Schizophrenia - General Discussion

Joshua Sanders2 said:Anyway.
This isn't even about me—I’m really just looking for some advice on how to handle someone who’s suddenly dealing with some kind of schizophrenic condition. I don't have an exact diagnosis, but it's definitely psychotic since they're constantly struggling with auditory hallucinations. After refusing meds for about a month—which made things way worse, honestly [we're talking tics triggered by those voices, total withdrawal, being unable to talk, just repetitive behaviors]—they were finally hospitalized and put on Zyprexa. Right now, they're at 15mg of Zyprexa plus some Norvasc as needed. They're slowly ramping up the Zyprexa dosage.

So, my big question is: How can I actually help? Like, how do I adjust my own behavior to meet their needs? To be totally honest, I’m pretty overwhelmed. I just don't know how to act around someone who has changed so much—first because of the illness, and now because of the medication. It might sound silly, but I'm starting to feel pretty desperate. They don't even know what they want because everything is so confusing for them—and I'm in such a spot where I'm just searching for help wherever I can find it :/
I feel a bit ridiculous even asking this on a forum, but whatever—any little bit of advice would mean the world to me.

Has anyone else here dealt with Zyprexa? Any typical side effects besides the sudden weight gain...

All I can tell you is that antipsychotics tend to cause weight gain. I don't take that specific one, but Risperdal does the same thing to my weight...

It isn't a silly question at all... you're welcome here. Right now, we're dealing with medications, and the illness itself is incredibly heavy and devastating. These drugs are the only way to calm things down, but they aren't a permanent cure. I personally understand what it's like when reality blurs with the unreality of hallucinations... it's terrifying when those delusions start hunting you down. But you find a way to cope. Just one big thing: absolutely no alcohol. From my long years of experience, alcohol is a disaster because it thins out your serotonin, which triggers all those negative thoughts. There is so much more we could talk about. Maybe poke around on WebMD or search Google on the topic; getting some education might help you handle his illness a bit better.

Most antipsychotics are pretty heavy-duty chemically. You might sleep all day, feel drowsy, gain weight, get headaches... and there are plenty of other side effects too.

People going through this need constant support. You've got to guide them toward a positive path, no matter what hallucinations or delusions are happening.

In my brain, it feels like an NSX fighter jet is flying through my head instead of reality being real... where does truth even fit in?

What does my "reality" say? It says, "Hey honey, where are you? You're gone, and you've really worried me..."

hollowtinker18, do you have anything else to add to this?

One more thing: the environment is the worst part if people act harsh. They don't realize that the same thing could happen to them.

So yeah, lots of support and help is needed so he can manage the illness and look toward the future.

Take care!

Joshua Sanders2 said:Look... I’ve read so much about this already, but I’m still pretty lost. It’s one thing to read about it online—totally different when you're actually sitting right next to someone and trying to figure out how to react. It’s getting harder, too, because he expects me to talk to him and act like everything is normal, while he just shuts down, gets cold, and mumbles under his breath.

Support? Oh, I'm giving him all I can! Though, honestly, I think things would be easier if his family acted maybe even like they actually believed he’d get better one day. Instead, they just act like he needs to learn how to "tolerate" being sick rather than actually fighting it. It’s bad—really, really bad. My influence is only temporary—after all, he spends most of his time with them.
Since I deal with my own stuff, too, I just can't stand their attitude—treating people with any kind of mental illness like animals that just need training. If anything, seeing that just makes me want to support him even more.

Anyway, thanks so much for the reply! =)

I’d definitely recommend picking up the book by HANS-JURGEN LUDERER: SCHIZOPHRENIA: LEARNING TO LIVE WITH THE ILLNESS. You should be able to find it online or maybe at a local Barnes & Noble... just check the web!

Joshua Sanders2 said:By the way, is anyone else here on Zyprexa?

