Schizophrenia - General Discussion

Honestly, I’ve just lost my appetite for life lately. I tried making some chicken soup with roasted potatoes today, but everything felt like such a massive chore. I just couldn't get into it. I spent the whole time just chilling instead. I don't even have the energy to get any work done 🤦. I can't tell if it's just this weather or if the autumn chill is already starting to settle in—who knows. Anyway, my energy levels are nowhere near what they were just a few days ago, like back on Thursday or Friday. These days are just heavy, and I feel incredibly lazy. I'd much rather just lounge around and cuddle with a little something special. You know, that perfect vibe—good food, intimacy, maybe a nice stroll. That’s all I want right now. I really don't have the mental capacity to overthink anything.

The seasons are shifting again. Honestly, these seasonal changes used to trigger my psychoses—it’s just how I’m wired. It’s coming.

So, are you telling me the psychosis actually turned you into a weather nut too? Honestly, I can relate. That's exactly how it went for me.

Laura Castillo6 said:So, are you telling me the psychosis actually turned you into a weather nut too? Honestly, I can relate. That's exactly how it went for me.

I honestly feel like ever since I started my medication, I've become hyper-aware of the weather. It's strange. Like, when it's overcast and gray outside, I just lose all motivation. Everything feels sluggish. I can't get anything done. But then, the second the sun breaks through the clouds? Suddenly, I'm feeling much better and actually want to be productive. I don't know if I'm officially a "weather person" or whatever, but the connection is definitely there since starting the pills. I don't have any arthritis or anything, though. I think I'm way too young for that. My joints don't ache from the pressure changes like they do for older folks.

Nah. It’s not really about weather sensitivity. More like... whenever the seasons shift, my mood just goes haywire—sliding straight from deep depression right into mania. Though, honestly, I probably checked the box for being weather-sensitive a long time ago anyway.

Hey everyone, where you all at? I just stumbled upon this test—not sure if it’s already crossed your radar—but if you have seen it, how did you guys handle it?

Chloe Flores83 said:Hey everyone, where you all at? I just stumbled upon this test—not sure if it’s already crossed your radar—but if you have seen it, how did you guys handle it?

I’ve been looking over my results. Honestly? I don't think I'm exactly a genius based on this. When it comes to those other intelligence metrics, I landed right in that middle ground—somewhere between just being lucky and actually being smart. But even then, I don't feel like I have a massive IQ. I guess it’s because the whole high-achieving, grind-culture lifestyle in a place like New York City just doesn't sit right with me. It’s not my speed.

briskgull27 said:Thank you.

I wonder, why doesn't anyone living with schizophrenia ever step forward to share their story?🙂

For instance, we look at history and see how Einstein's son dealt with schizophrenia,
then there was Abraham Lincoln's wife, and of course, John Forbes Nash.

So, here I am. Dealing with schizophrenia for two years now. It’s just been a constant, exhausting fight against myself and everything else life throws my way. Since this diagnosis hit, my whole life has been a complete wreck. Honestly? I wouldn't wish this kind of mental illness on anyone. It’s heavy. It’s brutal. Right now, I'm on Zyprexa and Faverin. If you want to know anything, just ask. Let's talk about what we're all dealing with.

So, here’s how I figured it out—we were reaching out. Me, Jose Ward4, and so on. I’ve got paranoid schizophrenia, but honestly? I don't feel paranoid at all. I don't have that feeling that someone is following me or watching my every move. I mean, I have the standard thoughts—you know, that the police or the military might be monitoring things—but it’s not like they're literally hunting *me* specifically. I don't feel persecuted.

My mom basically lost it when she told the doctors during intake that I was seeing demons in my family members. Except, I never actually said that about them. I just meant that they—my people—were driving me crazy, like they were "demons" in my head. Not that they were literal demons. It's the same thing as when I said vampires were draining my blood—I was talking metaphorically. My mom just totally misinterpreted what I was saying back then.

She’s still bringing up the stuff they have logged in their computers from when I was sick and stuck in the hospital—all the things I said back then. I was dealing with something specific and was terrified they wouldn't be able to fix it, so I kept mentioning stuff related to that.

The psychologist asked me about it back then, but since I was high on my meds, I couldn't really get anything out to her, so I just stayed quiet.

