Posts by Larry Lewis

You people don't have the slightest clue about what schizophrenia actually entails—even those of you claiming to struggle with mental health issues—you’re just out here perpetuating the stigma
against those of us living with it, which—frankly—is as pathetic as it gets.

I’m out here living my life—I've got my finances in order, I have friends, and quite frankly, I'm sharper than any of you
miserable types who spend your entire lives spewing nonsense all over this forum.

Donna White50 said:Yeah... if you don't actually use your head and learn from the bad times to see where you messed up, there's zero chance you'll ever grow as a person... We protect kids because they can't look out for themselves, but adults really ought to be responsible enough to weigh their own actions and how they affect others. If they can't handle that and just break down mentally, then that's when you bring in a doctor or a psychiatrist to teach you how to navigate life like an actual adult.

Bringing up Jesus is pretty pointless, too, because let's face it—not even your own parents are gonna coddle you forever. They'll help you out until you hit adulthood, but after you're on your own, you're fighting your own battles... whether it's against a boss, friends, or even your wife and kids, you have to fight to make the best of things. Life is tough, and honestly, nobody really cares about your struggles... The sooner you realize that, the better. It doesn't mean you go around hurting people, but you definitely have to elbow your way through a bit just to find your place... if you can't do that, don't expect anyone to clear a path for you...🙂
They crucified Jesus, and trust me, they’d do it all over again... so just take the lesson...😉

What you're laying out here is stuff I've known since the first grade.🍿

George Clark19 said:First off, I honestly don't even know if they’d try to strip her of custody—I mean, they aren't exactly known for being eager to tear families apart, if you catch my drift, you know how it goes

Second thing is, who knows how long this whole ordeal is gonna drag on? And the kicker is, I’m the one stuck footing the bill for the evaluations... and let me tell you, I am strapped. I've gotta keep my own cash tucked away just in case things go sideways

Thirdly—and this is the big one—I really don't want to lose her

The reason I’m even asking around here is because you guys actually get it—you know what this illness is really like—so maybe you could suggest some kind of approach or something that actually worked for you, something that helped you stay afloat or feel a bit better, so I can try it out with her

Joe, look—your mother is a tough case, and none of us can play hero here since we’re all just people living with our own
problems and trying to manage them.

If that's the situation, I really don't see any other way forward than to just "endure" it and stay by her side.

George Clark19 said:She’s got the prescription, sure, but who on earth is actually going to force her to take the injection???

She’s flat-out refusing treatment—I’m heading over to see her primary care physician tomorrow to try and figure something out.

But honestly, it doesn't even matter if she has the therapy prescribed; I think she got one shot maybe once every three weeks along with some pills, but if she won't show up for follow-ups or actually take the meds, there isn't much anyone can do about it.

It's always been this way—she’s constantly ended up in the hospital because she refuses to sign off on anything regarding her own medical care.

Maybe you could just become her legal guardian—you know, take full control of the situation—and then simply fund your lifestyle using her Social Security checks. It’s a cynical thought, I know, but honestly, given how the world works these days... well, you see where I'm going with this.
Some kind of home... I mean, would that even work? It’s a question that keeps me up at night—well, more than usual, anyway—wondering if we’re all just chasing some misplaced sense of belonging that doesn't actually exist in this fractured landscape. Is "home" even a viable concept anymore, or is it just a comforting lie we tell ourselves to keep from staring too long into the void? I find myself circling this idea constantly—much like how I used to circle the block looking for parking in downtown Chicago back in the day, only to realize the spot I wanted was always taken by someone less deserving—and I can't help but feel skeptical. Would such a thing truly hold together, or is it just another fragile dream destined to crumble under the slightest bit of reality?

George Clark19 said:So, this is about my mom

Look, I’m not trying to start some legal battle to have her declared incompetent just so she can be shoved into a nursing home or whatever—honestly, I don't even have the cash for that kind of legal mess

Right now, I'm just trying to figure out how to actually get her to agree to medical treatment.

She’s... well, she’s a handful. Rude, difficult, and honestly, her condition is starting to wreck both her life and her career. She’s already been hospitalized twice in the last eighteen months alone, but it’s a cycle—she settles down for a bit, but since she refuses to take her meds and won't even look at psychotherapy, everything just slides right back into the gutter.

Perhaps you could ask her psychiatrist about long-acting injectable medications.
They usually administer them once every twenty days or maybe once a month, depending on the specific drug.

George Clark19 said:Does anyone out there have some actual advice for those of us living with a family member who has schizophrenia? How do you even approach someone like that? The problem is, they’re flat-out refusing any kind of help or treatment.

Sometimes I honestly just feel like walking away—like, just leaving them behind because dealing with them is becoming impossible—but if I actually do that, they’ll be left completely alone.

Maybe that would honestly be for the best, I don't know.

Look, please, could you elaborate on what's actually going on?
My mother is currently the legal guardian for my aunt,
who deals with schizophrenia. We ended up placing her in a high-quality assisted living facility—she calls her three times a day,
buys her whatever she needs, handles everything... we all basically reached a breaking point and decided my aunt was simply too difficult a person
to have living under our roof in our apartment.

Nicole Barrett76 said:Could someone please clarify what the abbreviations ZPP and ZLR actually stand for?

I can't say for certain—my memory isn't what it used to be—but those are essentially the two top-tier departments over at the local psychiatric hospital.

@Nicole Barrett76 Look, don't go biting your own tail like that—it’s a losing game, and frankly, it isn't going to change a single thing about the situation.

I mean, I could if I really felt like it—but honestly, I’m just not going. I’ve actually started getting back into running lately and making an effort to get out of the house more, so there is absolutely no way that
I'll be found moping around some hospital ward right now.

