Posts by driftinggull21

Emergency services apply if you're being transported by the US Navy.
Otherwise, you'll just be processed at whatever ER you show up to via private transport.

fadedmarlin402 said:You have the right to receive treatment at any hospital in the US, but the referral must be addressed to them.

That isn't necessary. That hasn't been the case for years.

At Quest Diagnostics, they accept insurance referrals, and you can get an appointment much faster. I managed to get mine in less than a month.
At Santa Monica, you just pay out of pocket $667 and you'll be seen almost immediately.

James Allen6 said:evening 🙂

I don't know much about schizophrenia, so I am reaching out to those of you who might be more experienced. My grandmother is 87 years old and currently living in a senior living community. After we were away for two months and couldn't visit as often, she seems to have lost her way. It isn't that she's confused or incoherent—she actually sounds quite lucid and sharp—but she is constantly telling these unrealistic stories that seem very typical of paranoid schizophrenia. She believes the nurses at the facility are enemies holding secret meetings and plotting conspiracies to mock the elderly residents. I should mention this is a high-end facility, likely one of the most expensive in the entire state. She also claims to hear men in the adjacent room discussing trading and politics late at night, and she can't figure out what they want from her. She has stopped eating because she fears something is being slipped into her food; she looks like a skeleton right now :/ And yes, she constantly brings up some TV series and certain roles, as if she has convinced herself she is actually a character in a show or something :/ She keeps insisting that everyone thinks she is crazy, but she insists she is NOT!

The staff at the facility aren't really doing anything about it. I'm not sure if they even realize what is going on in her head, especially since she tells me she just stays quiet in front of them so they won't hurt her :/

She has had psychological episodes like this before and was prescribed antipsychotics, but once she seemed to stabilize, they took her off them.

So, I suppose I am wondering if I should alert her doctor and get her back on medication, or if I should just let things play out and see if any major issues arise.
How does this usually work? To what extent can a patient (if she is indeed ill) be left without therapy? And what kind of impact would potential therapy actually have?

thanks 🙂

Given she is nearly 90 years old, I doubt this is schizophrenia; it is more likely geriatric paranoia.
While she certainly needs medication, her age and any underlying physical health issues significantly limit the available options. A doctor would probably start with a low dose of Haldol.
You need to speak with the physician responsible for the residents at the assisted living facility. Usually, they work as outside consultants. Present the medical records to them, and they will either prescribe the medication themselves or refer her to a psychiatrist.

Quincy:

You wouldn't be facing this if you had cranked out five kids. Sure, one would probably turn out to be an idiot. One might get hit by a subway train, but that would leave you with three healthy individuals—healthy because they were forced to learn how to share, and because since you couldn't focus all your dysfunction on just one child, they didn't develop crippling neuroses.

This is appalling.😲
I have one child, and I don't plan on having more. My child was planned, wanted, and loved—not just churned out.

Quincy:

And those three healthy individuals will love you. They'll remember how warm and happy their home was, conveniently forgetting that it was only warm because you could only afford them one bedroom. They’ll romanticize every struggle of their upbringing. They’ll care for you in your old age because they grew up to be good people. And when you die, someone will weep for you. There is nothing more a person can wish for than that.

That depends entirely on other factors, not the number of children.

I drank Logitech for seven straight years without a break—nowhere near thirty-five—and smoked a pack a day. (I quit during my pregnancy.)
My gynecologist told me I could continue smoking until I'm thirty-five, but absolutely not if I start taking birth control.

Rachel Brooks63 said:So, you are admitting this thread is a direct and blatant violation of the Drug Act?

Will you be reporting yourselves to the FDA, or should someone else step in? 😉

Since neither the medication nor the pharmaceutical company is mentioned, one could argue it might be overlooked. Furthermore, I believe there is a greater benefit in informing the female population about this pill, as it is certainly a better option than an abortion.
A friend of mine became pregnant at 15 and had to undergo an abortion because a condom failed. Had she known about this pill back then, it likely would have spared her a lifetime of trauma and guilt.
Sometimes, a choice must be weighed.😉

The fact that nobody is actually naming the specific medication in this thread is likely a tactic to prevent the distributor from facing legal repercussions... However, it still violates the Drug Act, which exists globally for very legitimate reasons.

I am not advocating for this, but providing information is a necessity.

Can a prescription be filled if it comes from a private specialist rather than a gynecologist?

I have an appointment at the Mayo Clinic at the end of the week for a checkup (three months after my Mirena insertion), so I will ask the doctor directly. However, I agree that three years feels far too short.
Damn, by the time three years pass, you could be dead from cancer.😲

Sophia Wells72 said:It depends on the specific test and the facility. Obviously, you won't pay $13 for a rapid test; it will cost significantly more. Honestly, I have never paid for a PAP $13 in my life. However, it really comes down to where you work and how long you are willing to wait. Paying $67 for this more precise method is definitely worth it 🙂

I have no idea what you are talking about.🤷
I get my PAP and exam done once a year at the Mayo Clinic, paying out of pocket $83, and the results take about three weeks ($67 PAP + $17 exam)
What does the location have to do with anything?
I agree that paying $67 for a superior method is better, but it seems strange to me that the cost equals the PAP itself. That confuses me.😕

Hannah Bishop said:I know this for a fact; $67 back when my dad was $13 it was even on the news on PBS!

