Schizophrenia - General Discussion

John Doe said:Better to be safe than sorry, right?😉

Ever since I dropped down to just 1mg of Risperdal, I've been feeling way better. I think I'm done with them entirely now.😉

Pills are garbage. They just turn people into zombies.😉

Are you some kind of psychotic too, since you're taking Risperdal?👍
What's your deal anyway? What's your diagnosis?

I can't really afford to miss a dose; if I forget my Lexapro in the morning, the depression hits me like a freight train by the evening, so👎
Man, Risperdal made me feel absolutely terrible. Just awful.
As far as I can tell, Lithium is a bit of a dry experience, but it's definitely the most effective option out there.

Maybe I’m being a little rude, but what can I do if I actually want to know...

briskgull27 said:I can't really afford to miss a dose; if I forget my Lexapro in the morning, the depression hits me like a freight train by the evening, so👎
Man, Risperdal made me feel absolutely terrible. Just awful.
As far as I can tell, Lithium is a bit of a dry experience, but it's definitely the most effective option out there.

What does Cipralex actually do for you? It's pretty mild... I'm on Lithium and Prozac too, but honestly, it feels like nothing is working on me...
I read somewhere that therapy doesn't work for about a third of people...

Frank Smith8 said:Are you some kind of psychotic too, since you're taking Risperdal?👍
What's your deal anyway? What's your diagnosis?

The first psychiatrist I saw, where I was actually admitted to the hospital, slapped me with an F43.1 (PTSD) and F62 (permanent personality change) diagnosis.

Then, after a psychotic episode, a second psychiatrist wrote F-22 on my discharge papers, followed later by F20 (paranoid schizophrenia).

And then, a third psychiatrist tells me exactly what the first one did—that I don't actually have paranoid schizophrenia.

When it comes to these diagnoses, I trust the first and the third guy. Personally, I’ve given myself a diagnosis: I'm perfectly fine. 😁

Frank Smith8 said:What does Cipralex actually do for you? It's pretty mild... I'm on Lithium and Prozac too, but honestly, it feels like nothing is working on me...
I read somewhere that therapy doesn't work for about a third of people...

I’ve been taking Lithium for six years, as far as I can remember.
And it’s true—medication just doesn't work for everyone.

I see most of you have been hospitalized, sometimes even multiple times. I haven't had that privilege yet. I spent one night under observation, but mostly because things were getting heated at home and I called the police, so they took me to the hospital since I’m on medication.

briskgull27 said:Think about it: if you knew someone was battling cancer, how much more careful and mindful would you be when talking to them?😁
Because of that constant feeling of "performing," I actually avoid certain social interactions altogether.
After all, I can't just forget about schizophrenia when I'm taking four different medications twice a day.

1) I get it. But honestly, it depends so much on the individual and how they handle their diagnosis. They don't have to live in constant fear of the cancer—they just have to deal with it when they're undergoing chemo or getting scans. Most of the time, they can just live their lives normally. Personally, I wouldn't feel any more need to tip-toe around them than I would anyone else, meaning I wouldn't feel forced to act differently.

2) Is it because of the acting—your own, or theirs? Or maybe both? (Sorry, I’m a bit slow on the uptake today.)
But I hear you—I’ve never been a fan of hanging out with people who put on an act, nor with those who make me feel like I have to be someone I'm not.

I spent two months inpatient back in 1998, followed by another month in 1999, and let me tell you something: I am never stepping foot in a hospital ward again. 😉

Brian Moore2 said:I spent two months inpatient back in 1998, followed by another month in 1999, and let me tell you something: I am never stepping foot in a hospital ward again. 😉

I'm trying to do the math, but I think it happened about 10 times.

Taylor Campbell4 said:1) I get it. But honestly, it depends so much on the individual and how they handle their diagnosis. They don't have to live in constant fear of the cancer—they just have to deal with it when they're undergoing chemo or getting scans. Most of the time, they can just live their lives normally. Personally, I wouldn't feel any more need to tip-toe around them than I would anyone else, meaning I wouldn't feel forced to act differently.

