Look, I don't really get how you can be so sure what you felt was "unreal." Usually, when someone’s actually hitting a psychotic break, they aren't even aware of it. I highly doubt a doctor wouldn't catch it—it’s way too obvious to miss.
Benjamin Robinson3 said:I have a question for anyone living with schizophrenia. How did it all start for you? What were the first symptoms you noticed?
Depression, zero focus, feeling numb, pulling away from everyone...
I might show up, assuming I can get over my social anxiety! Or maybe I'll just stick to hanging out with you guys here on the forums for a bit longer before joining one of the next meetups
I'm doing okay, I guess. Just stuck in a bit of a funk lately. Is this just part of the deal with this illness?? Is it even normal to be on antidepressants while dealing with schizophrenia?
I need someone to wire some cash to my account (I'm with Chase), so I gave them my routing and account number: 2360000-xxxxxxxxxx. Apparently, the transaction code is 17, but what on earth is this "reference number" thing they're asking for?
Look, speaking from experience here: there's a good chance your dad feels worse now than he did before just because he hasn't fully bought into this new treatment plan yet. It’s either a mental block where he's resisting the therapy, or his symptoms just haven't cleared out entirely. The move here is to stay in his corner and keep encouraging him to stick with it; things will almost certainly turn around once the meds settle in. When people start feeling crappy, they tend to blame the medicine or the doctors because it’s hard to face the reality that they actually need help to feel normal. I might be off base, but objectively speaking, he's probably doing better than he thinks he is.
Since you mentioned he's always been responsive to medication, I'm pretty sure he'll eventually land on the right combo that works for him. 🙂
Once my own psychosis passed, looking back at all the wrong things I believed during that time was brutal. Honestly, even now, it can still be pretty heavy to deal with...
driftingpilot2 said:(my comments are written in all caps)
Look, if you’ve ever actually dealt with schizophrenia or tried to fight it, you know the meds aren't even the worst part—it's the psychosis itself. And just so we're clear, the newer stuff actually helps with the negative symptoms too 😉
Yeah, sure, but when you wake up from a dream, you know it wasn't real. During an untreated episode? You think the fake stuff is the only thing that's real.
Insulin doesn't "cure" diabetes either, but without it, people are dead. We use it because it works. Antipsychotics are the same way; they help.
No, you treat sch with MEDS. Therapy is great, but it's a sidekick to the medication.
Trust me, schizo logic is a total mess. It doesn't matter if you're talking about the conscious or subconscious mind. In any sane world, 2+2 equals 4. In schizo-land, 2+2 equals 5. That's just how broken the math is. I'm sure you get that. 🙂
Schizophrenia isn't some permanent, lifelong state of psychosis. It usually hits in episodes, and if you stay on top of your meds, you might even dodge those episodes entirely.
Schizophrenia isn't just a "normal" reaction to an insane world.
Antipsychotics aren't designed to turn people into mindless drones or strip away their will to live; they're meant to tackle the hallucinations, delusions, depression, and all that other stuff.
To me, schizophrenia isn't some mystical spiritual journey—it’s a sickness, and thank God, it’s treatable...
I get the feeling you guys are way too obsessed with past relapses and looking for deep meaning where there isn't any... In schizophrenia, your brain is basically just playing tricks on you...
Eric Mitchell55 said:My doctor just switched me off Prozac and put me on Cymbalta instead. I’m also scheduled for another injection of Risperdal, and since we're starting to prep for tapering off the long-acting stuff, I started taking Olandix this evening. On top of all that, they gave me some more Valium to help me sleep along with some Prazin.
Does anyone here have experience using the meds I mentioned above? Is Olandix basically the same thing as Zyprexa? I'm really not thrilled about this change—I definitely don't want to end up gaining another 40 pounds again.
Why would they cut the Risperdal and put you on something that caused weight gain in the first place? Both worked fine for me...
ruggedtinker9 said:I happened to come across this article regarding antipsychotics... it suggests that long-term use of these medications can lead to a significant reduction in brain volume.
Why don't you try looking for an article on how these meds actually help, just for a change of pace? I mean, regardless of how much you hate the whole system, helping people stay functional is their main job.
