Schizophrenia - General Discussion

Rebecca Rivera3 said:Today, I finally mustered the strength to dig deeper into the specific part of my brain where my lesions have been acting up—they tend to flare up and then suddenly subside, though I can't tell if it's out of fear or something else entirely.
I’ve never been intimidated by science; it’s always fascinated me, and I usually intuitively understood things without even looking them up. But now, hitting a mental block feels like a subconscious defense mechanism.

The reason I decided to look into this is that over the last few days, I've noticed some significant shifts in my mood and general well-being.

Interestingly, I came across something on Wikipedia stating that the lesions located in my area of the brain are linked to the development of schizophrenia—it specifically mentions an increased risk.

I have to admit, that news left me feeling a bit stunned...

Is that MS you're dealing with (if you don't mind me asking)?

Carol Barrett2 said:

My cousin and I both had liver issues from a young age. They said it was genetic.
There isn't really a cure for it. There's just milk thistle you can take.
Doctors don't even pay much attention to an enlarged liver.

I'm not sure if hers was actually enlarged—I think she just had some kind of scarring. But thankfully, she recovered. It wasn't like my situation, which I'm pretty sure is genetic. It was never clearly diagnosed, so I have no idea what exactly is going on, and I still deal with occasional issues with it.

Things actually got a little worse for me after I started taking those pills. But honestly, whether I'm on them or haven't taken any for a while, it’s always been like this. At this point, I've stopped worrying about it too.

I hadn't heard that before.

I don't know what exactly is going on with your vision.

I've got floaters and I see white blood cells—well, I realized they're white—plus I still have bad distance vision in one eye. None of this was ever officially confirmed, though. They basically told me not to bring it up because of my schizophrenia diagnosis. They said if I mentioned it, the ophthalmologists would just claim it's all psychosomatic. That's regarding the floaters and the spots.

My advice is to stop checking yourself into psychiatric hospitals.

Unfortunately, it looks like I won't have much choice. It's for filing disability claims and stuff like that. That's what my psychiatrist told my mother.

Work on yourself and stick to therapy. When a crisis hits, take the stronger meds, sleep it off, and just wait until things settle back to where they were before the episode.

I'm working on it. I've completely flipped my sleep schedule upside down. Now I'm up before dawn like some farmer. Then I'll crash early in the evening. And I've finally found a rhythm with my meds. I make sure to space out the Aspirin and the Azolar. I don't take the Azolar first thing in the morning anymore; I wait a bit.

Have you guys noticed what happens when you check into a psych ward?

I'm really curious to hear your thoughts. I know the answer, and unfortunately, it's not the help people go in looking for...
They hit you with drugs, and then you spend days just trying to figure out what's real and what isn't.

Exactly. I’ve been through the exact same thing—they give you a dose via IV or some other method, then they taper you off slowly... and it lasts for days. You just can't function.

And does anyone actually sit down and talk to you to explain things? No... not really.
That's why, personally, if things get bad, I'd rather just take my dose myself and sleep it off. Once the brain finally quiets down—whenever that happens, hopefully soon—you just have to hang in there. Then everything goes back to "normal."

Nick didn't say anything specific. Honestly, they don't even let you talk. They just lecture you during rounds. If I had actually tried to speak up and explain that things aren't quite how they think they are, they probably would've moved me from a semi-open ward straight to a locked unit.

It's likely because of the mental health aspect that they don't take it seriously, which is honestly tragic. And you're definitely not alone in this. I hate those prejudices. If it's psych, they lock you up immediately, but if it's physical pain or something else, they just shrug their shoulders.

For sure. They probably just assume you're crazy, making stuff up, or that you don't know what you're talking about.

Good luck with the treatment... if you don't mind me asking, what's the diagnosis? And why are you so underweight? Any idea why? Is it because you lack an appetite, or is it maybe that the medication you're on is suppressing it instead of helping where it's needed?

