Schizophrenia - General Discussion

Lawrence Wells said:I’ve been following along with what Harold Anderson3 is saying, but I wanted to ask one thing—has a psychiatrist ever actually questioned your schizoaffective diagnosis before? And are you still on Zyprexa, or have they switched things up on you lately?
Sending strength to everyone out there battling anything in the F20-F29 spectrum—hang in there!

I'm not taking Zyprexa anymore; instead, I've moved onto an aripiprazole injection and clozapine.
My doctor mentioned that because of my mood swings, we might be looking at mixed-type schizoaffective disorder, which she noted could mean a better chance at recovery, though she hasn't officially changed my diagnosis just yet.
Personally, I feel like the actual treatment plan—the specific meds and the dosages—matters much more than the label itself.

Hey everyone, so I’ve been dealing with these shots for about two and a half years now, and honestly? I’m starting to get a little over it. What do you all think about making the switch from Xeplion back to oral pills? I wouldn't say I'm a "difficult" patient or anything—I'm pretty sure my doctor would be open to the idea—but I can't help wondering if it's actually a smart move. The medication itself works great for me, really, it does! It's just those injections... they aren't always the most pleasant experience, you know? So, I'm curious—how do you guys feel about that kind of transition?

Morgan Lewis said:Hey everyone, so I’ve been dealing with these shots for about two and a half years now, and honestly? I’m starting to get a little over it. What do you all think about making the switch from Xeplion back to oral pills? I wouldn't say I'm a "difficult" patient or anything—I'm pretty sure my doctor would be open to the idea—but I can't help wondering if it's actually a smart move. The medication itself works great for me, really, it does! It's just those injections... they aren't always the most pleasant experience, you know? So, I'm curious—how do you guys feel about that kind of transition?

I’d say definitely have a conversation with your doctor about moving back to pills. 🤷In terms of how well they actually work, there isn't much of a difference; it really just comes down to what's more convenient for your lifestyle.

P.S. I’ve been dealing with the needles for 13 years now. I’m pretty much used to it—just taking it like a champ, even when it stings.🤣

thanks Diego,
this Xeplion actually works for me—and honestly, it’s not even about being afraid of the needle itself, it’s more that I get this nagging anxiety that they might mess up the injection so badly that something goes wrong, you know?
Maybe I'm just overthinking things, but I swear I read somewhere that they aren't supposed to hit a vein or a nerve or something like that. They’ve given me shots before,
but last time was such a disaster that I genuinely wonder if it's even humane. I felt like absolute garbage for four days straight after... and every single time I go there, I feel like I have to sit there like a statue because everything
I try to say just sounds "weird" to them—as if I'm some kind of monster just because of my diagnosis and my treatment plan. But that's just my personality! When I show up, I actually want to chat a little bit
with my sister, while she and the doctor seem to expect me to just sit there in total silence, maybe drooling a little too, just to prove I'm a "normal" schizophrenic.
Sorry to everyone reading this, I just really needed to vent and get this off my chest.

According to Wikipedia:
Getting an IM shot usually means dealing with some soreness, redness, or maybe a bit of swelling right where the needle goes in. Honestly, most of the time these side effects are pretty mild and clear up within a few days—nothing too crazy. Now, in really rare cases, you could potentially hit a nerve or a blood vessel, which can lead to intense pain or even paralysis, but that’s super uncommon. Also, if the technique isn't done properly, there's a risk of localized infections like abscesses or even gangrene, though that's obviously something doctors work hard to avoid! Oh, and one interesting thing—back in the day, they used to recommend pulling back on the plunger (aspirating) before injecting to make sure you weren't hitting a vein, but nowadays, they don't really suggest doing that for most injection sites anymore.

Morgan Lewis said:thanks Diego,
this Xeplion actually works for me—and honestly, it’s not even about being afraid of the needle itself, it’s more that I get this nagging anxiety that they might mess up the injection so badly that something goes wrong, you know?
Maybe I'm just overthinking things, but I swear I read somewhere that they aren't supposed to hit a vein or a nerve or something like that. They’ve given me shots before,
but last time was such a disaster that I genuinely wonder if it's even humane. I felt like absolute garbage for four days straight after... and every single time I go there, I feel like I have to sit there like a statue because everything
I try to say just sounds "weird" to them—as if I'm some kind of monster just because of my diagnosis and my treatment plan. But that's just my personality! When I show up, I actually want to chat a little bit
with my sister, while she and the doctor seem to expect me to just sit there in total silence, maybe drooling a little too, just to prove I'm a "normal" schizophrenic.
Sorry to everyone reading this, I just really needed to vent and get this off my chest.

