparently, my current doctor refused to fill a prescription that was specifically ordered by my psychiatrist. So, right now, I'm just scraping by on my remaining stash: Zyprexa 20mg, seroquel xr 300mg, faverin 300mg, the regular 125mg seroquel, and xanax whenever things get too much. My psychiatrist told me to keep taking what I have until we can get the new regimen stabilized.

And just to be clear—if I ran out of the seroquel xr, which honestly was the one thing keeping me sane, I'd be in real trouble since I don't have much left, and my friends haven't been able to help me out with refills either. Because of this mess, I’m planning to file a formal complaint against this primary care doctor as soon as I transfer my medical records. It isn't me who's inconvenienced here; it's her. I've already got the clinic's number and everything ready to go.

Honestly, refusing to provide someone their prescribed psychiatric meds is like refusing to give a diabetic their insulin. It's just wrong.

Donna Newman82 said:If we're talking about genetics... does that mean schizophrenia is triggered by high levels of stress?

Don't go spiraling into unnecessary anxiety over this—honestly. I have a genetic predisposition for schizophrenia, yet my younger sister is completely clear, and neither my mom nor my dad shows any signs at all... looks like I hit the jackpot, didn't I?🙂

Though, if God were to ask me who should carry the family burden of this condition, I’d tell Him to just let me take it. I’ve already adjusted to the chaos of it all, and frankly, it's a weight I'm used to carrying.

Nothing beats a good old-fashioned burger. <3

Eric Mitchell55 said:Nothing beats a good old-fashioned burger. <3

But let’s be real—we definitely hold the gold medal for the most prestigious mental health diagnosis out there.😍

Eric Mitchell55 said:Nothing beats a good old-fashioned burger. <3

well, you're the best one 🙂

Larry Lewis said:Yeah, well, my current regimen is a whole different beast: 4mg Risperdal, 600mg Seroquel xr, 300mg Faverin, 125mg standard Seroquel, and xanax as needed. You have to admit, that’s a pretty heavy-duty cocktail.

The thing is, I haven't even officially started this specific rotation yet because I'm in the middle of switching out my primary care physician—apparently, my current doctor refused to fill a prescription that was specifically ordered by my psychiatrist. So, right now, I'm just scraping by on my remaining stash: Zyprexa 20mg, seroquel xr 300mg, faverin 300mg, the regular 125mg seroquel, and xanax whenever things get too much. My psychiatrist told me to keep taking what I have until we can get the new regimen stabilized.

And just to be clear—if I ran out of the seroquel xr, which honestly was the one thing keeping me sane, I'd be in real trouble since I don't have much left, and my friends haven't been able to help me out with refills either. Because of this mess, I’m planning to file a formal complaint against this primary care doctor as soon as I transfer my medical records. It isn't me who's inconvenienced here; it's her. I've already got the clinic's number and everything ready to go.

Honestly, refusing to provide someone their prescribed psychiatric meds is like refusing to give a diabetic their insulin. It's just wrong.

I'm probably only taking about a third of what you are in terms of antipsychotics, though the depression is absolutely crushing me. I'm on 150 mg of Effexor and it honestly doesn't feel like enough, which isn't exactly a low dose either. I'm constantly struggling with the negative symptoms of schizophrenia, even though I don't really deal with the positive ones. Maybe that's because they are so 🤣

Hmm... so you’re saying you function normally while on medication? What does it feel like when you aren't taking them—when the hallucinations start kicking in and all that? Do you realize at that point that what's happening isn't real? I'm trying to wrap my head around what my mother is going through. She's convinced she's perfectly fine and just happens to have telepathy, allowing her to communicate with people from another dimension who can also read minds... which is one thing, but once the paranoia sets in, things get really freaky. That's when she starts talking to her "team" in her head about everything—her life, our lives, history, politics, even sensitive political topics. She spends hours sketching and scribbling in notebooks; seeing her like that actually reminds me a bit of Da Vinci working on his complex diagrams...