Look, anyone could have done what you listed. My point is, having a diagnosis isn't a free pass for just any kind of behavior. Still, it was a good move to step up and help him, even if things ended up turning out this way.
analogmason16 said:I had never actually crossed paths with someone living with schizophrenia until that disastrous year of 2005—a memory that still leaves me feeling incredibly uneasy whenever it resurfaces. Back then, I decided to do a massive favor for a childhood friend by helping him land a position at my company, which at the time was a major, highly respected telecommunications giant—think something on the scale of AT&T. Honestly, I had no idea he was struggling with his mental health; we hadn't even spoken for two years prior. Well, let's just say I paid the price for my good intentions. On his very first day, right after I’d finished setting him up, he walks into the office, sits down for all of five seconds, and then immediately jumps up to slam the office radio off. He then starts snapping at me—right there in front of everyone—insisting he was there to actually work, not to mess around like the rest of the staff. There were five of us in that room, and I can still feel the weight of those stares—everyone looking at me with these silent, confused expressions, wondering, "Who on earth is this guy?" From that moment on, it was pure chaos. It was a constant cycle of incidents—harassing colleagues, throwing pens, sending these completely nonsensical, rambling emails... you name it. But I took the biggest hit; I'd walk down the hallway and see people giving me these pale, judgmental looks or whispering behind my back. In the end, the poor guy ended up quitting because he claimed the company was "beneath his capabilities"—which was a bit rich, considering he didn't even know how to turn on a computer.
Look, aside from the fact that he clearly wanted to work instead of fooling around, which specific symptoms of the illness are we actually talking about here? To me, that doesn't even sound like part of the condition. Intellectual capacity, work ethic, or just being a jerk—none of that is inherently tied to the diagnosis. You can't just blame every bad behavior on a mental health issue. Some people are just built that way, regardless of whether they're sick or healthy.
It’s common knowledge that plenty of people stay functional thanks to 🙂
The way you're feeling right now might just be a symptom. It’s possible you haven't landed on the right medication yet, which is why everything feels off. Honestly, though? I think you’re fighting your treatment harder than you need to. You seem to be digging your heels in against the whole process because you just can't wrap your head around accepting it. I know, because I've been exactly where you are...
Look, life’s gonna be a hell of a lot easier once you stop fighting the fact that this actually IS an illness and realize the meds help rather than just turning you into a zombie.
I’m not buying into those fairy tales about people "recovering" totally on their own without any help. I know exactly where I’d be stuck right now if I hadn't sought treatment—rotting in some long-term psych ward halfway across the country.
Trust me, this isn't some mystical, spiritual journey. It’s just a bunch of illogical nonsense and things that aren't even grounded in reality because your brain is misfiring and processing info all wrong.
You keep stumbling onto this stuff because, deep down, that’s what you’re looking for. Do yourself a favor and actually read what the science says about it. 😉
Anthony Lopez8 said:That isn't legal, and frankly, I don't find it morally acceptable either—this idea of just "forcing someone into a psych ward." She isn't posing a threat to herself or anyone else. Just because your own experience was fine doesn't mean we should be imposing forced interventions on others. 🙂
I'm with you 100%. Plus, let's be real—no hospital is a great place to be. You should always try other treatment options first. Forcing people into a ward just because you can is wrong; it ends up being a pretty traumatic experience, especially for the patient.
Look, not everyone is a little bit schizophrenic, believe me. Schizophrenia isn't just being "quirky." It’s when your thoughts have zero basis in reality—it's a world of pure nonsense where you're convinced your imagination is actually happening. You try to convince everyone else that what you're seeing is real, even though it obviously isn't. Here’s a simple way to look at it: imagine you genuinely believe you just got an invite to a royal wedding for William and Kate. But obviously, you didn't. A healthy person is someone who sees the world exactly as it is. And another thing—if you were actually having a psychotic episode, you wouldn't be sitting there on the internet reading up on symptoms. In my book, schizophrenia isn't about having "intense personality traits." It’s a biological disorder, plain and simple, just like cancer or diabetes.
Larry Lewis said:Has anyone else here dealt with the whole intrusive thought side of schizophrenia? If you have—and I mean really lived through it—how did you actually manage to get them under control? They’ve been absolutely tormenting me lately... honestly, it’s pretty much the only symptom left hanging around from my diagnosis at this point.
I don't deal with intrusive thoughts, but what kind of stuff are we talking about? Though, I did realize something today that’s been tripping me up lately. Not sure if it’s part of the same struggle or just my own brain being difficult, but I'm incredibly indecisive. Even the tiny stuff feels like a mountain, and even when I finally pull the trigger on a decision, I immediately want to take it back...
Karen Garcia4 said:I’m with Dave on this one, though I suspect it’s tied to this sudden heatwave... It's hard for anyone to stay chill when the temperature is spiking like this. Normal people are getting on edge, let alone everyone else.
Who are "everyone else"? I consider myself totally normal, even with my schizo diagnosis. I don't see any link between a heatwave and symptoms flaring up.☕
crimsonfox5 said:Has anyone noticed any shifts in behavior today? I have a brother struggling with schizophrenia, and he’s acting out quite a bit right now—making silly jokes, talking to himself, and I can see there's a risk of him becoming physically aggressive... I've also heard from a few friends that their siblings dealing with the same condition seem to be behaving differently lately, much like my brother.
I don't get what kind of behavioral change we're supposed to be feeling. Look, people living with schizophrenia aren't all plugged into some invisible hive mind where they all feel the same thing at once...