Posts by Jose Ward4

How’s everyone doing today, my little nuggets?

George Cook said:I was actually referring to catatonia. I saw videos on YouTube where people stay stuck in rigid, cramped positions for hours.
Honestly, I'm pretty burnt out on dating guys with schizophrenia who act totally fine at work.
I'm wondering, for instance, if someone with schizophrenia can sense when an episode is coming.
Like, when someone is talking to voices in their head, can they control it so they talk to themselves internally instead of out loud?

Sorry if I sound ignorant. I'm just curious.

I had an episode last year—auditory hallucinations. From what I can tell, you can't really feel it coming. At least, I couldn't. It's like seeing a breakout on your face; you just look in the mirror and realize, "Oh, there it is. It's happening." That was my experience. And no, I couldn't control it at all because that voice feels exactly like a real person is standing right there talking to you. It's genuinely unsettling. There's nobody else in the room, yet there it is. It drove me absolutely crazy. Even knowing it was a hallucination didn't give me any leverage over it. It was infuriating. I remember I was just trying to make dinner, and the voice started up again, and you just... you cannot focus on even something as simple as chopping vegetables. Eventually, I just hit a wall. I told myself I couldn't take it anymore and called 911. This lasted for 36 hours straight. Just those auditory hallucinations that you simply cannot suppress—at least, I couldn't. They are incredibly intrusive. If you can even wrap your head around it. Imagine having a person standing next to you, rambling about everything under the sun, for 36 hours straight, and they won't shut up. I think anyone would start losing it 😁 let alone someone dealing with this.

George Cook said:How do you manage your relationships with those closest to you? Do disagreements ever arise?

I watched some videos on YouTube where individuals diagnosed with schizophrenia can sit in the exact same position for hours on end.

Are you able to monitor or anticipate your own symptoms?

I know someone living with schizophrenia. While we were grabbing coffee, she seemed perfectly fine, aside from her conviction that an animal was her mother. When she mentioned it, I simply acknowledged it and we moved on with the conversation.

Hey there. That’s a bit of an unusual question you’ve got there. Don't "normal" people without schizophrenia get into fights with their loved ones? I’m not quite sure how those two things connect. Personally, I don't really argue because I don't have anyone else around besides my brother, and honestly, we have no reason to fight. As for that sitting in one position thing... man, when I'm sitting in the waiting room at the doctor's office, I probably cross and uncross my legs thirty times in an hour. This is news to me. Maybe that's something specific to people in a catatonic state. I really hope I can control and predict my own state. I mean, I observe myself just like any other living creature would. I feel everything—bursts of anger, moments of control, rage, love... all of it. So, yeah.

Hey there Harold Anderson3. What's up? How have you been holding up?

neonscout42 said:Just keeping up with you all 😁

What's got you so bored? .. 🙂

neonscout42 said:http://oazaznanja.com/psihologija/ov...-psihijatriji/

It’s a long read—but there’s a section in there that hits right on the nose regarding stress and hypersensitivity.
Interesting article, even if I personally find it a little hard to swallow.

What are you even doing here? .. 😁

What is wrong with you people? ...

I’ve been thinking about this lately. It’s funny how certain things just stick in your mind, isn't it? You know that feeling when you're walking down a street in Chicago and suddenly a specific scent or a sound hits you, and you're instantly transported back to some random Tuesday five years ago? That's where I am right now. Just ruminating on Njušica. It’s one of those things that stays with you. Honestly, I can't quite put my finger on why it carries such weight, but there it is. Just a thought. says:
Ha... I mean, there really is just about everything under the sun when you consider there are nearly five billion people out there. It’s wild, isn't it?
Alright, Jose Ward4, why don't you give it a shot yourself? Give us the play-by-play once you're done. I'm genuinely curious to see how it goes for you.

I just don't have any love for that. 😁 People always say the same thing. You talk to anyone who actually managed to heal themselves through diet, and they all point back to one thing: strictly raw foods. Just watch how these patterns emerge. There’s a new study floating around suggesting that people dealing with schizophrenia might actually be reacting to gluten or animal proteins. The theory is that these specific foods irritate the nervous system, which then triggers schizophrenic symptoms. Now, look, this isn't settled science yet. Researchers are still running trials on both patients and healthy volunteers to see if these dietary triggers actually induce those specific symptoms. It’s all very much in the testing phase. On top of that, they’re looking into whether there’s a deficiency of estrogen in the brain. The idea is that a lack of estrogen could be a major driver behind the condition. It's fascinating stuff, really. I remember reading a similar piece about gut health once—everything seems connected if you look closely enough.

