Posts by Eric Mitchell55

David Vaughn75 said:Hey girl, when are you coming to visit Washington, D.C.?

I’ll definitely be getting lost somewhere in Washington, D.C. for a few days this June, if not sooner.
As for anything before then, I haven't really mapped anything out yet—we'll just have to see. Maybe I'll pop in for a weekend sometime 🙂

Noah Garcia4 said:What scares me most is the idea that everyone knows I have schizophrenia—even people who haven't even met me.🤣

+1 🤣

Anyway, looking at this thread, I see some folks are still on relatively low doses of their meds—I wish I were there yet. 😁
My psychiatrist told me she isn't going to give up on me until we get me down to just one single type of pill, so... well, we'll see how it goes. 🙂

New meds 🙂

Cymbal 60mg 1,0,0
Ativan 0.5mg 3x1
Haldol 2mg, 2mg, 5mg
Cogentin 2mg 1,0,0 + 1 pp
Prazosin 25mg 3x1 + 1 pp

I think I’ve asked this before, but I’m not sure if anyone actually got back to me.
How do you all manage to tell what’s actually real from what isn't?
I struggle with it quite a bit. It’s hard to know how to act when those moments hit—that fuzzy feeling where I can't quite tell if something is really happening or if my mind is just playing tricks on me.
It’s such a weird thing to try and put into words, too.
I just get this heavy sense that I don't really belong in the place where I am right now.

I was actually wondering about the exact same thing. It honestly hadn't even crossed my mind that there could be any connection there.
For instance, I just finished up at the gym and had a scoop of Whey, which is pretty much my standard routine after a workout.
I’ve never really felt anything unusual from it before.
But now I'm thinking, could it actually be a factor?

Brandon Lopez6 said:I’m not trying to sound like I’m out here playing defense for psychiatrists, but honestly, how was your doctor supposed to catch a physical issue if your own GP sent you straight to them instead of referring you to a specialist?

And besides, nobody was forcing those pills down your throat; you always had the option to just not take them, even if they were on the prescription.

That’s why I didn't hold it against him, but it remains an undeniable fact that I ended up in that office by mistake six years ago, and now I’m stuck being dependent on both him and the medication.
What do you call that—Fate?

I’m not trying to sound like I’m out here playing defense for psychiatrists, but honestly, how was your doctor supposed to catch a physical issue if your own GP sent you straight to them instead of referring you to a specialist?

And besides, nobody was forcing those pills down your throat; you always had the option to just not take them, even if they were on the prescription.

That’s why I didn't hold it against him, but it remains an undeniable fact that I ended up in that office by mistake six years ago, and now I’m stuck being dependent on both him and the medication.
What do you call that—Fate?
Maybe it's Fate, or maybe it's just a mix of an incompetent doctor and you not knowing how to explain what you're feeling properly.

Man, I have such a love-hate relationship with Helex. Just waiting for the day I wake up and don't "have" to take it. 😁

That’s why I didn't hold it against him, but it remains an undeniable fact that I ended up in that office by mistake six years ago, and now I’m stuck being dependent on both him and the medication.
What do you call that—Fate?
Maybe it's Fate, or maybe it's just a mix of an incompetent doctor and you not knowing how to explain what you're feeling properly.

Man, I have such a love-hate relationship with Helex. Just waiting for the day I wake up and don't "have" to take it. 😁
I only ended up taking 2mg of Misar today...
It’s not the end of the world.
I'm really hoping I can eventually taper down to 1mg and just find a way to deal with things without it.😁

Brandon Lopez6 said:I pretty much tossed everything else aside except for my Ativan—I’m hooked on that stuff, and honestly, I’d feel fine enough to take a selfie right now. My next goal is finally weaning off it and, if God wills it, getting to a point where I can take something for anxiety OCCASIONALLY, instead of every few hours like I have been. 🙄

If you don't mind, I'd love to hear more about that theory of yours in a DM. 🙂

Gosh, I’m taking Misar right now too, and I’m actually a bit worried about becoming dependent on it—that’s the last thing I need. So, I’m trying to keep my doses as low as I possibly can.

Check your PM 🙂

Brandon Lopez6 said:Me, thank God, I didn't feel the muscle stiffness myself, but people definitely noticed. Especially my old neighbor who'd only see me once a week since I was living in another city at the time; she’d be genuinely shocked every weekend seeing what I’d become. The people seeing me daily probably didn't catch the muscle changes as clearly because it wasn't like I suddenly froze one day—it just crept up on me. And before the psychiatrist caught on, I had zero clue what was happening. I just blamed the drooling on a cold because I had to breathe through my mouth, so I figured that was why.

Seriously, props to you for how you're handling all this.🙏 🙏 🙏 🙏

Look, I don't want to sound like I'm making excuses for psychiatrists, but how was your doctor supposed to know there was a physical issue if even your primary care physician sent you straight to them instead of a specialist?

Second thing, nobody was forcing those pills down your throat, so you could have chosen NOT to take them even if they were prescribed.

As for me, I'm a bit hit-or-miss with how I deal with it all.
Some days I feel like chucking my pills right out the window into the trash, and other days I’m actually looking forward to taking them. I get frustrated with myself sometimes, but then there are moments where I feel pretty good about being so different from everyone else. People can call me a weirdo if they want; I have my own little theories about my condition. Honestly, it almost makes me feel like I'm even crazier than I actually am, but believing in my own logic makes things a little easier to bear.
But man, if it weren't for those little pills, who knows where I'd be right now.

