Posts by Eric Brown23

vividfalcon14 said:So, I’ve been diagnosed with schizophrenia and what feels like a severe case of OCD—I tend to repeat every single detail about a hundred times. Right now, I’m on two different medications, and honestly, things are going okay compared to how bad they used to be. Back in late 2007, when I was about 20, life was hitting me so hard that I actually attempted suicide with pills because I just couldn't take it anymore. I've always been a bit of a lone wolf, never really having a social circle or a girlfriend. Now I'm 21... and the story continues.....

Suicide is the dumbest move you can make—just don't do it. There's always a way out, so talk to your people.

Alex Ruiz4 said:It’s honestly wild how much love and understanding he gets from everyone. We all bend over backward at home to accommodate him—we don't push his buttons, and we barely even complain. He actually gets along fine with us; it's not like he holds anything against us. The whole house really tries, and he’s usually quite cheerful—especially during the summer, he's almost always in good spirits. The issue is that he isn't really living in this reality. Sometimes things get heavy for him, and he falls into these deep bouts of sadness. It usually happens when the seasons shift from summer to winter, but it can happen anytime. During those episodes, he just cries and sobs, and he won't let anyone near him because he feels like we're intruding. He’s completely lost in whatever is going on inside his own head. But he doesn't lash out physically or anything like that.

I'll check out the Pfizer website. Thanks. I might reach out again if I need more info. Tell me though—if even his own family can't figure out what's wrong, is he really in bad shape?

He’s been diagnosed with schizophrenia, some specific type, though I'm not entirely sure which one. He deals with auditory hallucinations and imagines all sorts of things. My main concern is that nobody seems to be taking a specialized, proactive approach to it. No one is truly monitoring his condition. Things weren't much better in the beginning; he'd chat with a psychiatrist here and there, but nothing substantial ever came of it. Even back then, I had this nagging feeling that no one believed any real progress could be made.

I'm not even certain if his current meds are the best fit, since I'm not 100% sure if his behavior is directly tied to them. I'll tell my mom to make sure he takes them strictly on schedule. Right now, it's Risperdal and Lexapro... what's the deal with those? Are they safe? Are they considered high-quality options, or should he be looking into a third alternative? He took Haldol before, but it gave him terrible headaches. Are those among the strongest antipsychotics out there?

Also, where am I supposed to take him? He isn't acting out or losing control, so I don't think a hospital ward is the right move. Maybe some kind of specialized outpatient facility? Does something like that exist? Where would I find it?

From the way you're describing things, it sounds like things are stable for now, so just educate yourself. That way, the family can actually fight back against these changes effectively. This disease is brutal on families—it wears you down. I know Haldol; it's old school. Risperdal is a third-generation antipsychotic. Personally, I’d suggest looking into homeopathy as a supplement to the meds—it might help bring him closer to reality, provided you clear it with his doctor first. I always ask the psychiatrist before adding anything extra. I've been using homeopathy myself for four years now, and it helps immensely. I think I posted a link about it somewhere on the site; I'll send it over... especially for cases where patients are living in a totally unreal world.http://www.homeopatija.com/unutra/dol.html

http://www.homeopatija.com/

Alex Ruiz4 said:@Kenneth Price74

How can you say the family isn't doing enough? Are you suggesting we should have just hauled him off to a hospital? My mom talked to the doctors, but nobody really pushed her to believe that was the right call. It’s almost like there's this unspoken assumption that he’s beyond help... You might not realize this, but out here in rural towns, people often rely on just talking to themselves to get by. The locals just get used to seeing them like that, and that's it. Honestly, I feel like this whole small-town atmosphere is part of the problem. Our doctor is a local who sees my brother all the time—whether he's out on the road or just passing by. She sees him laughing to himself. But no one ever takes any initiative... I've been reading stories about people where, if they miss their meds, the police or an ambulance show up to drag them away. That's why I'm staying hopeful; he's much calmer than those cases. My brother doesn't really have "classic" episodes... at least, they aren't that intense.

Look, man, here's the deal—you and your mom need to actually learn about what you're dealing with if you want to handle his psychoses and delusions effectively. I've been through the ringer with this myself, so I know how it goes. Psychosis is a nasty, unpredictable beast; the mood swings can be brutal. It’s the kind of illness that paralyzes an entire household because you never know what’s coming next. Your best bet is to research—right now, Pfizer's website has some decent info on it. Go look it up. If you and your mom aren't educated on this, it's going to be impossible to help him. Beyond the facts, though, you need a massive amount of patience and love, regardless of the delusions. You have to try to steer him toward positive things and make sure he feels respected, even with whatever chores he’s doing around the house. Without family support, he's stuck—this stuff is too volatile for that. Trust me, I'm speaking from experience: support, understanding, and staying positive are everything. Get educated so you can actually help him become independent...
You have to make sure he takes his medication. Have your mom wake him up, give him his dose, and then let him go back to sleep... that's just how those meds work—I personally sleep like the dead when I'm on them. If you have more questions, just ask; I'll do my best to answer.