I finally came clean to my family, though—told them that being high on these pills makes it hard to have any kind of meaningful conversation with psychologists or psychiatrists. That’s why now, when I go to my psychiatrist for check-ups, I usually don't even take my medication until I get home.

I actually told him straight up during a recent appointment. I told him I'm not having any more outbursts. But that’s partly because of my family situation. We aren't fighting as much lately. There are fewer blow-ups because they aren't driving me as crazy, and I'm not driving them as crazy. Even though, you know, life is still life and everything else is pretty much the same.

Anyway, I also posted on that suicide prevention thread. As far as the outbursts go, things are looking okay for now. This Lexapro—or whatever this med is called—actually works. Though, I do feel like I need something extra in the afternoons or evenings if needed, because this one I'm on is just once a day, in the morning. I take it right when I wake up, mostly mornings, though sometimes in the afternoon too.

I don't have hallucinations; I never have. Even though there's a record saying I heard voices—which I think was just the hospital trying to write me off because I was being a handful back then.

Maybe I have schizophrenia now, but without the hallucinations. Just a mess of different thoughts. Sometimes I hear voices, too, but they're just echoes of things famous people said a few days prior—like a mental replay of what they mentioned.

I told my doctor what I suspect I actually have. Specifically, autism and bipolar disorder. He probably typed that into his computer, but they don't believe me. On paper, it still says paranoid schizophrenia. Honestly, I don't care much about the labels anyway—I wasn't fighting them before, and I'm not now.

They just advised me to stick to the official story if I want to qualify for any kind of disability benefits based on my diagnosis.

PS. I know I'm being a nuisance with all this and that this post is a bit of a mess.

Carol Barrett2 said:So, here’s how I figured it out—we were reaching out. Me, Jose Ward4, and so on. I’ve got paranoid schizophrenia, but honestly? I don't feel paranoid at all. I don't have that feeling that someone is following me or watching my every move. I mean, I have the standard thoughts—you know, that the police or the military might be monitoring things—but it’s not like they're literally hunting *me* specifically. I don't feel persecuted.

My mom basically lost it when she told the doctors during intake that I was seeing demons in my family members. Except, I never actually said that about them. I just meant that they—my people—were driving me crazy, like they were "demons" in my head. Not that they were literal demons. It's the same thing as when I said vampires were draining my blood—I was talking metaphorically. My mom just totally misinterpreted what I was saying back then.

She’s still bringing up the stuff they have logged in their computers from when I was sick and stuck in the hospital—all the things I said back then. I was dealing with something specific and was terrified they wouldn't be able to fix it, so I kept mentioning stuff related to that.

The psychologist asked me about it back then, but since I was high on my meds, I couldn't really get anything out to her, so I just stayed quiet.

I finally came clean to my family, though—told them that being high on these pills makes it hard to have any kind of meaningful conversation with psychologists or psychiatrists. That’s why now, when I go to my psychiatrist for check-ups, I usually don't even take my medication until I get home.

I actually told him straight up during a recent appointment. I told him I'm not having any more outbursts. But that’s partly because of my family situation. We aren't fighting as much lately. There are fewer blow-ups because they aren't driving me as crazy, and I'm not driving them as crazy. Even though, you know, life is still life and everything else is pretty much the same.

Anyway, I also posted on that suicide prevention thread. As far as the outbursts go, things are looking okay for now. This Lexapro—or whatever this med is called—actually works. Though, I do feel like I need something extra in the afternoons or evenings if needed, because this one I'm on is just once a day, in the morning. I take it right when I wake up, mostly mornings, though sometimes in the afternoon too.

I don't have hallucinations; I never have. Even though there's a record saying I heard voices—which I think was just the hospital trying to write me off because I was being a handful back then.

Maybe I have schizophrenia now, but without the hallucinations. Just a mess of different thoughts. Sometimes I hear voices, too, but they're just echoes of things famous people said a few days prior—like a mental replay of what they mentioned.

I told my doctor what I suspect I actually have. Specifically, autism and bipolar disorder. He probably typed that into his computer, but they don't believe me. On paper, it still says paranoid schizophrenia. Honestly, I don't care much about the labels anyway—I wasn't fighting them before, and I'm not now.

