Living with schizophrenia

Thomas Mendoza5 said:Look, part of the brain belongs to us, but the massive majority is just hidden away from us, and there's so much tucked away in there...

I see consciousness like the tip of an iceberg. The iceberg is everything. Consciousness is just what’s visible. It's the product of the whole damn mass. But honestly, I don't think there's one specific region in the brain responsible for being conscious. It feels more like a different, physiological dimension. Maybe I'm wrong though...

and maybe as a person slowly drifts into their subconscious, uncovering its secrets, they simultaneously exit consciousness... like a train in a tunnel—the deeper it goes, the less "outside" there is...

There's a difference between being aware and getting high. The more aware you are, the easier it is to trip out, and the weight gets harder to carry. But you get offered more. It's all about finding that sweet spot, the optimum...

hallucinations, meditation, all those different religions—people have been trying for ages to prove there's this thin line where things are either pure madness or total enlightenment... so, maybe it's both...

A lot of people think they've reached enlightenment when they actually just lose their minds. I've had that sensation myself. I believe it's a psychological phenomenon tied to the raw flow of neural movement. That's how I wrap my head around it. But that flow can happen for a million different reasons. The key is making sure that flow connects back to reality, otherwise you're just losing it. It's heavy stuff, and you can go totally off the rails if you aren't anchored to the truth. I live by the concept of the truth because it keeps me plugged into the rest of the system. If I wasn't focused on the truth, I'd probably be tripping out in some weird alternate universe...

leaving consciousness behind to enter the subconscious, leaving the world you know to step into the total unknown—isn't the logical result of that overlap complete disorientation?

I'm pretty much on board with that. Because I think it's about a visible weakening of the filters that let us function. BTW, once you figure out how to manipulate those filters, whether you mean to or not, things can get nasty. You can lose yourself in a heartbeat...

and once you dive fully into the subconscious, once you leave consciousness behind—how can anyone even know what you found in there... maybe autism is just stumbling into some part of the brain that's so intense, so lush, so intelligent, and so perfect that you simply don't want to come back out...

I think it's a loop that offers a sense of proven security. I forget which part of the brain is often damaged in autistic people. But the outcome is obvious 😁.

just imagine if you could just teleport to any freaking corner of our galaxy... and that’s just one of those parapsychological powers that people claim aren't even sci-fi anymore, but actual facts being kept hidden from us...

Good thing you didn't let your filters slip. If you had, you would've been banned ages ago 🙂. So, back to reality, man. In fantasy, anything is possible—except for actually finding happiness or satisfaction.

Wait, what was I saying?

Oh, right. One idea I've been trying to push through this thread is the whole thing about racial distinctions between dreams and reality. Is there any patient out there who actually deals with that kind of stuff?

Or maybe someone else has a better idea on how to help someone dealing with schizophrenia or other mental health struggles who might have lost their way?

I just don't want us to end up talking in circles again without any direction, especially when there are things here we could actually turn into something pretty constructive. Like, seriously constructive... enough to actually help people. And I don't just mean people on this Reddit thread.

Anyway.

A constructive question, if you can call it that.
But honestly, putting together a proper response takes an exhausting amount of effort—it’s a real grind.
I’ll give it a shot, though.
And I certainly hope others do too.
To start things off... you tend to lean on the things that are familiar, the people you actually know.
Real, flesh-and-blood stuff. Friends, family, even the pets... (well, livestock😁 ...I had to include that).
As for me, my first move every morning—once I’ve finally slept, finished dreaming, and washed my face... is to brew some coffee.
Just to get the ball rolling... that's plenty for now.😉

Coffee 🙂

That’s pretty much my biggest connection to reality... my morning coffee.

Does anyone here deal with F20-shiza or any other psychotic disorders? Do you know people living with this? Generally speaking, what’s your take on this illness? Please, feel free to share anything related to the topic.
I was recently diagnosed with F20-shiza. I'm 17 and currently taking Seroquel, Cipralex, Moditen, Prazine, and Topamax.

I feel for you, but I can't really say much about health and schizophrenia since, luckily, nobody in my family deals with it.
Wishing you the best of luck dealing with this illness—hang in there. 👍

P.S.—if you don't mind me asking, why do you have to take so many meds?

Seroquel and Moditen are used against psychosis, Cipralex helps lift your mood, Prazina is for calming down, and Topamax works to stabilize your mood.

What exactly was the basis for getting that diagnosis?

I can't say I agree with the catastrophic take from the previous poster... there's actually a lot you can do for yourself if you just learn how to live with it.

How do they actually diagnose schizophrenia, and what kind of tests do you have to go through?

