Schizophrenia - General Discussion

Harold Anderson3 said:I'm wondering why they decided to scale you down? A standard dose for that one usually lands somewhere between 15 and 30 mg. One thing about Abilify is that it doesn't typically hit you with that heavy, sedative feeling you get from other antipsychotics, even at the higher end of the spectrum, though I suppose everyone reacts differently to side effects.
Don't feel like everything is gone for good; with the right treatment plan, things can definitely get back to where they were, though I know firsthand that finding that balance isn't an easy road. Figuring out the exact cocktail of meds and the perfect dosages is a real struggle, but you just have to keep pushing forward.

Aripiprazole makes me feel incredibly restless, but taking Akineton totally fixes it for me.

The main thing is that I'm not on that sedative Moditen; that stuff basically turned me into a zombie. Now my psychiatrist is debating whether to ditch everything else and just switch me over to Leponex.

Olivia Smith2 said:They lowered my dose because I haven't been diagnosed with schizophrenia yet—they actually told me the goal is to eventually get me off everything entirely. They've been tapering me down for two years now, so this was just another step in the process.

That said, I'm struggling immensely with reading, comprehension, and memory. Looking around this sub-forum, it seems like this isn't much of a topic? It feels like nobody else is dealing with this—so I have to wonder, am I just... 😠

Have you ever considered that you might have ADHD? When you mix antipsychotics with ADHD, it can really tank your concentration—which is already a struggle if you're dealing with that diagnosis.

Harold Anderson3 said:Yeah, I totally hear you. Did you find that these issues weren't there before you started treatment? For everything you mentioned, you really have to "retrain" your brain, regardless of whether you're dealing with an illness or not...

Before I actually started medication, I noticed a massive cognitive decline. I was struggling with distorted beliefs and paranoia back then, too—but honestly, I only sought out psychiatric help because of that mental fog. I couldn't figure out what was wrong, only to eventually be diagnosed with a psychosis similar to schizophrenia. Now, several psychiatrists—including my own—are telling me that I probably don't fall under the schizophrenia umbrella, so they're treating me with minimal doses. Aside from the 5 mg of aripiprazole, I'm taking 150 mg of pregabalin twice a day, plus propranolol and Normabel to stay calm, since I developed an anxiety disorder in the process.

It’s a strange sensation. Not only is it hard to remember things, read, or even communicate, but everything just feels... blurry and slow. It's like being drunk, except without the fun part. 🙂 The group at the clinic who are on Moditen, risperidone, Haldol, and so on, never complained about their cognitive abilities—yet here I am, repeating myself constantly like a broken record.

silverheron91 said:5 mg a day? Are you seriously cutting a 10 mg pill in half? I had no idea they even made doses that tiny! I’m sitting here taking 30 mg myself.

Yes, I am splitting the 10 mg one in half. One psychiatrist actually thought it was odd that I was complaining about my cognitive function when aripiprazole is supposed to improve it—though, for the akathisia (restlessness) I had back then, that 10 mg dose was far too low.

Adam Morris4 said:Have you ever considered that you might have ADHD? When you mix antipsychotics with ADHD, it can really tank your concentration—which is already a struggle if you're dealing with that diagnosis.

Actually, when I first joined this forum, I did a bit of Googling to see what might be going on, and ADHD results kept popping up. I see they treat it with amphetamines and dextroamphetamine. I'm not entirely sure how those work, though.

Olivia Smith2 said:Before I actually started medication, I noticed a massive cognitive decline. I was struggling with distorted beliefs and paranoia back then, too—but honestly, I only sought out psychiatric help because of that mental fog. I couldn't figure out what was wrong, only to eventually be diagnosed with a psychosis similar to schizophrenia. Now, several psychiatrists—including my own—are telling me that I probably don't fall under the schizophrenia umbrella, so they're treating me with minimal doses. Aside from the 5 mg of aripiprazole, I'm taking 150 mg of pregabalin twice a day, plus propranolol and Normabel to stay calm, since I developed an anxiety disorder in the process.

It’s a strange sensation. Not only is it hard to remember things, read, or even communicate, but everything just feels... blurry and slow. It's like being drunk, except without the fun part. 🙂 The group at the clinic who are on Moditen, risperidone, Haldol, and so on, never complained about their cognitive abilities—yet here I am, repeating myself constantly like a broken record.

Yes, I am splitting the 10 mg one in half. One psychiatrist actually thought it was odd that I was complaining about my cognitive function when aripiprazole is supposed to improve it—though, for the akathisia (restlessness) I had back then, that 10 mg dose was far too low.

Actually, when I first joined this forum, I did a bit of Googling to see what might be going on, and ADHD results kept popping up. I see they treat it with amphetamines and dextroamphetamine. I'm not entirely sure how those work, though.

