To anyone claiming this isn't real—that it's all made up, a joke, or just something we should "get over" (yeah, I saw those comments on this thread)... clearly you've got zero personal experience with this. 😲
After doing my own digging online (finally moving past years of total ignorance), I went to my doctor, who sent me to a neurologist. He ended up prescribing me Mirapex.
I see people up top praising Mirapex—and look, I get it—but I eventually stopped taking it because I wasn't about to become dependent on it. 🙂
Once I quit, the symptoms came right back. Now, I never know what to expect. Some nights I sleep like a baby, other nights I don't sleep at all because of this. For me, it’s not even about how much I've been moving... I could walk all day and be absolutely exhausted when I hit the sack, but the second I touch the bed, it starts up again.
wow, haven't been on here in forever 🕺 looks like I last posted about five years ago saying this stuff doesn't work for me, and yet here we are with the topic resurfacing again... personally, it's never done squat. I’ve had two or three at once and felt zero effect. I even remember my doctor telling me to LIE DOWN FIRST before taking it because apparently, it hits so fast. But for me? Absolutely nothing 🙂
Rebecca Rivera3 said:Hello everyone, So, after my first official evaluation at the Mayo Clinic psychiatry department in San Francisco, the psychiatrist gave me an F20.6 diagnosis (simple Schizophrenia). Previously, I was being treated for depression by a private practitioner. Anyway, this happened just two days ago, and I am still in shock. I called my former doctor, and she told me it was impossible—that someone with my level of education couldn't have this. For context, I hold a Master’s degree and am currently finishing a second Master’s in Physics. After receiving the diagnosis, I did some reading online and was left... well, frankly, horrified. I'm scared. I truly believe I don't have this, but how can I know for certain? Can anyone help me make sense of this? My symptoms are... I hate talking about this, and I don't speak much except with close contacts. I have my family and two other people I stay in touch with. I am not social at all; leaving the house is regularly a struggle and feels like an immense effort. On top of that, I have no appetite; I force myself to eat only when I'm starving, and I don't care what I eat. I lack desire and ambition; I feel empty inside most of the time, occasionally sad, but mostly just exhausted and listless. As for whether I am emotionally numb, I don't know... I cycle between periods of high sensitivity and being extremely suppressed, where I feel nothing but emptiness. I am frightened. I know that what I am going through isn't normal; I can feel that something is wrong with me, I just don't know what or why. It’s just terrible, and I want it to stop. Everything is becoming harder, even going to university, though I love science. I’d much rather do everything from home. I often think about just giving up and staying in bed. Sometimes, when I have no obligations, I spend days on end just sleeping. About a month ago, I reconnected with a guy I've known for a long time, and we've started talking again. I think it’s helping me; we talk, and I actually feel something for him, which I think are good signs. My biggest struggle is my isolation from the world. I try to integrate more, but people often perceive me as unapproachable, so even at school, I usually end up alone. I feel like I'm suffocating. It's been going on for a while now; there hasn't been a sustained better period, just slightly better days than the bad ones. Every day, I just hope it will be one of those better days. I haven't really opened up to this guy yet. If only he knew... I think he knows me well since we were close friends in the past, but again, it’s all just too much for me right now.
I can't believe you're bringing up what a psychiatrist said—what does an education have to do with anything? Are people with a schizophrenia diagnosis suddenly less intelligent?
In your next post, you mentioned those episodes where you almost ended up hospitalized but managed to avoid it... what were those actually like? Could they have played a part in the current diagnosis?
Olivia Bishop8 said:Got a question for you guys. My son was diagnosed with schizophrenia about a year and a half ago. He's been on antipsychotics regularly for a little over a year now. It's been rough—he's put on a ton of weight (like 120 pounds in just over a year), his sex drive is totally gone, and he's still hearing voices. His doctor just keeps him on the exact same meds without changing anything. I'm wondering if we should probably get a second opinion from someone else? It feels like he should've improved by now, or at least stopped hearing those voices...
Thanks for the help
Well, clearly that doctor isn't doing much for him. Maybe try talking to him about changing the meds altogether—or just go find a second opinion and look into other options. You definitely need to do something... because if he's taking pills and the symptoms are still there (plus all these side effects), that isn't really "treatment" at all...