2) Is it because of the acting—your own, or theirs? Or maybe both? (Sorry, I’m a bit slow on the uptake today.)
But I hear you—I’ve never been a fan of hanging out with people who put on an act, nor with those who make me feel like I have to be someone I'm not.

In relationships like that, it usually goes both ways. That’s likely why things fell apart.

briskgull27 said:I'm trying to do the math, but I think it happened about 10 times.

Mind you, the first time—which lasted two months—felt like I was just staying at a luxury hotel on vacation. But that second time? That month-long stretch was a total coma, the kind of experience nobody would ever wish upon their worst enemy.😉

I’ve been to Ribbon three times now, and honestly, it’s just not my scene.
In Jacksonville, things are much better—there's a great crowd there and you don't run into any weirdos, though I haven't made it back since I started my medication.

SCHIZOPHRENIA
by Lawrence Stevens, J.D.

Does the word "schizophrenia" carry a certain scientific weight? It certainly seems to possess a level of authority and charisma that can be quite dazzling. In his book Molecules of the Mind, Jon Franklin calls schizophrenia and depression " The Two classic forms of mental illness" (Dell Publishing Co., 1987, p. 119). Furthermore, according to the cover article in July 6, 1992, the Time magazine article says " fully a quarter of the nation's hospital beds are occupied by schizophrenia patients" (p. 53). This Time magazine article says " fully a quarter of the nation's hospital beds are occupied by schizophrenia patients" (p. 55). When you combine literature like this with those specific statistics, isn't it easy to see how most people are led to believe that schizophrenia is a tangible disease? In reality, schizophrenia might just be one of the great myths of our era.

In his book Schizophrenia - The Sacred Symbol of Psychiatry, Thomas S. Szasz, M. D., argues quite plainly, "There is, in short, no such thing as schizophrenia" (Syracuse University Press, 1988, p. 191). Similarly, in the epilogue of their book Schizophrenia - Medical Diagnosis or Moral Verdict, Theodor R. Sarbin, Ph.D., a psychology professor at University of California at Santa Cruz who spent three years working in mental hospitals, and James C. Mancuso, Ph.D., a psychology professor at State University of New York at Albany, conclude: "We have come to the end of our journey. Among other things, we have tried to establish that the schizophrenia model of unwanted conduct lacks credibility. The analysis directs us ineluctably to the conclusion that schizophrenia is a myth" (Pergamon Press, 1980, p. 221). Writing in 1988, the psychoanalyst Jeffrey Masson notes in his book Against Therapy that "There is a heightened awareness of the dangers inherent in labeling somebody with a disease category like schizophrenia, and many people are beginning to realize that there is no such entity" (Atheneum, p. 2). Instead of a legitimate medical condition, isn't it possible that "schizophrenia" is simply a catch-all category for behaviors, thoughts, or feelings that society—or even the individuals themselves—find deeply unsettling? There are precious few mental health issues that haven't been labeled as schizophrenia at some point. Because the term essentially encompasses anything perceived as socially unacceptable, defining it objectively becomes an uphill battle. Definitions tend to be incredibly vague or contradictory. For example, when I asked a physician who was the assistant superintendent of a state mental hospital to define the term schizophrenia for me, he with all seriousness replied "split personality - that's the most popular definition." On the flip side, a pamphlet from the National Alliance on Mental Illness titled "What Is Schizophrenia?" explicitly states, "Schizophrenia is not a split personality." In her 1985 book, Maryellen Walsh points out, "Schizophrenia is one of the most misunderstood diseases on the planet. Most people think that it means having a split personality. Most people are wrong. Schizophrenia is not a splitting of the personality into multiple parts" (Warner Books, p. 41). Even the official manuals have struggled with this. The American Psychiatric Association's second edition of the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders (DSM-II), released in 1968, defined it merely as "characteristic disturbances of thinking, mood, or behavior" (p. 33). Such a broad definition makes it difficult to exclude almost any behavior deemed "abnormal." In fact, Ernest M. Gruenberg, M. D., D.P.H., who chaired the APA's Committee on Nomenclature, admitted in the DSM-II foreword: "Consider, for example, the mental disorder labeled in the Manual as 'schizophrenia,' ... Even if it had tried, the Committee could not establish agreement about what this disorder is" (p. ix). The subsequent version, the DSM-III, was equally transparent about the confusion, noting that "The limits of the concept of Schizophrenia are unclear" (p. 181). By the time the 1987 revision (DSM-III-R) arrived, the manual noted: "It should be noted that no single feature is invariably present or seen only in Schizophrenia" (p. 188).The DSM-III-R offers a similar perspective regarding Schizoaffective Disorder, noting: "The term Schizoaffective Disorder has been used in many different ways since it was first introduced as a subtype of Schizophrenia, and represents one of the most confusing and controversial concepts in psychiatric nosology" (p. 208).
The author, Lawrence Stevens, is an attorney who has experience representing psychiatric "patients." His pamphlets are not under copyright, so please feel free to make copies if you find them useful.

