Schizophrenia - General Discussion

Harold Anderson3 said:You're very welcome... if you don't mind me asking, where were you staying?

I spent some time once at the Mayo Clinic, and then twice over at the local psychiatric facility—one stay lasted about three months and the other was closer to ten days. That newer wing at the facility is actually decent enough, if you can believe it.

Larry Lewis said:I spent some time once at the Mayo Clinic, and then twice over at the local psychiatric facility—one stay lasted about three months and the other was closer to ten days. That newer wing at the facility is actually decent enough, if you can believe it.

Are you talking about the ER? I've ended up there four times myself.🙂
It isn't the worst place, though luckily, I haven't had to go back since...

Oh, please—nothing "urgent" about this, I haven't completely lost my marbles just yet.

I’m not heading into inpatient care, even though—and I'll admit this privately—the thought had crossed my mind.

If my doctor can come up with a clever little workaround, we’ll see where things go from there.

I have a question for those of you living with Schizophrenia regarding how you remember the periods when those intrusive, irrational thoughts were at their most intense.

Is your memory of that timeframe complete, or is it much like experiencing hallucinations—where the details simply vanish from your mind entirely?

When you look back on those moments of madness now, how do those thoughts strike you?

And further, how do you combat such thoughts when they seize control of you? For instance, I find one of the most terrifying sensations to be the feeling that our very thoughts are being broadcasted, leaving us exposed so that everyone else can perceive exactly what we are thinking. In my view, that is even more harrowing than the belief that one is being persecuted. Of course, I am not someone living with Schizophrenia, so I defer to your lived experiences.

Please feel free to share your thoughts if you wish, though I certainly do not want anyone to feel pressured to respond.

Larry Lewis said:Oh, please—nothing "urgent" about this, I haven't completely lost my marbles just yet.

I’m not heading into inpatient care, even though—and I'll admit this privately—the thought had crossed my mind.

If my doctor can come up with a clever little workaround, we’ll see where things go from there.

The ER is actually the newest department on campus. That's where they send people who are starting their treatment process, and it's actually quite a massive facility.

Nicole Barrett76 said:I have a question for those of you living with Schizophrenia regarding how you remember the periods when those intrusive, irrational thoughts were at their most intense.

Is your memory of that timeframe complete, or is it much like experiencing hallucinations—where the details simply vanish from your mind entirely?

When you look back on those moments of madness now, how do those thoughts strike you?

And further, how do you combat such thoughts when they seize control of you? For instance, I find one of the most terrifying sensations to be the feeling that our very thoughts are being broadcasted, leaving us exposed so that everyone else can perceive exactly what we are thinking. In my view, that is even more harrowing than the belief that one is being persecuted. Of course, I am not someone living with Schizophrenia, so I defer to your lived experiences.

Please feel free to share your thoughts if you wish, though I certainly do not want anyone to feel pressured to respond.

I didn't really experience specific "crazy" thoughts, but my hallucinations were so vivid that the line between reality and fiction completely blurred for me.
There was some paranoia too, though since I had been in psychotherapy for quite a while by then, maybe some of those irrational thoughts were just centered on the illness itself—like worrying that I was much more unstable than I actually was.
I can't say for certain which thoughts are the absolute worst, but what you described definitely falls into that top tier, along with other fears involving things that are theoretically impossible.
Generally speaking, I remember everything, even the stuff from when I was in the thick of it. I actually wrote about all of it in my blog, so feel free to check it out if you're curious.
But honestly, I don't think the scariest part is the thoughts themselves, but rather the struggle to rebuild a normal life afterward. While medication usually clears up most of the symptoms, there are unfortunately some cases where nothing seems to help.

Schizophrenia is basically this neurobiological, hereditary disorder hitting up the newest, most vulnerable, and honestly, most insignificant part of the CNS and the nervous system at large—the cerebral cortex... I mean, who actually gives a damn about a warehouse fire filled with civilization's junk when all the stuff that actually dictates our social medical issues and the fate of society and individuals is happening way deeper down in the midbrain? Like, at the end of the day, if someone's crazy, they're just dealing with their own mess, but personality disorders? Those don't just screw over the individual; they bleed into their inner circle and sometimes even impact society as a whole (including those so-called "normal" people who probably have their own little personality disorders too). Just leave Schizophrenia out of it, it’s boring. BPD is where the real action is...
The whole foundation for how society and individuals get manipulated and brainwashed is really just this paradigm of the borderline vs. non-borderline relationship. That’s what defines how we live our lives, not some hallucinations, paranoid delusions, or those weird catatonic states... Sure, maybe Marx and Engels figured out the economic principles behind how human society evolves, but true social development is essentially just brainwashing, following the exact same pattern of how BPD brainwashes its "non" counterpart much more effectively.

