Schizophrenia - General Discussion

David Vaughn75 said:Look, depression is pretty much the same boat as schizophrenia—if you catch it early and actually get on top of treatment right away, you can usually get things back under control.

I’m telling you, we really lucked out being born in an era where modern medicine actually exists. Sure, the social stigma is still heavy—it's everywhere—but at least they aren't treating us like monsters or pariahs the way they used to back in the day. We aren't being crucified by society for our chemistry anymore.

As for me, the schizophrenia isn't even my biggest hurdle right now—since I don't really deal with the psychotic side of things—it's the OCD that's killing me... just constant, endless loops.🙂

Larry Lewis said:I’m telling you, we really lucked out being born in an era where modern medicine actually exists. Sure, the social stigma is still heavy—it's everywhere—but at least they aren't treating us like monsters or pariahs the way they used to back in the day. We aren't being crucified by society for our chemistry anymore.

As for me, the schizophrenia isn't even my biggest hurdle right now—since I don't really deal with the psychotic side of things—it's the OCD that's killing me... just constant, endless loops.🙂

And I’m telling you—back in the early 1900s, they were out here trying to "cure" schizophrenia with straight-up lobotomies. It’s absolutely mental when you think about it—just some doctor with a tool and zero regard for what they were actually doing to someone's brain. Honestly, looking back at how far we've come (and how much we still have to go), it makes my skin crawl. Just pure, unadulterated madness. 😵

Honestly, I’m not even sweating the SCH as much anymore—those panic attacks are finally under control, thank God—but man, those massive, soul-crushing fears from back in the day? That stuff stays with you. It’s like a permanent scar on your psyche that you just have to learn to live around for the rest of your life. 😢

Who cares about some minor little anxiety—it’s not even worth our breath🙂

Schizophrenia? Please. Try pulling twelve-hour shifts on a construction site in Chicago during a heatwave—then you'll see what real life actually feels like🙂

Larry Lewis said:Who cares about some minor little anxiety—it’s not even worth our breath🙂

Schizophrenia? Please. Try pulling twelve-hour shifts on a construction site in Chicago during a heatwave—then you'll see what real life actually feels like🙂

I actually worked a construction job while dealing with schizophrenia myself, though my shifts were ten hours instead of twelve.😁
I ended up getting fired after only four days because😢 my boss was just a total flake.
At the end of the day, construction is pretty much like any other job, it’s just a little more taxing on the body.😉

Harold Anderson3 said:I actually worked a construction job while dealing with schizophrenia myself, though my shifts were ten hours instead of twelve.😁
I ended up getting fired after only four days because😢 my boss was just a total flake.
At the end of the day, construction is pretty much like any other job, it’s just a little more taxing on the body.😉

I used to pull shifts just like this back when I actually had some life left in me—and honestly, it wasn't even that grueling. I’d finish up, grab a cold Budweiser, maybe light up a cigarette, and call it a night... only to be right back on the job site at sunrise. No complaints then. But now? Lord help me. If I tried to maintain that kind of pace for even six months, my body would probably just file for bankruptcy.
I used to hold down some truly respectable, high-class positions—real professional work—right up until that whole 2008 meltdown hit. Honestly? I’ll be mourning the loss of that career for the rest of my life.

It is good that there is a space for those of us living with schizophrenia.
Here is my story.
Back in 2007, following some incidents during Christmas, I began hearing voices and ended up destroying my room.
You know how the procedure goes: police, paramedics, and then straight to a locked ward.
I was diagnosed with schizophrenia immediately, but since I didn't understand the gravity of the situation back then, I refused to sign the papers, and the court ordered involuntary hospitalization.
That was when I met an excellent psychiatrist who truly knows her field.
To put it briefly, she worked incredibly hard to stabilize me. Since March 2008, I haven't taken a single day of medical leave. I see her every two months, adjusting my dosage—sometimes 50mg, sometimes 37.5mg depending on how I feel—along with a 5 or 10mg maintenance dose.
She constantly encourages me to stay social and stay busy. I have received treatment at facilities in both rural areas and in Queens. Ever since returning to work after my stay in Queens, where the doctors were quite skilled, I have maintained perfect attendance.
Currently, I hold a steady position at a local institution. I barely have any free time because I stay busy with photography, screenwriting, blogging, and occasional travel.
I am also active within my local Archdiocese, fulfilling various responsibilities in my spare time; they are so satisfied with my work that they continually extend my contract.
When I do experience a crisis, my family and friends are there. They know exactly what to do if I stop responding or start acting on irrational ideas.
The hardest part for me is when the law mandates that I take vacation time. That is when the trouble starts.
At my job, I have a fantastic team that offers support whenever they sense I am struggling.
I don't drink alcohol, though I can't live without coffee.
I hope my experience proves helpful to someone.
With schizophrenia, the most dangerous things are relaxation and idleness.
One must remain fully active.

