Posts by Larry Lewis

Unfortunately, this illness just breaks you down in every possible way—and I suspect the medications don't exactly help matters either. When everything hits you all at once, things start looking pretty grim; you lose your footing, your willpower evaporates, and suddenly you find yourself checking into a hospital. But I get it—maybe you just need an escape, a chance to unplug from reality, Harold Anderson3. It’s your call, though. The choice is entirely yours.

I’ve actually spent quite a few days debating whether I should check myself into a facility too, though I haven't pulled the trigger yet. Honestly, I'm not doing great myself—I've been white-knuckling through far too many symptoms lately, and those intrusive thoughts... they are absolutely the worst part.
Hang in there, Dr. Harold Anderson3.

Can anyone please shed some light on what the deal is with Effexor?

coppermason38 said:I was just describing the one person I actually know who lives with schizophrenia—and it really makes me wonder if everyone else dealing with this condition looks or functions the same way. It seems to me like there are massive differences between people with the diagnosis, especially when it comes to how they manage to adapt to everyday life.
Altec—she’s already been hospitalized three times. She refuses to follow any kind of treatment plan because, according to her, she’s perfectly fine—but then, whenever it suits her, suddenly she’s "sick." Basically, she won't take her medication, or if she does, it’s completely inconsistent. And since she isn't willing to help herself, she doesn't seem to care if anyone else tries to help her, either.

It isn't her fault that she got sick—nobody chooses that—but if she refuses to commit to treatment or take her life seriously, then there’s really nothing anyone can do.
I personally know quite a few people living with schizophrenia, and they aren't anything like her. Many of them are highly functional, hold down jobs, maintain romantic relationships, and stay strictly on top of their treatment and doctor appointments. Of course, I also know those who have a much harder time—life isn't always easy for them—but even then, they consistently follow their medical advice and fight to keep going.

Has anyone here actually dealt with Risperdal—either the injections or the pills?

I’m feeling uncharacteristically upbeat today—truly, almost unnervingly optimistic—so perhaps I won't spend the entire night weeping like a total wreck🙂

fadedbear92 said:Larry, you're a good guy, really. Where's that sense of humor hiding? I could definitely use a laugh today.

I honestly don't know where he went—it feels strange even to me—but I've become entirely too serious lately. There's this looming possibility that I might actually land a solid gig at a decent company, so now I'm just sitting here spiraling, wondering if my health will hold up long enough, or if anyone at the office will notice I'm... well, off. It's all very unsettling.

Oh, and I took my first dose of Lorazepam today, and man, those pills are the real deal—they've actually managed to dull those intrusive thoughts that usually claw at my brain. I'm on 2.5mg, three times a day.

Those sudden mental crashes are the absolute worst part, especially when you're the "new guy" at a job; people aren't exactly patient with that kind of thing.

Then again, I can always go back to manual labor or digging ditches—maybe I wasn't cut out for anything else anyway.🙂

fadedbear92 said:Larry, come on, let's be real—how many times have you fallen into that trap of self-pity when things got dark? I know I have. It shouldn't be a habit, obviously, but sometimes it's just our way of letting off steam, right?

And you've got a point there. Honestly, I owe George Allen71 an apology. It wasn't my intention to be malicious—I was simply trying to argue that progress is possible if you actually put in the work. Besides, if I'm being completely candid, I sometimes find it incredibly difficult to sit through someone else's misery; when people are truly suffering, it triggers this irrational flash of anger in me. My bad.

Kimberly Cook5 said:Hospitalization didn't do a damn thing for me. For me, the real progress came from working with my psychiatrist, leaning on my mom, and finding my own strength.
If there isn't any actual will to get better, then none of this matters... it's all just wasted effort.

But what if she doesn't have that drive? And her parents aren't exactly providing a safety net here. Where is she supposed to find a doctor if she can't afford a private practice in a city like Chicago or Seattle? If you're broke, the hospital is basically your only option.

And frankly, I’m not even sure what you were trying to accomplish with that post—to me, it just sounds like pure, unadulterated gossip.😢

George Allen71 said:God...how long does it actually take when you're switching from one antidepressant to another....how much longer do I have to wait??????

It’s day nine on trintellix...and I just can't do this anymore. Okay, I'm taking Lamal along with it to help stabilize my mood...On top of BPD, now I've got F33.2, severe recurrent depression without psychosis...it's all just such a heavy state and I don't know how to get out
but the headaches...it feels like my brain is being squeezed inside my skull...like something is sloshing around in there...emotionally...swinging from rage and irritation...into terrible sadness...then back to anger again...if I turn my head too fast, I have to grab my head with my hands because it feels so nauseous immediately
The anxiety is so intense that even though I'm hungry, if I eat, I vomit everything right back up...and it starts happening while I'm still eating...My shoulders and upper arms ache constantly...like I've been working out all night...but it's just pure tension and cramping

Okay, how much longer....hopefully there will come a day where I wake up and things will be...well...today is a little bit better

The instructions say that you should see improvement from trintellix after just the first week...unlike three weeks with other antidepressants....okay, great...but I just need these adjustment side effects to vanish....I feel like I'm losing my mind completely...
I've been thinking about checking into a hospital until things improve...the people around me are acting crazy...and those few people who at least partially understand what I'm going through...everyone is running away because they can't handle me like this
Oh God...when will that cheerful, happy person come back...the person everyone used to run toward and call for everything because they loved my company...that strong person everyone always turned to for help and support....
Oh God...where did I go???????????

