Posts by Richard White8

Nicole Barrett76 said:How fascinating! Isn't it interesting that within the French psychiatric school, they have long considered paranoia to be a distinct condition entirely, provided it manifests without other psychotic symptoms like auditory hallucinations?

Perhaps there is some truth to their approach, yet I find myself wondering: should we truly separate disorganized or catatonic schizophrenia from the core concept of the disorder itself?

They don't separate hebephrenia and catatonia from schizophrenia. Rather, what used to be classified as paranoid schizophrenia—whether hebephrenic or catatonic—is now all just categorized under schizophrenia according to the DSM. There are no longer specific subtypes. It is still all schizophrenia; we just don't differentiate the types anymore.

I’ve been reading that the American DSM no longer distinguishes between different subtypes of schizophrenia. They’ve moved away from diagnosing specific variations like paranoid, disorganized, or catatonic schizophrenia, opting instead for a single diagnosis of schizophrenia.

Nicole Barrett76 said:I cannot quite put my finger on why, but I found myself reminiscing about an encounter I once had with a man living with schizophrenia.

A long time ago, back when my understanding of schizophrenia was still quite limited, I actually attempted to intervene and help a patient dial back his extreme religious fanaticism. He was, quite frankly, an ultra-devout believer.

He would engage in acts of self-harm—I suspect he was experiencing command hallucinations—and at the time, he actually had several fingers wrapped in bandages because he had cut himself.

Beyond his intense religious fervor, he also had a tendency to surround himself with young women.

Around that period, there was a news report circulating regarding the failing health of Pope John Paul II. Because my vision is quite poor, I failed to notice that a few young girls were standing nearby. Assuming we were speaking privately, I remarked in a perfectly casual tone that the Pope was losing God's grace.

Immediately, he began to argue with me, and a young girl who frequently accompanied him approached us, rebuking me loudly for suggesting such things about the Pope. Sensing imminent danger, I tried to assess whether his volatility posed a threat to her as well and how we might best distance ourselves from him. Just then, a third person who knew me called out my name; she told me I was needed elsewhere, so I followed her away.

That individual later advised me that I should never provoke a conversation on such sensitive topics with him, given his condition. Even though I was aware of his diagnosis, I truly believed I was doing something helpful by trying to nudge him toward a more rational perspective. It was only much later, after we had walked a significant distance, that I suddenly remembered that young girl and asked what had become of her. The woman glanced back quickly and simply said the children had gone off to play, leaving him alone for a moment before he continued on his way.

Good grief, this whole story sounds a bit psychotic. The kid, the Pope losing God's grace, then the kid vanishing.
Schizophrenics can converse normally and function fine if they take their medication, or if they have recovered and stopped therapy.
This seems more related to his religious convictions than to his schizophrenia.

Jamie Lewis said:Sorry, but which medications were you on, or are you on now? 😁

Regarding antipsychotics, I started with Azulay (aripiprazole) for a month at up to 30 mg, but I couldn't tolerate it.
Then I switched to Moditen 2 mg for a month. It caused leg stiffness, so they also prescribed me Akineton.
After that, Zeldox was introduced, starting with low doses and eventually reaching a maximum of 2 x 80 mg, along with 1 mg of Moditen.
I stayed on Zeldox, but they discontinued the Moditen and put me on Haldol—2 x 2 mg.
After two or three months of combining Haldol and Zeldox, everything was scrapped because the hallucinations wouldn't stop, so they prescribed Serdolect—which gave me heart palpitations.
We then reverted to Zeldox and Moditen. A few months later, the doctor decided to drop the Moditen because it was too heavy and warned it would cause eye twitching.

Since then, I have been on Zeldox monotherapy. I went from 2 x 80 mg down to 1 x 80 mg, then to 1 x 60 mg, and finally, for six months, 1 x 20 mg. That was the lowest dose.

I haven't taken any since about two months ago.

As for antidepressants, I took Faverin for two months, but it was discontinued because it wasn't helping. Then I took Zoloft for a month, which was also discontinued.

For anxiolytics, I used Xanax SR (extended release) at 1 mg, plus Ativan 0.5 mg.

I also used Prazin—2 x 50 mg—to help with sleep.

Basically, now I only take the lighter ones: Xanax, Prazin, Ativan in the evening, and Diazepam as needed.

