Schizophrenia - General Discussion

lianne said:That's true...
briskgull27 I'm curious—what do you think caused this for you? It might sound like a silly question, but we all find ourselves wondering: why me?
If it isn't hereditary, have you ever stopped to consider what actually led you to this point?
My dad's former cousin-in-law struggled with schizophrenia, and their son ended up inheriting it... tragically, he took his own life. My aunt barely managed to escape that marriage (she's started a new family now). I was too young to remember her first marriage myself, but my dad shared some details about it... honestly, it was pretty grim.

So, they say smoking marijuana can trigger certain symptoms.😂
But my whole family is full of academics (I'm the only one without a degree).
It’s all very high-brow. And me?
Well, maybe I was just born three weeks early and that messed with my head!😍 ☕

So, here’s the deal—my mom has this housekeeper who has a son with schizophrenia... he’s a full-grown man now, maybe 33 or so, and he actually finished college, which honestly makes him a pretty sharp guy despite everything. His mother tells me how intense things can get when he’s having an episode, but my mom? Well, my mom just keeps insisting the guy is incredibly handsome!😬 And apparently, he talks—like, a ridiculous, non-stop amount.

outoftheblue said:So, they're claiming that smoking marijuana can actually trigger certain symptoms😂

Are you serious? Does it make someone aggressive or lose their mind or something? I thought it was supposed to be great for relaxing and just chilling out.

Honestly, I’m a believer in God, or whatever you want to call it.
But personally, I feel so much better once my antidepressant kicks in.
If I’m feeling off, a good nap usually helps me reset, too.
Because of my medication, I tend to lose about three or four hours of productivity compared to healthy people,
but when I skip my dose,
I end up performing these strange little rituals: throwing pictures around,
setting books on fire,
calling thirty different people all in a single day...
I don't deal with visual or tactile hallucinations, just mental ones.
Like, suddenly I'm convinced I'm Audrey Hepburn,
acting out, being provocative, and honestly, I can't even remember everything anymore.

I know this is considered a mental illness, but the chemistry really works for me.
And frankly, it’s the best thing I’ll ever get for the rest of this God damn life.🙂

quiethound45 said:Are you serious? Is everything okay? You seem a little aggressive there—are you feeling alright? Isn't this actually perfect for just relaxing and enjoying a bit of peace?

As for me, I’m feeling pretty wiped out right now; my eyes are heavy and I am ready to crash.
But then again, they say doctors love to light up too, don't they?😎

What on earth are "thought halos" supposed to be? Like, can someone give me an actual example?

Taylor Howard36 said:So, my mom works for this lady whose son has schizophrenia... he’s a grown man now, about 33, with a college degree, and actually quite bright. His mother mentions that things can get really intense when he’s having an episode, but my mom? Well, she just thinks the guy is incredibly handsome!😬 Plus, he talks a mile a minute.

I either stay quiet like a fool, or I end up talking so much that nobody else can get a word in edgewise.

Taylor Howard36 said:What kind of thought loops are we talking about? Like, give me an example.

It’s a total mental nightmare, but here’s a look: I once thought my dad was actually my brother.
Or that my brother had passed away.
Or that my mom was still alive and walking around the house.
Or that my husband was some big Hollywood star.
You wouldn't believe how many more there were before, but thank God, things have calmed down quite a bit since then.
There’s also this strange trap when you're struggling—you can feel like you're doing okay,
but you don't realize how much you're actually being blindsided because everything feels fine in the moment.

quiethound45 said:That's true..
briskgull27, I’ve been wondering—what do you think caused this for you? It might sound like a silly question, but isn't it what we all eventually ask ourselves? Why me?
If it wasn't hereditary, have you ever sat down and really considered what might have actually led you to this point?
My dad's cousin's ex-husband struggled with schizophrenia, and their son ended up inheriting it from him... tragically, the son took his own life. My aunt barely managed to get away from that man (he's started a whole new family now). I was just a little kid back then, so I don't have clear memories of her first marriage, but my dad told me some things about it... honestly, it sounds pretty grim.

Recently, a woman passed away by suicide; she was my dad's sister, and she had lived with schizophrenia.

briskgull27 said:I’m feeling pretty wiped out from the weed right now; everything feels heavy and I just want to sleep.
But they say doctors love to light up sometimes, too.😎

They sure do...😉
Personally, I'm not a big fan... honestly, it's the only thing I touch just to clear my head a bit. Alcohol makes me feel sick and leaves me totally out of commission the next day, and when it comes to harder stuff—thanks, but no thanks.
I actually enjoy reading up on how it works... so I was wondering how you experience it. Some people seem to go totally wild on it... getting hyper or aggressive, which always strikes me as odd because with the crowd I hang out with, I'm either laughing so hard I can barely breathe, or it just mellows me out and I relax... (and eventually, I'm either asleep or raiding the fridge).
I've even wondered if it could be a great way to help manage certain illnesses since it seems to help people unwind and slow down, so I'm genuinely curious why it doesn't sit well with you.🙂
Then again, I guess everyone reacts to it differently...