Could some of you sane people give me a bit of advice on how to survive another fifty years?
I tend to view myself as a problem, but honestly, the world I’m living in feels even more irrational than I am.
I just can't seem to find any sense of meaning or consistency.
I don't see much point in existing for my own sake—maybe just for others, like keeping my family from being in shock because I'm gone.
Even my body is aching from the weight of this depression.
I can't ever truly relax because I’m constantly on guard.
Everywhere I look, I see boundaries and limitations—and in my case, they feel like very real physical constraints rather than just things playing tricks in my head.
I'm grateful that modern medicine has made life a little easier for me.
But lately, the struggle is just getting harder and harder.
I don't get the feeling that my best years are ahead of me; instead, it feels more like... well, a total nightmare.
But isn't that just what life is actually like? Isn't it?

Just take it one day at a time and you'll live to be a hundred! 😉

Why are you stressing out so much?
Do you honestly believe that "normal" people aren't acutely aware of their own limitations or how fleeting everything really is?

Just soak up every single second.... as my grandmother used to say, God forbid things get any worse (and they always can)

So, here is how things stand... I am new to this forum, having only contributed a few posts... 😳
I have been sitting here reading this thread for already 2 hours... ☕ I started from the very beginning. I made it to page 30 before my vision began to blur... so I jumped straight to the end to leave a few thoughts...

A friend's mother suffers from schizophrenia. She doesn't live with her, as she has been hospitalized for years... I truly admire her strength... briskgull27 To you and the others who spoke openly about your struggles and answered the questions asked...👍

That is all from me... greetings from San Francisco... 😎 👋

Hey there!

So, a member of my family has been diagnosed with chronic psychosis—I think the actual term might be "acute psychosis," if I recall correctly. He had this massive hallucinatory episode about 7 or 8 years ago, and man, it was intense. He was convinced people were out to get him, so we basically packed up everything and drove all night long just trying to find a hotel where we could crash safely. We were constantly scanning the cars around us, terrified that "invisible spies" were following us or that some guys with needles were waiting around the corner to jump us and inject us with something. I was just a kid back then, and honestly? I was terrified. Eventually, we made it back and managed to get him admitted to a psychiatric hospital, where he stayed twice—once for a month and another time for three months. I found out later that he’d actually been talking about being persecuted for two or three weeks leading up to that day... it was all building up until it hit that peak, which was just one nightmare, unforgettable night for me. Since then, he’s been on medication and nothing like that has happened again. But—and here's the thing—the second his doctor tries to taper him down on the dosage, you can see the changes immediately. His gaze gets dreamy, foggy... it's like he's drifting off into another world. It breaks my heart because the meds make him seem so slowed down, like he just doesn't care about life anymore.
Financially, we're doing okay—we have what we need and I’m content with that. He holds down his job. But God, I just wish he could have that spark back—that drive he used to have at work, that ambition, that sense of pride in what he accomplished. I miss when he could actually focus on the TV so we could watch games together and yell at the referees like total maniacs. And the social side of things... I wish he could socialize again. He feels so ashamed because people know about his condition, so he just avoids everyone. He used to be the life of the party! He had friends he’d play poker with, he was hilarious, easy to talk to, just fun to be around. Now? He just hangs his head and can barely manage a bit of small talk with acquaintances.
I get it, I really do. This is a heavy illness and things might never go back to exactly how they were. I know plenty of people dealing with similar stuff who end up neglected, messy, losing their families, their jobs, their whole lives. And I know I should probably just be grateful that, hey, he's holding down a job, providing for the family, and blending in. But it eats at me—this passivity of his—even though I know deep down it isn't his fault. Part of me is being selfish and totally unaltruistic about it, but part of me is just sad because he seems so unhappy, so ashamed, so resigned to his fate. He's just lethargic, and I just want him to be happy and full of life. It’s such a horrible, helpless feeling.

