Posts by Kevin Nguyen3

Maria Myers3 said:I’m posting here because I’ve reached a complete dead end—I honestly don't know what else to do. My mom was diagnosed with paranoid schizophrenia five years ago; she spent two weeks in the hospital back then, and after being discharged, she stayed on her medication and kept up with her injections, which helped significantly. However, three years ago, she stopped taking her meds and skipped all her follow-up appointments. We didn't realize it at the time—communication in our house is nonexistent, and to put it bluntly, my family is completely dysfunctional. Mom is in a terrible state now. The worst part is that my sister and I are constantly in tears, listening to our dad spiral because he has no idea how to handle this. There are moments when it feels like we should all just lock ourselves in a room and cry until we die. My sister is 17 and cries constantly; she talks about death and clearly can't cope anymore—it's obvious she's struggling with depression. I'm 18, but I don't feel independent or secure—it's like I haven't even hit adulthood yet. Every morning, getting out of bed feels impossible because I know another grueling day is waiting for me. I have a psychiatrist appointment scheduled for December because I can't take it anymore; I'm certain I've fallen into a deep depression myself. On top of that, I've been battling trichotillomania for eight years—I finally worked up the courage to tell my doctor about it. Financially, we're drowning. Dad is living on minimum wage, Mom is too, and my sister and I are suffering every single day. I'm in high school, maintaining a 4.0 GPA, and aiming for medical school. My sister is also an honors student and wants to pursue nursing. We both have potential, but the future looks incredibly bleak right now. Mom never gives us anything from her meager paycheck—she doesn't even curse us out for asking, she just spends everything on herself. She constantly claims we only care about her money or that we wish her harm, then retreats to another room to swear, talk to herself, and engage in various obsessive-compulsive behaviors. If she actually seeks treatment, she'll likely lose her job, and Dad is already buried in debt. I don't know how we can find a way out where everyone benefits. I haven't really had a mother for five years; I went through puberty without her because she was never truly "there," and it leaves me feeling absolutely hollow. I want her to get better—more than anything—but I also want my sister and me to hold onto some semblance of hope for a decent future. I'm not writing this for pity; I'm writing this because if anyone—anyone at all—has even a shred of advice on how we can fix this, I would be eternally grateful.

Hmm.
I simply cannot fathom how it wasn't obvious that your mother stopped attending her checkups and quit taking her medication? Was there truly no one looking out for her?
And this happened three years ago!
Your mother isn't going to "get well." You have to accept that reality. She might improve enough to function normally within society, certainly. But to reach even that point, she must take her medications—not because someone is being difficult, but because they are absolutely essential.
Now, instead of both of you sitting there lamenting and weeping, why aren't you looking for actual solutions to this problem? You aren't children anymore. Don't you have partners?
If you do, then you have support.
You aren't in some deep depression, so please, do not take your situation for granted. Both of you are bright students, and there is still plenty of time to build a successful, prosperous life.
Right now, you are under heightened stress and showing signs of anxiety, but you are young; you can fight through this.
Your father lacks the strength, fine... which means you two are the primary, responsible editors of this entire production. Stop relying on something imaginary and take control of the situation. No one else is responsible for anything now except for the two of you—especially when it comes to your own lives.
It isn't your mother's fault that she is ill. I don't understand how she manages to work without issues or medication. Well, regardless, it is better that she is working.
Regarding trichotillomania, there is an excellent thread on this forum. In my opinion, you probably should have been on an antidepressant for a while now, though you didn't mention taking any here.
Is that an official diagnosis from a doctor, or did you diagnose yourself?
There are also fantastic threads regarding schizophrenia with plenty of firsthand accounts, so please, go read them.

