28 posts shown.
Robin Lopez2 said:If you're experiencing psychosis, taking Normabel is about as effective as taking Vitamin C. It's doing absolutely nothing.
Larry Lewis said:I don't know, but the AP is a serious matter. From what I can gather, the Azolar actually managed to kill off your psychosis, which is the most critical part here—if I were in your shoes, I’d be sticking with it if I could.
That whole "feeling passive" thing doesn't actually have anything to do with the medication itself. Sure, it might slow you down a touch, but if you don't let it settle in—if you don't just surrender to that sluggishness—then there isn't really an issue.
What do you think I'm supposed to feel like when I wake up after taking 300mg of Loquene and 4mg of Rispolept before bed? I'm certainly not "passive," that's for damn sure.
Nicole Barrett76 said:Could you perhaps ask your doctor to prescribe something to help manage the symptoms during this transition, or maybe suggest a much more gradual tapering schedule?
Larry Lewis said:Honestly, you should take this straight to her—because from what you’re saying, she really messed things up. And if you're just seeing some random community clinic doctor, well, they'll just shuffle you from one prescription to the next without a second thought.
Larry Lewis said:Are you seeing someone through your insurance, or are you paying out of pocket for a private specialist?
Eric Mitchell55 said:What were you taking the Azalea for?
I’m on 15mg twice a day and haven't even thought about lowering my dose yet.
Kate Ramos93 said:Regarding Azolar, I've been taking it for four months now, but alongside Zyprexa (15mg daily)... my psychiatrist tried to have me taper off the Zyprexa, but it just didn't work; I became completely non-functional and paranoid...
Azolar (aripiprazole) is a decent newer medication and carries fewer side effects than Zyprexa, though it isn't quite as effective on its own. My doctor mentioned these two could be taken together, which is what I'm doing currently...
Anyway, my current regimen is
Azolar 10 mg (1,0,0)
Zyprexa 10mg (0,0,1 and 1/2)
Depakote Chrono 300mg (1,0,1)
Calixta 15mg (0,0,1)
Xanax 0.5mg (0,1,0)
PS - I'm living with Paranoid Schizophrenia F20.0
🙂
Harold Anderson3 said:Personally, I think depression feels heavier than psychosis, mainly because at least with depression, you can still function somewhat, whereas with psychosis, you're just totally out of it.
I took Depakote for a while too (those large white pills), and it definitely tends to dampen your mood, and if my memory serves me right, it could even trigger manic episodes. I ended up taking it to help manage some compulsive behaviors I had shortly after my bout with psychosis.
As for Effexor... I take 150 mg, though I know there are 75 mg and 37.5 mg doses out there. I can say it helps, but I still don't always feel great; I still experience bouts of heavy depression from time to time. It's hard for me to socialize sometimes because I feel this sense of unease and restlessness. People tell me I come across as melancholy, but that’s just how I’ve been since I was a kid, long before I ever got sick. In my case, the illness seemed to develop quite gradually over time.
Dana Vaughn said:I'm going to start taking that Azolar this Monday, though I have my doubts about whether it'll actually get me steady again. I feel like I probably need a heavy-duty antidepressant to boost my dopamine and serotonin levels and find some equilibrium.
It is a new drug, but unfortunately, my doctor didn't offer it to me right away.
I don't know which is worse—being psychotic or being stuck in this state. I completely understand where you're coming from.
I'm also taking Depakote; does that have any impact on your mental state?