Rebecca Rivera3 said:It’s pretty funny, Richard White8, when you say... what exactly gave them the idea to diagnose me with simple schizophrenia just based on what I told them... hehe... that couldn't be further from the truth... not even close...
Maybe this doesn't give you the full picture, but I'm going to try my best to explain who I actually am in real life, not just how I sound here behind a screen.
In reality, I barely speak, let alone engage in actual communication, unless it's absolutely necessary. I don't have friends; I have nothing outside of my work. Imagine how lonely it looks to see a 28-year-old woman who can't even make eye contact, much less be near someone or be touched. When I do talk, it takes a massive effort just to force out an answer to a question, if I even bother to respond at all. What do you think my social life looks like? All these years, I've basically just been sleeping... I finished my degree, but aside from campus, I haven't gone anywhere else. I don't have a boyfriend, nor have I ever had one. Even if I did find someone attractive, my emotions are so numb that they just fade away instantly. Not to mention, I've never even cleared the most basic hurdle of actually going out with someone...

So tell me... isn't that tragic? But what's even more heartbreaking is the thought of actually trying to go out and be around people...

I struggle to say even a single word, and it shows, no matter how hard I try to hide it... and that's what hurts... because people aren't stupid; most of them realize pretty quickly that something is wrong with me, so they just move on...

I feel for you. It’s a tough spot to be in. Are you currently on any antipsychotics? My experience was actually the exact opposite. During my psychotic episodes, I became incredibly talkative—almost dangerously so. I would strike up conversations with complete strangers, like approaching tourists out of nowhere and even inviting them back to my place. I never would have done that before this started. However, my schizophrenia hasn't been one-note. There were stretches where I lived in total isolation for two years. I wouldn't see anyone. My schedule was completely flipped; I’d sleep until 8:00 PM, head out for a coffee at 10:00 PM, and then go to bed at 10:00 AM. During those times, I was constantly alone with the voices. The only person I spoke to was my grandmother over the phone. Then, I’d hit a phase of intense sociability, where I'd approach people in bars or clubs just like I mentioned before—I even made a friend that way. Before getting sick, I was never that outgoing with strangers.

Once I started on high doses of antipsychotics, my drive to talk or engage with anyone just vanished. As the dosage was gradually tapered down, my ability to hold a conversation steadily returned.
A friend of mine has been diagnosed with psychosis and is on massive doses of antipsychotics. It’s made him incredibly quiet. Extremely quiet. We hang out often because I genuinely enjoy his company, but we don't really talk. Most of our time is spent just sitting there in silence, drinking coffee and smoking. I find myself constantly searching for something—anything—to ask him just to get a reaction, and then he’ll give me an answer. On a typical two-hour coffee run, we might actually converse for maybe twenty minutes; the rest of the time is just silence and chain-smoking.

I’ve become so accustomed to quiet coffee dates that sitting through a two-hour conversation feels exhausting now. It's especially draining because my way of communicating has shifted. I no longer fight for every word or feel the need to prove a point just to win an argument. I've become more passive; I simply let others take the lead in the conversation.

Those are all just symptoms of the illness. Personally, I have no regrets about taking those antipsychotics. Even though they left me feeling a bit sluggish, they successfully addressed my primary issues: the hallucinations and delusions.

Are you staying consistent with your medication? I seem to recall you mentioning a while back that you weren't interested in taking anything. Is that really a wise move? For me, the treatment has been effective. I have a friend who stays completely stable on his regimen; he’s actually making great progress with his PhD right now. Without those meds, he wouldn't be able to function or hold down a job at all. Even with them, he's had to deal with five or six hospitalizations, but without the medication, it would be an absolute disaster.

Beyond just medication, you really ought to look into psychotherapy. I'm not entirely sure which specific school of thought would suit your situation best, but it's worth exploring. The biggest downside is having to shell out for private practitioners.

Rebecca Rivera3 said:Richard White8, I'll try to address this...
My diagnosis came through three months ago, listed as 60.1 and 20.6.
Basically, simple schizophrenia and a schizoid personality type.
I actually requested my own evaluation at the Mayo Clinic psychiatry department in Seattle while feeling relatively stable. My clinical status was recorded as follows: responsive to preverbal impressions, providing brief answers without spontaneity, anxious, with reduced affect, insecure, quiet, no concrete delusions or hallucinations, diminished volitional drive, and cognitively appearing frozen.
The recommendation😛was an antipsychotic medication.