Look, you're sick just like most of us on here. Illness doesn't pick favorites. It might sound harsh, but you're spending far too much time weeping over your own situation, and that isn't going to get you anywhere.
I respect that you're ill and I know it's hard, but wallowing in self-pity brings nothing good to the table—and I'm telling you that from my own life experience.
Sorry, but I had to say it, because whenever I read your posts, it's just constant complaining and self-pity.

fadedbear92 said:Larry Lewis

To felt a bit weaker than Xanax to me—plus, it seems to process through the liver much faster.

Honestly, this whole ordeal was just exhausting. I tell her straight up—I’m dealing with intense, crushing anxiety—so I ask about xanax since I know it actually works, but she just looks at me like I'm losing my mind. She starts suggesting we ramp up the antipsychotics, as if I’m out here having full-blown psychotic breaks or something, which I am absolutely not. I spent twenty agonizing minutes in that exam room arguing my case, trying to convince her that I don't need a higher dose of an antipsychotic; I just need something to take the edge off.
In the end, though, I walked away with Lorazepam... comes in clutch, as they say.🙂

coppermason38 said:The report mentioned "voluntary driving mechanisms in decline"—that was one of the clinical terms used
for someone suffering from schizophrenia. I can’t recall all the specific medical jargon, but it noted how she keeps accusing her father of withholding money, and she’s constantly rambling about her innocence and Jesus. I happened to read some posts by Out of Blue, and even though she struggles with schizophrenia too, you can tell she's sharper—more articulate, comes from a more stable background, and actually manages to lead a relatively functional life. It's a world apart from this poor soul I know personally, who just isn't very bright, lives in a low-income household with a depressed mother and an eccentric father, and frankly, doesn't seem to have any chance at a normal existence. She spends her entire life cooped up in her parents' house, where they absolutely loathe each other. She doesn't own a computer, doesn't care about TV, doesn't read books or magazines, and has zero social life—nothing interests her. She just spends her days rotting away in that apartment, trapped in these delusions about Jesus and other nonsense. Most importantly, she refuses to help herself because she won't take her medication.

It’s a grim situation when you're sick and isolated. In my estimation, she'll likely end up hospitalized very soon—which, frankly, would be for the best.

Anthony Lopez8 said:It’s essentially those sudden, spontaneous sensations of an electric shock jolting through your head. When they are mild, you might be able to brush them off, but once the intensity ramps up, they begin to radiate throughout your entire body, becoming incredibly unsettling. If you have never experienced this after missing a dose, then you are truly an outlier. 😁
By the way, there is speculation that these sensations result from shifts in neural activity within the central nervous system and/or disruptions in the function of the optic nerve.

I went through something similarly horrific when I was tapering off my previous medication—it felt like my whole body was vibrating—but back then, I honestly thought I was just being dramatic or that it was happening only to me.

Has anyone else here dealt with Lorazepam?

Thomas Jackson7 said:Hi everyone
Is there anyone here who is a 23.2? I'd love to have a quick chat if you are. Thanks!

Look, just don't let yourself spiral into thinking you're destined to develop schizophrenia—if you stay on top of your meds and live a balanced life, things should stabilize. And for heaven's sake, keep the alcohol and drugs out of the equation entirely; they'll only make matters worse.

Thomas Jackson7 said:Hi everyone
Is there anyone here who is a 23.2? I'd love to have a quick chat if you are. Thanks!

What on earth do you mean by a "light" diagnosis? Honestly, I can't wrap my head around that—aside from F20, I don't recognize any such thing!🙂

Robert Gomez26 said:Well, I tend to get quite stuck when there's something truly interesting on my mind 🙄
...

So why don't you go ask your buddy about the voting situation instead?

Arthur Vaughn2 said:It's 34, if my math isn't totally off. I was already on the heavier side before starting the Zyprexa, but honestly, this is just getting ridiculous. And the worst part? I'm still gaining weight...

It isn't the Zyprexa making you gain weight—it’s the fact that you're overeating. You need to exercise some actual self-control.

I’m on Zyprexa myself, and honestly, I managed to drop quite a bit of weight just by hitting the gym regularly; you should give that a shot.😉

Robert Gomez26 said:Do you hear voices too?

Who? Me? No—thank God I don't. Why on earth are you so obsessed with these voices anyway?🙂

For all you lunatics out there—listen up, because this is actually happening...

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pDdeOncpD5E

Robert Gomez26 said:Thank you for getting back to me. The individual is 75 years old and has been taking Vera for about a week now. They are struggling quite a bit with intense psychological distress and restlessness... I was wondering how long it typically takes for these kinds of symptoms to subside...

There aren't any set rules, really—some people bounce back almost instantly while others... well, others find themselves in a permanent state of misery for the rest of their lives. As for me? I suppose I fall somewhere in that messy middle ground.