Thanks. I'm doing okay now, considering how bad I was. They slapped me with paranoid schizophrenia, even though I've never had hallucinations or any paranoia about being followed or anything like that. I think it's Bipolar, and I told the psychiatrist at the hospital that myself. Maybe it is schizophrenia, but just some non-specific version. I've suspected that for a while. As for being underweight, it's always been like this. I eat plenty, but it doesn't stick. Just a fast metabolism, I guess. I'm naturally tall and thin. At the hospital, they kept swapping out my psychiatrists every time I was admitted. Probably because they don't want the hassle of dealing with me. Luckily, the psychiatrist here at the VA seems decent, so maybe she'll help. The previous guy wasn't too bad either, but it's hard to really talk to him about all this since he's basically one foot out the door toward retirement. And they just don't make time for actual conversations.

I feel so much empathy for everyone going through depressive episodes; it's such intense pain. A soul-crushing ache that feels worse than physical pain.
And for everyone dealing with paranoia, delusions, weird manic phases, and whatever else... because once that hits, you realize things aren't right, but it carries you along because it's stronger than anything else.
It's just sad that people have to deal with these kinds of mental struggles.

I feel for everyone. It seems like everybody is fighting some kind of battle. Hopefully, things work out. I'm hoping I can qualify for some kind of survivor benefits. Though, looking at how things are, it's going to be a struggle. This system—and frankly, this whole country—is a mess.

But I have to try, what choice do I have? I think I might be entitled to survivor benefits after my parents pass away. Or so I've been told.

Those spots you're seeing—those tiny little circles and dots drifting through your field of vision, and even the flashes—I deal with that too. It started when I was 15 with just one little speck, but now there are tons of them. And yeah, it's definitely not just "in your head."

Nicholas Barnes74 said:Those spots you're seeing—those tiny little circles and dots drifting through your field of vision, and even the flashes—I deal with that too. It started when I was 15 with just one little speck, but now there are tons of them. And yeah, it's definitely not just "in your head."

It’s just fluid in the eye. When the eye muscles adjust the lens for near or far vision, that fluid shifts around. If it doesn't circulate enough, junk builds up. That’s why there are accommodation exercises—to keep that fluid moving so nothing sticks to the photoreceptors and messes with your sight.

Nicholas Barnes74 said:Those spots you're seeing—those tiny little circles and dots drifting through your field of vision, and even the flashes—I deal with that too. It started when I was 15 with just one little speck, but now there are tons of them. And yeah, it's definitely not just "in your head."

Well, I'm heading in front of an evaluation board soon after nearly a decade of waiting, so we'll finally get to lay it all out there. Everything from the floaters to the fact that I can actually see my own white blood cells. It’s a real shame, though—back when they were in the hospital years ago, they lost all my old test results. They didn't return the reports about that spot on my stomach or the liver damage I had (which, thankfully, cleared up).

Hopefully, luck is on my side this time, because the bureaucracy in this country is just... well, it's a mess. I'm just hoping to get something settled since I'm not doing great, physically or mentally. The other day I was trying to lug an old TV around—nearly killed me, honestly. My wife is actually stronger than I am, and she's 65, while I'm only 35. Makes you think, doesn't it?

Nicholas Barnes74 said:Is that MS you're dealing with (if you don't mind me asking)?

Hey, it's not a secret... it is a specific type, yes. Possibly demyelination.

Hi everyone, I’m dealing with a bit of an issue... since experiencing some PTSD, I've been struggling with intense anxiety. It hits me every single day, lasting all day long... it's honestly torture.

What should I do?
Does anyone have any medication recommendations to help manage this? Any advice at all would be appreciated... I feel like I can't breathe.

I have some Xanax and Ativan at home.
As for antidepressants, I have Coaxil and Wellbutrin.
The problem is they just knock me out; I sleep all day, but when I wake up, that crushing anxiety is still right there.
I know I could take higher doses, but then I just end up paralyzed, while the internal anxiety remains unbearable.

Does anyone have any advice?

I also have Quetiapine, but I tend to avoid it unless I take it by 9 PM, just in case it wears off before morning.

Rebecca Rivera3 said:Hi everyone, I’m dealing with a bit of an issue... since experiencing some PTSD, I've been struggling with intense anxiety. It hits me every single day, lasting all day long... it's honestly torture.

What should I do?
Does anyone have any medication recommendations to help manage this? Any advice at all would be appreciated... I feel like I can't breathe.

I have some Xanax and Ativan at home.
As for antidepressants, I have Coaxil and Wellbutrin.
The problem is they just knock me out; I sleep all day, but when I wake up, that crushing anxiety is still right there.
I know I could take higher doses, but then I just end up paralyzed, while the internal anxiety remains unbearable.