Anyway, what kind of symptoms are you even dealing with that would make you consider checking into a clinic?

David Vaughn75 said:Trust me, if you had more cash in the bank, she’d suddenly find your whole situation totally manageable.

Oh, she absolutely would—but damn it, I tell her everything and she just drags me along by the nose
and then, once she finally cools off, she snaps at me about my headspace and acts like I’m the one who needs to
get my act together... why should she blow a fuse just so her boss can line his pockets?
And then I'm the one left crying my eyes out every single night.

David Vaughn75 said:But honestly? That sounds amazing. You find someone who isn't going to judge you for being sick or demand some massive bank account just to stay by your side. Just love, pure and simple.

Oh, sure—except maybe don't wait until four years into a relationship to suddenly decide that my schizophrenia is actually
an issue for you, just like it is for me.🙂

David Vaughn75 said:They stuck me in a group where the average age is basically 55...🤦

🙂

Back in 2008—good grief, feels like a lifetime ago, doesn't it?—I actually managed to land a date with this absolutely stunning Border Collie girl... but she was from San Francisco, so, well, nothing ever came of it.
And that was it—nothing more to say, nothing else to follow. Everything just... stopped.

I actually know a few people—married now, mind you—who first crossed paths at a DNC convention. It’s funny how that works, isn't it? You go there expecting nothing but political posturing and endless debates over policy, only to find a lifelong partner amidst all the chaos. I remember once, years ago, being stuck in a crowded hall during one of those massive gatherings, just nursing a lukewarm coffee and feeling completely disillusioned with the whole spectacle... and yet, life has a way of throwing these little curveballs when you least expect them. It just goes to show that even in the most exhausting environments, something unexpected can actually take root.

David Vaughn75 said:The only redeeming quality about being stuck in a hospital is the occupational therapy, but let's be real—you can do all that crap at home anyway.

Look, I don't even have the energy for that—not with those filthy, unwashed bathrooms and being hauled out of bed at the crack of dawn.
Between the cocktail of pills they pump you full of just to stay conscious—or rather, to sleep through the chaos—it’s all too much... I've officially thrown in the towel.
Just gave up.

The only thing you might actually manage there is finding a girl to flirt with, if you're lucky. That's about it.

David Vaughn75 said:Look, staying in the hospital just means getting pumped full of meds, and you can pretty much do that from the comfort of your own couch anyway.

Oh, I’m well aware of that—but look, the weather is finally turning beautiful, and frankly, it feels like a total waste of life to be stuck rotting in some sterile ward when I could be heading down to Phoenix
practically.

David Vaughn75 said:Oh, please—you’re the expert on whether you can handle this without professional help, aren't you?

Look, I went in once for panic attacks, and honestly? I regret ever stepping through those doors.

Anyway, I’m still undecided. I have an appointment with my psychiatrist on the 16th for a follow-up, so I'll see how things go then.

Once we figure out if this medication actually hits the mark, then—and only then—will I give serious thought to it.

The hospital system has its fair share of flaws—believe me, I know—but I almost checked myself in just the other night.

@Nicole Barrett76, I'm not working right now because, frankly, I am nowhere near being in any condition to hold down a job.

It’s been six long years since I last stepped foot in a hospital—six years of avoiding the sterile smell and the endless white lights—but now, here I am, seriously considering checking back in because this depression is just starting to claw at me again.

Donna White50 said:What, you think you're playing Jesus Christ now by constantly looking out for the weak? Honestly, that’s just not how the real world works... most people are busy stepping over the underdog to get ahead, using them if they have to. But you? You’re going way too far trying to excuse bad behavior just because someone is struggling. People who are struggling need to learn how to toughen up and stand on their own two feet—you can't really do much for them anyway... just drop that mindset before you burn yourself out and end up playing the martyr for nothing...🙂

Honestly, you have to push the weak until they toughen up—I’d even go so far as to say if they don't harden up, maybe
we should just lock them away in some sort of facility and keep applying the pressure until
they finally get tough.

Basically, Jesus Christ ought to have been crucified because he preached love and tolerance, which—let's face it—was just foolishness on his part...
total madness...

You are absolutely spot on. 👎

Eric Gray2 said:Alright, fine—I was actually talking about Bear and that whole "sometimes you have it, sometimes you don't" thing, because when you're dealing with psychosis, everything really boils down to how and when treatment happens.

Anyway, instead of us all just trolling each other, it would be much more helpful if we stuck to sharing verified info or actual personal experiences here—that way we might actually help the people who genuinely need some advice. 🙂

It’s a bit pathetic, isn't it? When nobody even bothers to ask us anything, and we find ourselves with absolutely nothing left to discuss because we already know it all.
...well, that's just how it goes. 🙂

Eric Gray2 said:Look, schizophrenia is an actual diagnosis—it’s a condition you live with every single day. But honestly, if anyone should get that, it's you—that it isn't always a constant state. There are episodes (to put it lightly), there are "slumps," and then there are periods of remission. I really don't get why you're acting so surprised by that.

Look, speaking as someone who has lived through the trenches of schizophrenia, I can tell you one thing—and I mean this with absolute certainty
I haven't heard a single person out of a million dealing with this—believe me when I say
that no doctor in any hospital would ever discharge a patient presenting with those specific symptoms. (I’ve been admitted to the psychiatric ward
three separate times, so trust me, I know exactly how the system works)

Honestly, where do these schizophrenics even hide? They all act perfectly fine—completely mundane, right?—but then you catch a glimpse of them on the subway and their eyes... they look just like starving wolves. It’s unsettling, really.🙂

You probably won't believe this, but I have to say thanks to the doctor who finally gave me this diagnosis.