As for me, I’m sitting in a pretty solid, stable remission—no autoimmune flare-ups, no outward aggression, cognitive functions are intact, intellect is sharp, blah blah blah... 🍿😉☕
We already knew about the intellect part... glad to hear about the rest 😁
Harold Anderson3 said:I think I misspoke a little there; I didn't mean to imply everything was directed at me, though I was certain of it at the moment. Looking back, I actually had that exact same sensation right before my first psychotic episode about five or six years ago—that feeling where you're absolutely positive about something, only to realize later that you were falsely convinced of it. It was in that moment that I slowly realized nobody was actually talking to me and that I was slipping into psychosis. I just took my medication, and that was that! 👍In fact, I even managed to work a full day today 🥱
Respect. Seriously impressive how much control you've got 🙂
Yesterday, I went through a bit of an unusual experience from midnight until about 3 in the morning. Honestly, everything I had been reading online felt like it was describing my own situation personally. I suppose I was just trying to escape reality for a little while. Once I took my medication and managed to get some sleep, things settled down and I feel alright now. 😉
how'd you handle it? did you decide to take the meds on your own later? glad you're feeling better now 👍
Noah Garcia4 said:I also struggled with how to deal with a neighbor suffering from cancer; I felt the pain deeply even if I didn't show it, and when he passed, I couldn't even cry, though he kept appearing in my dreams... I’m not judging anyone, believe me, because I am the most Self-Critical person I know. My family knows exactly what to do with me when everything is going smoothly, but the moment I'm struggling, they are completely lost. Once again, I thank God that I'm no longer taking Seroquel 🙂, though I still get this monthly 50 mg injection (Xeroft). Then there’s the family situation... I called a friend recently and she told me, "Well, you were over at my place before the holidays crying your eyes out, and I had no idea what to do with you," to which I replied that I don't remember it at all. So SHE was the one who noticed, while my own family acts like everything is perfectly fine. I mean, I know when things aren't okay. 🕺 etc. ☕🙂 And to top it off, "we" lost three people in Jacksonville; one committed suicide with pills and alcohol, a girl hanged herself, and then there was someone dealing with PTSD... I just can't wrap my head around it anymore. I've really made a mess of things. But, as usual, I'll pull through and end up being all "lovely bubbly," if that's how you say it.
Because you can only really be Self-Critical toward yourself...😁😁
Larry Lewis said:My old man actually gave me the green light to dip into his stash of cancer medication here and there—just a little bit here, a little bit there—though I can't say I feel particularly moral about it. It’s one of those things that stays tucked away in the back of your mind, isn't it? That nagging sense of guilt that follows you around like a bad smell, even when you think you've gotten away with it. Not that he seems to mind, or perhaps he just doesn't care anymore—it's hard to tell with him lately—but still, it feels a bit heavy. Life is strange like that, full of these small, quiet transgressions that don't seem to matter much in the grand scheme of things, yet they weigh on you nonetheless. I took two drops yesterday—and then another two today. To be clear, we’re talking about THC oil—but... well, there's more to the story than just the dosage. Look, there are plenty of different grades out there—some are decent, some are absolute garbage—but this right here? This is the gold standard. It’s top-tier stuff. I mean, we’re talking about a price tag of $2,600 for just 40ml... which, let’s be honest, is enough to make anyone wince—but when you want the best of the best, you pay the premium. He mentioned he’s going to pick up some more of that—yeah, the THC—quite soon. Honestly, when he first started the therapy, the side effects were hitting him like a freight train... just absolutely brutal. Well, I suppose I was the one who taught him how to handle it—though, looking back, I can't say if that was a stroke of brilliance or just my own stubbornness getting the better of me. It’s funny, really—how we think we're passing down wisdom when we're mostly just passing on our own complicated habits.
We were actually discussing it while driving—I brought it up during the commute—and I made sure he knew that I've been a regular smoker for about four and a half years now. Well, I told them—I really did—that it’s worth a shot. Honestly, why not? Sometimes you just have to take the leap and see where the chips fall.