Look, my mom... and no, she didn't pack on the pounds because of that. I know plenty of people where Zyprexa works like a charm, but they end up gaining weight regardless. For her, it was actually working great for a while, but her body just got used to it, you know? Now they're switching up her meds entirely.

Look, I’ll just throw this out there: at least half the population is probably vaccinated one way or another; they just haven't signed up for any official registry. Honestly, that’s the only real line separating the "lunatics" from everyone else.

Sarah Price86 said:Look, my mom... and no, she didn't pack on the pounds because of that. I know plenty of people where Zyprexa works like a charm, but they end up gaining weight regardless. For her, it was actually working great for a while, but her body just got used to it, you know? Now they're switching up her meds entirely.

Look, I’ll just throw this out there: at least half the population is probably vaccinated one way or another; they just haven't signed up for any official registry. Honestly, that’s the only real line separating the "lunatics" from everyone else.

Does it cause an addiction, or is it just building up some kind of tolerance?

Sarah Price86 said:I’d just add that at least half the population is probably a little "unhinged" in one way or another—they just aren't officially diagnosed. That's basically the ONLY line between "crazy" and "normal."

Ah... okay, let's define "unhinged." I deal with mood issues myself, so to my family, I probably seem totally out of it—honestly, they're just waiting for me to get on new meds because everything went sideways once I stopped my old ones.
I really don't think anyone has the right to slap a "crazy" label on someone else. In this day and age, it feels incredibly hypocritical—especially when you consider how much of a roll of the dice mental health can be. It could truly happen to anyone...

Yeah, could be..
That Zyprexa and Loperamide combo really packs on the weight, though....

Joshua Lewis9, you still alive?

Hey everyone! Doing a little digging here—basically researching how schizophrenia is passed down through families. I'm trying to see if the textbook theories actually line up with what people experience in real life. Specifically, I want to know if those dealing with schizophrenia or similar conditions have a family member with the same struggle, and how closely related they are. It would seriously mean a lot if you could help me out...

Drew Hernandez2 said:Hey everyone! Doing a little digging here—basically researching how schizophrenia is passed down through families. I'm trying to see if the textbook theories actually line up with what people experience in real life. Specifically, I want to know if those dealing with schizophrenia or similar conditions have a family member with the same struggle, and how closely related they are. It would seriously mean a lot if you could help me out...

I personally believe there isn't a direct correlation. For instance, if your grandfather or grandmother struggled with schizophrenia, it stands to reason that the grandchild might too. Following that logic, if neither set of grandparents had the condition, then the grandchild should theoretically be perfectly healthy. My own grandparents had no such history, which implies I should be completely fine, yet here I am, having completely lost my grip on reality. While I cannot say for certain whether a professional would officially label my situation as schizophrenia, the only thing I find myself able to do is sing along to that old song by DJ Black...

"Help me, doctor, and I'll buy you an apartment
I just want to be normal one day too
help me, doctorrrttt
fix meeeeeeee

I have a house, I have a cat
but what does it all matter
when I'm not normaalllll? "

Joshua Sanders2 said:Does it cause an addiction, or is it just building up some kind of tolerance?

Ah... okay, let's define "unhinged." I deal with mood issues myself, so to my family, I probably seem totally out of it—honestly, they're just waiting for me to get on new meds because everything went sideways once I stopped my old ones.
I really don't think anyone has the right to slap a "crazy" label on someone else. In this day and age, it feels incredibly hypocritical—especially when you consider how much of a roll of the dice mental health can be. It could truly happen to anyone...

People usually only label someone as mentally ill when they reach a point where they can't function in society anymore.😉 But you know, it's entirely possible to live a really great life while managing things like personality disorders or depression; in those cases, it isn't always seen as a clinical diagnosis, but more just an integral part of who that person is. 😉

On top of that, it’s actually surprisingly easy to push a perfectly healthy person toward psychosis, which is basically how the entire Nazi regime's torture system worked—they just kept breaking people until they finally snapped into a psychotic state.

