Posts by Carol Palmer66

Kevin Rivera61 said:Back in mid-August, an old colleague added me on Facebook. She actually tracked me down

We’ve known each other for about 17 years, though we hadn't really been in touch for the last decade
- We hadn't seen each other, and she had found a boyfriend—once they got serious, they lived together

Basically, they were renting, moving from one place to another quite often, and that boyfriend is her husband now... he isn't in the States at the moment, but he should be coming back sometime soon

She’s living in the same city as me now...
She was staying just a few streets away, so she invited me over twice to see her place. We caught up on everything, and then she asked if I could lend her some money because she was in a real bind with her rent and had nowhere else to turn. I went ahead and helped her out with $133, and she managed to cover the rest. She didn't want to get kicked out since she had nowhere to go, especially with all her unpaid bills... she was almost "out on the street" by September

She has three little kids to look after, and I know things haven't been easy for her, so I stepped up because of our history. About two months ago, she finally found a new apartment because their debts had piled up so high she couldn't keep up with the bills and was forced to move out

After that, she started looking for a new place, and by total coincidence, she stumbled upon an ad for an apartment in my neighborhood—in my actual building, on the same floor where I live! I thought, "That's great, we'll be neighbors," but then she was short on cash again to pay the deposit $133—so once again, I helped her out. Even though those $133 would have been useful for me, helping her was the priority because otherwise, she’d be stuck on the street with her kids
Her husband couldn't send any money from abroad at the time either, who knows why...

A little while later, she asked me for $33 so the kids would have something to eat. Okay, so I lent her those $33 too, even though I didn't really have extra for myself; I just made ends meet somehow

I asked her if she could translate a text from English to American for me, but she won't respond. Plus, since my optical mouse stopped working, I asked if I could borrow hers for a couple of hours, or if she wouldn't lend it, if I could just use her computer to handle some stuff online—but she doesn't want to hear it
The thing is, I pass by her door every single day, and our windows face each other. Every time I walk past her door, I can't help but think about what kind of colleague and neighbor she is

For the last 14 days, she's been exclusively "Off" on FC, but I can tell she's online because she occasionally leaves messages for people... she just won't react to me, even when I send her a private message on FC

P.S. As for the money I lent her, her husband is supposed to pay me back once he returns to the US. Hopefully, I'll see it eventually, but for now... we'll see. I'm not helping her anymore, and we aren't even in contact. I just want things to be right—for her to act properly toward me and appreciate the person who stepped up to help

I'd love to hear your thoughts or if anyone has advice... how do you get someone like this to come back down to earth and actually value the people who help them? Or if anyone has gone through something similar, please share your story

James Diaz59 made a good point. Her husband just wasn't in a position to send her any money. Honestly, what else could he do?🤣Maybe a small town in Ohio might actually be worth considering. Sorry.

granitefalcon9 said:in Chicago

Well, I haven't actually been there. Why on earth are you getting ready to head to some hospital?

granitefalcon9 said:Well, I spent an entire month checked into a psychiatric ward before they finally managed to get my medication dosage right.

so, what was it like at the psych ward?🤷>

granitefalcon9 said:Well, if it actually works, fine by me. I recall hearing some folks say things were a total disaster over in Seattle, while everyone else claimed Portland was heaven on earth—or maybe I had those two flipped, I can't quite recall precisely.
As for myself, I’m still stuck in the middle of my recovery program, so I’m staying far away from the bottle.

The first place is a disaster, but the second one is basically for people who can barely string a sentence together. I went there with my mother about 15 years ago with a referral, and she told me straight up she wasn't leaving me there.

Zyprexa just isn't doing it for me. I guess everyone needs something different, right?

Yeah, I’m actually on Zyprexa right now if things get a little too heavy for me

granitefalcon9 said:That sounds harrowing. I’m dealing with Type II bipolar disorder myself, complete with psychotic episodes that mimic schizophrenia, though there is always that looming possibility of developing schizoaffective disorder.
I am curious about your current status—what medications are you currently on, what has your journey been like from the beginning to now, and which facilities or doctors handled your care?