Forgive me, this whole situation is just... it's a mess.
How does one even begin to rebuild trust once it’s been shattered? How do you reclaim something that was given freely and then lost?
For some people, they manage to pull it back, but for others? Never. It's gone for good.
If he actually learned a lesson from all of this, perhaps there is a silver lining for the future—not to mention making a public vow, right in front of everyone (including the kids), that this will never happen again. But how much does that truly soothe the ache? I honestly don't know. For me, it doesn't help at all.
Time is necessary, yes, but you also need professional guidance.
Without actual expert help, everything is just going to sink deeper and deeper until the deception isn't even the main issue anymore—it becomes her health.
And once that happens, there is no more room for compromise.
Passions might fade, and that accumulated negative energy will eventually lose its grip over time, but illness works the opposite way; it only grows stronger and more dangerous.
Give her space, give her time, and watch over her. Make sure things stay as normal as possible and let her process the pain. It will pass—it has to—but when it does, other issues will start to surface, specifically physical ailments. If you have the strength left in you, prevent that from happening.
I can't offer any concrete solutions because, unfortunately, there is no universal cure for situations like this.😢

Brandon Lopez6 said:For me, tapering off the AP and AD went pretty smoothly, though I can't exactly say the same for the xelex.

With ADs, there isn't really a "classic" withdrawal process. Honestly, you can even stop them abruptly if you swap in a different AD at the exact same time. Sure, you’ll feel some side effects, but the body doesn't develop that intense, addictive craving for these drugs. It passes in just a few days.
But Helex? That's a completely different beast altogether.

redranger2 said:I couldn't agree more. My psychiatrist, for instance, refuses to prescribe me anything like Sanvale, Zanov, or Dormicum—those heavy-duty hypnotics—because he insists they cause genuine damage to the brain and its neurons.
Instead, he keeps me on antipsychotics, which don't carry that same risk and won't lead to dependency.

Yeah, I'm also running a combination of an AD and an AP. It’s just the modern American way of life, I suppose.😁

Look, I’m not saying this is some magical, perfect fix, but at least a person gets some sleep. And tomorrow? You have to get up. You have to act normal and function like a regular human being among other people.
The real issue lies with things like Sanvale and that whole class of drugs—they create such an intense dependency. Getting off those pills is incredibly difficult. Believe me, I’ve been through the withdrawal process myself, and I know exactly how brutal it is. It's pure misery.
The only way forward is to stop the propaganda that suggests these medications—the antipsychotics—are dangerous rather than helpful.
And they *are* helpful.
Some of them are outrageously expensive, too, so I suspect there might be a financial incentive at play there as well.

redranger2 said:And why have you stopped taking Calixt?
When dealing with stubborn insomnia, antipsychotics are often prescribed; Vaira (Zyprexa) or Q-pin (Seroquel, Loquex) are quite effective options. I have personally tried both, and they certainly get the job done.

Exactly.
I struggled with sleep issues for years—not always severe, but constant enough to be a nuisance—and honestly, it was only the combination of APs and ADs that finally pulled me through.
For chronic, long-term insomnia, an antipsychotic is really the only way out. And quite often, this is tied to depression as a secondary result, so you end up adding an AD to the mix as well.
I simply don't see any other way, and I certainly haven't heard of anyone actually finding a permanent cure using just things like Sanval or Normabest or similar medications.

Andrew Bishop6 said:Which one works better—Xanax or Normabest?

Neither.🙂
It all comes down to the individual, doesn't it? One person might find one much more effective, while another person finds the other works better for them. It's entirely subjective!
The point is, these medications are just meant to hold the line—to do their job temporarily—until the antidepressants actually start kicking in.
Anything else I say isn't medical advice.
They can be prescribed on an as-needed basis if necessary, but again, not for long periods. Why? Because there is simply no sense in relying on them indefinitely without addressing the actual root causes.

Jason Vaughn482 said:Well, yes—she actually posed this question to me, asking who I thought was responsible for my current anxiety. I offered the candid opinion that it likely stems from myself, to which she responded with some vague notion that everything traces back to one's childhood... and just like that, the conversation hit a dead end. In my estimation, we should have delved deeper, but it’s always the same pattern: these sessions are incredibly brief. Once, she spent two entire sessions lecturing me on sleep hygiene—as if I haven't mastered the basics of a good night's rest, thank Quincy—and then simply said goodbye.
So, what am I expected to do when I show up? Am I supposed to just wander in and start rambling about whatever random thought crosses my mind or whatever minor grievance is bothering me that day?
I did see a psychotherapist once for a short stint—he's currently answering queries on WebMD—and he always took the initiative to steer the dialogue, which felt productive enough. Unfortunately, I couldn't keep up with the costs, so I had to walk away.