So, I met my mother-in-law for the first time a few months back... my husband gave me a heads-up right away, though. He basically said, "Look, she’s not exactly mentally sound, just don't take her too seriously." Easy enough, right? But man, being at her place is a trip. She’ll just start rambling about things that have zero connection to what we're actually talking about—like, out of nowhere, she starts telling me all about how her son is in preschool now, how she changes his diapers, feeds him, and so on. It took me a second to realize she was talking about stuff from twenty years ago. And get this: she spends all day cooking food just to toss it straight in the trash. When I finally asked her what was going on and how long it had been like this, she just shrugged and was like, "Oh, forever. I'm sick, and nobody cares!" Apparently, she sees a shrink once a month, gets some pills, and that’s supposedly it—but honestly, looking at her, it’s like those meds aren't doing a damn thing. Then she'll suddenly lock herself in and refuse to open the door, claiming people stole her baby and she hasn't seen him since, but then she follows that up by saying she couldn't care less, before bursting into this uncontrollable, creepy laughter. Anyway, I sent my husband to see a specialist to get a real handle on what's happening, because I can't even begin to describe her behavior; it's like she's from another planet. The doctor says it's schizophrenia and just prescribed her a monthly shot of Haldol, and that's the end of it. Even here in America, if a doctor just drops a diagnosis like "schizophrenia" without any real follow-up or guidance... honestly, I feel like I'm losing my mind just dealing with it all. Has anyone else gone through something like this? Please, give me some advice or something, because I have no idea how to help when the psychiatrists are basically just checked out and acting like they don't give a rip. Peace.

Schizophrenia is an incredibly complex mental health condition—one that truly varies from one individual to the next. You might see someone managing to hold down a steady job and maintain deep, meaningful connections with their family and friends, while another person may struggle so intensely with their symptoms that they find it impossible to even leave their bed or manage basic self-care. It’s a spectrum, really, and the impact can be profoundly different for everyone.

Look, I know nobody on this forum can give me an official diagnosis, but I’m pretty sure I had a psychotic break about 8 years ago.
Reading up on it, I see there are different types of psychosis. If anyone here actually knows their stuff, can you tell me what kind this might be based on these symptoms?

This is just a c/p from another thread.

Saturday night: Popped 5 ecstasy pills and crashed for a bit. When I woke up, I felt completely wrecked—total anxiety and depression. I knew right then something was seriously wrong.

Sunday night: Smoked two joints and it absolutely leveled me. I left after 15 minutes. Once I got back to my room, I saw my neighbor driving down the street and I became convinced he was targeting me, intentionally driving by multiple times just to mess with me. Fell asleep maybe 30 minutes later.

Monday morning: Showed up to high school like everything was normal. When the bell rang, the teacher was joking around and everyone was laughing. It wasn't directed at me, but I felt incredibly awkward. I turned to look at some guy and felt weirdly paranoid that he was staring me down. After that, I went home and nothing like that happened again.

The only thing since then is that whenever I talk to people, I start blushing and sweating. I've always been shy, but after that, I became way more withdrawn. Walking down the street felt uncomfortable and I just felt insecure and stuff.

After all that, it turned into depression, anxiety, and just being super antisocial. I started skipping school more and more until I eventually dropped out, then ended up enrolling in a different school later. I didn't want to go because I was hanging out with the same crowd—the guys who were constantly partying and slamming ecstasy, doing LSD maybe 15 times, hitting heroin, and smoking weed almost daily. In that group, the "cool" kids were the ones getting suspended for a year or getting kicked out of several schools.

Afterward, it was like my tolerance for weed shot through the roof; I had to smoke a ton just to feel anything. Then, about 20 days later, I probably had another psychotic episode. Masturbation had always been a taboo thing for me, and I’d deal with a lot of guilt over it. One time when I wanted to, I got terrified that a relative might see me through the window, so I moved to a smaller room and started thinking someone was filming me. Even though I knew deep down it wasn't true, I still panicked and started looking around, wondering if there was a camera hidden behind a box. Once I was done, the fear vanished. This happened twice more after that. Something similar happened years later too, but only while I was masturbating during a trip to the beach.