They just advised me to stick to the official story if I want to qualify for any kind of disability benefits based on my diagnosis.

PS. I know I'm being a nuisance with all this and that this post is a bit of a mess.

You don't have schizophrenia. They just hand out diagnoses however they feel like, especially if it's a family issue, just to calm you down. Look, there was this woman here, I don't remember her exact diagnosis. In the end, it turned out she was a lesbian and didn't have a single diagnosis to her name. For me, they hit me with "paranoid" the moment they thought I heard voices. I'm holding steady now. And hey, you didn't bore me with this post; you explained it really well. They don't have time for all of us. If they actually admitted everyone according to half these diagnoses, the system would collapse. Most people end up with diagnoses just because of their lifestyle.

In my book, you can't really call it schizophrenia unless someone’s been stuck in a psychotic state for more than six months straight.

I mean, if you're still grounded and self-aware, even if you're dealing with stuff like delusions, hallucinations, or hearing voices, I don't think that means you necessarily need to be pumped full of heavy meds or buried under a mountain of diagnoses.

Honestly, maybe I’m actually dealing with schizophrenia now—I get these dark, intrusive thoughts that feel way worse than anything the Risperidone was supposed to fix. It’s like that stuff just scrambled my brain. Then again, maybe it’s not that... maybe it's just chronic depression because everything in my life is such a mess right now. Probably bipolar, but I can't keep the names straight—Type 2, maybe? Some people at the psychiatric clinic told me to just let them throw whatever diagnosis they want at me so I could finally qualify for some social services or disability or whatever. But, well, life happened and I couldn't pull it off yet, though I'm hoping I can eventually.

It’s wild out here—even when people have actual physical issues or other problems, doctors seem to want to shuffle everyone off to psych wards. Like, the other day, this woman broke something and was in the hospital, and then she somehow got injured *again* while she was already admitted—I didn't quite catch all the details—but the doctor looked at her injury and basically told her, "Yeah, you belong in psychiatry." Just like that.

I know I’ve got a diagnosis somewhere in there, the question is just what it actually is. Personally, I suspect it might be a mild form of Asperger's combined with some kind of chronic depression. I don't know the technical term—is it cyclical depression, or is it Bipolar Type 2 where the mania isn't quite as intense as Type 1? Who knows.

On top of all that, I'm dealing with various physical ailments, and honestly, if I am intersex, that could be messing with my mood too.

It's a total circus. Me, my situation, the whole deal.

Psychosis can manifest in those suffering from PTSD, and there is also C-PTSD—there is an abundance of research on this in the US. However, in our local medical system, PTSD is typically reserved for combat veterans, while "ordinary" citizens who endure trauma or abuse are frequently mislabeled
as having Borderline Personality Disorder.

One can only wonder how many people have been saddled with the wrong diagnosis because of this systemic oversight.
The American psychiatric establishment often overlooks C-PTSD. Based on my reading of American forums, survivors of domestic violence are consistently diagnosed with C-PTSD and receive appropriate treatment, whereas here, they are simply branded with BPD.
https://www.psychologytoday.com/intl...-and-psychosis

https://themighty.com/2017/08/ptsd-p...is-connection/

None of us on this forum are clinicians, but speaking from personal experience: seek second opinions and consult various doctors to find real answers.
And one more thing. You are not your diagnosis. It is merely a part of your history, but you are far more than a label.

"Look, you aren't your diagnosis. It's just one tiny slice of who you actually are..."

George Cook said:Psychosis can manifest in those suffering from PTSD, and there is also C-PTSD—there is an abundance of research on this in the US. However, in our local medical system, PTSD is typically reserved for combat veterans, while "ordinary" citizens who endure trauma or abuse are frequently mislabeled
as having Borderline Personality Disorder.

One can only wonder how many people have been saddled with the wrong diagnosis because of this systemic oversight.
The American psychiatric establishment often overlooks C-PTSD. Based on my reading of American forums, survivors of domestic violence are consistently diagnosed with C-PTSD and receive appropriate treatment, whereas here, they are simply branded with BPD.
https://www.psychologytoday.com/intl...-and-psychosis

https://themighty.com/2017/08/ptsd-p...is-connection/

None of us on this forum are clinicians, but speaking from personal experience: seek second opinions and consult various doctors to find real answers.
And one more thing. You are not your diagnosis. It is merely a part of your history, but you are far more than a label.

