Schizophrenia - General Discussion

My situation is steadily declining, and it feels like it's just heading downhill from here. My appetite is disappearing, and I have zero energy to sleep or even go out. Most days, I just manage to shower, take my medication, and pass out. I've actually been hospitalized twice more in the meantime. They’ve increased my dosage and changed my treatment plan entirely.
I don't think I'm going to make it much longer.

So, tell me, Rebecca Rivera3, do you actually hang out with anyone around here?

I mean, maybe if you could find some women with similar vibes, you could actually support each other—you know, like, having an actual face-to-face conversation for once.

Rebecca Rivera3 said:My situation is steadily declining, and it feels like it's just heading downhill from here. My appetite is disappearing, and I have zero energy to sleep or even go out. Most days, I just manage to shower, take my medication, and pass out. I've actually been hospitalized twice more in the meantime. They’ve increased my dosage and changed my treatment plan entirely.
I don't think I'm going to make it much longer.

Please, don't speak that way. Are you not aware that you possess a spiritual essence that is eternal, just like the rest of us? You are simply—for a fleeting moment—encased within a physical, ethereal vessel.

Think of your illness as if you had put on a undershirt and forgotten to rip off the scratchy tag, or perhaps donned a sweater that has a stray needle caught in it, a small tear, or a rough patch. But remember: you are neither that undershirt nor that sweater. You are not your illness. Your circumstances are capable of shifting.

How can my situation actually change? For a long time now, things have just been spiraling downward and I can't find a way out. It feels like I'm suffocating, like I'm gasping for air... I'm fading away. This feeling is stronger than I am; there’s nothing left to do but wait or hold onto hope.
This "undershirt" has become my second skin, and I simply can't peel it off.

Rebecca Rivera3 said:How can my situation actually change? For a long time now, things have just been spiraling downward and I can't find a way out. It feels like I'm suffocating, like I'm gasping for air... I'm fading away. This feeling is stronger than I am; there’s nothing left to do but wait or hold onto hope.
This "undershirt" has become my second skin, and I simply can't peel it off.

I really get that. It's like I'm disappearing too. Honestly, it just depends on the day. Some days I have zero motivation, so I just force myself to go through the motions on autopilot. I tell myself it'll pass—that it's just one of those awful days where nothing, and I mean absolutely nothing, seems to matter. So, I don't even try to fight it. Tomorrow's a new day.

My days all feel pretty much the same. The only real difference is how many hours I sleep through or how many pills I end up taking. Honestly, I lost myself a long time ago. I don't even recognize the person staring back at me in the mirror anymore.

Chloe Flores83 said:I really get that. It's like I'm disappearing too. Honestly, it just depends on the day. Some days I have zero motivation, so I just force myself to go through the motions on autopilot. I tell myself it'll pass—that it's just one of those awful days where nothing, and I mean absolutely nothing, seems to matter. So, I don't even try to fight it. Tomorrow's a new day.

Hello, everyone!
That is exactly it. Tomorrow is a fresh start. I couldn't agree more with that sentiment.

Njusica, I truly hope things start looking up for you soon. Though, if I may be so bold—I don't quite understand why you aren't sticking with the therapy regimen your doctor prescribed? You could work alongside them to gradually adjust the dosage or intensity over time. At the end of the day, isn't your own health far more important than anything else?

Honestly, I find reading your posts so incredibly engaging—especially when I catch myself nodding along because I can relate to your stories so deeply!

Another acute flare-up... my medication dosage has been doubled. I'm not sure what to expect now, though I suppose hopefully I'll just sleep more and that'll be that.
I can't help but wonder when I'll finally wake up from this nightmare.

Rebecca Rivera3, please, just take things one step at a time. Give yourself some breathing room! Try to find something—anything, really—that helps you unwind. For me, it’s all about keeping my mind off the illness itself; if I notice things are starting to spiral, I make a conscious effort to sit up straight and reset my posture—it actually helps more than you'd think! We really have to learn how to navigate this whole situation, you know? It isn't easy for any of us, but we'll get through it.

I was reading somewhere that bipolar disorder can sometimes show up during the later stages of schizophrenia. Has anyone here actually dealt with both? Honestly, I’m just not feeling it lately—I have zero desire to be social, but when I'm by myself, I just feel incredibly low. I spend my whole workday at the office pretending everything is totally fine. Could this be bipolar?

Chloe Flores83 said:I was reading somewhere that bipolar disorder can sometimes show up during the later stages of schizophrenia. Has anyone here actually dealt with both? Honestly, I’m just not feeling it lately—I have zero desire to be social, but when I'm by myself, I just feel incredibly low. I spend my whole workday at the office pretending everything is totally fine. Could this be bipolar?