You aren't being silly at all; unfortunately, there are some nurses out there who just don't know how to handle injections properly. I've personally received over a hundred antipsychotic shots, and I'll be hitting the 200 mark soon, administered by all sorts of different nurses and techs. You see it all.
Back during my worst psychotic episode about thirteen years ago, they were even giving me about ten calming injections a day.
Still, most of them really do know exactly what they're doing.
There are plenty of stories out there regarding those famous COVID vaccines, too. It really just comes down to the individual nurse or technician and how much expertise they actually bring to the table.

So, here's the deal, I ended up getting this diagnosis because I was convinced everyone was staring at me just because I have acne, and I honestly felt like every single word people said near me was actually directed right at me... I mean, I’d studied non-verbal communication and everything, so I was overanalyzing every little look and thought everyone was judging me while they talked... Then one night, I went way too hard, hit a 0.15 BAC or something crazy, and I wasn't even smoking weed then, just cigarettes and booze. I got so trashed that I genuinely started thinking my mom wasn't my biological mom and my dad wasn't my real dad. I'm 19 now, but this all happened when I was 18, like, just over six months ago.
I also had this huge ego trip where I thought I was basically the MVP of my soccer team and that the coach was only keeping me on the bench to "save" me from getting injured, you know? Nothing super scary, except for that whole thing about my parents... So I asked my doctor if maybe this was all just because I was head-over-heels for this girl for a long time—and I still am—and if I was just overthinking stuff about her and spiraling into these weird delusions because of heartbreak rather than having an actual disorder or something worse... But he says no, and thinks it was probably just the weed. Now I'm sitting here wondering what the real cause was; I feel like I was under massive stress during that time, just overthinking everything, not sleeping, and totally isolating myself from the world, so everything just escalated, plus mixing alcohol and weed probably didn't help... I felt off for a long time, but ever since I started taking Abilify Maintenza, I've been feeling pretty good, so maybe it calmed me down, though I think maybe I just finally got my head straight on my own. My only massive issue right now is that I can't stop shaking, which is why I'm even posting this... Does anyone know how to make the tremors stop? Like, my whole body just shakes constantly since I started these meds... I talked to my doctor, but he just keeps saying he'll fix it with other meds and nothing is working... Does anyone have advice on how to handle this? Would it be smarter to just stop taking the medication and try going without it? F23.9 isn't the end of the world, but I'm terrified that if I quit, those weird thoughts will come rushing back... My friends tell me they get weird thoughts too and that everyone has psychotic thoughts, they just don't go to doctors or get diagnoses or take pills......... HELP? WHAT DO I DO, IF ANYONE KNOWS... If anyone can help, I'll buy you a coffee haha, seriously, I'm a great guy and I don't think this should have happened to me, and you'd never guess I'm dealing with this, but I hide it because of the shame. I have a job, and I'm there shaking, but I just tell them it's stress... I just want to stop this shaking ASAP so I can get back to living a normal life... thanks Diego

I used to deal with those tremors and shakes—mostly just pure stress, honestly—but things have settled down a bit lately. Now, though, it looks like getting that survivor's benefit is going to be a total uphill battle. Apparently, because I’m already drawing the minimum disability check, they're saying I won't qualify. Which is hilarious, really, because according to the law, I should be entitled to both.

The folks over at the Social Security Administration basically told me the disability payments wouldn't go through their way, even though they definitely should.

Carol Barrett2 said:I used to deal with those tremors and shakes—mostly just pure stress, honestly—but things have settled down a bit lately. Now, though, it looks like getting that survivor's benefit is going to be a total uphill battle. Apparently, because I’m already drawing the minimum disability check, they're saying I won't qualify. Which is hilarious, really, because according to the law, I should be entitled to both.

The folks over at the Social Security Administration basically told me the disability payments wouldn't go through their way, even though they definitely should.

How much are you getting for disability versus what the survivor benefit would be? Is there a massive gap between the two?

My mom receives her disability, plus an additional stipend for caregiver assistance which is handled through NASA.
So, she effectively has two sources of income at once, but honestly, even when you add them together, it isn't exactly a fortune.

Since I'm working, I have my regular paycheck to lean on. Otherwise, making ends meet would be a real struggle.

Harold Anderson3, I'm pretty sure Carol Barrett2 is actually based in Canada, so I'd bet the regulations over there are totally different.

Matthew Castillo5 said:Harold Anderson3, I'm pretty sure Carol Barrett2 is actually based in Canada, so I'd bet the regulations over there are totally different.

Yeah, I'm aware of that, but from what I can gather, he’s looking to collect two separate Social Security checks, which just isn't how it works. It's pretty much the same situation here in the States.

It’s honestly a bit tragic that we have to sit here debating laws that even the people drafting them don't seem to fully grasp.
The way I see it, you could potentially draw benefits from both a German pension and an American one, but trying to pull two from the US system? Not happening. Why?
It’s just absurd.