Does anyone have any advice?

I also have Quetiapine, but I tend to avoid it unless I take it by 9 PM, just in case it wears off before morning.

Klonopin really helps me... It's much better than Xanax, Valium, or anything else like that. The effect is incredibly fast and very effective. Just a thought, perhaps if you haven't tried it yet...

Honestly, even the mental health pros seem to be winging it sometimes
Nursing certifications are moving through the system so fast lately, and it wouldn't surprise me one bit if you found a cardiologist or some doctor recruited from India stepping in to fill a psychiatrist's shoes. Personally, I’m the type who wouldn't dream of playing chemist with psychotropic meds without getting some solid advice from an actual specialist first.

Hey everyone,
A close loved one was hospitalized back in October, and after about a month, they were finally discharged with a prescription. Everything seemed to be going great at first—the meds pretty much wiped out all the symptoms (we're talking paranoia, auditory hallucinations, feeling like people are plotting against them, or thinking someone is breaking into the house when nobody is there, etc.). But over the last month, they've been stopping the medication, and now all those symptoms are rushing right back. They’re flat-out refusing to take anything now. They won't really say why they stopped, but from what I can gather, they just feel "happier" without them, or maybe they felt too drowsy and unmotivated while on them. I've tried talking, but nothing seems to work. They're convinced everyone is out to get them... honestly, I'm lost. What should I do? How can I help convince them to get back on their meds? If this keeps up, they're going to lose their job—they don't even want to take medical leave, they just want to quit because they think they're fine and everyone at work is just being shady. Does anyone know if there's any way to reach someone in this state and get them to start their treatment again???

Thomas Price12 said:Hey everyone,
A close loved one was hospitalized back in October, and after about a month, they were finally discharged with a prescription. Everything seemed to be going great at first—the meds pretty much wiped out all the symptoms (we're talking paranoia, auditory hallucinations, feeling like people are plotting against them, or thinking someone is breaking into the house when nobody is there, etc.). But over the last month, they've been stopping the medication, and now all those symptoms are rushing right back. They’re flat-out refusing to take anything now. They won't really say why they stopped, but from what I can gather, they just feel "happier" without them, or maybe they felt too drowsy and unmotivated while on them. I've tried talking, but nothing seems to work. They're convinced everyone is out to get them... honestly, I'm lost. What should I do? How can I help convince them to get back on their meds? If this keeps up, they're going to lose their job—they don't even want to take medical leave, they just want to quit because they think they're fine and everyone at work is just being shady. Does anyone know if there's any way to reach someone in this state and get them to start their treatment again???

Besides the oral medications, is he receiving any injections?

Try any way you can to get that person to see a psychiatrist so they can administer an injection—that way, the choice isn't left up to him. You absolutely have to go to a doctor, because a psychotic disorder won't just resolve itself; if anything, things will only escalate.

Olivia Smith2 said:Besides the oral medications, is he receiving any injections?

Try any way you can to get that person to see a psychiatrist so they can administer an injection—that way, the choice isn't left up to him. You absolutely have to go to a doctor, because a psychotic disorder won't just resolve itself; if anything, things will only escalate.

No, I'm fully aware this isn't going to heal on its own, which is exactly why I'm feeling so desperate. I've been trying to talk them into seeing a psychiatrist and taking their meds for two weeks now. I even tried sneaking medication into their drink just hoping maybe something would click and they'd snap out of it, but nothing works... talking just doesn't help at all.
When they were hospitalized, I asked the doctor about those injections, but they said it wasn't the right move for him. I have no idea why... just oral medications for now...

Just a heads up, I actually live in a different city, so there's no way we can be hovering over him every single day to watch his every move...

Thomas Price12 said:No, I'm fully aware this isn't going to heal on its own, which is exactly why I'm feeling so desperate. I've been trying to talk them into seeing a psychiatrist and taking their meds for two weeks now. I even tried sneaking medication into their drink just hoping maybe something would click and they'd snap out of it, but nothing works... talking just doesn't help at all.
When they were hospitalized, I asked the doctor about those injections, but they said it wasn't the right move for him. I have no idea why... just oral medications for now...

Maybe reach out to his primary care physician for some guidance? This is such a critical situation. Honestly, wouldn't it be better to have him hospitalized by force rather than letting this psychotic state take a deeper hold on his brain?

