Something's up... anyone else?

Chris Fox4 said:I honestly don't know what you want me to say... look, if it worked for you, then fine, but it didn't work for someone else... and there's stuff I've dealt with that you'll never truly understand...

I really don't get it...

just please don't go around telling people that medical help is useless before they've even tried it...

and try not to judge things you haven't actually experienced firsthand...

stormylynx14 said:By then, someone would have completely lost their grip and become a danger to themselves and everyone else... You can't fix acute psychosis, deep depression, or schizophrenia just by trying to convince a patient that what they’re seeing and hearing isn't real. Warm compresses don't work, and chamomile tea definitely isn't going to cut it when you need real therapy. Psychiatric medication is the only way forward, regardless of the side effects... I think Betty Rivera14 once started a thread, maybe titled "Help," where she talked about how a patient slowly recovers while under psychiatric care.

Exactly...

It honestly feels ridiculous when people start preaching about meditation and stuff like that for actual mental disorders...
they act like you can just snap out of it and realize you're struggling on your own...

you could try, but it’s pretty much impossible... 😢

that's really the scariest part of mental illness—you can't always tell when something is wrong... it's not like if you break your arm or hurt your leg and you just know it's happening...

electricdriver78 said:I don't know anything about it

just don't go around telling people ahead of time that medical help is useless

and quit judging things you clearly have zero clue about

honestly, you don't know a damn thing... you just showed up here trying to act all wise because someone told you that you had a mild case of schizophrenia... give me a break. I spent twenty years living with a critically ill patient, and now you're sitting here trying to lecture me? What was I even thinking getting dragged into this pointless chatter with some wannabe psycho

stormylynx14 said:You clearly have no clue... you're only here acting superior because someone told you that you have a mild case of schizophrenia. I lived with a severely ill person for 20 years, so don't try to lecture me on this. I don't know why I even bothered engaging in this empty chatter with some wannabe psycho.

Ah, I see. Well, by all means, enlighten us with your expertise. I won't rule out the possibility that there are cases where even a doctor is powerless. Is the fact that people still die of cancer a sufficient reason for you to skip the doctor when you actually need one?

stormylynx14 said:Oh, I see how it is. Well then, why don't you enlighten the rest of us with your "expertise"? Look, I'm not saying doctors aren't helpful, but let's be real—there are cases where even a specialist at the Mayo Clinic can't do a damn thing. Is the fact that people still die from cancer a good enough reason for you to skip the doctor whenever you actually need one?

Wait, you think I wrote that? Please. Of course you go to a psychiatrist first... what do you think we were doing all this time??? But this person here? She’s acting like she's some kind of genius, trying to lecture me like I'm just talking to thin air.

Chris Fox4 said:you honestly have no clue what you're talking about... you're only here trying to act superior because someone told you that you have a mild case of schizophrenia... man, I lived with a severely ill patient for twenty years, so don't try to lecture me on this... I really shouldn't have wasted my breath on this empty back-and-forth with some wannabe psycho

firstly—I never even said I had schizophrenia

I've dealt with PTSD and OCD

but that’s actually completely beside the point here

honestly, you should be ashamed of yourself for calling anyone a "wannabe psycho" when there are so many people out there truly struggling with mental illness

👎

just because you spent twenty years living with someone doesn't mean your uninformed, old-fashioned views on seeking professional help for mental health issues were actually helpful to them...

stormylynx14 said:Oh, I see. Well, maybe you could share what you've actually gone through with the rest of us... I mean, there's always that chance where even the best doctors in the country can't fix everything, but does the fact that people still face things like cancer really make you want to skip seeing a doctor when you actually need help?...

Of course 👍

If this wasn't supposed to be some "serious" subforum, I might actually have something to say to you... but let's be real, you know exactly what I meant when I called you a wannabe. You didn't come here to talk about anyone else, did you? No, you just showed up to talk about yourself. God, you're just *so* incredibly cool, aren't you?

megalit said:As if I wrote that myself. Obviously, you start with a psychiatrist. What do you think we were doing? She’s standing there acting like she knows everything, but it's all just empty noise.

It was a misunderstanding. Still, that "quality of life" point is subjective. I can't speak to your observations, but I spent some time visiting a relative in a psychiatric ward once. The patients seemed off, sure, but they were coherent enough to hold a conversation.

Secondly, don't measure quality of life by absolute standards—life is miserable when you're severely ill and heavily medicated. Look at it relatively. What would that person be doing without the meds? A colleague I mentioned in my first post wouldn't even notice a subway train heading straight for him anymore.

stormylynx14 said:So, we’re talking about a misunderstanding here. But honestly, that whole "quality of life" argument you're making? It’s way too vague. I can't really back up your observation, though I will admit I spent some time once visiting a relative in a locked ward at a psychiatric hospital. The patients there seemed off, sure, but they were all coherent enough to actually hold a conversation.

Secondly, I don't think you should be using absolute quality of life as your yardstick—because let's face it, life is pretty miserable when you're deathly ill and drugged up on heavy sedatives. You have to look at the relative quality. What would that same person even be doing if they weren't medicated? Like that colleague I mentioned in my first post? Without the meds, he wouldn't even notice a subway train barreling toward him.

I'm with you on that... but have you seen *A Beautiful Mind*? That’s exactly what we're talking about. People under those kinds of sedatives just can't lead a productive life anymore... that's the real issue here.