Are you certain about that information?😕 I am the one paying for my father's checkups at the Mayo Clinic.$83.

Amy Hughes said:Thanks for explaining all that, but honestly, he’s so heavily medicated right now he can barely even get a word out, let alone walk straight...
Is what I just described actually normal? I’d honestly go straight to his doctor to demand some clarity because I’ve never seen someone shut down quite like this before.
The first time he was admitted to the hospital, things were arguably worse, but back then he wasn't being hit with nearly this many medications or these kinds of massive doses 🤷

I realize the doctor probably isn't interested in listening to him talk about hallucinations right now, but he keeps insisting that these drugs are making him feel terrible—he can't eat, he feels like he's choking, and he just can't function like a normal human being anymore...

Of course you should go talk to his physician, both to provide collateral information and to get updates regarding your brother's progress and treatment plan.
Medication dosages are titrated over time until they reach a level that optimally manages psychotic symptoms while minimizing side effects.
Your brother is currently in an acute inpatient unit where only medical staff has 24/7 access to monitor him and adjust therapy accordingly.
Unfortunately, your brother was clearly not functioning normally even before the hospitalization and therapy, which is why he is there—he is in the right place to receive help so he can return to a normal life and become socially and vocationally functional again.
The mentioned side effects will pass; naturally, this takes time. If they do not subside, the therapy will be adjusted.

Amy Hughes said:Is anyone even out there? 😢

In an acute psychotic episode, higher doses of antipsychotics are administered to suppress the psychotic content that prevents your brother from functioning normally.
Since he hasn't been on antipsychotics recently, these high doses are naturally causing more noticeable side effects. These will subside as the medication levels stabilize and his body adjusts; eventually, the therapeutic benefits will outweigh the side effects, even if it doesn't seem that way to you right now.
You cannot reason with someone in an acute psychotic state, and you shouldn't expect a psychiatrist to engage with delusions regarding poisoning, surveillance, or aliens. Once the medication brings him back to reality, then communication can occur.
Certain antipsychotics (mostly "older" ones like Haldol or Moditen, though newer ones can too) may cause muscle stiffness or cogwheel rigidity, but this is managed with an injection or pill of Artane.

physics 28

There is no such thing as an acute case of schizophrenia.😉 Schizophrenia is unfortunately a severe, chronic condition; however, symptoms, relapses, treatment responses, and remission periods vary significantly from person to person. There is such a thing as an acute, transient psychotic disorder, which I assume is what was actually occurring, based on your brother's behavior and symptom description.
Given that the illness has "returned" and his actions have endangered both his own life and the lives of others, he will likely face criminal charges as well as hospitalization—which may be involuntary, as all legal criteria for such measures have been met.
Following hospitalization, continuous outpatient monitoring and strict medication adherence are essential. Since this is a recurring psychotic episode, he is now a definitive candidate for long-term antipsychotic therapy. If he refuses to take his medication, or if you suspect he is lying about compliance, look into depot injections. For instance, Constance (a depot version of Risperdal) is now being added to the formulary and can be obtained via prescription.

Terry Scott6 said:I’m not entirely sure if this is the right sub for this, but since I’m pregnant, I figured it was probably fine...

To make a long story short: about two and a half weeks ago, my boyfriend finished inside me, then spent the last few days lying to my face like nothing happened. I took a pregnancy test seven days ago and it came back negative, but now my period is two days late... Honestly, I'm pretty freaked out. What should my move be? Should I just wait a few more days and try another test, or am I just stressing myself out over nothing?

What does this have to do with parenting or children? 🤷
Wait until marriage and you won't have these issues.
And by the way, stop trolling.☕

One must admit: money truly lies on the street, and one simply needs to know how to pick it up.
And it seems Sanjin Frljan knows exactly where to look.😁

Whenever I spot a thread dedicated to feeding the trolls (which happens on these forums, though luckily the mods shut them down pretty fast), I simply steer clear. I don't leave myself open to provocation; that is my method for combating trolling.
What is the point of engaging? As soon as I see certain usernames, I know exactly what I am dealing with: trolls, clones, and spammers. It is a waste of time.

Thomas Rogers87 said:Quick question—how do you actually tell the difference between being imaginative and having schizophrenia? I tend to escape into my own head a lot, just constant daydreaming. Sometimes the lines get blurry with reality, though I think I still know where the edge is... hopefully. Over the years, though, that boundary feels like it’s getting thinner. Plus, I deal with these random, disconnected thoughts that just pop up out of nowhere. My brain basically runs ten different tracks at once. Not to mention that total high I get when I’m lost in a fantasy. I’m struggling to figure out where creativity ends and actual illness begins. Where does being "weird" stop and being sick start?
If anyone can weigh in, that would be huge...

Use that as your metric. As long as you maintain the ability to distinguish reality from fantasy, you are fine.

Correct. You sign a written consent if you want the procedure. If not, you just go home. In more serious cases, a doctor might require you to sign an acknowledgment stating you understand the risks of refusing treatment and are choosing to decline anyway.