It feels like the priority is always about maintaining those three distinct constituent groups in Canada, while nobody seems to give a second thought to how people are actually supposed to afford to live. Honestly, it’s pretty frustrating to watch. 😢

Harold Anderson3 said:How much are you getting for disability versus what the survivor benefit would be? Is there a massive gap between the two?

My mom receives her disability, plus an additional stipend for caregiver assistance which is handled through NASA.
So, she effectively has two sources of income at once, but honestly, even when you add them together, it isn't exactly a fortune.

Since I'm working, I have my regular paycheck to lean on. Otherwise, making ends meet would be a real struggle.

Disability is about $120, and the survivor benefit would be closer to $140. That’s just your average pension in Canada. My old lady has the lowest tier, so she’d just get what she’s already getting—around $200. If it went to my dad, it would be his, and she’d keep hers.

We didn't have any steady income for years. We've been hit by everything under the sun during this whole COVID mess. Lost my dad, ended up in psych wards twice—once because of my dad's stroke, and the first time back during that initial lockdown.

If the old woman wasn't working, I don't know where we'd be. We were a charity case then, and honestly, we still are. As for me, I can't work. I sleep half the day—seriously, I suspect narcolepsy at this point—so even if I wanted to pull a shift, I just can't.

It looks like they officially pulled my ability to work. It says right here, verbatim: "unfit for employment."

🕺

Harold Anderson3 said:Yeah, I'm aware of that, but from what I can gather, he’s looking to collect two separate Social Security checks, which just isn't how it works. It's pretty much the same situation here in the States.

It’s honestly a bit tragic that we have to sit here debating laws that even the people drafting them don't seem to fully grasp.
The way I see it, you could potentially draw benefits from both a German pension and an American one, but trying to pull two from the US system? Not happening. Why?
It’s just absurd.

It wasn't disability—it was disability combined with a survivor's benefit. The lowest disability rate in my area is 50% of the full amount, and he'd be getting 70% of his dad's minimum pension.

Legally, you're entitled to it here. But it looks like the local Social Security office is going to screw it all up. They told him the disability would go through their department, but now they're saying it won't.

Total clusterfuck. 🙂

Harold Anderson3 said:It feels like the priority is always about maintaining those three distinct constituent groups in Canada, while nobody seems to give a second thought to how people are actually supposed to afford to live. Honestly, it’s pretty frustrating to watch. 😢

Honestly, those local leaders are just out there looting everything in sight. 👎

I'm with you, 👍 and +1

Carol Barrett2 said:Honestly, those local leaders are just out there looting everything in sight. 👎

I'm with you, 👍 and +1

I’ve actually traveled to Canada twice—once down to Little Rock and another time out to Saratoga Springs. We were over there setting up some prefabricated warehouses.
We ended up hanging out with the locals for a bit, too.
They’re really good people, though I can't stand the nationalists; that kind of bitterness feels so unnecessary and honestly quite damaging, especially when it's coming from kids born long after the conflict ended.

Carol Barrett2 said:Disability is about $120, and the survivor benefit would be closer to $140. That’s just your average pension in Canada. My old lady has the lowest tier, so she’d just get what she’s already getting—around $200. If it went to my dad, it would be his, and she’d keep hers.

We didn't have any steady income for years. We've been hit by everything under the sun during this whole COVID mess. Lost my dad, ended up in psych wards twice—once because of my dad's stroke, and the first time back during that initial lockdown.

If the old woman wasn't working, I don't know where we'd be. We were a charity case then, and honestly, we still are. As for me, I can't work. I sleep half the day—seriously, I suspect narcolepsy at this point—so even if I wanted to pull a shift, I just can't.

It looks like they officially pulled my ability to work. It says right here, verbatim: "unfit for employment."

🕺

My paycheck is roughly $550. Between that and my mom's pension and disability, which totals about $325, we manage. You can survive on it, but that's not really the point. The quality of life is pretty poor when you're working this hard. You make a little more, but then you end up spending more too. Now that Mom is in the hospital, the doctors are finally seeing how far these illnesses have progressed. I tried to warn everyone about this, but nobody seemed to care.

+1 again, DR

Harold Anderson3 said:My paycheck is roughly $550. Between that and my mom's pension and disability, which totals about $325, we manage. You can survive on it, but that's not really the point. The quality of life is pretty poor when you're working this hard. You make a little more, but then you end up spending more too. Now that Mom is in the hospital, the doctors are finally seeing how far these illnesses have progressed. I tried to warn everyone about this, but nobody seemed to care.

So, what’s the actual game plan for your mom now? What changes, if anything?

Nicholas Bailey3 said:So, what’s the actual game plan for your mom now? What changes, if anything?

Honestly, I haven't the slightest clue, and frankly, I don't think they have a clue either.
She's dealing with COVID, schizophrenia, diabetes, edema, high blood pressure, and obesity all at once.
It's a pretty heavy situation, and as I've mentioned quite a few times before, things are looking rather grim.