It’s a common story, really. Medical narcissism often leads to a completely misguided approach to the actual issue at hand. If there was trauma during childhood, then one needs psychoanalysis—one needs a specialist who actually focuses on that! Otherwise, isn't it just a massive waste of everyone's time?
But you? You aren't to blame for your anxiety. Where on earth did you get that idea?
The topic here is psychopharmaceuticals, yet I seem to have wandered off into the territory of psychotherapy. My apologies, truly. Please accept them.😁

Paul Newman5 said:Diagnosis is anxious depression, but I can't get either doctor to understand that the anxiety hits harder. I can't control the jitters, and honestly, most antidepressants eventually start making me feel too wired and restless. Ladiomil worked for a bit, but I'd probably be 100 pounds heavier by now, and even that wasn't a fix.
Also, is Velafax considered an antidepressant? I ask because you're taking double my dose at night. Since I'm on day 30, is it okay to skip a day just to see how I react?
Tried talking to my doctor about combining meds, but she just mumbles something about "that's not for you" and ends the session. Went from a top private specialist to someone at Mayo Clinic. I can't believe there's no cure either. Were you anxious too, or just depressed? Did Velafax touch the anxiety at all?
Thanks everyone, you're helping a little.

My situation is a completely different animal altogether, driven by entirely different causes—specifically PTSD.
I wouldn't go so far as to call Velafax an "uplifter." It’s more like... how should I put this? It simply fills the void left by missing hormones or certain receptors. It doesn't drastically swing my mood one way or the other.
The real goal is just being able to wake up in the morning feeling somewhat level-headed, depending on the circumstances. That’s it. I don't expect anything more than that.
If it's raining or freezing outside, am I going to be over the moon? Of course not! Not like when it's warm and sunny, but really, isn't that just what we should expect from life?
It was actually Velafax that got me to this point. To finally feel like everyone else—just feeling... appropriate. Or rather, fitting for the moment.
Whatever you do, please, do not skip doses. You know that tightening sensation? It hits you incredibly fast. And look, it doesn't cause a traditional addiction; one could theoretically take it for their entire life if necessary.
My doctor keeps grumbling about it because she lacks experience when it comes to combining different medications.
And for the record, I haven't just been taking meds for anxiety; it's always been several types at once, primarily targeting depression—or dysthymia, to be more precise.

Paul Newman5 said:Me too. My job requires a lot of responsibility and I make sure I never miss a beat—everything gets done at home, bills are paid on time, I haven't missed a single day of work. It's just anxiety and depression. Only taken four different antidepressants so far.
No clue why she said that. We'll see at the follow-up. Besides, she isn't the only doctor in the building. Maybe Velafax will finally kick in.
Or maybe she just meant I should take some time off, like a vacation. Probably wouldn't hurt.🤣

I haven't been following your posts closely, so I'm not entirely sure what your specific diagnosis is, but let me tell you this: saying there is no cure is simply not true.
There is a remedy for everything! Whether it works with more or less success, or whether the effects manifest quickly or slowly... does that even matter? The core issue is that medication can alleviate all sorts of disorders. Of course, it would be ideal to incorporate some form of psychotherapy as well.
The Velafax will help you. I am speaking from memory here since I don't know your exact situation... I take 75 mg every single night, and I can't recall ever wanting to stop. Your body cannot develop a tolerance to it, so there is really no point in increasing the dose or taking it more frequently.
Your doctor likely knows very well—though, frankly, many don't—that certain combinations can lead to real success. In a worst-case scenario, adding an antipsychotic could provide immediate relief for your current state. Thank God there are heaps of them available on the market now; there was a time when you could count them on one hand!
All of these medications cause some negative side effects, whether they are mild or severe, but it remains manageable considering the weight of the illness itself.
Just give the Velafax some time... everything is going to be okay.😉

Paul Newman5 said:It's been a while since you were around. Thanks for getting back to me.
So you think he needs more time and I just need to hang in there? I'll ask him what's up. I have a checkup scheduled for October 31st—assuming the strike doesn't shut everything down—so we'll see how things look by then.
Gave me a little hope. Thanks.