Schizophrenia is just tedious... let's shake things up a bit and pretend women are the primary domestic abusers (I mean, come on, looking at the global gender prevalence, it's roughly 75% to 25%)

granitecyclist99 said:Schizophrenia is basically this neurobiological, hereditary disorder hitting up the newest, most vulnerable, and honestly, most insignificant part of the CNS and the nervous system at large—the cerebral cortex... I mean, who actually gives a damn about a warehouse fire filled with civilization's junk when all the stuff that actually dictates our social medical issues and the fate of society and individuals is happening way deeper down in the midbrain? Like, at the end of the day, if someone's crazy, they're just dealing with their own mess, but personality disorders? Those don't just screw over the individual; they bleed into their inner circle and sometimes even impact society as a whole (including those so-called "normal" people who probably have their own little personality disorders too). Just leave Schizophrenia out of it, it’s boring. BPD is where the real action is...
The whole foundation for how society and individuals get manipulated and brainwashed is really just this paradigm of the borderline vs. non-borderline relationship. That’s what defines how we live our lives, not some hallucinations, paranoid delusions, or those weird catatonic states... Sure, maybe Marx and Engels figured out the economic principles behind how human society evolves, but true social development is essentially just brainwashing, following the exact same pattern of how BPD brainwashes its "non" counterpart much more effectively.

Schizophrenia is just tedious... let's shake things up a bit and pretend women are the primary domestic abusers (I mean, come on, looking at the global gender prevalence, it's roughly 75% to 25%)

As for me, I find Schizophrenia to be quite possibly the most fascinating subject of all! Is there anything truly compelling about a personality disorder? There are no hallucinations, no extraordinary sensory experiences, and nothing at all to capture the imagination.

I’ve always felt that Schizophrenia is easily one of the most fascinating subjects to dive into, though honestly, the entire field of psychiatry holds such a deep pull for me. If I were facing something like lung cancer, I suppose I'd find myself just as captivated by oncology, 🤷

I’m feeling pretty overwhelmed myself.
Snowden... are you seriously equating BPD with pedophilia? What about physical or psychological abuse? Bullying? Workplace harassment?
Do you think we should focus on legal sanctions first before even considering treatment?
Your response here is actually quite relevant, though I find your tolerance for those kinds of outbursts completely incomprehensible.

re: since I'm only commenting on threads that aren't related to "blue face," I honestly have no clue why anyone would conclude with "who's crazy? everyone's crazy in their own way."
That kind of talk just belittles an entire group of people who are fighting to function in society.

You seem to be acting from a place of being personally offended, unfortunately. It feels like you're trying to justify your own frustrations by pointing at how others behave.

Harold Anderson3 said:The ER is actually the newest department on campus. That's where they send people who are starting their treatment process, and it's actually quite a massive facility.

My mistake—I thought you said the ICU. Sorry about that! I definitely couldn't handle the ICU, but being in the ER for a few weeks while on vacation? That’s manageable, provided it isn't intensive care.
They’ve tweaked my treatment plan slightly—just some supplements this time, no antipsychotics—so we'll just have to wait and see how that plays out.

Honestly, schizophrenia is such a fascinating, terrifying thing to me because I can't wrap my head around how someone can lose themselves so completely—how they can get so caught up in a reality that isn't there. It’s beyond my comprehension. I went through it myself, you know? During the acute phase, it was pure, unadulterated hell. I honestly don't know how I managed to endure it, let alone recover—or at least, as much as one can actually recover.
In my view, the biggest factor in triggering schizophrenia, or really any mental illness, is this modern world and the frantic way we're forced to live in it. I’m not saying everything is a total disaster—it’s not—but it certainly isn't nearly as good as it ought to be. And when things are this broken, those of us who are a bit more sensitive end up paying the price.

Larry Lewis said:My mistake—I thought you said the ICU. Sorry about that! I definitely couldn't handle the ICU, but being in the ER for a few weeks while on vacation? That’s manageable, provided it isn't intensive care.
They’ve tweaked my treatment plan slightly—just some supplements this time, no antipsychotics—so we'll just have to wait and see how that plays out.

Honestly, schizophrenia is such a fascinating, terrifying thing to me because I can't wrap my head around how someone can lose themselves so completely—how they can get so caught up in a reality that isn't there. It’s beyond my comprehension. I went through it myself, you know? During the acute phase, it was pure, unadulterated hell. I honestly don't know how I managed to endure it, let alone recover—or at least, as much as one can actually recover.
In my view, the biggest factor in triggering schizophrenia, or really any mental illness, is this modern world and the frantic way we're forced to live in it. I’m not saying everything is a total disaster—it’s not—but it certainly isn't nearly as good as it ought to be. And when things are this broken, those of us who are a bit more sensitive end up paying the price.

Well, it's not even "intense" unless they literally tie you to the bed, right? 😲
I'm not entirely sure what triggers schizophrenia, but I suspect it works like most mental illnesses, largely stemming from early childhood trauma, though there's definitely a genetic component involved too. What really keeps me up at night, though, is wondering if there's a way to actually cure it, or at least prevent it from happening in the first place.