Harold Anderson3 said:I honestly can't wrap my head around why so many people push back against medication-based therapy. It feels like if one specific drug doesn't hit the mark or leaves you feeling terrible from side effects, there’s usually another option waiting in the wings. There are roughly 50 different antipsychotics available these days, so there's a lot of room for trial and error. Of course, everyone reacts differently—some people handle the side effects much better than others, which is just a reality of biology. I actually brought this up with my doctor, and she told me the most common reason patients drop their meds is simply because they start feeling better and mistakenly believe they've fully recovered. In my own experience, I only ever stopped my treatment once, and even then, I wasn't dealing with schizophrenia, just schizotypal disorder, which is essentially just one step shy of it. But I know plenty of people who have cycled on and off their prescriptions three or four times now, still convinced they don't need them. The tragedy is that every time they stop, the condition comes back even harder, eventually reaching a point where things get so complicated that help becomes much harder to find.

It’s such a joke how people talk about medication. You get these slowed-down, "fake" versions of actual reactions instead of the real thing. That’s exactly why people stop taking their meds in the first place—it’s not that they hate the symptoms, it’s that they can’t stand the side effects. Then, once they start feeling okay, they think, "Hey, I’m cured! I don't need this anymore," but they can't just ignore the truth. You can't deny that these pills make you feel drowsy or totally numb. Even with something like Zoloft, if you aren't careful, it hits you hard. It really knocks the life out of you.

Rebecca Rivera3 said:I don't have much to add... I read the article, and frankly, it veers quite far from actual science. It’s clearly been written by a psychologist rather than a psychiatrist. Too often, psychologists who lean solely on the Freudian school or similar frameworks neglect other vital aspects of a person—ignoring our biological reality in favor of just the social side. That link is a prime example of that oversight.
Changing one's mindset and behavioral patterns for the better can certainly liberate a person from various functional issues. However, how far a shift in thinking can go, and what can truly be achieved through it, will always be a subject of debate—much like the question of how much diet can actually cure disease. Ultimately, though, very few people have ever fully recovered simply by changing their diet, despite how many have tried.

Actually, there are plenty who have healed through nutrition. There's tons of evidence on YouTube where people share their own stories.

Harold Anderson3 said:It's Cognitive Behavioral Therapy.

But wait, what does that actually mean? Like, is that why people go see a therapist?

Wait, what exactly is CBT? I’m sorry, I’m really not joking—I genuinely have no clue what that stands for.

Rebecca Rivera3 said:I'm only experiencing negative symptoms right now. It’s tough. I’m holding out hope for something better. Harold Anderson3 has always been my blueprint for how to handle illness, so seeing him struggle makes me feel like there isn't much hope left for anyone else either.

Oh, come on, don't talk nonsense, Rebecca Rivera3. There is always hope. Especially for people like us.

Brandon Lopez6 said:I'm sliding into that depressive slump now. Went from "can't fall asleep" to "sleeping all day long." Neither one is exactly winning, and they both come from different places.

But whatever, I'll get there.
Gotta find that balance somehow. Maybe one day I'll be able to ditch the meds, but honestly? I'm not holding my breath.

And maybe you will too, Brandon. Faith is always there, and so is hope. I truly believe I'll eventually overcome this—this whole mental fog and diagnosis—and reach a point where I don't need the pills anymore. I really do. Hope is everything. I need to get my act together, and it's definitely time to start therapy. Wishing you nothing but the best. I hope things turn out well for you. Goodnight.

Brandon Lopez6 said:Thanks.
Actually, I’m starting my medication back up this week because I just can't manage without it anymore. So, you might be "bowing down" to the wrong person here if you think it's easy to just go without.

It's out of my hands, and the worst part is, I feel like I'm losing control of myself, too.
At least the second part is something I can try to fix.

Look, I wasn't bowing down to you, you totally misunderstood me. I just wanted to give you a little boost because you really are a great person, and I mean that. You're young, but you've got a good head on your shoulders. It sucks that you have to go back to therapy. I wanted to say that from the heart; I'm not the type to play the sycophant, I was just speaking my truth. Just thought you should know. I don't know if people usually miss that or just choose not to see it. And why do you feel out of control? Also, how's your sleep lately?