To be honest, reading your posts here, you seem quite coherent, showing a really good sense of self-awareness and a critical eye toward your own situation.
A diagnosis of psychosis similar to schizophrenia is heavy stuff, and no one can fully recover from a psychotic episode overnight.
As for that cognitive drop-off, that’s actually pretty typical during the onset of psychosis. Usually, other people are the first to notice it—they see your vocabulary shrinking, your mental skills slipping, and perhaps most commonly, apathy. That total emotional numbness toward yourself and the world, where you just lose interest in your responsibilities and hobbies... have you felt anything like that?

Harold Anderson3 said:To be honest, reading your posts here, you seem quite coherent, showing a really good sense of self-awareness and a critical eye toward your own situation.
A diagnosis of psychosis similar to schizophrenia is heavy stuff, and no one can fully recover from a psychotic episode overnight.
As for that cognitive drop-off, that’s actually pretty typical during the onset of psychosis. Usually, other people are the first to notice it—they see your vocabulary shrinking, your mental skills slipping, and perhaps most commonly, apathy. That total emotional numbness toward yourself and the world, where you just lose interest in your responsibilities and hobbies... have you felt anything like that?

That describes my life perfectly, dear Harold Anderson3—at least for the last two years, ever since I dealt with that awful psychosis.

I'm honestly at a loss regarding this constant "foggy" feeling, and the worst part? It feels like even the doctors don't have the answers. It's just devastating.

Anyway, how are things with you?

Olivia Smith2 said:That describes my life perfectly, dear Harold Anderson3—at least for the last two years, ever since I dealt with that awful psychosis.

I'm honestly at a loss regarding this constant "foggy" feeling, and the worst part? It feels like even the doctors don't have the answers. It's just devastating.

Anyway, how are things with you?

I feel like my brain just stopped working properly while I was on Moditen. You definitely aren't alone in this. 🤣

silverheron91 said:I feel like my brain just stopped working properly while I was on Moditen. You definitely aren't alone in this. 🤣

Well, that’s comforting! I guess we can just hold hands and dance through the chaos then. 😢
How have you been managing to cope with it all?

Olivia Smith2 said:Well, that’s comforting! I guess we can just hold hands and dance through the chaos then. 😢
How have you been managing to cope with it all?

Honestly? It’s been incredibly tough. Growing up, I was basically the "gifted kid" everyone pointed to, but everything kind of crumbled during my teens when those first signs of personality disorders and psychosis started creeping in.

Then, in my early 20s, I felt like my brain was finally waking back up. I was hitting my stride, really pushing myself intellectually. I spent my days buried in books, tackling complex problems, just trying to build a solid, productive life. But then—and this is the kicker—the downward spiral started, and it hasn't really stopped since.

It happened so fast. One minute I had the whole nine yards—a career, college, a solid circle of friends, hobbies, you name it. Three weeks later, I was being hospitalized. I lost everything. They put me on 6 Modern and eventually sent me home feeling like a total zombie.

🕺

silverheron91 said:Honestly? It’s been incredibly tough. Growing up, I was basically the "gifted kid" everyone pointed to, but everything kind of crumbled during my teens when those first signs of personality disorders and psychosis started creeping in.

Then, in my early 20s, I felt like my brain was finally waking back up. I was hitting my stride, really pushing myself intellectually. I spent my days buried in books, tackling complex problems, just trying to build a solid, productive life. But then—and this is the kicker—the downward spiral started, and it hasn't really stopped since.

It happened so fast. One minute I had the whole nine yards—a career, college, a solid circle of friends, hobbies, you name it. Three weeks later, I was being hospitalized. I lost everything. They put me on 6 Modern and eventually sent me home feeling like a total zombie.

🕺

Luckily, I managed to finish my degree before the psychosis hit, though unfortunately, it was in one of those humanities fields. God, I was practically signaling how dim I was from the very start—quite unlike you. 🤣

It’s actually quite lovely to read that you pushed your intellect to such incredible heights; for me, it feels like I only truly started developing once everything went south.

From what I can see, you still have plenty of spirit left—that’s a sweet thing to notice. Mine feels broken; I don't even know how I'm managing to type. I get the impression I'm slowly, surely, becoming dyslexic.

Is it total garbage? Absolutely. You lose everything overnight. It happened to me, too. Take Saturday night, for example... Two years ago, I’d be out hitting clubs in NYC looking for a good time, but now? Now I'm just home alone, washing down Pregabalin and Xanax with beer.

I have to admit, life isn't exactly thrilling like this... I just don't have the courage for the things I won't even say out loud...

And yeah, my sense of "self" is brutally fractured—I'm not sure if others with psychosis feel the same... but I don't perceive myself the way I used to. It's as if I've lost my identity and turned into someone I don't even recognize.