The movie is decent enough. The protagonist's condition isn't even that severe; they weren't even tethered to the bed or pumped full of sedatives. It’s a relatively mild case—the kind that would likely be treated on an outpatient basis today (much like a colleague of mine, until he hit a major crisis).

Those languishing in locked wards are few and far between, and they are only there because they are too incapacitated to live independently under any circumstances. Didn't someone already mention permanent damage to certain brain centers? Exactly. Even if you eliminate the original illness, the person is never truly "healthy" again. You aren't taking anything away from someone like that by keeping them in a secure ward, other than the ability to hurt themselves or others.

Hey, look... can we just stop fighting for a second? 😢

Everyone’s got their own trauma and their own way of dealing with it. I guess that’s just how it works.

The girl who started this thread was honestly just looking for some advice for a friend. Wouldn't any of you want someone like that in your corner when things finally go south?

Chris Fox4 said:If you think this isn't a "serious" subforum, then you clearly missed my point about being a wannabe... you just came here to talk about yourself instead of anyone else... oh yeah, you're just so cool...

honestly, you're just being dense...
👎

stormylinx14 said:Also, I honestly don't think you should judge things based on absolute quality of life—which is pretty much nonexistent when someone is seriously ill and heavily medicated—but rather look at the relative change... Like, what would that same person even be capable of doing if they weren't on all those drugs? One colleague I mentioned earlier wouldn't have even noticed a subway train heading straight toward them if it wasn't for the meds...

That’s such a great point...

So, I’m actually dealing with something pretty similar right now... I have this old friend from elementary school who is basically obsessed with me lately.

But honestly, the absolute last thing I want to do with my precious free time is play therapist for someone else's (in my case, a budding obsessive-compulsive) mental loop.

I mean, I don't have the time, I definitely don't have the energy, and I don't even feel qualified enough—I mean, okay, fine, I *am* finishing up my psychology degree, but still!—to actually offer her any real help.

She’s constantly hitting me up to grab coffee, and every single time we hang out, the conversation just circles back to the exact same issues and drama, and she acts like if I could just wave a magic wand and say "abracadabra," all her problems would just vanish into thin air... yeah, fat chance of that happening.

My advice:
Unless you are fully prepared to step up and be her lifeline to help her actually break out of that cycle (which, let me tell you, is going to take a massive amount of sacrifice, patience, and willpower), just politely and nicely bow out.

Suggest some actual professional help or give her a contact for a specialist... but if you aren't ready to ride shotgun with her through the whole messy process, please don't even start.
Otherwise, you won't end up helping her at all.

electricdriver78 said:Well, nobody is actually claiming they're "cured"—but if you had bothered to read the thread about Betty Rivera14's Barbie

it would be perfectly obvious that someone dealing with these kinds of conditions can maintain a decent quality of life, provided they have medical supervision and a solid support system of friends and family.

The reality is that schizophrenia manifests differently for everyone; for some, medication keeps things under control, while for others, it barely makes a dent. Regardless, the first step is always consulting a doctor. If the initial treatment fails, it isn't as simple as just tossing the pills away—a physician will likely pivot through different therapies until they find the most effective approach. And assuming the medication is working, having a stable, healthy home environment is infinitely better than living in chaos.

I grabbed coffee with her earlier. She seems alright—not complaining too much today—but she won't shut up about how she "feels" something bad is coming, like we're all headed straight for World War III.

She keeps talking about these "forces" telling her what to do, which honestly sounds so convincing I almost started believing her myself.

Her doctor referred her to a psychiatrist and put her on some meds, which she’s been taking for two days now.

I just can't walk away from her right now. I've had my own dark times in the past, and she was there for me... even if it was a long time ago, I haven't forgotten that.

I just don't get it. How does someone go from being this modern, upbeat girl to this weird, doom-and-gloom person who sees nothing but darkness everywhere?

I keep suggesting she sign up for a class or find a hobby... maybe something like pottery or making clay art if she can't find anything else to learn.

I really think getting into something creative might help her finally unwind.

I’d relax if I could... assuming that clay didn't start talking back to me first.

if she's sick.

Angela Kelly, have you ever even bothered to look at my threads where they mention you?

Betty Rivera14 said:I’d probably relax... if, you know, the clay didn't start talking back to me.

if she’s actually sick.

Angela Kelly, have you even looked at my threads where people mention you?

Betty Rivera14... I haven't checked the threads...
Honestly, I think her issue is that she acts like the entire world revolves around her. She’s desperate for attention but just doesn't have the tools to get it...
If she didn't have this one "fixed idea," I'd probably just think she was lonely... but seriously, I have no clue what's going on with her lately.
I'm way too busy with my own life, but even when I spend a few hours a week with her, she just wears me out by repeating the exact same stories over and over. She's even started calling me at work just to tell me what her "big idea of the day" is.

Angela Kelly said:Betty Rivera14.. I haven't really checked out the threads...
I guess her issue is just thinking the whole world revolves around her.. she wants to be the center of attention but there's just no way for her to make that happen..
If it wasn't for this one 'fixed idea' of hers, maybe I'd think she was just lonely.. but honestly, I have no clue what's actually going on.

Look, you're seriously not qualified to be handing out diagnoses here.
And that whole thing about her needing attention? If that's how you feel, maybe it's better to just stop acting like her friend instead of wasting everyone's precious time.

If you actually want to help; then help her go find some professional help.