Larry Lewis said:Who cares about some minor little anxiety—it’s not even worth our breath🙂

Schizophrenia? Please. Try pulling twelve-hour shifts on a construction site in Chicago during a heatwave—then you'll see what real life actually feels like🙂

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_9XzTzB2b4Q

Listen, you idiots, get it through your heads once and for all: I don't have F20. 🙂 If you're crazy, that's on you, but I'm not. 🙂 I don't have hallucinations, and I manage my mood swings with Seroquel.

(Seroquel) handles both the lack of hallucinations and stabilizes my mood at the same time. ☕ 🙄

Hey there. How can you tell if someone is actually having a psychotic break, specifically when dealing with paranoid schizophrenia?

And if they are, how do you explain to them that things aren't actually going down like they think? 🤷 Because, obviously, they won't admit they're in a psychosis because, in their eyes, I'm just trying to mess with them.

Honestly, I'm losing my mind too. :gaah:

Thank God he's never been violent—he's actually a very quiet, passive guy 😍—but this mental state is absolutely destroying both him and me.

vividorca9 said:Hey there. How can you tell if someone is actually having a psychotic break, specifically when dealing with paranoid schizophrenia?

And if they are, how do you explain to them that things aren't actually going down like they think? 🤷 Because, obviously, they won't admit they're in a psychosis because, in their eyes, I'm just trying to mess with them.

Honestly, I'm losing my mind too. :gaah:

Thank God he's never been violent—he's actually a very quiet, passive guy 😍—but this mental state is absolutely destroying both him and me.

It is incredibly difficult to reason with someone mid-psychosis. It took me reaching my absolute breaking point before I ended up taking a taxi to a psychiatric ward in NYC because the paramedics wouldn't even pick me up.
You know as well as I do that the longer someone stays in that state, the harder the recovery becomes—and frankly, the brain starts taking actual organic damage.

Just try everything in your power to talk them into getting medical help immediately; there really isn't any other way.

But please, don't abandon them now while things are at their worst, or it will just sink them into an even deeper hole.

slystag43 said:http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_9XzTzB2b4Q

Listen, you idiots, get it through your heads once and for all: I don't have F20. 🙂 If you're crazy, that's on you, but I'm not. 🙂 I don't have hallucinations, and I manage my mood swings with Seroquel.

(Seroquel) handles both the lack of hallucinations and stabilizes my mood at the same time. ☕ 🙄

Which bottom-feeders? Are we actually going to go out there and tear them apart?!

Fellow sufferers—I just wanted to state for the record that my medication dosage has been bumped up yet again. At this rate, I’m convinced that one day I’ll simply wake up as one giant, oversized pill☕ and proceed to brew myself a mid-day cup of coffee😍

Larry Lewis said:It is incredibly difficult to reason with someone mid-psychosis. It took me reaching my absolute breaking point before I ended up taking a taxi to a psychiatric ward in NYC because the paramedics wouldn't even pick me up.
You know as well as I do that the longer someone stays in that state, the harder the recovery becomes—and frankly, the brain starts taking actual organic damage.

Just try everything in your power to talk them into getting medical help immediately; there really isn't any other way.

But please, don't abandon them now while things are at their worst, or it will just sink them into an even deeper hole.

I know. But he just won't budge. Every time I tell him, "You're acting psychotic," he snaps back with, "I'm not psychotic, you're the one who's psychotic—look, you're crying." Well, yeah, I'm crying because I'm watching you act like an absolute idiot, not because I've lost my mind.

It's the same old stuff: religious obsessions, weird dreams, superstitions, and daydreaming all day without any connection to reality. Then there's the zero-control hypersexuality, the binge eating, and the total emotional instability. He’s also dealing with auditory hallucinations; I’m basically his worst enemy because he tells me he feels like people are attacking him through subtle cues (I won't go into detail so he doesn't recognize himself). It's just constant grandiose delusions fueled by people he thinks are "friends." He treats whatever they say as gospel, like he's lost the ability to think for himself. He parrots their words like a damn parrot, hides everything from me, and manipulates me constantly. And now, even loud noises are bothering him...🤷

So, is this psychosis, or am I actually the crazy one here? 🤷

vividorca9 said:I know. But he just won't budge. Every time I tell him, "You're acting psychotic," he snaps back with, "I'm not psychotic, you're the one who's psychotic—look, you're crying." Well, yeah, I'm crying because I'm watching you act like an absolute idiot, not because I've lost my mind.

It's the same old stuff: religious obsessions, weird dreams, superstitions, and daydreaming all day without any connection to reality. Then there's the zero-control hypersexuality, the binge eating, and the total emotional instability. He’s also dealing with auditory hallucinations; I’m basically his worst enemy because he tells me he feels like people are attacking him through subtle cues (I won't go into detail so he doesn't recognize himself). It's just constant grandiose delusions fueled by people he thinks are "friends." He treats whatever they say as gospel, like he's lost the ability to think for himself. He parrots their words like a damn parrot, hides everything from me, and manipulates me constantly. And now, even loud noises are bothering him...🤷

So, is this psychosis, or am I actually the crazy one here? 🤷

It's psychosis—and honestly, what comes after that can be even worse.

vividorca9 said:I know. But he just won't budge. Every time I tell him, "You're acting psychotic," he snaps back with, "I'm not psychotic, you're the one who's psychotic—look, you're crying." Well, yeah, I'm crying because I'm watching you act like an absolute idiot, not because I've lost my mind.