Thomas Price12 said:Hey everyone,
A close loved one was hospitalized back in October, and after about a month, they were finally discharged with a prescription. Everything seemed to be going great at first—the meds pretty much wiped out all the symptoms (we're talking paranoia, auditory hallucinations, feeling like people are plotting against them, or thinking someone is breaking into the house when nobody is there, etc.). But over the last month, they've been stopping the medication, and now all those symptoms are rushing right back. They’re flat-out refusing to take anything now. They won't really say why they stopped, but from what I can gather, they just feel "happier" without them, or maybe they felt too drowsy and unmotivated while on them. I've tried talking, but nothing seems to work. They're convinced everyone is out to get them... honestly, I'm lost. What should I do? How can I help convince them to get back on their meds? If this keeps up, they're going to lose their job—they don't even want to take medical leave, they just want to quit because they think they're fine and everyone at work is just being shady. Does anyone know if there's any way to reach someone in this state and get them to start their treatment again???

That is incredibly tough. Honestly, it’s more likely that they’ll end up needing to go through another round of—maybe even involuntary?—hospitalization. The real kicker with psychosis and schizophrenia is that once the person starts feeling better (thanks to the meds), they genuinely believe they don't need them anymore—because, well, they feel fine—and they just can't wrap their head around the fact that they feel good *because* of the medication. From there, the idea of taking meds actually becomes part of the symptoms themselves—they start thinking they're being poisoned or something similar. I’d suggest reaching out to their psychiatrist to see what options are available right now.
edit: yeah, or even their primary care doctor back home.

edit2: Long-term, it would definitely be a good idea to find a steady support group or some kind of community organization—somewhere they can engage with people facing similar diagnoses to help motivate one another to stick to their treatment plan. But that’s really an option for once they’ve moved past the acute phase.

Eric Gray2 said:That is incredibly tough. Honestly, it’s more likely that they’ll end up needing to go through another round of—maybe even involuntary?—hospitalization. The real kicker with psychosis and schizophrenia is that once the person starts feeling better (thanks to the meds), they genuinely believe they don't need them anymore—because, well, they feel fine—and they just can't wrap their head around the fact that they feel good *because* of the medication. From there, the idea of taking meds actually becomes part of the symptoms themselves—they start thinking they're being poisoned or something similar. I’d suggest reaching out to their psychiatrist to see what options are available right now.
edit: yeah, or even their primary care doctor back home.

edit2: Long-term, it would definitely be a good idea to find a steady support group or some kind of community organization—somewhere they can engage with people facing similar diagnoses to help motivate one another to stick to their treatment plan. But that’s really an option for once they’ve moved past the acute phase.

In that case, I’ll give his psychiatrist a call to see if there's any way forward, even though I've already been told to try talking it out or somehow suggesting he check into the ward (you know how it is)...
The first time around, he totally shut down the idea of seeing a counselor—he just wouldn't accept the diagnosis at all. He wasn't ready to face the reality that everything he had been doing was just part of the delusion...

I feel terrible that you all have to go through this together—and look, I don’t want to scare anyone—but when you hear stories about psychosis, they all tend to sound so similar that I can only truly hope your experience turns out to be the exception. People already struggle enough just accepting a diagnosis like diabetes, where you suddenly have to obsess over every bite you take and stay on top of medication, but schizophrenia carries such a heavy stigma; it's even harder to swallow. It’s completely understandable why people react this way, but unfortunately, it often leads to this cycle of denying the diagnosis or refusing meds, which just means cognitive functions and brain health take a hit every single time symptoms flare up again.
One thing that crosses my mind is trying to play along with those delusions—sort of walking right alongside them—just to build enough rapport to get him to actually show up for an appointment, but honestly, that is incredibly tricky and it can backfire on you in a heartbeat.