Afterward, I was completely blindsided by the diagnosis. I went straight to my private psychiatrist—the one I’ve been seeing for years, though unfortunately, we hadn't seen any progress under what she used to call "recurrent depressive disorder."
So, there I was: two psychiatrists, two different diagnoses.
At first, I was convinced the doctor in Seattle had totally missed the mark and felt ashamed he would even write such a thing. But the sad reality is that life eventually reveals the truth, even when you desperately want to believe otherwise. To start with, psychology isn't an exact science, so you can't always rely on it blindly, but the results speak for themselves. Statistically speaking, I spent six years being treated unsuccessfully for "depression" using various antidepressants. I tried almost everything, and none of them worked; they just gave me side effects. Eventually, my regular psychiatrist admitted she wasn't sure how to handle me anymore and prescribed a mild antipsychotic in a small dose, thinking it might help since she believed depression could be managed with certain types of antipsychotics. For the first time in my life, that medication actually worked—it allowed me to function normally. Because she knows me so well, she realized she had been heading in the wrong direction all those years. She sent me to the Mayo Clinic, where I received a clear schizo diagnosis during the very first exam. It sounds absurd—you'd think, "What is this guy talking about? Who is he to decide what's right?"—but looking back, my longtime psychiatrist knew this new diagnosis was correct. It was just nearly impossible for both of us to admit it at the time. Time has finally proven it.
While nothing can ever be stated with absolute certainty, my life and everything I look back on confirms what I didn't want to face. Still, I believe this has always been part of me, deep down, and it existed long before anyone ever wrote it on a chart. It doesn't change who I am. Moving forward, I will always try to ensure this has as little negative impact as possible on my life, my family, and the people I care about.

So, you had six years of the wrong diagnosis and the wrong treatment with antidepressants instead of antipsychotics.
Forgive me for asking, but based on what? On what basis did they give you the F.20.6 diagnosis—simple schizophrenia—based solely on what you've told us?

My own diagnosis seems strange to me because I explicitly pointed out to the psychiatrist that my condition has lasted four years, whereas an acute psychotic disorder lasts, by definition, only a month.

It's not that I regret them not giving me a diagnosis of pure schizophrenia or paranoid schizophrenia; the treatment would have been the same—heavy doses of antipsychotics, cycling through five or six different ones until we found the right fit.
But given my symptoms, I find it baffling that they categorized it as something akin to schizophrenia, considering I lived for four years with commanding auditory hallucinations, constantly persecuted by voices.

I've finally stopped taking my antipsychotics because the voices have vanished—thank God. It’s become perfectly clear now that they were just my own brain playing tricks on me, not actual entities.

Perfectionism can essentially morph into an obsessive-compulsive disorder.
At its core, OCD is just perfectionism taken to a pathological extreme. If things aren't arranged perfectly or symmetrically—if they lack exact spacing—it triggers a mental torture that won't cease until everything is rearranged. This cycle can repeat 20 or 30 times before the mind finally finds any semblance of peace.

I fail to see why perfectionism is being debated on a psychoanalysis forum. True perfectionism is actually a healthy state of mind; it’s a drive toward excellence that doesn't cause issues for the individual. It lacks the intense, debilitating pathological anxiety found in actual OCD.

What’s your take on schizophrenia diagnoses? For those who have actually lived through it—share your experiences. I was diagnosed with F-23.2, an acute psychotic disorder similar to schizophrenia. Even though this went on for four years, and I dealt with auditory hallucinations 24/7 along with the irrational belief that demons were persecuting me—demons that spoke to me and devilish snakes that had possessed me and were giving me orders—they still didn't give me a schizophrenia diagnosis. Instead, they labeled it as an acute phase disorder similar to schizophrenia.

How did you receive your schizophrenia diagnosis? What specific symptoms were used to justify it?

Jose Ward4 said:Man, you guys aren't going to believe this. I had to step away from my medication for two days because the heat was just too much. From Sunday through Tuesday, I was off the pills. Instead, I was drinking ginger, thinking it would give me some strength and help my lungs clear out. Then yesterday, I ordered some lavender tea from Whole Foods. I ended up knocking back three servings of ginger in 24 hours while I was off my meds, and holy cow... around 11 PM last night, I threw up three times. It was just liquid, though. Absolutely wild. I was scrambling to clean up after I puked because, well, they say ginger flushes toxins out of your liver, right? That's what the books say. And then I had diarrhea on top of it. Honestly, I thought I had caught some crazy tropical fever or something. You really can't believe what nature can do if you stay pure. Anyway, the weather has calmed down, so I'm back on my regular medication starting today.