Ugh, look, I’m feeling way too lazy to go digging through the archives right now—so please, forgive me in advance if you’ve already covered this elsewhere. But seriously, when did you and your husband actually meet? Was it before you got sick, or was it more of a... "during the illness" kind of situation?

briskgull27 said:I heard about this woman who took her own life recently; she lost her father and brother and was struggling with schizophrenia.

There’s just so much tragedy involving suicide when people dealing with schizophrenia have an episode... I had a relative who ended up killing himself during one of those breaks because he imagined things and jumped from a high-rise window... but he was really far gone. The medication wasn't helping at all. He’d be climbing on furniture, self-harming, tearing up the house, or acting out violently toward people... it was constant. And I guess the worst part is that when you're actually in the middle of one of those episodes, you might not even realize what you're doing, right?

-ana- said:Hey, I’m feeling a bit too lazy to go digging through old threads right now, so please forgive me if you’ve already shared this! When did you and your husband actually meet? Was it before you got sick, or was it "during your illness"?

It was during my illness.
I told him about everything about a month into it.

outoftheblue said:While they were sick.
I told him it would be about a month.

Oh, sure, just look how lovely that is... 🙂 you know, acting like you're actually in this together... 🙂

Taylor Howard36 said:Hey, I don't really feel like digging through the threads right now, so I apologize if you've already shared this. When did you and your husband actually meet? Was it before you got sick, or maybe during your recovery?

Poor girl, we're really putting her on the spot here...😳 😬
Personally, I find this incredibly interesting. I've always been drawn to studying psychology, and it’s pretty rare to find someone willing to be open about their struggles and have an honest conversation about them. So, out of the blue, kudos to you.👍 😘

lianne said:poor girl—now we've all jumped on her to interrogate her...😳 😬
and honestly? I find this whole thing absolutely fascinating. I’ve always had this deep-seated obsession with studying the human psyche—it’s just one of those things—and it is incredibly rare to stumble upon someone actually willing to own up to their issues and engage in an honest discussion about them without getting defensive. So, out of the blue, kudos to you, 👍 😘

Yeah, I’m right there with you—human psychology is pretty much my bread and butter too.😬

Seriously though, major props to outoftheblue! 🙂

ana said:I tried weed twice. The first time, I didn't feel anything at all, and the second time, I felt absolutely terrible—I honestly thought I was going to die. I guess it also had something to do with how much alcohol I'd had... I haven't touched it since because I'm pretty scared.😠

You really shouldn't drink or smoke—not at the same time. It just makes you feel sick, gives you intense nausea, and makes your head spin.🙂
It’s either one or the other...
And it can be pretty unpleasant until you figure out how to handle it. The first time I did it, I genuinely thought I was dying and wanted to call 911 and everything. Luckily, everyone else there had more experience, so things turned out okay in the end, but I think someone needs to guide you through those first few times... though most of the stuff people use these days (like that chemically processed junk that I 👎) is actually pretty weak, so you aren't really going to die. It's mostly just good for enhancing things...
But if it doesn't suit you, it just doesn't suit you. You need to be with the right group of people who can help steer you through it. That's why I usually only light up when I know we're going to be laughing our heads off... I don't laugh nearly as much in real life anymore. I guess I'm just growing up, so that's just part of it.😢

Anyway, I won't ramble on about this any longer; I'll get back to the main topic.😬

quiethound45 said:Yeah, I've always been pretty interested in human psychology too.😬

Honestly, major props to outoftheblue! 🙂

She’s being really brave here. Most people these days don't want to admit they're just being lazy or feeling unhappy, let alone dealing with a mental health struggle or something more serious... admitting that is a huge deal, and I guess it's actually a step toward a better life, since you aren't hiding who you really are anymore.🙂
We're all imperfect and have our flaws—but if you just hide them and pretend everything is fine, you'll just end up miserable. I think it's better to just be realistic and not feel ashamed of who you are.😬

I’m definitely a bit burnt out, though I don't actually drink—and I really shouldn't start.
I’m not much of a meat eater, either.
I used to spend my nights knocking back tequila and vodka with my girlfriends until
I started feeling genuinely terrible about it.