Based on what you're saying, I wouldn't actually have schizophrenia, even though I carry an F20.0 diagnosis.

My first diagnoses after coming home from the service were F43.1 (PTSD) and F62.0 (Persistent Personality Change), which was what my first psychiatrist gave me.

About a year later, I hit my first psychotic episode (out of the six symptoms listed in your second link, I had five—everything except the second one), and after seeing a second psychiatrist, he handed me an F20.0 diagnosis after six months.

I wasn't exactly thrilled with that second doctor's take, so I went to a private specialist to get a second opinion. That third psychiatrist actually told me I didn't have F20.0 at all and that the first guy had hit the nail on the head with his diagnosis.

Despite all that back-and-forth, today I'm officially listed with both F43.1 and F20.0, but my third doctor insists the specific label doesn't matter as much as the patient's actual health—and honestly, I've been feeling good for a long time now just on 1mg of Risperdal.

Honestly, I’m doing alright on this Lexapro right now—knock on wood, so to speak. But man, these diagnoses just fly around left and right, and it feels like they aren't even listening to us patients. I mean, damn, we end up researching our own conditions more than the doctors do, probably because we’re actually looking for ways to manage everything, whether it's physical or mental. Take these eye floaters I've been dealing with—I’m trying to manage them by cutting back on sugar. I’ve switched to saccharin instead of sugar, and it seems like the floaters aren't spreading as much. I know surgery is the only way to get rid of them completely, but I'm at least trying to stop them from getting worse.

It made me think about that specific type of depression... was it cyclothymia? Or maybe something starting with an H? I can't remember if there are two types. Maybe I’m dealing with some kind of schizophrenia now too, but a different version—maybe "nonspecific"? I don't think it's the paranoid kind, though, since I don't deal with paranoia. No hallucinations either—never had them.

I probably experienced delirium or delusions a few times during my illness—maybe the illness itself stemmed from the depression because I was starving myself back then. And if I am intersex, like I mentioned before, my hormones are likely all over the place, too.

The thing is, most of these doctors work like they're on an assembly line. They don't have the time to actually sit down and talk to you. And like I said before, how are we supposed to have a real conversation with them when we're high on meds? I mean, come on—these pills make you so drowsy, and that's a struggle in itself.

I slept for 14 hours today. Bosaurin really knocks you out. They say it could put a horse to sleep, and honestly, the Lexapro does too. It slows everything down. And don't even get me started on what they used to give me back at the psych ward. I don't even know how I functioned back then.

Back then, they had me on Bosaurin, Loperamide, and Lexapro three times a day.

My point is, you need to be able to talk to them without being under the influence of medication. Talking to them while you're heavily medicated is almost impossible—it just doesn't work.

Does anyone have recommendations or firsthand experience with support groups for families dealing with schizophrenia?
I've been digging through some organizations online, but I'm having a hard time figuring out how they actually operate.
Like—do they host regular meetups or seminars where people swap stories, offer support, advice, and all that good stuff?
Our family recently hit this head-on, so I’d love to hear from anyone who’s been there—how to make things easier for both the patient and the rest of us, and honestly, what else we should be bracing for...
Thanks!

Karen King42 said:Does anyone have recommendations or firsthand experience with support groups for families dealing with schizophrenia?
I've been digging through some organizations online, but I'm having a hard time figuring out how they actually operate.
Like—do they host regular meetups or seminars where people swap stories, offer support, advice, and all that good stuff?
Our family recently hit this head-on, so I’d love to hear from anyone who’s been there—how to make things easier for both the patient and the rest of us, and honestly, what else we should be bracing for...
Thanks!

I actually have a recommendation and some firsthand experience with NAMI. They hold two different support groups every Monday from 7 to 9 PM at their community center in Chicago. One group is specifically for individuals facing mental health challenges, while the other—called "Fellow Travelers"—is designed specifically for their loved ones. It isn't strictly limited to schizophrenia cases, but there are definitely people in those circles dealing with it.

Thanks so much for the heads-up—that’s exactly what I was thinking. I'm definitely going to check it out...

Where’s the crew at?! What’s the word? How is everyone doing?