Later on, I went on another bender—popped 5 ecstasy pills, then 2, then 3—but nothing happened after that.

About 5 months after that first episode, I was on a packed bus full of kids my age and felt this massive wave of unrest and fear. The ride took about an hour. Two girls were sitting behind me chatting the whole time, and toward the end, I became convinced they were talking about me. Once I got off the bus and the tension died down, I knew they weren't saying anything and I had just worked myself up for no reason, but for a moment, I was genuinely suspicious.

For years afterward, I stayed withdrawn, blushing when I spoke, and finding it hard to initiate conversation, especially with girls and stuff.

Joshua Rodriguez3 said:Look, I know nobody on this forum can give me an official diagnosis, but I’m pretty sure I had a psychotic break about 8 years ago.
Reading up on it, I see there are different types of psychosis. If anyone here actually knows their stuff, can you tell me what kind this might be based on these symptoms?

This is just a c/p from another thread.

Saturday night: Popped 5 ecstasy pills and crashed for a bit. When I woke up, I felt completely wrecked—total anxiety and depression. I knew right then something was seriously wrong.

Sunday night: Smoked two joints and it absolutely leveled me. I left after 15 minutes. Once I got back to my room, I saw my neighbor driving down the street and I became convinced he was targeting me, intentionally driving by multiple times just to mess with me. Fell asleep maybe 30 minutes later.

Monday morning: Showed up to high school like everything was normal. When the bell rang, the teacher was joking around and everyone was laughing. It wasn't directed at me, but I felt incredibly awkward. I turned to look at some guy and felt weirdly paranoid that he was staring me down. After that, I went home and nothing like that happened again.

The only thing since then is that whenever I talk to people, I start blushing and sweating. I've always been shy, but after that, I became way more withdrawn. Walking down the street felt uncomfortable and I just felt insecure and stuff.

After all that, it turned into depression, anxiety, and just being super antisocial. I started skipping school more and more until I eventually dropped out, then ended up enrolling in a different school later. I didn't want to go because I was hanging out with the same crowd—the guys who were constantly partying and slamming ecstasy, doing LSD maybe 15 times, hitting heroin, and smoking weed almost daily. In that group, the "cool" kids were the ones getting suspended for a year or getting kicked out of several schools.

Afterward, it was like my tolerance for weed shot through the roof; I had to smoke a ton just to feel anything. Then, about 20 days later, I probably had another psychotic episode. Masturbation had always been a taboo thing for me, and I’d deal with a lot of guilt over it. One time when I wanted to, I got terrified that a relative might see me through the window, so I moved to a smaller room and started thinking someone was filming me. Even though I knew deep down it wasn't true, I still panicked and started looking around, wondering if there was a camera hidden behind a box. Once I was done, the fear vanished. This happened twice more after that. Something similar happened years later too, but only while I was masturbating during a trip to the beach.

Later on, I went on another bender—popped 5 ecstasy pills, then 2, then 3—but nothing happened after that.

About 5 months after that first episode, I was on a packed bus full of kids my age and felt this massive wave of unrest and fear. The ride took about an hour. Two girls were sitting behind me chatting the whole time, and toward the end, I became convinced they were talking about me. Once I got off the bus and the tension died down, I knew they weren't saying anything and I had just worked myself up for no reason, but for a moment, I was genuinely suspicious.

For years afterward, I stayed withdrawn, blushing when I spoke, and finding it hard to initiate conversation, especially with girls and stuff.

What if you just stopped using drugs? Maybe your condition would improve... instead of staying on this path and continuing to ruin your life.

James Smith66 said:What if you just stopped using drugs? Maybe your condition would improve... instead of staying on this path and continuing to ruin your life.

This stuff was talked about eight years ago and it hasn't happened since.