Seriously, look at how much work that ginger does for detoxification. Add a little turmeric to the mix and you'll be pure as driven snow. My psychiatrist never mentioned anything about avoiding my meds due to the heat. Some people claim you shouldn't go out in the Sun when taking certain pills. A friend of mine takes high doses and spends midday tanning in the peak afternoon Sun without any issues whatsoever. Apparently, everyone reacts differently.

Jose Ward4 said:Hey there. Thanks for the tip on the turmeric. Quick question though: how much turmeric are we talking about per cup of ginger tea? If I'm making a small 7-ounce serving of ginger tea, how much turmeric should I toss in? I don't want to overdo it and end up feeling weird.

I personally take two teaspoons of turmeric mixed with two teaspoons of ginger and a teaspoon of honey; I stir it and drink it. When making ginger tea, just add one or two teaspoons of turmeric. You aren't going to hurt yourself. And if you really want to go for it, throw in two tablespoons, haha.

Hi there. I’m looking to connect with someone in the Seattle area or somewhere nearby. Just looking for a friend to grab coffee with and have some decent conversation. To be upfront, I’m gay and have been dealing with mental health challenges for about five or six years now. I’ve been managing things through outpatient treatment, which has helped somewhat. That said, I still deal with occasional bouts of anxiety regarding my career and what the future holds. Even though I hold a Master’s degree, I haven’t been able to land the specific type of job I’m looking for over the last couple of years. I consider myself a good listener, and I’ve always had an interest in psychotherapy and psychology—I learned quite a bit about those topics during my treatment. My interests are pretty broad; I enjoy discussing everything from health and nutrition to politics, religion, evolution, atheism, film, and music.
We can talk about diagnoses and treatment if you want, or we can skip that entirely. Reach out if you're interested.

George Cook said:Has anyone here ever taken that mosaic assessment?
It looks like a wooden tray filled with various little plastic shapes sorted by color. Basically, every color you can imagine is in there.
The task is simply to pick pieces and arrange them however you see fit.

I chose all the sharp triangular pieces and arranged them in a colorful pattern.
When the psychologist asked me what I was trying to create, I just told her I had no idea. 😛

On another note, I recently bought one of those adult anti-stress coloring books, and I’ve noticed I tend to color randomly without any real logic. One minute it’s purple, then orange, then blue and green.
What could that possibly mean?

That’s either a sign of severe schizophrenia or color blindness. Haha, just kidding. It doesn't mean anything. It's just creativity. A bit of green here, some purple there. Around here, there is still such a massive stigma surrounding mental health. In America, it feels like every other person has bipolar disorder or something similar. They pop antipsychotics like candy. It's totally normalized. We'll probably be seeing the same thing here in ten years.

Carol Barrett2 said:I mean, I honestly don't know if there are even any decent alternatives out there. This stuff is basically the cheapest thing on the market—it's what you get when you're using insurance to cover the bare minimum. I think a single box goes for maybe $9 at the pharmacy. Who knows, maybe it might actually do something for me, too. But ever since I started taking it, I've been seeing these floaters in my vision and everything is just getting worse. I've seen blood cells before, sure, but nothing like this whole floater situation. I'm well aware of the side effects. It just sucks.

Floatters—what even are they? Even the other options are subsidized—at least here in the US, and they should be in Canada too. I don't know; just take Elon Musk if it works for you. It wiped me out completely. They switched me to Zeldox instead. That helped somewhat, though it made things a little worse too.

Carol Barrett2 said:Look, there might not even be a choice in the matter. The system is basically on the brink of collapse, and the only thing left for the Oligarchs to do is push us into a war so we "little people" can just tear each other apart. The CDC is basically a mental health center. It's like a family medicine clinic specifically for people with mental health struggles. Maybe the global powers don't care, or who knows what they're actually planning. You see the tension everywhere, all these proxy wars they use to pull the strings.

Moditen isn't even that strong for me—I don't really feel it. That Risperidone they tried giving me as a substitute was a total disaster; I almost lost it because of that stuff. As for the others, I wouldn't know. Moditen is one of the few things you can still get for next to nothing. Like Apaurin and Moditen [Metoten]. You know, the stuff on those subsidized prescriptions... I can't even remember the names for the life of me.