I’ve been through that myself. It seems like depression—whether it's mild or more intense—almost always follows schizophrenia. If those mood swings end up causing you more trouble than the psychotic symptoms themselves, then what you're looking at might not strictly be schizophrenia, but rather schizoaffective disorder (which can be depressive, manic, or mixed type). But please, try not to let the diagnosis weigh you down too much; the most important thing is really just getting your treatment dialed in, finding the right medication and the right dosage so you can actually start feeling like yourself and functioning well in your daily life.

Harold Anderson3 said:I’ve been through that myself. It seems like depression—whether it's mild or more intense—almost always follows schizophrenia. If those mood swings end up causing you more trouble than the psychotic symptoms themselves, then what you're looking at might not strictly be schizophrenia, but rather schizoaffective disorder (which can be depressive, manic, or mixed type). But please, try not to let the diagnosis weigh you down too much; the most important thing is really just getting your treatment dialed in, finding the right medication and the right dosage so you can actually start feeling like yourself and functioning well in your daily life.

Thanks so much for the reply... The thing is, I really struggle with staying on my meds. I basically only take them when I absolutely need to sleep because I can't drift off without something. It's been like this for 10 years now since I was first diagnosed with schizophrenia. In that time, I've ended up in the hospital 15 times, and every single time I got discharged, I'd stop taking everything. I kept thinking I could somehow spot the signs before things went south—you know, like when the religious delusions start creeping in. And truth be told, I functioned way better with the pills than without them. I did fine for a long time. I never dealt with depression back then. Not until now. I gave Zeldox a shot recently, but it just didn't work for me. Are there any meds out there that actually make you feel good? Maybe Xanax? Is this just the real face of the illness finally showing up after 10 years? And is it even possible to find a schizophrenia med that lets you function normally, like you aren't even sick, or is that just wishful thinking?

Chloe Flores83 said:Thanks so much for the reply... The thing is, I really struggle with staying on my meds. I basically only take them when I absolutely need to sleep because I can't drift off without something. It's been like this for 10 years now since I was first diagnosed with schizophrenia. In that time, I've ended up in the hospital 15 times, and every single time I got discharged, I'd stop taking everything. I kept thinking I could somehow spot the signs before things went south—you know, like when the religious delusions start creeping in. And truth be told, I functioned way better with the pills than without them. I did fine for a long time. I never dealt with depression back then. Not until now. I gave Zeldox a shot recently, but it just didn't work for me. Are there any meds out there that actually make you feel good? Maybe Xanax? Is this just the real face of the illness finally showing up after 10 years? And is it even possible to find a schizophrenia med that lets you function normally, like you aren't even sick, or is that just wishful thinking?

I think everyone finds an antidepressant that works for them, though it's definitely not a one-size-fits-all situation. It's worth remembering that Xanax is primarily an anti-anxiety med rather than a standard antidepressant. For me personally, while medication helps, what really turned things around was simply getting my life somewhat organized. It’s the same story with antipsychotics. Since I tend to have a pretty mellow temperament, I need something that provides a bit of an energy boost, so I use Abilify. The downside is that it isn't quite as potent as some other options, even at the maximum dose. Because of that, I combine it with relatively small doses of Seroquel, which is incredibly effective, even if it does come with a heavier list of side effects. Knock on wood, I haven't run into those nasty side effects that seem to plague so many others. Of course, staying consistent and taking your medication regularly is a fundamental requirement for functioning normally, but it isn't a magic bullet. Eating well, getting enough sleep without overdoing it, and staying active—all of those things play a huge role in recovery. Medication is necessary, but everything else—having a job, a social circle, maybe even starting a family or picking up hobbies—is something a person living with this has to work to build for themselves.

regularly taking it is vital just to function normally, but let's be honest—it isn't a magic bullet. Eating right, getting enough sleep (but not too much!), staying active... all of that helps the healing process. Meds are necessary, sure, but everything else—having a job, a social life, maybe even starting a family, or just finding a hobby—that's stuff you have to build for yourself to actually get better.

Does anyone know of a schizophrenia medication that has sedative properties? Like, something that actually knocks you out immediately? After my last episode, my psychiatrist put me on Zeldox because they said it has the fewest side effects. I’m honestly willing to pull a three or four-day stint in the hospital if it means I can recover, though usually, I realize pretty quickly that I've gone down the wrong path and started spiraling again. Still, they typically keep me for about three weeks on average. I know some people end up staying for months, so I was wondering how long it usually takes you guys to bounce back after being hospitalized? I'd love to hear from others about their experiences. I'm asking because one doctor diagnosed me with these unusual psychotic episodes and insomnia, so I'm starting to wonder if it's actually schizophrenia.