http://www.webmd.com

just our take on homeopathy

Donna Sullivan7 said:man, I felt just... awful from all that disrespect, honestly, just a horrible, indescribable feeling... so yeah, I ended up switching things up.
I’ve been through it too—ended up in the ER, then at some clinics in Brooklyn, Queens, and even over in Jersey... hospitalized a few times here and there. Did you get a chance to look at that treatment plan I sent over?...
-wait, I don't get it, why are you on the long-acting shot?-well, because you forget your meds sometimes or you aren't really following what the doctor says when they put you on the depot injections...

I take the depot because of the hallucinations—true enough—but I haven't tried some of those specific meds yet. Why not try adding homeopathy to the mix? It might actually help. I use it alongside my regular meds with my doctor's okay as a supplement. Give it a shot, you aren't losing anything. There's a homeopathic medical association based in NYC—it could do you good. I'm not sure where those practitioners are located, but just check their website...

Where’s my favorite girl today? How are you holding up?
I finally got my six-month Depo-Provera shots approved! Back in '97, I was seeing a specialist over at Mayo Clinic—it feels like a lifetime ago. Where do people even go for treatment these days? Which hospitals or mental health clinics are actually worth the trouble?

Amanda Ramirez69 said:Are we talking about whether the devil or God is responsible for shaving them over a longer period? Or is it just a case where they get copied all at once?

How did you handle that, Kenneth Price74? For me—back when the illness first hit—I was basically being fed hallucinations about this stuff constantly... though things have finally settled down since then.

Kenneth Price74 said:Most often, they believe they are Jesus sent to redeem humanity, or they believe they are the devil and feel compelled to end it all.

what makes you say that?😕 😕

Donna Sullivan7 said:-I just hope you aren't one of those Jehovah's Witnesses, because those guys can be seriously intense and pushy...
-I've been through all the scans and all that nonsense, and the only thing they ever asked was if I'd been in a car wreck... they had no clue about the shrapnel left in my head from being wounded by an anti-aircraft machine gun...
-Sleep's been a struggle for me, so I ended up getting a dog just to make sure I stay active...
-Hey, Celsius, mind telling me what you do for a living?

Good grief, no, I'm not... go take some classes if you want to find a new lease on life, trust me.👍

Getting a dog is a solid move—it's a start. I occasionally walk a service dog to unwind; my Lab, Luna, is a total lifesaver...

Reading what you went through... sounds like a hell of a struggle. It hasn't been easy for you, man...

Donna Sullivan7 said:To be totally honest, after coming home from the war and dealing with all my injuries... I just couldn't see any point in living. Or maybe I was just too hooked on the combat itself? It was more addictive than any drug, honestly... I just missed it. After dragging myself through countless sessions with different psychiatrists, nothing really clicked. Nothing changed. Living felt unbearable, so I turned to drugs. Maybe it was just the path of least resistance, but whatever... at that moment, it was the only thing keeping me going. Of course, I look at things differently now, especially after staring death right in the face.

Look, brother in arms, I felt the exact same way—just lost in the middle of it all. But I've found my footing now, mostly through this community. Even though I still have to watch myself and avoid turning into some fanatic—since I tend to be pretty skeptical—the last two years have been okay. Things are still tough sometimes, but I keep moving forward with my faith. As for sleep... man, I can't catch a break. Between my sleep disorder and everything else, I either can't sleep or I crash for like 15 hours straight. Could be the depression, could be the meds lingering in my system... who knows.

Anyway, tell me—did you spend the whole day and night at the VA getting brain scans? I heard they do those there, specifically for people dealing with psychosis. Do you know anything about that, or maybe Kenneth Price74?🤷 ☕

Just a thought I've been chewing on—I’d love to start my own foundation one day. It’s been on my mind forever, but honestly, I’m still not even sure when that might actually happen... maybe someday, if I can figure out how to support people dealing with mental health struggles and psychotic episodes.

Noah Sanchez7 said:No offense, but I’m a little confused >> Who is fighting the delusions and the internal struggle... you, or the medication you're taking?

Look, here's my take: trying to figure out "who am I" and refusing to accept yourself until you are absolutely certain of your identity is one of the most difficult and treacherous paths you can walk, but it's also the most meaningful.

In my view, that journey eventually leads to a breaking point—to madness or delusions—but that isn't the end, and it isn't the goal. You aren't crazy! You just have to push through it to find the light at the end of the tunnel, no matter how long it takes. Anything less is pointless!