It's the same old stuff: religious obsessions, weird dreams, superstitions, and daydreaming all day without any connection to reality. Then there's the zero-control hypersexuality, the binge eating, and the total emotional instability. He’s also dealing with auditory hallucinations; I’m basically his worst enemy because he tells me he feels like people are attacking him through subtle cues (I won't go into detail so he doesn't recognize himself). It's just constant grandiose delusions fueled by people he thinks are "friends." He treats whatever they say as gospel, like he's lost the ability to think for himself. He parrots their words like a damn parrot, hides everything from me, and manipulates me constantly. And now, even loud noises are bothering him...🤷

So, is this psychosis, or am I actually the crazy one here? 🤷

Based on what you described, I would say it is.

And Larry Lewis makes a good point. These symptoms could escalate even further.
The longer he goes without help, the more he'll resist medical intervention. Some people still have enough grip on reality to seek a doctor on their own. Plus, recovery takes much longer if you wait too long...

Is an emergency room visit really out of the question?
Do you know if he's currently on medication or has any sort of stability right now?

Larry Lewis said:It's psychosis—and honestly, what comes after that can be even worse.

Look... I’m not talking about walking away. It’s my responsibility, I worry about him, and the feelings are real—it's a relationship, damn it. It's there.

But still... forgive my choice of words, but this is just how I am. We both just end up snapping at each other.

And I've got zero patience left.

Michelle Evans said:Based on what you described, I would say it is.

And Larry Lewis makes a good point. These symptoms could escalate even further.
The longer he goes without help, the more he'll resist medical intervention. Some people still have enough grip on reality to seek a doctor on their own. Plus, recovery takes much longer if you wait too long...

Is an emergency room visit really out of the question?
Do you know if he's currently on medication or has any sort of stability right now?

He is on meds, but they aren't working for him. He actually ended up in a psychosis last time because of this exact treatment. He started taking them again just to please me regarding some specific thing we won't get into right now (and nobody asked him to!), but whenever he's on that stuff, his libido goes through the roof in a totally unhealthy way, and he gets hyper-religious too.

He has check-ups, but I’m worried he’ll lie to the psychiatrist since the meds "work" for him in that one specific area.

vividorca9 As follows:
He's currently on medication, but it just isn't working for him. He actually ended up in a psychotic break last time he took it... He only started this round again to please me regarding a certain matter we won't get into right now (not that anyone asked!). Every time he takes the pills, his libido becomes completely uncontrolled, and he develops this intense hyper-religiosity...

The inspection is underway...I suspect he might lie to his psychiatrists just because the medication seems to be working for him in that regard...

Sounds good...

Maybe give her a call before she leaves and walk her through all his symptoms...

I'm hoping it happens soon, rather than dragging on for another week...

Michelle Evans said:Based on what you described, I would say it is.

And Larry Lewis makes a good point. These symptoms could escalate even further.
The longer he goes without help, the more he'll resist medical intervention. Some people still have enough grip on reality to seek a doctor on their own. Plus, recovery takes much longer if you wait too long...

Is an emergency room visit really out of the question?
Do you know if he's currently on medication or has any sort of stability right now?

The reality is, they don't even bother rushing patients to the hospital until things get genuinely dangerous—either for themselves or everyone else nearby.

Look, vividorca9, just sit tight and wait for them to drop a line where they explicitly threaten to hurt themselves or someone else before you call 911, because honestly, that's about the only way you'll get a response. ☕

David Vaughn75 said:The reality is, they don't even bother rushing patients to the hospital until things get genuinely dangerous—either for themselves or everyone else nearby.

Look, vividorca9, just sit tight and wait for them to drop a line where they explicitly threaten to hurt themselves or someone else before you call 911, because honestly, that's about the only way you'll get a response. ☕

I never mentioned forced treatment, nor am I saying emergency services are synonymous with it. Please, try reading more carefully before jumping in with a condescending comment that misses my point entirely.

vividorca9 said:He is on meds, but they aren't working for him. He actually ended up in a psychosis last time because of this exact treatment. He started taking them again just to please me regarding some specific thing we won't get into right now (and nobody asked him to!), but whenever he's on that stuff, his libido goes through the roof in a totally unhealthy way, and he gets hyper-religious too.

He has check-ups, but I’m worried he’ll lie to the psychiatrist since the meds "work" for him in that one specific area.

Mark my words—once that psychosis finally breaks him, he’s going to be begging you to haul him off to a hospital. It’ll be a brutal recovery, a long, agonizing slog through the dark—and frankly, it’s all his own damn fault. He’s being incredibly foolish. He’s been through this exact cycle of psychotic breaks before, yet here we are again, watching him stubbornly refuse any kind of help. It’s self-sabotage at its finest, really—this refusal to accept assistance even when the walls are closing in. He's digging his own grave, and quite honestly, I've seen this movie before.