To me, it all feels very, very terrible. If I weren't so apathetic, I'd probably be crying. 🤣

Olivia Smith2 said:Luckily, I managed to finish my degree before the psychosis hit, though unfortunately, it was in one of those humanities fields. God, I was practically signaling how dim I was from the very start—quite unlike you. 🤣

It’s actually quite lovely to read that you pushed your intellect to such incredible heights; for me, it feels like I only truly started developing once everything went south.

From what I can see, you still have plenty of spirit left—that’s a sweet thing to notice. Mine feels broken; I don't even know how I'm managing to type. I get the impression I'm slowly, surely, becoming dyslexic.

Is it total garbage? Absolutely. You lose everything overnight. It happened to me, too. Take Saturday night, for example... Two years ago, I’d be out hitting clubs in NYC looking for a good time, but now? Now I'm just home alone, washing down Pregabalin and Xanax with beer.

I have to admit, life isn't exactly thrilling like this... I just don't have the courage for the things I won't even say out loud...

And yeah, my sense of "self" is brutally fractured—I'm not sure if others with psychosis feel the same... but I don't perceive myself the way I used to. It's as if I've lost my identity and turned into someone I don't even recognize.

To me, it all feels very, very terrible. If I weren't so apathetic, I'd probably be crying. 🤣

Oh, please, there's nothing left in me—no spirit, no soul. 🤣

Look, I was never really much of a party girl. Back when things were going well, I loved heading out with friends or old high school teachers to catch a play or an art exhibit. I've always preferred hanging with older crowds who actually knew more about art than I did.

And since you mentioned drinking alone... Well, I hate to disappoint you, but you aren't the only one. I do it a lot. Actually, contradicting everything I just said, I did go to my cousin's birthday party recently. But it was such a snooze-fest; they were all just talking about diapers and toddler milestones. I ended up ditching them to hang out with the older folks in the house for a bit. Even when I walked into Babakao, they were still stuck on topics about their kids and husbands. I grabbed a couple of Helex, downed a bottle of Jägermeister, and as soon as it slid down my throat, I suddenly had enough inspiration to carry a whole monologue. They actually listened to me intently. 🎉

silverheron91 said:Oh, please, there's nothing left in me—no spirit, no soul. 🤣

Look, I was never really much of a party girl. Back when things were going well, I loved heading out with friends or old high school teachers to catch a play or an art exhibit. I've always preferred hanging with older crowds who actually knew more about art than I did.

And since you mentioned drinking alone... Well, I hate to disappoint you, but you aren't the only one. I do it a lot. Actually, contradicting everything I just said, I did go to my cousin's birthday party recently. But it was such a snooze-fest; they were all just talking about diapers and toddler milestones. I ended up ditching them to hang out with the older folks in the house for a bit. Even when I walked into Babakao, they were still stuck on topics about their kids and husbands. I grabbed a couple of Helex, downed a bottle of Jägermeister, and as soon as it slid down my throat, I suddenly had enough inspiration to carry a whole monologue. They actually listened to me intently. 🎉

Oh, please—I’m telling you, you definitely have spirit. You at least have the willpower to be typing away on this forum. Meanwhile, I’m just rolling around in bed like a little piglet waiting for the butcher.

Alcohol isn't even my biggest issue here. It's my imagination—that damn imagination—it betrayed me. My ability to rationalize? Betrayed me. Empathy? Betrayed me. My wandering mind? Betrayed me. My quick wit? Gone. My self-confidence? Forget it. There’s plenty of other stuff that let me down, but if I had to pick, I’d say my ex did. She could have stayed with me, even when my eyes were drooping so hard I couldn't string a coherent sentence together. And man, I used to be such a good orator. 🤣

God, I’m so restless—I can't tell if it's anxiety or just something else... but my legs won't stay still. I'm pacing around the house like I'm hunting for burglars. 🤦

Maybe I should cut back on the cigarettes? 🤔

silverheron91 said:Aripiprazole makes me feel incredibly restless, but taking Akineton totally fixes it for me.

The main thing is that I'm not on that sedative Moditen; that stuff basically turned me into a zombie. Now my psychiatrist is debating whether to ditch everything else and just switch me over to Leponex.

Cogentin? 😲
I tried it once and decided it’s some of the heaviest-duty chemistry out there... Not saying I felt terrible, per se, but that pill is just too powerful for me. I wouldn't touch it again...
But hey, if it works for you, that's what matters.

I actually had no idea about the Metropolitan situation. I was on it for six years—maybe even longer, honestly—so it’s really no wonder I felt like garbage. As for Rexulti, that stuff is an absolute disaster in my book. They used to have me taking it at night paired with Xanax, and I was basically a zombie. Actually, the Xanax is what keeps me in a fog because I sleep way too much and feel drowsy all day long. I'm thinking about cutting my dose in half to 2.5 mg. Right now, I just take it whenever, or sometimes I don't... but man, trying to split those pills is such a pain, just like trying to deal with Zoloft.