Seroquel really knocks you out and has a heavy sedative effect, though it usually takes about an hour to kick in after you take it. Personally, I mostly just stick to Lunesta since my main struggle is sleep rather than needing an antipsychotic. Honestly, staying in a psychiatric ward for three or four days isn't going to get you much closer to a breakthrough. My shortest hospital stay was about three weeks back about a year and a half ago, and that was strictly to get my medication levels adjusted. My longest stretch was six months, nearly nine years ago, which happened when I made the mistake of quitting my meds cold turkey—the first and last time I ever did that. I also had a six-week stay before that long one, and another two-month stint following it due to depression; at that time, I was temporarily dealing with post-schizophrenic depression, so those are all the times I've spent on psych wards.

P.s. I'm really hoping a few more people chime in, but there are only about five or six of us talking on this thread, mostly because schizophrenia is relatively rare, especially within online communities like this one.

Does the psychiatric ward actually segregate patients into different rooms based on their specific diagnoses? For instance, would you find one room dedicated solely to those with schizophrenia, another for individuals dealing with bipolar disorder, a third for those struggling with depression, and perhaps a fourth for people diagnosed with Borderline Personality Disorder, or is that how such clinical classifications are organized?

Nicole Barrett76 said:Does the psychiatric ward actually segregate patients into different rooms based on their specific diagnoses? For instance, would you find one room dedicated solely to those with schizophrenia, another for individuals dealing with bipolar disorder, a third for those struggling with depression, and perhaps a fourth for people diagnosed with Borderline Personality Disorder, or is that how such clinical classifications are organized?

In my own experience—I was once at a facility in Seattle—I ended up sharing space with people dealing with both bipolar disorder and schizophrenia. As for whether they strictly categorize everyone based on the severity or type of their condition... well, I honestly couldn't tell you!

Harold Anderson3 and Chloe Flores83. I’ve been sipping on some Olandix lately—and honestly, it completely knocks me out! At least, it certainly does for me.

Harold Anderson3 said:Seroquel really knocks you out and has a heavy sedative effect, though it usually takes about an hour to kick in after you take it. Personally, I mostly just stick to Lunesta since my main struggle is sleep rather than needing an antipsychotic. Honestly, staying in a psychiatric ward for three or four days isn't going to get you much closer to a breakthrough. My shortest hospital stay was about three weeks back about a year and a half ago, and that was strictly to get my medication levels adjusted. My longest stretch was six months, nearly nine years ago, which happened when I made the mistake of quitting my meds cold turkey—the first and last time I ever did that. I also had a six-week stay before that long one, and another two-month stint following it due to depression; at that time, I was temporarily dealing with post-schizophrenic depression, so those are all the times I've spent on psych wards.

P.s. I'm really hoping a few more people chime in, but there are only about five or six of us talking on this thread, mostly because schizophrenia is relatively rare, especially within online communities like this one.

Well, it looks like there aren't even that many of us. Actually, it's just three of us: you, me, and Angela Stewart6, plus one curious onlooker (Nicole Barrett76). And man, Harold Anderson3, how were you in the hospital for six whole months? From my perspective, where things seem to settle in a day or two, that sounds absolutely wild. I don't think I'm in a depressive state either, except maybe on weekends when I feel totally lost. When I'm at work, the day just flies by. I'm not even that social anymore, so I tend to dodge friends... though sometimes it feels like they're dodging me. Same thing, really.

Chloe Flores83 said:Well, it looks like there aren't even that many of us. Actually, it's just three of us: you, me, and Angela Stewart6, plus one curious onlooker (Nicole Barrett76). And man, Harold Anderson3, how were you in the hospital for six whole months? From my perspective, where things seem to settle in a day or two, that sounds absolutely wild. I don't think I'm in a depressive state either, except maybe on weekends when I feel totally lost. When I'm at work, the day just flies by. I'm not even that social anymore, so I tend to dodge friends... though sometimes it feels like they're dodging me. Same thing, really.

A true psychosis can drag on for quite a while—I mean, a *real* one. I actually dealt with it for several months before I ended up in the hospital, and the craziest part was that I wasn't even aware of it because that state of mind felt perfectly normal to me at the time. It is such a difficult thing to wrap your head around—and frankly, I don't think it's even helpful to dwell on it too much, especially since even doctors don't always dive that deep with their patients. That said, I think it would be a mistake to define ourselves solely by our diagnosis; that just leads to more issues, specifically the whole stigma problem. Socializing is a struggle for me too, though—not really at work, but rather when I'm trying to get close to someone, despite a few exceptions here and there. Sometimes I even wonder if I'm a bit on the autism spectrum myself.

From what I can see, we all deal with some level of social dysfunction. So, given everything, what do you all think is the best way to tackle this issue effectively and meaningfully?