Joshua Rodriguez3 said:Look, I know nobody on this forum can give me an official diagnosis, but I’m pretty sure I had a psychotic break about 8 years ago.
Reading up on it, I see there are different types of psychosis. If anyone here actually knows their stuff, can you tell me what kind this might be based on these symptoms?

This is just a c/p from another thread.

Saturday night: Popped 5 ecstasy pills and crashed for a bit. When I woke up, I felt completely wrecked—total anxiety and depression. I knew right then something was seriously wrong.

Sunday night: Smoked two joints and it absolutely leveled me. I left after 15 minutes. Once I got back to my room, I saw my neighbor driving down the street and I became convinced he was targeting me, intentionally driving by multiple times just to mess with me. Fell asleep maybe 30 minutes later.

Monday morning: Showed up to high school like everything was normal. When the bell rang, the teacher was joking around and everyone was laughing. It wasn't directed at me, but I felt incredibly awkward. I turned to look at some guy and felt weirdly paranoid that he was staring me down. After that, I went home and nothing like that happened again.

The only thing since then is that whenever I talk to people, I start blushing and sweating. I've always been shy, but after that, I became way more withdrawn. Walking down the street felt uncomfortable and I just felt insecure and stuff.

After all that, it turned into depression, anxiety, and just being super antisocial. I started skipping school more and more until I eventually dropped out, then ended up enrolling in a different school later. I didn't want to go because I was hanging out with the same crowd—the guys who were constantly partying and slamming ecstasy, doing LSD maybe 15 times, hitting heroin, and smoking weed almost daily. In that group, the "cool" kids were the ones getting suspended for a year or getting kicked out of several schools.

Afterward, it was like my tolerance for weed shot through the roof; I had to smoke a ton just to feel anything. Then, about 20 days later, I probably had another psychotic episode. Masturbation had always been a taboo thing for me, and I’d deal with a lot of guilt over it. One time when I wanted to, I got terrified that a relative might see me through the window, so I moved to a smaller room and started thinking someone was filming me. Even though I knew deep down it wasn't true, I still panicked and started looking around, wondering if there was a camera hidden behind a box. Once I was done, the fear vanished. This happened twice more after that. Something similar happened years later too, but only while I was masturbating during a trip to the beach.

Later on, I went on another bender—popped 5 ecstasy pills, then 2, then 3—but nothing happened after that.

About 5 months after that first episode, I was on a packed bus full of kids my age and felt this massive wave of unrest and fear. The ride took about an hour. Two girls were sitting behind me chatting the whole time, and toward the end, I became convinced they were talking about me. Once I got off the bus and the tension died down, I knew they weren't saying anything and I had just worked myself up for no reason, but for a moment, I was genuinely suspicious.

For years afterward, I stayed withdrawn, blushing when I spoke, and finding it hard to initiate conversation, especially with girls and stuff.

That sounds like textbook schizophrenia to me. I've been through the ringer myself with ecstasy, meth, LSD, and coke... I remember having those exact same feelings before, like everyone was watching me when I walked down the sidewalk or people were whispering about me on the bus... I thought using drugs would help hide it, but it actually made everything so much worse... the only thing I never experienced was that feeling of being filmed by a camera. But honestly, sometimes when I read something in the news, I get this sensation that it happened specifically because of me. Just weird vibes, mostly... I'm pretty sure it's schizophrenia, but I'm not ready to admit that to myself yet... I need to sit with it and think about it a bit more.

goldeneagle8 said:That sounds like textbook schizophrenia to me. I've been through the ringer myself with ecstasy, meth, LSD, and coke... I remember having those exact same feelings before, like everyone was watching me when I walked down the sidewalk or people were whispering about me on the bus... I thought using drugs would help hide it, but it actually made everything so much worse... the only thing I never experienced was that feeling of being filmed by a camera. But honestly, sometimes when I read something in the news, I get this sensation that it happened specifically because of me. Just weird vibes, mostly... I'm pretty sure it's schizophrenia, but I'm not ready to admit that to myself yet... I need to sit with it and think about it a bit more.