Hey everyone—just wanted to share an update. My doctor lowered my dose of aripiprazole from 10 mg down to 5 mg, and after a little while, I’m actually feeling quite a bit better. My cognitive clarity is returning, and I finally feel more like my old self again.

It’s only now becoming crystal clear just how much of a necessary evil these medications really are. It breaks my heart that so many of us have to rely on them, but hopefully, there's some small comfort in knowing you aren't alone. Isn't it true that struggling with your mental state is often just a side effect of being on antipsychotics—even something like aripiprazole?

Olivia Smith2 said:Hey everyone—just wanted to share an update. My doctor lowered my dose of aripiprazole from 10 mg down to 5 mg, and after a little while, I’m actually feeling quite a bit better. My cognitive clarity is returning, and I finally feel more like my old self again.

It’s only now becoming crystal clear just how much of a necessary evil these medications really are. It breaks my heart that so many of us have to rely on them, but hopefully, there's some small comfort in knowing you aren't alone. Isn't it true that struggling with your mental state is often just a side effect of being on antipsychotics—even something like aripiprazole?

That is wonderful news!

It makes total sense—medications for mental health are obviously going to impact how you feel mentally.
I was actually reading the other day about how even common things like cholesterol medication or even basic Tylenol can mess with someone's mood.
Finding that "Goldilocks" zone—the perfect drug and the exact right dosage for your specific body—is such a delicate, tricky process.

Olivia Smith2 said:Hey everyone—just wanted to share an update. My doctor lowered my dose of aripiprazole from 10 mg down to 5 mg, and after a little while, I’m actually feeling quite a bit better. My cognitive clarity is returning, and I finally feel more like my old self again.

It’s only now becoming crystal clear just how much of a necessary evil these medications really are. It breaks my heart that so many of us have to rely on them, but hopefully, there's some small comfort in knowing you aren't alone. Isn't it true that struggling with your mental state is often just a side effect of being on antipsychotics—even something like aripiprazole?

I hear you, and while I definitely need my medication, I can't quite bring myself to call them a "necessary evil." The illness itself is the real burden, and while meds might not fully cure something like schizophrenia, they allow someone living with it to function relatively normally in their daily life.
It sounds like a minimal dose of aripiprazole does the trick for you, whereas I’m on a much higher dosage via injection, yet it still allows me to hold down a job and live my life. I’m honestly just so grateful that I’m able to work, because unfortunately, so many people facing this diagnosis aren't afforded that same opportunity.

Honestly, a lot of us can actually get through the day thanks to our medications, and without them, things would be pretty much impossible.

It’s a general rule that applies to just about any medication out there, not just the psychotropic ones.

Don't get me wrong, I absolutely hate dealing with the side effects, but you just have to face the truth.

Hi everyone,

I was wondering if anyone here has taken 100mg of Quetiapine. It knocks me out completely, even though my dosage is set at 3, which is standard.
I don't actually need this for psychiatric reasons; my instability is caused by neurological issues.

Anyway, has anyone ever taken 300mg of Quetiapine and managed to stay awake? At that dosage, you could sleep for two days straight.

Rebecca Rivera3 said:Hi everyone,

I was wondering if anyone here has taken 100mg of Quetiapine. It knocks me out completely, even though my dosage is set at 3, which is standard.
I don't actually need this for psychiatric reasons; my instability is caused by neurological issues.

Anyway, has anyone ever taken 300mg of Quetiapine and managed to stay awake? At that dosage, you could sleep for two days straight.

Maybe you should give the medication some time to settle in.
I'm not sure how long you've been on it, but that drowsiness and lethargy might eventually taper off.
At least, that was my experience with mine.

Rebecca Rivera3 said:Hi everyone,

I was wondering if anyone here has taken 100mg of Quetiapine. It knocks me out completely, even though my dosage is set at 3, which is standard.
I don't actually need this for psychiatric reasons; my instability is caused by neurological issues.

Anyway, has anyone ever taken 300mg of Quetiapine and managed to stay awake? At that dosage, you could sleep for two days straight.

I take Abilify at 100mg. If I take it around 10:00 AM, everything is fine the next day. But if I take it at 10:15 AM, I sleep for 14 hours, wake up feeling absolutely miserable, exhausted, and barely able to function. I'm struggling with the requirement to take it at almost the exact same time every day. My schedule doesn't even allow for that level of consistency.

I adjusted down to 50mg, which is slightly better. I adapt quickly. That being said, if I took 300mg, I would probably drop onto the floor and wake up 42 days later covered in dust and cobwebs.