Edit: Actually, I'm not sure, maybe there are a few other cheap meds left.

Fine, go ahead and stick with Elon Musk. I was told it's an old-school medication that doctors are moving away from now. If it works for you, great. For me, even 1 mg of Elon Musk caused my leg to seize up once. And yeah, Risperidone was a nightmare for me too.

Nicole Barrett76 said:Well, she didn't tell me anything at all. Even so, she sent me right back to the psychiatrists and wrote GAP on my chart as the diagnosis. It was the exact same one two different psychiatrists had already given me. And frankly, both of them are far too obsessed with their own power; one of them even went as far as publicly meddling with "veterans' PTSD pensions."

It truly is such a shame that the clinical psychologist referred me back to the psychiatry department, because she is quite literally the only competent professional among all the psychologists and psychiatrists at this local county hospital I'm stuck with.

-------------------

I believe I read somewhere that patients with catatonic schizophrenia supposedly suffer from command hallucinations.

What kind of diagnosis is GAP? Unfortunately, those psychologists can't do anything besides send you right back to the psychiatrist for your meds. Catatonic schizophrenia is when a patient stays frozen in one position, standing rigid for hours without moving.
Command hallucinations are more common in paranoid schizophrenia.

Carol Barrett2 said:

Do these heavy-duty meds just completely drain you? Because they definitely do. You really have to load up on vitamins—like, tons of them. Fruit too, though I can't say I’m much of a fruit eater myself. Personally, I’m constantly slamming supplements—omega-3s, magnesium, curcumin, you name it. I feel like I have way less energy than I did before I started this whole medication thing. And then there's the sleep situation... sometimes you're just out cold for hours, and other times, you can't catch a wink of sleep to save your life. They definitely have their downsides. But, look, they have good sides too. In my own experience, there were actually some genuine benefits to taking them.

I don't really touch fruit that much, and vitamins aren't exactly my thing—not that I take them, anyway. I try to squeeze in more veggies, but usually, they're just cooked into whatever meal I'm having, and maybe an occasional banana if I'm feeling ambitious. Bananas might be the one thing keeping me upright. I drink plenty of milk, though I keep hearing people say it’s not the healthiest habit to have; still, I end up having it with cereal or cookies for dinner most nights. And look, this isn't because of the meds—it’s always been like this. I can't tell if I'm dealing with chronic fatigue or something else entirely, or if I’m just built like Hegel—just wired that way. I’ll sleep for like 8 to 12 hours a day, usually hitting that 10-12 hour sweet spot, and then I’ll spend the entire night buzzing around until the sun comes up. It's exhausting, honestly. The current meds don't seem to bother me, but that Risperidone? Yeah, that was a nightmare. I almost lost it and did something stupid because of it—I tried to speak up, but I guess there was no Metoten available, probably because everyone was too busy dealing with those massive corporate bidding wars at places like Boeing.

Psychiatrists act like they have all the answers, but honestly? If any of them had actually lived through a psychotic break or dealt with the reality of being on these meds, they’d probably think differently. It’s easy to talk theory from a clinical desk, but it's a different story when you're the one actually dealing with it. And let's be real—with these kinds of diagnoses, just functioning on a daily basis is a massive struggle, let alone trying to hold down a job. You'd think the government would step up with some kind of support or disability benefits, right? But instead, you're just left hanging. I don't even dare to apply for disability myself—I mean, what would happen if they actually declared me unfit for work? What am I supposed to do then? Just sit there? It's a catch-22.

They honestly don't have a clue what I'm going through. Every single appointment—it’s always the same—they cut the conversation down to less than a minute. And get this—my psychiatrist actually had the nerve to start complaining to me about his own heart issues and whatnot. Look, I’m not saying he doesn't have problems, but damn, I’ve got my own laundry list of health issues to deal with too. I ended up stuck in the hospital once and was supposed to undergo some extreme testing, but I just hit a wall. I spiraled so hard that I went from being in internal medicine straight to the psych ward. It happened a second time, too, though not in a hospital setting. Honestly? They couldn't care less about us. If they don't care about healthy people, why would they care about people like me? It feels like they're just waiting for us—the old, the sick, the broken—to finally kick the bucket so they can be rid of us. They’re practically counting down the days.