I never dealt with anything like that before I started using. And about the filming stuff? That happened maybe three times while I was masturbating. I was never actually certain someone was recording me, I just had these intense suspicions. I know deep down it wasn't real, but the "what if" feeling was driving me crazy.

briskgull27 said:You’re absolutely right. Honestly, nobody in my circle has anything like that. People might be a bit eccentric, sure, but they aren't sick.
I don't even want to have kids because I wouldn't want them to inherit whatever I'm carrying.

It’s terrifying. I live with a brother who has schizophrenia, and when he skips his meds—which is where we are right now—he gets aggressive. We’re all living in constant fear for our lives... honestly, people like him, especially if they can't hold down a job, should be in specialized facilities. Places where they can socialize but also actually stick to their treatment plans and stop being a public health hazard... because my brother specifically isn't "fine" even when he *is* medicated... at least then I'm not fearing for my life... He was hospitalized once after nearly killing my younger brother... and they just let him out after two weeks. And now, suddenly, he's "doing great." Can you believe that? It's easy to say he's fine when he's been heavily sedated for fourteen days... I'd love to see some doctor try living with him for a week before they claim everything is perfectly under control...

Check out the movie "A Beautiful Mind." It follows the one guy who actually tried to tackle schizophrenia without relying on meds, eventually realizing those hallucinations were strictly his own—nobody else was seeing them, just him. If you’re labeled "crazy," you might just have a genius mind instead.

Christian Smith39 said:Check out the movie "A Beautiful Mind." It follows the one guy who actually tried to tackle schizophrenia without relying on meds, eventually realizing those hallucinations were strictly his own—nobody else was seeing them, just him. If you’re labeled "crazy," you might just have a genius mind instead.

Yeah, "A Beautiful Mind" is an awesome movie starring Russell Crowe... I finally wrapped my head around it the second time I watched it... it's a bit heavy to process at first.....🤣

Hey there, buddy... you've been totally MIA... what's going on with you? Even a supernova couldn't find you when you're hiding like this... I talked to Jack, and he said you haven't even checked in with him. You acting too cool for us now? Don't let the wild ones get you! Reach out... come back to us...🙏 🙏 👍

So, I've been taking Valerian for a few weeks now. The label says it helps with restlessness, tension, stress, and insomnia... it's not a bad supplement. I'm not trying to sell it or anything, but it works great... especially paired with 2 mg of Normabell. Yeah, just 2 mg... it's a solid combo. For me, the 2 mg of Normabell feels refreshing, while the Valerian really hits that relaxation spot. I've cut out alcohol completely—just sticking to water and juice. I try to avoid soda, too much Coke, and huge amounts of caffeine. Honestly, I feel like I'm constantly seeing things... but as long as I stay busy and focus on something positive, it stays away. Sometimes I hear things, though... just occasionally. I can't quite figure out why all this happens. My psychiatrist tells me, "Don't go back to your old ways... let's see how things are moving forward now." As I write this, it's like thoughts are traveling through the air to reach me. Sometimes my thoughts don't even feel like mine. Why would you let a thought spin around your brain like it's under a spell? Where is the solution to all this? A "spellbound" thought could be about anything... any random thing. Why do thoughts sometimes feel like they're stuck in a loop? Do you ever feel a sharp sting, like a needle prick, and you aren't even sure what happened? You know why? I was watching TV and reading about psychosis. I don't want to scare anyone, but there's something happening that I just can't wrap my head around... those "demon" hallucinations. They are incredibly hard to deal with. But if you have faith, you can endure it—if you're a fighter like me. It gets tough when you lose that faith, and those demon hallucinations are powerful... but there is always a way out. Whether it's talking to a priest or just fighting through it, someone eventually comes out a winner. Watch out, because those demon hallucinations are no joke... it's a real battle. Just something to think about... bye