Yes, please, just be patient. You know, sometimes the symptoms can act completely opposite to what you'd anticipate. You might even walk away thinking you felt better before you started the medication, but that isn't the reality of it.
Wait, a strike?
As far as I am aware, there isn't any kind of strike happening in psychiatry. If I heard correctly—and I was at my own check-up just the other day, and everything seemed fine—it's all moving along. Sparrow is working away as usual... hehe, man, "normal" and "Sparrow" in the same sentence sounds so strange, doesn't it?🤣
For now, Velafax is the only thing that has truly helped me pull myself out of this rut, along with Calixt and Q-pin.No, but that's a whole different story entirely.☕

Paul Newman5 said:So, I’ve got a question. I’ve been on 37.5mg of Velafax once a day for 28 days now. For the first two weeks, side effects were basically nonexistent—maybe some slight nausea, sweating, or dry mouth, but nothing I couldn't handle. Then, during week three, things actually started looking up. I stopped napping all day, found myself humming along to the radio, and realized I hadn't reached for my Xanax in a while. It felt good. But then, after just a few days, everything crashed back to zero. The morning sweats are back, I'm taking more Xanax during the day, and that old fatigue and sadness have returned.
To be fair, this dip happened right when my PMS and period hit. It's hard to tell if one caused the other or if they just collided.
What do you guys think? Does this mean the meds aren't working, or is this kind of roller coaster normal during the first few weeks? 🤷
I know I need to talk to my psychiatrist, but any advice from here would be appreciated right about now.

I have been on Velafax for two, perhaps three years now. It is a long time, isn't it? One begins to wonder how the body adapts... how the system settles into this new equilibrium. Does the body adjust to the medication? Yes, it does. It finds a new normal. And does the drug work? Of course, it works. But what can one truly say about the certainty of such things? Is there a universal rule for how we react? No, I don't think so. There simply isn't. We are all fundamentally different individuals, aren't we? Every single one of us.
Is it just me, or does Velafax actually seem to work? I mean, really work? In my experience, it’s a solid medication—truly dependable. And the side effects? They're minimal. Almost negligible, really! Isn't that exactly what we all hope for when starting something new? Just a steady, reliable way to feel better without all the usual chaos.
Just have a little patience, alright? He’ll get through his portion of the therapy. It takes time, doesn't it? We can't rush the process.

Chloe Roberts2 said:Can Rispolept actually be used to treat acute psychosis?

I guess a little seed of doubt started growing in my mind after reading through a certain thread, so I did a bit of digging online, but I couldn't find anything suggesting that Rispolept is a standard go-to for acute psychosis. Honestly, I’ve reached a point where I don't really trust that my psychiatrist is giving me the full story, and my mom won't even touch the subject, so I'm basically left guessing on my own.

Back when I was seven years old, I fell ill, and they put me on Rispolept and Akineton, telling me at the time that I was experiencing acute psychosis. Since then, though, I feel like I've been fed a steady stream of conflicting, half-baked, or just plain incomplete information, which has pretty much nuked my trust in both psychiatry and my own mother.

The answer is YES. You fall under one of the subcategories of F23, though it doesn't specify exactly which one. Just follow whatever your psychiatrist recommended, because it's pretty obvious you're having a relapse. I'm guessing you might have been skipping your meds? There's your lesson right there.
Aggression is one of the symptoms...

ironrider11 said:e.. how much xanax [5] do you actually need to get a decent night's sleep?