Lately, I've been feeling a bit weighed down by a mild depression 😢 just a sense of low spirits, anxiety, and feeling unproductive... it's nothing overwhelming, but it's persistent.
Poor me, right?
Do you deal with much in the way of mood issues yourself?

Harold Anderson3 said:Well, it's not even "intense" unless they literally tie you to the bed, right? 😲
I'm not entirely sure what triggers schizophrenia, but I suspect it works like most mental illnesses, largely stemming from early childhood trauma, though there's definitely a genetic component involved too. What really keeps me up at night, though, is wondering if there's a way to actually cure it, or at least prevent it from happening in the first place.

Lately, I've been feeling a bit weighed down by a mild depression 😢 just a sense of low spirits, anxiety, and feeling unproductive... it's nothing overwhelming, but it's persistent.
Poor me, right?
Do you deal with much in the way of mood issues yourself?

My childhood was actually wonderful, yet here I am struggling again—it's clearly the genetics. My aunt lives with schizophrenia, and my sister went through an acute psychotic episode once, though she managed to pull through and doesn't even need medication now.
And yes, I'm just as worried as anyone else about finding the right treatment and whether I'll ever be able to lead what you might call a "normal" life despite all this.

If I knew how you felt, I'd tell you—this feeling often washes over me, hangs on for a few days, maybe longer, but eventually it passes. Right now, I'm doing okay, but I'm really just sitting here waiting for the next crisis to hit.🙂
Hang in there, Harold Anderson3.

Hi everyone, I was wondering if anyone here has dealt with a diagnosis of brief psychotic disorder... If you have, would you mind sharing how long the symptoms lasted and what they were actually like for you? Someone very close to me was just diagnosed about 20 days ago, but the hallucinations and those voices they're hearing just don't seem to be fading away yet... I'm curious if those who were eventually diagnosed with schizophrenia were initially given this same diagnosis first, and at what age did that transition happen for you all?

Hi everyone, does anyone here have experience with F23.2 psychotic reaction? I'd love to hear some more detailed insights if you're willing to share.

Thomas Jackson7 said:Hi everyone, does anyone here have experience with F23.2 psychotic reaction? I'd love to hear some more detailed insights if you're willing to share.

It might be helpful if you could elaborate on what specifically you're looking for, just so people can give you more useful advice.

There was actually a discussion about F23.2 (Acute schizophreniform disorder) right here on the site, which might help you out...

Is this actually a legitimate disorder?

Wishing everyone nothing but the best in this new year! 🙂
I've recently come to realize that my entire life seems to revolve around this illness. While other people are busy debating whether things will improve within the European Union or if we should look elsewhere, I know deep down that even ten European Unions wouldn't make a lick of difference if I end up forced into early disability retirement. Plus, there's the reality that I probably won't be able to start a family if I can't get healthy, and if that happens, what kind of life am I actually left with? 🙂 But then again, how things actually play out is anyone's guess, and who knows if I'll even be around for another fifty years. 🤷
I'm not saying everything will definitely go down exactly as I've laid it out here, but man, I can't help but worry...

Harold Anderson3 said:Wishing everyone nothing but the best in this new year! 🙂
I've recently come to realize that my entire life seems to revolve around this illness. While other people are busy debating whether things will improve within the European Union or if we should look elsewhere, I know deep down that even ten European Unions wouldn't make a lick of difference if I end up forced into early disability retirement. Plus, there's the reality that I probably won't be able to start a family if I can't get healthy, and if that happens, what kind of life am I actually left with? 🙂 But then again, how things actually play out is anyone's guess, and who knows if I'll even be around for another fifty years. 🤷
I'm not saying everything will definitely go down exactly as I've laid it out here, but man, I can't help but worry...

Wishing you and everyone here the best.
I have a 16-year-old child dealing with this, so I find myself reading your conversations quite often. I'm trying to understand the mindset here and figure out how I can help.
Sending lots of love, luck, and positive vibes.

Harold Anderson3 said:Wishing everyone nothing but the best in this new year! 🙂
I've recently come to realize that my entire life seems to revolve around this illness. While other people are busy debating whether things will improve within the European Union or if we should look elsewhere, I know deep down that even ten European Unions wouldn't make a lick of difference if I end up forced into early disability retirement. Plus, there's the reality that I probably won't be able to start a family if I can't get healthy, and if that happens, what kind of life am I actually left with? 🙂 But then again, how things actually play out is anyone's guess, and who knows if I'll even be around for another fifty years. 🤷
I'm not saying everything will definitely go down exactly as I've laid it out here, but man, I can't help but worry...

Man, Harold Anderson3, I'm right there with you. I deal with this too, and those same dark thoughts keep me up at night—you aren't alone in this. What can I even tell you? You just have to live your life and take it as it comes. Just remember, it isn't your fault that you were handed this diagnosis. Wishing you all the best.🙂