Posts by Jessica Cooper5

Harold Anderson3 said:There is a massive difference between taking a medication strictly as a sleep aid and using that exact same drug as an antipsychotic. For instance, I used to take Abilify at about 100-200 mg in the evening just to help me get some rest
. I have another example involving Rexulti. There was someone else on this forum who struggled terribly with insomnia, and once they started taking Rexulti at the maximum dose of 25 mg, they actually began sleeping way too much. Meanwhile, I take 100 mg at night as an antipsychotic and my sleep stays perfectly normal. Considering the maximum dosage can reach 500-600 mg for really severe cases of schizophrenia, it's quite a gap
. At the end of the day, it isn't a simple matter at all, which is why it's so important to work closely with your psychiatrist when setting up a treatment plan, though I also believe we should be proactive ourselves by asking plenty of questions about the medications we're being prescribed.

Yup, I agree. My point was simply that Abilify most often functions as a sedative or sleep aid during the initial stages until the body adjusts. How long that adjustment takes, what the dosage will be, and what supplemental therapies are required—those are entirely different matters.

She’s likely just grown accustomed to how it works. I highly doubt she started at 800 and managed to stay awake all day 🙂 Honestly, if she actually did that, someone should probably give her a medal.

Rebecca Rivera3 said:Hi everyone,

I was wondering if anyone here has taken 100mg of Quetiapine. It knocks me out completely, even though my dosage is set at 3, which is standard.
I don't actually need this for psychiatric reasons; my instability is caused by neurological issues.

Anyway, has anyone ever taken 300mg of Quetiapine and managed to stay awake? At that dosage, you could sleep for two days straight.

I take Abilify at 100mg. If I take it around 10:00 AM, everything is fine the next day. But if I take it at 10:15 AM, I sleep for 14 hours, wake up feeling absolutely miserable, exhausted, and barely able to function. I'm struggling with the requirement to take it at almost the exact same time every day. My schedule doesn't even allow for that level of consistency.

I adjusted down to 50mg, which is slightly better. I adapt quickly. That being said, if I took 300mg, I would probably drop onto the floor and wake up 42 days later covered in dust and cobwebs.

Look, you don't have to like them. Maybe they're just swimming in a different direction than you are. Everyone finds their own flock eventually. I fail to see how your comment actually helps her.

Rebecca James3 said:Look, I know just about every psychiatric disorder out there—The Merck is basically my Bible, except I'm not a hypochondriac, I just actually enjoy digging into medicine.

I hear you. The issue is my husband wants me to be social and surround myself with people.

Understood, but your husband isn't you, and you aren't him. You are who you are. You have two choices:
a) pretend to be someone else, or b) accept yourself and let others accept you too. For the sake of psychological stability (lol, who am I to judge?), I suggest the latter.
Socialize when it actually suits you. You can't force these things. Well, you can, but the consequences are unpleasant—unfortunately, I know from experience.

A total lack of empathy. Society’s standard response is usually "How dare you??!"
I understand where you're coming from; I went through the exact same thing. If I were in your shoes, I wouldn't waste energy trying to force anything. Just surround yourself with people you actually want to be around. Everyone else is living their lives regardless of what you do, and they don't gain anything from your empathy—or your lack thereof. We aren't all cut from the same cloth; not everyone possesses a big heart, nor does everyone possess a small brain.

There is nothing you can do about it. Things change regardless of our involvement.
I simply offered an opinion on a potential source of the problem (and I emphasize *potential*); as for how or where to begin fixing it, I have no idea.

Olivia Smith2 said:That’s an interesting way to put it. I definitely have those moments myself—isn't that just how it goes? Why do you say that, though?

The reason is simple: I have never actually mourned a person. Instead, I mourn the version of myself that existed in that specific moment, acting as a resonance with them. It took several failed relationships—along with a few other life lessons—to finally realize this. People arrive and they depart. No matter how difficult it is to grasp or accept that inevitability, we are always left alone with ourselves, without exception. That is also a hard truth to swallow. Often, the shifts we experience through others—be they friends, lovers, or partners—are precisely what irrevocably change us. Perhaps we aren't actually longing for them, but rather feeling nostalgic for who we were back then.
I suspect you are actually pining for your former self.
You lost your way somewhere along the road, and she was your anchor; now that she's gone, you simply miss the person you used to be.
My apologies for the lack of cohesion; I am feeling quite inflated right now.

Olivia Smith2 said:My imagination basically built me an alien from another planet. I know it now—and honestly, it's probably for the best. During my psychotic episode, I was actually terrified of her. I thought she had some kind of magical power over me... it was a living nightmare!

I've been trying to focus on her flaws for a year now, but even the things most people would call red flags—things I didn't even notice before I fell for her—still feel like virtues to me. 🤣

A huge thanks to you and everyone else who helped me try to shift my perspective. I think that's the core issue here. The reality is, she's unfaithful, an alcoholic, and incredibly volatile.

Still, I can't believe how quickly she found someone else to turn to. I feel like a gust of wind that just gave her a little breeze, and now she's all bundled up in something warmer and moved on.

As for the phone and the constant checking... I might just smash it. I swear. 🙂 I've been reading about romantic psychosis and extreme projection during infatuation... sometimes a breakup can cause more PTSD than actual combat. That's exactly how I feel.

I suspect you are less obsessed with her and more nostalgic for the version of yourself that existed when you were with her.

Olivia Smith2 said:My doctor was mainly focused on treating the psychosis—he didn't really care about anything else. Until a few months ago, the psychosis was my main concern and I just wanted it gone. It feels okay now, even if the meds make me feel a bit foggy. Luckily, he mentioned I might be one of the lucky ones where it won't recur. I should be tapering off the medication soon. Apparently, psychotherapy isn't always recommended for those who have experienced psychosis.

Most of the time I’m just melancholy—and I still find myself hoping we can find our way back to each other. Our relationship was incredibly intense. I didn't want to waste time, so I dated a few people, but it all felt hollow. Now I'm back to being alone and feeling pretty low. On the flip side, I get hit with waves of rage during the day. I'll feel like grabbing my biggest shoe and stomping on it—but of course, those emotions aren't particularly productive either.

Hope is really the only thing I have left—hope that I can eventually wipe her from my mind. Still, the fact that this is dragging on worries me. A whole year is a long time. I'm genuinely afraid that I haven't developed an obsession, but rather something more permanent. It's completely wrecked my confidence. If only we had broken up under normal circumstances, instead of her just finding a replacement. 😢

You can seek out a psychologist at any time, regardless of whether you've experienced psychosis in the past. Find a psychologist or a therapist who can assist you with daily survival and coping with loss. I am not referring to a shrink who provides pharmacological treatment. I am not talking about medication.
I am an intensely melancholic person who struggles significantly with the past, so I understand your position. No one can dictate whether a year is a sufficient amount of time to move past someone or something, but the reality remains that you have been in a state of constant distress for a full year and you feel terrible. Seek out someone to talk to.

Why haven't you switched doctors if this guy is such an idiot? Nobody needs a subpar physician, especially not someone dealing with diagnosed psychosis, managing medications, struggling with debt, and facing emerging addiction issues. Personally, I find that the "just pull yourself together" type of advice only serves to push a person deeper into the abyss. It might be wise to seek psychotherapy at a different practice instead. Dealing with a year of depressive symptoms and feeling like life is just a pointless struggle is not easy; believe me, I know.