Well, you get a diagnosis of schizophrenia if you exhibit characteristic symptoms for at least two Jesuses.
Here’s how it went down for me: It started last September when I began treatment for some teenage angst and separation issues (back when I was 16), taking Zoloft and Lekotam. That didn't really do much for me, but I kept at it until about four months in, when things went south. Suddenly, I was losing weight rapidly, couldn't sleep, and felt like I could predict the future. I was hunting for hidden messages in movies and songs, got into some weird Satanism stuff, and my thoughts were racing so fast I couldn't catch them. Every sound felt amplified, I was cutting myself just to feel calm, and I started hearing voices... Even before those symptoms hit, I had a habit of misusing my meds (like taking 14 Zolofts and a whole box of Lekotam one time...). They put me on 5mg of Zyprexa and everything settled down until the six-month mark, when an attempt on my life landed me in the hospital. After spending two weeks there, I felt fine upon release, but then the slide started again, and by the eighth month, I tried to end it once more (with two boxes of Sanval, two of Lekotam, two of Prazina, and two of Sanval...). They barely managed to save me in the hospital, and after staying for two weeks, I was discharged with a prescription for Leponex and a final diagnosis of F20-shiza paranoid schizophrenia. I've cycled through a ton of medications; here's a list of some:
SANVAL
ZONADIN
DORMICUM
ZOLOFT
FEVARIN
PROZAC
CIPRALEX
SEROXAT
COAXIL
LEKOTAM
NORMABEL
VALIUM
XANAX
LORSILAN
RIVOTRIL
ZYPREXA
LEPONEX
RISPOLEPT
SEROQUEL
PRAZINE
MODITEN
HALDOL
TOPAMAX
TEGRETOL
LORSILAN
XANAX SR

The way you listed those symptoms so soberly is actually a really encouraging sign in itself... 🙂

Since you’re feeling all of them—and the ones you didn't even mention—so acutely, you can actually make some huge strides if you focus on one thing: not letting them take the wheel. That's where the real danger lies.

So, when those symptoms start hitting, try your best to stay in control. I know, easier said than done, but just try to focus on the fact that they *will* pass. They're just... [ugly] parts of life.

Don't go making any big, complicated moves during those moments, and definitely don't go making any major life decisions.

Your brain just isn't in a rational headspace then. Honestly, just being aware that this is happening can be a massive help.

Hang in there, wishing you nothing but the best! 👍

I'm joining in on those well wishes. Hang in there!!!

Robin Myers91 said:sensitivity to any kind of noise,

I’m getting pretty worried because lately, my hearing has become hyper-sensitive to everything. I live in an apartment complex where the neighbors absolutely despise each other. The HOA fell apart back in '98, so now everyone just does whatever they want. People are chopping wood inside their apartments, hammering away 360 days a year, and music is blasting from every direction. I don't even know who to turn to; I don't want to call the cops—how would I even prove anything? Plus, one neighbor is actually a cop. It's been pure insanity this winter. Wood is being chopped five times a day, kids are screaming in the hallways because it's too cold to play outside, and half the neighbors are disgruntled veterans with handguns sitting right there in their living rooms. If you say one wrong thing to one of their kids, you're asking for trouble. A couple of years ago, two guys nearly came to blows over a parking spot 😱 ... I have no idea how to fix this, but I feel like I'm slowly losing my mind 🙄

Nobody’s even replying to my post from five days ago. I guess everyone just thinks I'm messing around. 😲

But seriously, if things with my neighbors keep going like this, I might start getting a bit more radical and dangerous.

I wouldn't exactly bet 100% on my mental health being perfectly intact right now. 😉

Hope the OP doesn't mind me drifting slightly off topic.

Matthew Harris2 :
Nobody has replied to my post from five days ago. I suppose everyone assumes I'm just joking around.😲 $

Well, you have to understand our perspective. It’s difficult to take someone seriously when they actually believe loud neighbors can cause schizophrenia.

My father is a psychiatrist, so I have a decent grasp on how this all works. Schizophrenia is an incredibly difficult condition to fully cure, but with the right medication, it can be kept well under control. Honestly, if someone is following their treatment plan properly, you’d hardly even realize they were dealing with it. You can absolutely graduate from college and lead a productive life while managing this illness.

I'm rooting for you—wishing you the best of luck, and just try to stay positive.

crazy girl said:well, you have to understand where we're coming from. It’s honestly tough to wrap your head around the idea that someone genuinely believes they'll develop schizophrenia just because of noisy neighbors.

He didn't catch that from the loud noises; that's actually just one of the symptoms of health and schizophrenia.

It is truly heartbreaking when a young man has to struggle with such a condition... 😢
What are the actual symptoms of this disease, anyway?

For anyone interested in learning about health and schizophrenia, or those actually living with it, I highly recommend checking out the "Living with Schizophrenia" booklet from Pfizer. You can download it directly from their website or just ask them to mail a physical brochure to your house.

Robin Myers91 said:For anyone interested in health and schizophrenia or those currently dealing with the condition, I highly recommend the "Living with Schizophrenia" booklet by Pfizer. You can download it directly from their website or request a physical brochure be mailed to your home address.

I don't have much expertise regarding health and schizophrenia, but I know someone living with it, and it isn't the monster people make it out to be. My take? Find a productive hobby—something that doesn't wreck your nerves. Most importantly, find good company and get out more. Isolation is the enemy; being alone lets all sorts of nonsense run wild in your head. Consider volunteering or getting involved in community service. Having responsibilities helps, provided they are the right kind. Avoid anything that triggers your frustration. And maybe, just maybe, try finding a girlfriend who won't mind the diagnosis....