Brandon Lopez6 said:Mine was too. The others—the ones who weren't afraid to be blunt—used to tell me I looked like I’d been run over by a truck. Slumped over, totally stiff, and then there was that damn drooling. Aside from the drooling, I didn't even realize how bad I actually looked.
I was taking Risperdal three times a day at 4 mg. Hey, at least it actually worked. 😁

I know those comparisons so well. It’s like I was a literal walking zombie or moving around like some kind of slow-motion robot. My eyes were half-shut, I was drooling everywhere, my jaw would lock up, and sometimes my muscles would just seize so I couldn't move. It was a total disaster.

And this was all happening when I was only 16 years old.

Brandon Lopez6 said:Nausea is easily my absolute worst side effect from any pill I’ve ever taken. I haven't actually thrown up since my senior year of high school—it'll be June, four years later this time (yeah, I'm counting lol)—but whenever that wave of nausea hits and starts getting intense, the panic sets in immediately.
I finally got things under control so I don't feel like I'm gonna pass out every single time my stomach flips. It used to be brutal, though. I’d end up pacing around outside for three or four hours straight just waiting for the nausea to die down. Honestly, being stuck indoors when I felt like that was just impossible.
Akineton was the only one that ever made me feel like I was gonna throw up. Seriously, the nausea was unreal. I really hope I never find myself in a position where I actually have to take it again.

Nausea is honestly such a horrible sensation; it's just awful.
Luckily, I've never had issues quite like that with Akineton, which is a huge relief because I really rely on it. 🙄

Brandon Lopez6 said:Too late for that, I haven't touched my Lexapro since Tuesday.😬
I went cold turkey on much heavier stuff before, so this feels like a walk in the park.🥳

I didn't really feel anything physically, but my head definitely noticed. The worst part was realizing I’d started drooling. Honestly, it made me feel so stupid—just sitting there with my mouth hanging open and saliva leaking (okay, maybe not *that* bad, but you know what I mean 😁).
Glad it's working for you. For me, the nausea was the absolute worst, so I eventually stopped taking the Cogentin even though it was prescribed. It would hit me hard a few hours after taking it, and since I have a massive phobia of throwing up, the nausea just triggered total anxiety and panic. The "side effect" was basically the last thing I needed. 😁

I'm getting by on Xanax and it helps.🥳
I know it's probably not the smartest move, but I plan my outings around when I need to take the Xanax. I'll take it and then about 15 minutes later, I'm out the door like a pro. Yeah, I don't go out solo, but I used to get hit with so much anxiety even when someone was with me. Now, that rarely happens, and I haven't dealt with derealization while out in ages.🙂

Yeah, totally. I know exactly what you’re talking about.
That’s how it felt for me back when I was on Prozac; my stomach would just flip the second I swallowed it, making me feel like I was going to throw up.
At least I don't have much of an issue with vomiting itself, since I deal with chronic acid reflux, so I end up regurgitating something every couple of days anyway 🤷

Brandon Lopez6 said:Does Cogentin mess with your stomach too? It always absolutely wrecked my digestion whenever I took it..

I haven't had any issues with it so far, honestly.
It does a great job helping with the muscle spasms and jaw tension, and even when I deal with a little extra drooling here and there, taking another dose of Cogentin usually settles things right back down...
The only thing is my hands still shake constantly; even the Cogentin doesn't seem to touch that part.

Well, they just took me off Prazina.
Now I'm on Cymbalta 60mg, Olandix 15mg, Haldol 3mg, Akineton 3mg, and about 2mg of Misar.
My focus is pretty much non-existent right now; I just feel incredibly drowsy all day.
The psychiatrist mentioned she wants to keep me on this exact regimen for at least another month.
Yay.

How do you tell the difference between what's actually happening and everything we're going through?
Do you ever realize when you're starting to hallucinate?

David Vaughn75 said:but hey, if things start looking up, they'll probably taper you down eventually, right?

I first went through the ringer back in 2006, and over the last six years when things were actually going okay, they managed to drop some of my meds and get my Zyprexa down to basically nothing.

My family always insisted I was just "unstable" since I was a little kid; they used to blame everything on my imagination or claim I just "loved to lie." It wasn't until 2009 that I finally sat down with a psychiatrist for the first time.

Anthony Lopez8 said:I understand; honestly, you don't really have any other viable options right now. Dealing with psychosis is an incredibly heavy burden to carry. Besides, the side effects from the necessary medications remain notoriously difficult to stomach. I truly admire how rationally you're approaching all of this. In my estimation, you actually have a very strong chance of feeling better soon.

I really hope you're right, thank you 🙂

Kenneth Scott41 said:Oh my god, why on earth would you need that many medications?? Haldol plus Prazine too?! My psychiatrist would basically look at you and see a walking pharmacy.🤣

My mom actually joked the other day that with all the pills I have, she could probably open her own drugstore.🤣

Anthony Lopez8 said:Honestly, I can't imagine anyone who wouldn't be completely knocked out by that cocktail.
😢

Hopefully, the dosage will be dialed back soon. Fingers crossed.

David Vaughn75 said:Psychiatry is such a bizarre science, man

So, I’m supposedly living with schizophrenia—big deal—but all I’m actually taking is Olanzapine and Prozac (25), nothing else besides those

I was actually on a similar regimen until recently, but then I had another episode, so they bumped my meds up...
I have schizoaffective disorder (the depressive type).

David Vaughn75 said:I seriously don't get why they're handing out Haldol to kids these days. 🤷

That’s supposed to be for old folks who aren't even responding to anything else anymore—not for people my age.

For me, though, Haldol actually works better than anything else. 🙄🤷

Olandix 15mg, Haldol 3mg, Akineton 3mg, Prazine 50mg, Cymbalta 60mg

Honestly, I could probably sleep for twenty-four hours straight if I took enough of this stuff to knock me out. 😢

The newlyweds and their best man. It’s a pretty great vibe.

What about you?

Manhattan, today they’re giving me the royal treatment again 🥳

Which brand of moisturizer are you using?