Marijuana actually works wonders for me; it keeps things level. My mom is totally cool with it, so I can smoke at home without any issues. There was a stretch where I was drinking way too much, though... that really messed my head up completely.

granitefalcon9 said:I have no idea what exactly you’ve been taking, but I can't help but wonder. As for me, I’ve only ever messed with marijuana, and even then, it was maybe ten times at most. It certainly wasn't that. Besides, I carry a genetic predisposition for these things, which adds a rather grim layer to the whole situation.
What exactly is AD? It’s one of those acronyms that gets tossed around in medical circles and online forums with such casual frequency that people often forget how heavy the reality behind the letters actually is. If you're asking about Alzheimer's Disease, we're looking at a progressive, neurodegenerative condition that essentially rewires—or rather, unravels—the brain's ability to hold onto itself. It isn't just "forgetfulness" or losing your keys, though I suppose that's where the frustration starts. It’s a systemic breakdown of cognitive function. I remember an old colleague of mine back in Chicago; a brilliant man, a real stickler for detail, who began to lose his grip on even the simplest sequences of thought. Watching someone of that intellect drift away is a quiet, slow-motion tragedy. Of course, depending on the context of your question, you might be referring to something else entirely, but in most clinical discussions, we are talking about the gradual erosion of memory and identity. It's a heavy subject, to be sure.
Have you ever found yourself wandering through those sleepy little towns out in the Midwest, like maybe some quiet corner of Iowa or rural Nebraska? I can't recall if I've specifically set foot in places like Vrabčac or Popovača—not that they'd be on my radar, given how much more interesting the outskirts of Chicago or even a small town in Ohio can be. I tend to stick to more established routes, though I do occasionally find myself drifting through those nondescript suburban stretches when I need to clear my head.
Are you still smoking weed? Honestly, if you ask me, it only serves to make everything worse.
I used to be on a regimen of Moditen, Akineton, and Normabel, but I’ve since transitioned over to Zyprexa. It turns out that when my doctor prescribed the Zyprexa, the Normabel had to be phased out entirely.

AD stands for antidepressants. I've taken pretty much everything you mentioned. I used to call Zyprexa "Zyprex" because it always made me feel so stuck.😁I've been to those state psychiatric hospitals—it was terrifying. Both the ones in the countryside and the urban ones. I actually had an intake interview yesterday. As for the weed... I don't think it caused anything directly, but I did go overboard with 15 grams once, so maybe that sent things spiraling.🤷Akineton is for schizophrenia, which I’ve dealt with too. It always kept me wired.😁

granitefalcon9 said:If there happens to be a schizophrenic out there who isn't currently confined to some psychiatric ward and actually feels like talking, I would genuinely welcome your perspective

So, what kind of meds are you on?

granitefalcon9 said:That sounds harrowing. I’m dealing with Type II bipolar disorder myself, complete with psychotic episodes that mimic schizophrenia, though there is always that looming possibility of developing schizoaffective disorder.
I am curious about your current status—what medications are you currently on, what has your journey been like from the beginning to now, and which facilities or doctors handled your care?

I’ve practically lived in every psychiatric ward or facility out there. It started when I began using drugs at fourteen; they tell me all these disorders stem from that. They tried everything—every antidepressant imaginable, various injections, you name it. These days, I've been doing great for about a year. Just taking Effexor and cruising along.🙂

granitefalcon9 said:If there happens to be a schizophrenic out there who isn't currently confined to some psychiatric ward and actually feels like talking, I would genuinely welcome your perspective

After seven suicide attempts, I was diagnosed with manic depression, though they ended up treating me with antipsychotics instead.🤷What specifically are you looking to know?

wiredfalcon21 said:I was actually discussing this exact phenomenon—this idea of being "extremely resistant" to drugs—with a close friend of mine who is a pharmacist. She listens to these kinds of outbursts daily. Honestly, it feels like a bit of a vanity project.

It isn't fear-mongering, though. It’s just the reality of the situation.

Robert Collins2 said:Man, you hit the nail on the head...

Anyway, let's pivot—what's the deal with psych meds? For those of you on Vallejo, how's that treating you? 😁

I'm on it, and it works fine. It doesn't leave you feeling jittery or wired like some other stuff does; actually, it's more the exact opposite.