Look, I’ve never been one to get worked up over things—never have. We usually say we just take life as it comes, you know? But honestly, I’ve been out of the workforce for fifteen years straight since I finished school. Never had a real job. And let's be real: what are the odds someone is going to hire a 32-year-old with my track record? I'm dealing with health issues, a messy medical diagnosis, and not enough schooling—I don't even have the specific degree they're looking for. Why would anyone pick me over some young kid who's healthy and actually holds the right credentials? It’s not like it's happening. Even the social safety nets here... they aren't exactly handing out checks to people like me. 25 miles At least if I save up, I might actually have enough to pay for some gear for my projects or maybe some retraining—you know, to chase a decent job or whatever. Not even counting disability benefits. But honestly? It feels like we’re being pushed toward another war sooner rather than later. Things are heating up over in Canada again, and it’s all starting to feel cyclical. Either everyone just vanishes from Canada entirely, leaving nothing behind but the elderly, the sick, and those Oligarchs who call themselves "protectors of the people." Look, I don't *want* a war. But... maybe there's a tiny part of me that actually wants it. Just so I could go out, die, and finally be done with this whole mess. Maybe it isn't even a desire, really—more like I’d just accept it gladly. To finally get rid of this life where everything is just constant struggle. And then there's the social security stuff. By law, I'm entitled to it, but they won't give it to me. They won't even give me what's legally mine. I sat down and did the math for fifteen years, and it comes out to about... 6.2 miles I guess. Legally, I should be covered since nobody in my family actually has an official job—we just have one tiny social security check coming in as our only "official" income.

Over in England, they actually get social assistance if you're over 330 lbs or dealing with chronic illnesses—the state actually steps up. But here in the States? You have to hide the fact that you’ve ever been sick. You show up for a job interview and mention you’ve dealt with psychosis or schizophrenia... your chances of getting hired are basically zero. It’s best to stick to those government agencies. Luckily, a friend of mine works at a university, so no one can breathe down his neck about his health or fire him for it. But if you work for a private company and end up in the psych ward three times a year? You'd be gone in a heartbeat.

Well, they aren't like people in England or anywhere else—not like these local Oligarchs. They know exactly what they're doing by keeping everyone else broke while they hoard everything. It’s a recipe for a systemic collapse, one way or another. And I can't even admit I'm ill because the CDC code is right there in my records—they noted the agency ID in my file, so if anyone looks at my paperwork, they see that CDC mark immediately. They won't hire healthy, young people, let alone us. Working for private employers here is practically serfdom. People are pulling 10 or 12-hour shifts for peanuts, and half the time they don't even pay you—they just keep you stuck in "probation" forever. It's a total scam, so it's no wonder everyone is trying to get out.

Like we actually chose this. Who in their right mind would choose mental illness? If you're fighting cancer, everyone's full of sympathy, but if you're treating schizophrenia, you're just a "lunatic" that everyone avoids. That's why it's better not to tell anyone what's actually going on. Maybe just your closest friends. Honestly, maybe not even family.
I'm looking for work, but I honestly don't know if I'm capable of grinding through 8 hours every single day. What kind of divine punishment is this? I guess we'll all go to paradise like saints. Or maybe in the next reincarnation, we'll all just be cattle. haha

Look, I didn't choose this, though I definitely didn't pass up any opportunities back in the day—if I had, I wouldn't be in this mess. Back in 2008, I might have been able to leverage some of that chaos and pitch ideas to the powers that be to get something out of them, but I didn't want to cause trouble, especially since so much of that stuff is used as weapons. But I was never really "good" at it. After that lead poisoning incident when I was a kid, they kept me in the hospital for half a month under observation, dealing with convulsions, and my folks eventually had to pull some strings to get me out. Who knows how long I've been sick—maybe it started right then. It's the truth; crazy people aren't accepted, and our opinions don't carry weight. They don't listen. And yeah, I'd work, but I couldn't handle 8, 10, or 12-hour days. Maybe 4 hours, maybe 6 max, but no one wants to hire that—they just want to exploit you. It's a curse. I've felt cursed for a long time, but I've just accepted it—this whole life. What's the point in fighting it.

For example, what is the CDC? I haven't heard of them here. I have no idea what they are talking about. Any kind of conflict would only make things worse. The US has been part of the EU for years now, yet we aren't seeing any actual improvement. Eventually, Canada will join the EU too. There won't be any more wars. The global superpowers won't allow it because it simply doesn't serve their interests anymore.
As for your medication, are you taking Moditen? You should consider trying something newer—Seroquel, Zyprexa, Azolar, or Zeldox. I used to take Moditen combined with Zeldox. My psychiatrist eventually stopped me from taking Moditen because it’s quite potent; long-term use can cause muscle spasms or issues with eye rolling.