I've been reading up on this, and it seems to me like there are a lot of similarities between this and schizophrenia. Is it possible he was prescribed the wrong meds? Or maybe the diagnosis itself is off? At his check-ups, the psychiatrist just looks at him for five minutes and decides whether to bump the dose up, down, or leave it alone. He even saw a private psychiatrist once, but he hated it—said the guy didn't listen to him at all. I'm wondering, are these kinds of illnesses "lifelong"? Is there actually any hope for a full recovery?

wanderingcyclist69 said:Hey there!

So, a member of my family has been diagnosed with chronic psychosis—I think the actual term might be "acute psychosis," if I recall correctly. He had this massive hallucinatory episode about 7 or 8 years ago, and man, it was intense. He was convinced people were out to get him, so we basically packed up everything and drove all night long just trying to find a hotel where we could crash safely. We were constantly scanning the cars around us, terrified that "invisible spies" were following us or that some guys with needles were waiting around the corner to jump us and inject us with something. I was just a kid back then, and honestly? I was terrified. Eventually, we made it back and managed to get him admitted to a psychiatric hospital, where he stayed twice—once for a month and another time for three months. I found out later that he’d actually been talking about being persecuted for two or three weeks leading up to that day... it was all building up until it hit that peak, which was just one nightmare, unforgettable night for me. Since then, he’s been on medication and nothing like that has happened again. But—and here's the thing—the second his doctor tries to taper him down on the dosage, you can see the changes immediately. His gaze gets dreamy, foggy... it's like he's drifting off into another world. It breaks my heart because the meds make him seem so slowed down, like he just doesn't care about life anymore.
Financially, we're doing okay—we have what we need and I’m content with that. He holds down his job. But God, I just wish he could have that spark back—that drive he used to have at work, that ambition, that sense of pride in what he accomplished. I miss when he could actually focus on the TV so we could watch games together and yell at the referees like total maniacs. And the social side of things... I wish he could socialize again. He feels so ashamed because people know about his condition, so he just avoids everyone. He used to be the life of the party! He had friends he’d play poker with, he was hilarious, easy to talk to, just fun to be around. Now? He just hangs his head and can barely manage a bit of small talk with acquaintances.
I get it, I really do. This is a heavy illness and things might never go back to exactly how they were. I know plenty of people dealing with similar stuff who end up neglected, messy, losing their families, their jobs, their whole lives. And I know I should probably just be grateful that, hey, he's holding down a job, providing for the family, and blending in. But it eats at me—this passivity of his—even though I know deep down it isn't his fault. Part of me is being selfish and totally unaltruistic about it, but part of me is just sad because he seems so unhappy, so ashamed, so resigned to his fate. He's just lethargic, and I just want him to be happy and full of life. It’s such a horrible, helpless feeling.

I've been reading up on this, and it seems to me like there are a lot of similarities between this and schizophrenia. Is it possible he was prescribed the wrong meds? Or maybe the diagnosis itself is off? At his check-ups, the psychiatrist just looks at him for five minutes and decides whether to bump the dose up, down, or leave it alone. He even saw a private psychiatrist once, but he hated it—said the guy didn't listen to him at all. I'm wondering, are these kinds of illnesses "lifelong"? Is there actually any hope for a full recovery?

Life is just one long, terminal illness 😉