Well, isn't that the million-dollar question? Unfortunately, there isn't one single, precise answer to that. It all depends on the individual, the specific condition, and a whole mountain of other factors. For some people, even a tiny dose does the trick, while for others, it doesn't seem to help at all!
Generally speaking, when you're dealing with any kind of disorder, it might help ease anxiety—which in turn helps with insomnia—for a few weeks. But long-term? It doesn't really make sense to rely on it indefinitely because, in most therapy plans, doctors eventually introduce different medications, making the Normabel unnecessary. After all, identifying the actual root cause of the sleeplessness is what ultimately determines when and how much medication someone should be taking.

Donna Torres5 said:I have a question. Actually, two questions. As most of you probably know by now, I’ve been managing OCD, and my daily medication regimen is pretty heavy—I'm taking six Anafranil, one Fevarin, and one Zyprexa every single day. That's eight pills total. Right now, things feel stable; the obsessions have subsided and everything feels relatively calm. I reached out to my psychiatrist to see if we could scale back the dosage, but she was genuinely surprised by the suggestion. Her reasoning was that since this specific dose is what achieved this level of stability, we should stick with it to maintain the progress.
So, I'm curious—have any of you had similar experiences with your doctors?

Also, does it make a difference that this is technically my second bout with OCD? It feels like it's become more of a chronic thing now.
What do you all think?

Yes, it is perfectly standard to stay on the exact dose that pulled you out of the trenches, regardless of the condition. The medication has done its job, and now psychotherapy needs to do its part.
Aren't we always discussing this very thing?
A combined treatment approach is what leads to actual success—or rather, to what we are truly aiming for: living a better life.

My doctor is Martić Biočina. She is truly an exceptional physician.

brisksailor96 said:Emptiness and general dissatisfaction usually stem from two things: you either have no goals at all, or your expectations are set impossibly high. Either way, you lose the ability to actually enjoy the things you "should" be happy about. The truth is, life shouldn't be some endless waiting for Godot—some grand miracle or sudden burst of sunlight meant to illuminate your darkness and pull you out of a pit of nihilism and negative thoughts. It sounds cliché, I know, but life is built on the small stuff. The tiny, mundane things that actually bring satisfaction. And let’s be honest: obsessing over the inherent meaninglessness of existence is usually just a byproduct of having too much free time and nothing to do with it. As Kevin Nguyen3 would probably put it: if you actually stayed busy doing something productive, you wouldn't be sitting around spiraling. 😁

No matter how it sounds, the statement holds water. Everyone’s out there chasing their own sense of purpose, mapping out next steps, and setting little milestones just to feel like they're moving forward. It doesn't have to be grand. For me, it's usually the small stuff that keeps things from feeling aimless—listening to a favorite track, picking up a decent piece of clothing, grabbing a walk with friends, or helping someone out. That's enough.

I volunteer at a local food bank. Once you spend enough time around people who have been stripped of almost everything yet still maintain this incredible, stubborn will to live, all that whining about "life being meaningless" starts to feel like a joke. It’s practically an insult to existence itself—unless, of course, we're talking about actual illness or clinical depression, which are different stories entirely. But if you're just sitting there feeling like nothing matters? Get moving. Go find some purpose yourself.

I don't think I can agree with you on every single point there. I mean, isn't free will exactly that? The freedom to think whatever we want? If someone wants to spiral into thoughts about how empty existence feels... well, okay, they're allowed to.
For some people, that existential questioning is practically their full-time job. I certainly don't see people mass-suiciding over it in large numbers, do you?
Thought is such a massive power, isn't it? To use that mind correctly—to focus on things that actually help people—that might be the greatest reward one could ever receive... seeing a simple smile or eyes filled with genuine gratitude.
Everything else is just noise. Forget it all. You'll never find anything more meaningful than those eyes.