Nicole Barrett76 said:A few years back, I sat down with a clinical psychologist to go through one of those endless psychological evaluations. It was just a mountain of yes-or-no questions. One question asked whether I would lose control of my bladder in front of an authority figure. Naturally, I checked "No." Another question asked if a man should be the primary decision-maker in an emergency situation. Of course, I checked "Yes." After reviewing my answers, the psychologist concluded that my profile contained far too much pathological material, suggesting that I belonged with a psychiatrist rather than her.

I would honestly bet my life that she reached that conclusion simply because of how I answered that second question.

I mean, really...

It wasn't because of that one. I know that specific test; it's 200 questions long. Who knows what else you checked? I marked down that I hear voices and see things that aren't there, and they didn't label me a psychotic—just someone with ego dysfunction.

Nicole Barrett76 said:I actually believe that things in psychiatry are much more measurable than people think. Just the other day, I was reading about a patient in either England or the USA who was seeing a female psychiatrist. As their sessions progressed, this woman developed an intense bond with her doctor, and the doctor felt the exact same way about her. This connection manifested as a profound maternal transference and countertransference.

The doctor actually presented this case openly at some symposium or conference, and they performed MRIs on both her brain and the patient's brain to see how they reacted while talking to one another or discussing shared interests. It turns out that the doctor's brain responded in the exact same pattern as a mother's brain does when interacting with her young child.

For the life of me, I can't find the link to that article again. Does anyone feel like googling this
?

Interesting. If that's the case, they should start incorporating it into psychiatric diagnosis. Right now, how do they diagnose? Through conversation, observation, intuition.
Then they send you for psychological testing. But once those results come back, the psychiatrist doesn't even bother reviewing them. They just skim them and continue doing exactly what they were going to do anyway.

My own psychiatrist told me repeatedly that she is limited in everything, especially when it comes to prescribing medication. She claimed she has no actual instruments to measure anything and that she’s basically picking drugs blindly, like a blind hen pecking for grain.

Why don't they use brain scans like that for someone sentenced to 25 years for murder committed under the influence of auditory hallucinations? The forensic experts couldn't agree on a diagnosis, so he went straight to prison. He might have actually been ill, or he might have been faking it.

Raymond Walker5 said:If our local politicians have spent the last quarter-century proving how effectively they can run a country into the ground, I struggle to see why that same "philosophy" wouldn't apply to the higher tiers, like the pharmaceutical industry. Given that John Virapen himself worked in pharma for decades and pulled back the curtain on how things actually operate there, I find myself being extremely skeptical of everything now. I didn't believe much before, but his book really solidified that distrust for me. In this kind of cutthroat capitalism, there isn't really any concept of honesty; there are only buyers and sellers. And in this world, healthy customers aren't considered good customers.

Prescribing antipsychotics for anxiety is a total disaster. It’s all about profit margins because Xanax has become far too cheap. I’ll have to look into this John Doe guy; I haven't heard of him.

Raymond Walker5 said:Look, Burzynski actually found effective treatments for certain types of cancer, which is exactly why the FDA and the big players "researching" cures tried so hard to throw him in prison for life. When that didn't work, they moved on to faking research data. When even that failed, they tried to hijack his patents. And when they couldn't pull that off either, they finally allowed his treatment to be used—but only on the condition that chemotherapy fails first. 🤣
The medical establishment cares deeply about our health, clearly.

Precisely. They claim to have spent 90 billion on cancer research so far. Then you have the pharmaceutical industry and the lobbyists. Take psychotropic drugs, for instance; these newer antipsychotics are an expensive way to deal with mental issues. One box of 30 pills costs a hundred dollars. And this Merck product—in the US, they call it Abilify and market it on TV as an adjunct therapy for depression. In America, the consumption of antipsychotics has surged by 100% over the last 15 years. Psychiatrists there prescribe antipsychotics for everything from anxiety to insomnia to god knows what else.

And companies like Pfizer and Eli Lilly make massive profits off this.

Pfizer also rakes it in producing Merck (aripiprazole). I couldn't believe my eyes when I saw the pharmacy receipt—Merck— $217!!! Unbelievable..