Brandon Lopez6 said:This whole thread drives me nuts, and honestly, seeing it pop up in my feed just gets under my skin because every single time, the answer to the main question is always so damn obvious.
I mean, the answer is "nothing," right?

Brandon, look, I don't love your tone, but you're spot on every single time. People really couldn't care less about you or what you're going through. But listen, I care about you, and I always will. I'm honestly so proud of how you've pushed through all of this without anyone stepping up to actually help. That takes serious grit. And seeing you off those pills? That’s huge. It shows how much strength you have. I was just at the CVS picking up some prescription meds earlier, and man, I felt such a wave of frustration toward the whole pharmaceutical industry. They spend so much time convincing us we're broken just to sell us a fix, and for now, it feels like that's just the reality we live in. Still, I think you're incredibly brave, and I truly respect you for it. Sending love.

Harold Anderson3 said:That’s a fair point. To be honest, almost any antipsychotic comes with the risk of dragging down your mood or triggering suicidal thoughts, but Zyprexa is the one that actually manages to clear out my symptoms and help me stay productive—it really feels like the most effective option available to me. Still, I know what you're saying about the side effects; it seems like there's always a trade-off where the more effective a medication is at treating the core issues, the harder it hits you with those other downsides.

If I were in your shoes, I’d seriously look into whether the medication itself is the culprit. It might be worth getting it sorted just to clear your mind. That stuff can trigger some truly terrifying side effects.

Harold Anderson3, could this be coming from the Zyprexa? I mean, if you look at the side effects, it explicitly says that anyone taking it might experience suicidal thoughts. I went through something similar myself when I was on a combination of Zyprexa and Haldol. Back then, I’d be heading home from my night classes at the community college around 8:30 PM, and after taking those meds, I’d just be praying the night would pass. It was terrifying because those thoughts felt so incredibly real. It wasn't until I actually sat down and read the fine print on the side effects that it clicked—it was the Zyprexa. You should really look into it. If these feelings weren't this intense before you started the medication, it might be wise to talk to your doctor about switching off it. Did you have these kinds of thoughts before you ever touched Zyprexa? If they've ramped up recently, there's a strong chance this is the culprit. Please, read up on it or just bring it up with your psychiatrist during your next appointment. These are serious side effects to ignore.

I’d say the only people who actually give a damn are family—well, at least my own did while she was still around. To everyone else? They couldn't care less.

Harold Anderson3 said:We've got about three more days of this winter chill before things finally start to warm up.
I've been feeling pretty drained lately, but at least today I'm feeling a bit more like myself.
People who haven't dealt with mental health struggles just don't realize how heavy and unpredictable this battle can truly be.
And honestly, people are still afraid of us. 😲

Exactly. They don't realize that someone struggling with this will usually hurt themselves long before they ever hurt anyone else.

Harold Anderson3 said:Honestly, I can't say I am.
I can't help but feel like I've just squandered every single opportunity that ever came my way.
Between relationships, college, and various jobs... I eventually ended up crawling back to this tiny little town in the Midwest, which honestly feels more like the middle of nowhere. I don't have a job, nothing to keep me busy, no social life—just nothing at all.
I'm only 30 years old, yet I feel like I'm already 80, and the thought of having another 50 years ahead of me is exhausting.☕
Life just feels pretty bleak right now, if I'm being honest... 🕺 I'm just ready for it all to be over. I don't really want to keep going.☕

Don't talk like that, Harold Anderson3. Things will turn around. Tomorrow is a fresh start, and honestly, the morning always feels a bit wiser than the day itself. I’m struggling too. I’m constantly praying for some extra cash, and I spent all that time getting a degree that now feels completely useless. I should have played my cards differently, sure, but that isn't a reason to throw your life away. Morning brings clarity. And man, this weather is brutal; it really drags you down and makes you spiral into these heavy thoughts about everything. You aren't alone in this. I've asked myself a thousand times why I even bother, but hey, that's just how I am. I actually have to head out into this miserable weather today. It makes me want to just give up on everything, but maybe tomorrow will be better and I'll have a clearer head. I just wish the sun would come out for once.