I can say for myself that I went through bouts of insanity in my desperate attempt to find a real, complete answer to the question of "who am I."
I even tried "prescribing" my own treatments by getting things from local street dealers.
I don't hold that against myself, because it was absolute hell.
Drugs, meds, alcohol—none of them provide healing; they just delay the inevitable. However, they can sometimes be used in a positive way by giving you enough breathing room to assess the situation and pull yourself together. But eventually, there has to come a moment where you slowly stop needing them.

Sorry if I sounded like I was lecturing you. 😁
best,

Not sure what you're getting at—make sense, will you.🤷

Kenneth Price74 said:I felt terrible on Risperidone, much like I did with Zyprexa. My sympathies lie with you.

So, what atypical antipsychotic are you on now? I'm still using Risperidone—well, the generic version.

Donna Sullivan7 said:Eric Brown23, man, I get where you're coming from... it's tough. But how are you actually helping yourself through this? Besides having faith in God—which I totally respect, and it’s great that you're fighting and staying afloat instead of just letting life sweep you away... there’s still hope out there... Honestly, from everything I see people saying online, I get this nagging feeling that everyone thinks they have it the hardest. It kind of shows how subjective we all are, you know?

Yeah, it's tough—hang in there. It’s basically impossible to stay grounded when a psychosis first hits... it's just not doable. You only start figuring out how to actually fight back against the delusions and that feeling of being torn apart after you've been in the trenches for a while. It sucks, but just keep pushing.

Amanda Ramirez69 said:Looking back at several of your posts, it seems like you're really preoccupied with how everyone around you perceives you, isn't that right?
Why does it weigh on you so much—whether they judge you, accept you, or reject you? You have to realize that even "normal" people deal with these exact same questions and dilemmas. I know plenty of people in my circle who aren't fully accepted by those around them, but why let it bother you? That's just how society functions. Then again, there's another group of people who don't give a damn; they accept their environment exactly as it is and refuse to be rattled. You mentioned once wondering what would happen if you moved to a new neighborhood—how people would point fingers and whisper, "Look at that crazy person..." But honestly, the same thing would happen if it weren't you. If some guy from a different background, or someone of a different race, or anyone else perceived as an "outsider" by the status quo moved in, the reaction would be identical.
In this day and age, making a real friend is hard. We don't need hundreds of acquaintances; we just need one true friend. You already have your brother, your husband, and a few good friends—you're practically wealthy in social capital!
What more could you possibly want?

I'm with her on this one...

I've been dealing with my own health issues for ten years now.

Donna Sullivan7 said:...I just can't find the drive for anything. I can't seem to pull myself out of this total rut, and honestly, I don't see a future or any real goals anymore. I’m just existing, like a houseplant, except even they get photosynthesis... ever since the war, I haven't been the same person. There's just so much piled up on me, making everything feel heavy and pointless... I ended up with a pituitary injury—brain damage—so having kids is off the table, and on top of that, I contracted Hepatitis C during a blood transfusion when I was wounded. It just drains me, limits what I can physically do, and on top of the depression and all that other stuff, it just makes dealing with being sick feel even more overwhelming...

Look,☕ I don't exactly have a burning desire to get things done either, but I found a community—that's what keeps me going. We all carry our own crosses, you, me, everyone else.
Reading this, I used to feel the exact same way—like I had no future, no purpose, no joy, just drifting like a plant. But slowly, things are shifting for the better. I'm moving forward,🙏 leaning on prayer. My advice? Try finding a Catholic community to join. I've been part of a Neo-Catholic group for two years now, and it’s been wonderful. Prayer and the Word help me carry the weight of my psychosis and hallucinations through love; it makes things easier.
I bet you have plenty to say based on everything you've been through, which sounds incredibly heavy.👍 Let's catch up in a private message to swap stories... hang in there.

Donna Sullivan7 said:Is F-43 considered PTSD?

How do you handle it when people bring up the Gulf War—do you get contacted by old vets? For me, some days I can watch stuff about it, and other days I just can't. I was scrolling through YouTube recently, watching clips from back then, and man... you wake up drenched in sweat. The scenes stay in your dreams. You find yourself reliving the whole thing—the grenades, the sound of a truck idling that hits just like a tank or a heavy firework... there's too much to even list, honestly.

I’ve got an F20 diagnosis and some F43 mixed in there—I know exactly what the first one covers, but the second one is still a total mystery to me...

What's your situation, man?

Donna Sullivan7 said:...even if you feel like your psychiatrist just isn't on your side or doesn't really know their stuff, you've totally got the right to find someone else.

You hit the nail on the head there—definitely true.👍

crimsonjackal1 said:That’s exactly how it works. You really can't afford to shy away from those tough conversations, and it is absolutely vital that you stay incredibly specific when you're describing your symptoms to your doctor because that is truly the only way they can accurately gauge what kind of treatment you actually need. ☕

Yeah, just like you said—being upfront with a psychiatrist is better for everyone involved. It leads to actual treatment instead of guesswork.