Thomas Price12 said:Hey everyone,
A close loved one was hospitalized back in October, and after about a month, they were finally discharged with a prescription. Everything seemed to be going great at first—the meds pretty much wiped out all the symptoms (we're talking paranoia, auditory hallucinations, feeling like people are plotting against them, or thinking someone is breaking into the house when nobody is there, etc.). But over the last month, they've been stopping the medication, and now all those symptoms are rushing right back. They’re flat-out refusing to take anything now. They won't really say why they stopped, but from what I can gather, they just feel "happier" without them, or maybe they felt too drowsy and unmotivated while on them. I've tried talking, but nothing seems to work. They're convinced everyone is out to get them... honestly, I'm lost. What should I do? How can I help convince them to get back on their meds? If this keeps up, they're going to lose their job—they don't even want to take medical leave, they just want to quit because they think they're fine and everyone at work is just being shady. Does anyone know if there's any way to reach someone in this state and get them to start their treatment again???

The most important thing to clarify is what actually led to the initial hospitalization. With psychosis, there are these waves where symptoms flare up or settle down. Often, the people around the person don't realize they are actually "losing it" until things hit a breaking point.

When symptoms are at their peak—think obvious behavioral shifts, losing the thread of a conversation, staring blankly into space, totally checking out from reality, acting disoriented, talking nonsense, or not sleeping at all—that's usually when the people around them notice. It's often during those intense periods that the person might do something to themselves or others, which is what ultimately leads to a hospital stay.

If he stopped his medication after only a month, that isn't ideal from a clinical standpoint, but it doesn't automatically mean every single symptom has returned to its previous level immediately.

The real turning point in treatment is when the person reaches a level of self-awareness where they admit to themselves that the delusions or the sense of being lost wasn't healthy. That's the only way they'll truly accept the therapy. Usually, the need to force medication only becomes an issue once they act out in a way that is unusual or dangerous, whether toward themselves or those around them.

Sorry for crashing this thread, I just wasn't sure where else to dump this question.
I have an adult child dealing with epilepsy, along with F6.02 and F64.0 diagnoses.
So, besides the mental health struggles, they have a brutal personality. We’re talking massive ego, total selfishness, passive-aggressive streaks, zero empathy, and they are incredibly needy. They’re on meds—like, 18 different pills a day—but honestly, it feels like they aren't even taking them. My own mother, who deals with schizophrenia and skips her meds, is actually doing better than them. My family is at a complete breaking point because this has been dragging on for ten years straight. We can't, and frankly don't want to, live like this anymore—especially since my husband and I are already dealing with toxic or mentally ill parents ourselves, on top of high-stress jobs. We aren't even that old yet—hitting 50 soon—but we are right on the edge of snapping because we've spent our whole lives being pushed around (and yeah, I'll admit it, we've been absolute fools about it). Anyway, we want to move them into a residential care facility, but they're fighting it. We never had them declared legally incompetent because we kept hoping things would improve.
After nine different hospitalizations and the condition becoming chronic, we've officially lost hope. I'm wondering how long the bureaucracy takes, what the waitlists look like for a spot in a facility, and what those places are actually like—is living there a nightmare?
Thanks

Hi everyone,

Does anyone have any substantial experience with Xeplion? I started receiving injections back in October of last year, and honestly, I’ve been very happy with them. When I was strictly on Zyprexa, getting any kind of physical activity going was an uphill battle—it wasn't that I lacked the willpower, it was just that my body wouldn't cooperate. It felt out of my control. With Xeplion, things shifted significantly, and the difference has been quite night and day. However, now that summer has arrived, I was really looking forward to getting some sun and spending time in the water—especially since I'm not working right now and I live right near the coast. By June, even before the peak heat hit, pharmacies were already running sales on sunscreen. I prepared myself by picking up some Avene 50+ because I'd heard great things about SPF 50, but as soon as the heat actually kicked in, I found I couldn't handle even five minutes in the sun. This never happened when I was on Zyprexa; back then, I didn't even bother going outside, whereas now I feel forced to stay inside with the AC blasting—I haven't even managed a quick evening stroll in the last four days.
The only real fix would be to get up quite early, take a walk, go for a swim, and be back home by 9:00 AM. But I am definitely not a morning person—especially since these medications tend to make me sleep in longer.
I did come across some information online suggesting that Xeplion can interfere with the body's ability to regulate temperature, and I even read somewhere that those twelve fatal cases in Japan were specifically due to heatstroke caused by this issue.
Perhaps I'm just overthinking this or complaining too much, but it would be a huge help to hear from someone else who has dealt with this. Any advice, comments, or insights would be most welcome...

All this psychotropic stuff really messes with how your body regulates temperature...