Jamie Patel2 said:Hey 😁
The > isn't even totally right, but I don't know how else to word this.
It’s not like a massive crisis or anything, but still.
So, I’m in high school—a pretty solid one, too. I'm a sophomore now. Last year I was on the electrical track, but this year I switched over to electronics/computer science.
Freshman year was awesome—just a huge group of friends constantly joking around and having a blast—but I realized I actually dig computers more, so I made the jump. The issue is, I was so dialed in with my old crew last year, just messing around with everyone, cracking jokes with the teachers... we all had a laugh. But this new crowd? It’s just not hitting the same. In this "new class," the cliques have already formed, and since I'm the new guy, I'm kind of an outsider. It’s not like they’re being jerks or bullying me or anything; they’ve actually been pretty chill. We talk here and there, but I don't feel like we're ever gonna be actual friends like the guys I met in the electrical program. My old buddies are telling me to just go back to what I had. I honestly like both paths, though I lean a bit more toward the computer stuff. During breaks, I just go find my old crew to hang out, then I spend my classes sitting by myself.
What should I pick?? The social life or the career path??

It sounds like you've already made up your mind, even if you won't admit it to yourself.
The answer? Both.
Why choose? You hang out with one crowd and hit the books with another—it's all about killing two birds with one stone, isn't it?
Find yourself a girlfriend too, and boom... you've got the whole package.
Look, obviously school has to come first, but that doesn't mean you should ditch your buddies. There's always enough hours in the day to balance it all out.

The exact same thing is going to happen with Normabel—honestly, it might even work in reverse and trigger real issues. And who is actually going to suspect Normabel? Absolutely nobody. Even if you go to your doctor and ask, they aren't going to admit that Normabel is the culprit behind those bad episodes, because then they’d have to admit they made a mistake.
So, please, don't overdo it with the medications. If you push too hard, before you know it, your doctor will just keep piling more drugs on you (most likely an AP) because the line between the actual symptoms of the illness and the side effects from the medication becomes totally blurred.
That is when the real trouble starts... the kind of problems that stick with you forever.
Scale back as much as you can possibly manage. I went through hell myself, and it took everything I had just to finally get my mental state and behavior back to some semblance of normal.

Arthur Vaughn2 said:Quick question. My psychiatrist prescribed me Normabagel 10 mg a few months ago, saying I could take one or two tablets a day. For me, two isn't even enough—sometimes I need more. But my doctor insists on just one, so I’m only getting one box a month. She claims it’s not good for someone my age to be taking higher doses, but honestly, I just need them. Some days I don't take anything at all, and other days I end up taking five. How on earth am I supposed to prove to her that I actually NEED them? I’m not asking for fifteen boxes a month 😁 I just want two, so I can take 2 tablets a day.

They aren't "needed" because they won't help you forever.
Sure, they might provide some relief now, but it won't last. By cranking up the dose, you are doing direct damage to your own body.
Both the psychiatrist and the doctor explicitly recommended 10 mg, once or twice a day—not just shoveling them down whenever you feel like it!
You will develop a dependency incredibly fast. Normabagel is a tricky medication, and after a while, it simply won't work the way you expect it to.

rowdyhawk152 said:I also signed up for one of those psych evaluations where you spend hours grinding through tasks. They recommended psychotherapy, and I think I'll go check it out, even though my schedule is slammed with work. Honestly, I’m pretty skeptical—can you really fix deep-seated issues just by talking? Maybe I'm wrong. I was kind of hoping that after a few months on these meds, my brain would just "learn how to stay chill" during stressful moments... does that even make sense?🙄

I went through a rough patch a few years back when I spent all day glued to a computer screen. That might be why things are so bad at work now; I can't sit at my desk for long without feeling terrible. I have to get outside for some fresh air and a walk just to function. That's probably the real issue, not "classic depression."

Anyway, I picked up some Ashwagandha to help me sleep, so we'll see if it works. Does anyone know if it's safe to mix that with what I'm already on (Zoloft, Xanax, Sanval)?

Never heard of it.
Could you perhaps give us a bit more detail about this supplement? You know, the ingredients and all that.
Where on earth did you even find that?
We can't really say if it's okay to mix until you tell us what's actually in it.
I really don't feel like digging through Google right now to check all those things.☕