Harold Anderson3 said:Dana, reading through your posts, I can tell you that I’ve been in the exact same boat. I dealt with two back-to-back Psychotic episodes back in 2009—the second one happened because I decided to stop my treatment prematurely. At the time, I was on massive doses of Seroquel and Risperdal (over 100mg and 50mg respectively), which left me looking completely drugged and perpetually exhausted, though I felt okay because even those heavy hits weren't quite enough to fully suppress the symptoms. As the illness started to recede over the next two years, my doctors began tapering my dosage down almost linearly. Eventually, those meds just felt too heavy, likely due to the lingering depression and lowered brain activity. Once I hit the 25mg mark for both, I still felt incredibly depressed. My doctor didn't want to lower the antipsychotics any further, so she introduced antidepressants—first Faverin and Ladiomil, and now I’m on 150mg of Effexor XL. Meanwhile, they swapped my Seroquel for Zyprexa, starting at 10mg, then 5mg, and now I'm down to just 2.5mg. In my experience, the depression isn't always just a side effect of the antipsychotics being too strong; sometimes it’s just an inherent part of the condition. My latest diagnosis is F20.4 (post-schizophrenic depression). To be honest, I haven't actually felt the schizophrenia itself for a long time now (thankfully, 🙂), it's just this depression that lingers. It might be worth discussing Effexor with your doctor, because if you taper off the antipsychotics too aggressively, the illness can flare up incredibly fast—kind of like a tiny spark that suddenly turns into a massive forest fire. That’s how my therapist puts it. Effexor shouldn't hurt you, especially at lower doses. I hadn't heard of Azolar before, but I did a little digging online and it really is a newer option, much more recent than Zyprexa, which used to be considered the "new" expensive standard.
And please, don't believe the idea that your brain is permanently damaged. Even though it certainly feels that way, it’s really just a chemical imbalance of neurotransmitters. Those aren't things that can be fixed overnight or easily, even with the most cutting-edge medicine available today. It's a tough reality, unfortunately 😢
ruggedtinker9 said:Antipsychotics primarily target dopamine blockade, though they also partially affect serotonin and various other neurotransmitters. Since dopamine and serotonin are the neurochemicals responsible for experiencing pleasure in life, that is likely why you are feeling this way. Essentially, the nerves that would normally trigger excitement or enjoyment are being blocked.
I was just sitting here thinking about how much everything seems to be shifting lately... you know? It’s like one day things are steady, and the next, you're looking at a completely different landscape. I found myself staring out the window this morning, just watching the traffic move along—kind of like how life just keeps rolling regardless of whether we're ready for the change or not. It reminds me of that old saying about how progress isn't always a straight line. Sometimes it's more of a jagged, messy scribble. I was reading this article on Psychology Today the other day—one of those deep dives that makes you question your own habits—and it really hit home. We spend so much time trying to organize our lives into neat little boxes, but reality is rarely that polite. Anyway, I don't mean to ramble. I just felt like sharing that bit of reflection. It’s been on my mind. kaže:
Who actually told you that you were schizophrenic? You mentioned those symptoms yourself earlier... though I did see something about you being out there with some kind of diagnosis involving psychotic episodes, or something along those lines.
Where exactly am I jumping to conclusions about your diagnosis? That’s not what this is. I’m just trying to tell you that you need to actually process what happened to you—really sit with it—instead of just bottling everything up inside. That’s all I'm saying. Honestly, I couldn't care less about court cases, how broken the world is, or all the unfairness in the psychotherapy industry. All of that is just noise, and frankly, it isn't going to help you move forward.
I’m asking you again... where exactly did I establish a diagnosis for you? Or even suggest there was some kind of pathology at all, other than what seems pretty obvious from the way you carry yourself here on the forum?
Just because your psychiatrist didn't tell you straight up that you were talking nonsense doesn't mean what you said wasn't coming from somewhere real. Honestly, I think he was probably just trying to sidestep one of those frantic, hysterical bursts where you try to justify every paranoid thought you have. It’s exhausting, isn't it? Trying to make sense of things that don't feel right. And when he realized you were having blackouts... man, he probably just brushed it off or told you that you were losing it and needed to head over to the psychiatric ward at Mayo Clinic or something like that. Or maybe he just gave you that look—you know the one—where they basically imply you've lost your grip on reality.
You still haven't quite laid it out for me... how exactly does a few seconds of silence lead to a full-blown diagnosis from a psychiatrist? I'm still circling back to that. And honestly, why did you even end up at that clinic in the first place? Was it just someone suggesting it, or was there more to it? It’s hard for me to wrap my head around why you stayed in that awful ward, too—especially after your brother gave you that piercing, judgmental look and suggested you just go pick up some light reading to cheer yourself up. It feels like there are pieces missing here.
"Maybe something light," he probably meant... you know, like a subtle warning that she’s a bit much to handle and buying her a heavy, dense tome would be a disaster. It wasn't really about the section being subpar or only stocked with beach reads. Looking back at that sharp, judgmental glare from his brother combined with that suggestion for a lighter read, I can't help but think there's some underlying shame there. Maybe it's the kind of embarrassment that makes you want to just brush the whole situation under the rug.