It’s that sensation—that profound, bone-deep sense of total relaxation washing over both the mind and the body—without that jarring, overwhelming "hit" that just knocks you sideways. It's subtle, really... almost meditative, if you can call it that. Unlike those other substances that just smash your system against the wall, this feels more like a slow, steady descent into calm. I remember once, back when I was living in Chicago, sitting in a quiet corner of a library—it was one of those old, dusty places where the air feels heavy with history—and experiencing something similar; just a quiet, peaceful settling of the soul. It doesn't wreck you; it just lets you *be*. Honestly, when you finally light up some THC... it’s just pure, unadulterated stillness. You just sit there, let the mind settle, let the body go limp—it's almost meditative. None of that relentless, intrusive racing thoughts bullshit. No psychosis, no spiraling, nothing. Once the edge is taken off, the depression just... evaporates. It's the only thing that actually works. I’m sitting here at a local Starbucks—one of those places where everyone seems to be pretending to work while actually just staring blankly at their laptops—trying to squeeze this out between sips of overpriced caffeine.
Look, if I’m going to take some kind of banned substance—and believe me, I know how much people love to judge—then fine, let them judge. But let’s get one thing straight: this isn't recreation. This is medicine! It is quite literally my lifeline.
Honestly—since he started taking it—he’s been a completely different person. He used to be so incredibly rigid, almost painfully tense in everything he did—you know how some people just carry the weight of the world in their shoulders? Well, he was like that. But now? He’s much more relaxed, calmer, and actually quite gentle. It's quite a transformation, really.
I'm with you—it's medicine. Hopefully, they fully legalize everything in the near future...
Joshua Smith10 said:I’ve been on Loest for three years now, and while the first year felt perfectly fine, the subsequent years have been marked by these brutal depressive episodes that hit at least once annually—and right now, I’m right in the thick of one. Honestly, I’m incredibly lucky to have the absolute best boyfriend in the world; he knows everything, he listens, and he truly gets it, but these depressive waves are so overwhelming that my brain just shuts down. I can't think straight, I can't enjoy being around people, and I can't even enjoy my own boyfriend's company, which honestly feels soul-crushing. It’s so frustrating because, on paper, everything is great—I’m healthy, life is stable, my studies aren't causing any stress, and my family situation is wonderful. So, I’m left completely baffled when this sudden wave of depression and anxiety crashes over me out of nowhere, leaving me stuck in a loop of heavy thoughts that makes it feel impossible to climb back out. Ugh! To make matters worse, my gynecologist is absolutely useless—she’s so overworked that she literally never has a spare second, meaning I can only manage to squeeze in an appointment once every eighteen months, which is just ridiculous. I’m actually heading to the urgent care clinic tomorrow because I feel like I’m hitting a breaking point.👎 And don't even get me started on my libido—it is absolutely non-existent!
Libido is terrible how? Like it's gone, or it's too much?
Christian Johnson19 said:Just some random stuff. Alcohol and hookah. I enjoy them, but not all the time. Honestly, I’m a little worried about my blood pressure spiking. I don't smoke cigarettes, though. Am I just being paranoid or what? How long does it take before thrombosis shows up in lab results? Or even just assessing the risk? I'm planning on getting my bloodwork done in about two months to see where things stand. I'm 25 and really wouldn't want to kick the bucket just yet, haha.
nothing ever happened to me after doing stuff like that—been on pills for a long time... (and alcohol too)
Christian Johnson19 said:Hey, I’m starting the pill today. I took my dose around noon. Is it too late if I grab them tonight around 9, or should I just wait until tomorrow morning? Am I already cutting it too close?
Dennis Davis5 said:Well, thanks for the enlightenment... I wake up feeling like my hands have zero strength. Barely holding a glass of water. And I stay hydrated and avoid the heat, so that’s not it. Either drop some actual advice or just shut it.
Guarana. You don't need a recipe—just grab it at a CVS or Walgreens, it's cheap. It worked wonders for me, just don't overdo it... if you drink it longer than recommended, the crash makes the fatigue even worse. Stick to the suggested dose and it's a game changer.🎉🎉🎉