You were doing quite poorly even before you ever stepped foot into a psychiatric ward. And honestly, it feels like you still haven't quite grasped what the core issue is, though the root of it all clearly started much further back than this. Also, just for the record, doctors don't exactly hand out antipsychotics just because someone takes a little pause while they're talking.
Honestly, I just don't have the energy to keep wrestling with this projected paranoia of yours. It’s exhausting.
I was just trying to offer a bit of advice. It’s not exactly easy to swallow, I know—kind of bitter medicine—but it’s for your own good. Still, you clearly have everything figured out better than anyone else on this planet, and you seem perfectly content being the most miserable person around, so... by all means, enjoy that if you can. If you ever actually want to sit down and have a real, honest conversation, this community is here for you. I'm here, too, if you feel like dropping by. And hey, if you decide you want to tell me I'm still chasing after that same old thing, be my guest. I won't hold it against you.
You’ve already been flagged by the moderators for maladaptive behavior, so you might want to watch your step. Just a heads-up. 🙂
Bluzara said:
🙂
So, honestly, looking at a mental health condition as some fixed, unchangeable thing that a psychiatrist "must" fix is just a mistake from the start. We can't really blame doctors for every setback when dealing with unpredictable illnesses, especially with something like schizophrenia.
Looking back at your whole post, you somehow ended up defending your aggressiveness, even though nobody actually asked you to, if I'm being honest.
It’s true, you tend to be passive or depressed, but when things get unusual or interpersonal relationships get messy, you seem to lack enough self-control, and that’s when the behavior turns aggressive.
Where would a "better" place to post this topic even be?
The teen section?
I have absolutely no intention of trying to convince you that you actually have problems if you aren't ready to accept it, even when presented with new information. It’s scary, and I get it—I think I’d be scared too. You don't want to be labeled by something that fits the criteria for a specific type of psychosis.
See, it isn't like breaking a leg where you just go in for treatment; psychiatry doesn't work like that. Symptoms are complicated, many phenomena overlap... there are contradictions everywhere.
Your view of your own condition seems pretty narrow, and you're reacting exactly how I mentioned in my previous post.
There’s no shame in seeking treatment for any kind of psychosis, even if it feels untrue to you. You mentioned experiencing derealization yourself... that alone is enough to rule certain things out, but also to raise suspicion about others.
At the end of the day, we just want to point out the dangers of running away from the truth, whatever that truth might be.
You're thinking purely emotionally, and that way, you're essentially shielding yourself from your own words.
Kevin Nguyen3 said:Look, Dana, you are absolutely swimming in prejudices, though I suppose I shouldn't be surprised; you aren't the only one here.
You haven't suddenly become "worse" because you arrived at this unit, nor would anyone here intentionally go out of their way to make things harder for you than they already are.
Do you not see the sheer lack of logic in what you're saying?
If you have been diagnosed with some form of schizophrenia, or perhaps an acute psychotic disorder, then what does it actually mean when you claim to "know someone very well and know they aren't sick," while you simultaneously fail to see yourself?
Your perspective is simply not objective.
Are you suggesting you ended up in psychiatric care just because you felt physically unwell for a few days??
Please, let's be serious; this isn't kindergarten-level reasoning.
The reality is that you were admitted to the psych ward because that was where you needed to be, and the sooner you accept that, the sooner you can actually start addressing your issues.
Insight into one's own condition is fundamental, and unfortunately, you seem to lack it entirely, which will only slow down your progress.
In cases of paranoid schizophrenia, these exact phenomena occur—the things you're struggling with right now: grandiosity, presumably aggressive tendencies (which clearly manifest in your writing style), hallucinations, and those feelings of being watched or persecuted. You are untrustworthy, suspicious, and irritable... and frankly, those are symptoms that don't change my opinion of you one bit; it is up to you whether you reflect on your state and accept it or not.
All this rambling about psychiatry is completely baseless. I have been undergoing treatment for many years, and speaking from my own lived experience, I am telling you that you are mistaken.
Doctors are, in 99% of cases, empathetic people—approachable, understanding, and compassionate—meaning their entire goal is to help you.
Your very opinion serves only to confirm your diagnosis. It really is that simple.