Schizophrenia - General Discussion

Alright, I have a desire to re-engage with this discussion. I have spent a significant amount of time researching schizophrenia and various psychotic disorders. While I do not personally suffer from schizophrenia, I have experienced psychotic episodes myself—two severe ones and one milder instance—so I am quite familiar with what it feels like to exist within a distorted perception of reality. Schizophrenia, by definition, seems to be a chronic, long-term state of psychosis.

The prevailing theories suggesting that schizophrenia is strictly a brain disease seem, I suppose, rather questionable. There isn't definitive proof that it is a physiological disease in the traditional sense, because the MRI scans conducted thus far have only shown abnormalities in a small minority of cases; even in those instances, I would argue it doesn't necessarily prove that the condition is exclusively caused by schizophrenia.

In less developed nations where expensive antipsychotics aren't readily available, the recovery rates actually appear to be significantly higher than they are in "developed" Western countries.

One major taboo is the idea that people cannot recover from this "illness." That isn't entirely true, I think. The reality is that mental health patients are often treated terribly; they are handled poorly, denied hope, and deprived of the support they desperately need. They are broken individuals who communicate through metaphors to those living in "reality." They are wounded, and perhaps it is possible to "return them to reality" through specific techniques designed to decipher their metaphorical language.

Someone who hasn't endured a psychosis simply cannot understand the experience, because during my own psychosis, my reality was entirely real. My reality was just as tangible as the reality of someone who isn't psychotic. It presents a paradox: if my bizarre ideas aren't deemed acceptable by the majority, I am automatically shut down—emergency services, the police, the hospital, and an injection in the backside.

Antipsychotics were discovered somewhat by accident, and while they do seem to halt the psychotic process, one has to wonder what they leave in their wake. They leave behind people who are extremely compliant, but whose willpower and capacity to experience a quality life have been thoroughly inhibited.

I want to believe that psychosis might actually be a transformative process—a metamorphosis of the psyche that realizes there is much more to this world than just the standard nine-to-five grind. Archimedes would say, "Do not disturb my circles!" In that same vein, I would suggest that psychosis is a mystical metamorphosis of the mind, and until we have a professional staff capable of handling a fragmented psyche in an empathetic and sensitive manner, there may be no salvation for those with schizophrenia.

Ultimately, I find myself wondering—what role does schizophrenia play in the process of evolution?

Rebecca Reyes70 said:There’s the known, there’s the unknown, and then there’s this doorway standing right between the two worlds. Once you step through that threshold, everything that used to feel straightforward suddenly turns into a tangled mess, and your entire perspective on existence shifts beneath your feet. For me, my ticket into the unknown was schizophrenia, and after spending so much energy trying to run away from it, I finally realized that running is pointless; you just have to embrace it. I remember reading an article once claiming that schizophrenia primarily impairs our ability to reason by distorting our perception of reality. But that really brings us to the deeper questions, doesn't it? What even is reality? And how do we define "normal"? Who decided where the boundaries of normalcy lie, and what are they even measuring? If you happen to be part of the majority, you're considered normal. Ever since I can remember, my view of the world has been a bit skewed; I’ve always felt like a misfit because my thoughts and interests don't align with the rest of the crowd. When I was finally hit with a schizophrenia diagnosis, I spiraled into a deep depression. I ended up being hospitalized four times in an attempt to "get cured," mostly because I just wanted to fit in with everyone else. That was until I realized there isn't actually anything about me that needs fixing. They tried to "treat" me by essentially poisoning me with various pills that were supposedly meant to make me normal. I was passed around between all sorts of doctors, from obscure practitioners to the top-tier psychiatric elites at places like the Mayo Clinic. I never truly understood the logic behind the treatment process, because in reality, they aren't trying to cure you—they're trying to force their own perspectives onto you, molding you to see the world exactly like the masses do. And the funny thing is, they don't even realize that they aren't normal either. Nobody is. Not a single "normal" person is capable of true independent thought; nobody possesses a genuine personality, because every person is just a byproduct of their environment. We are all fed these pre-packaged ideas of who we ought to be. People don't decide who they are; their surroundings decide for them. From the time we are toddlers, we absorb the exact same patterns of thought as our parents, and those views stick with us for life. Most people don't even bother thinking for themselves because everyone else is doing it for them. It’s always been this way, though as time passes, values shift and human personalities evolve along with them. Times are pretty bleak nowadays, honestly. People are being manipulated by television and mindless pop music that screams that money and other bizarre superficialities are the ultimate virtues. And then they try to fix me, just because I have a "distorted" view of reality. But the reality I see is incredibly depressing, which is likely the main reason for the high suicide rates among those diagnosed with schizophrenia. We see the world for what it actually is, and we see people for who they truly are. "Normal" people are nothing more than puppets; everyone carries these imposed values that are ultimately hollow. Take diamonds, for instance—they are practically worthless, yet they're assigned value by some person who thinks a shiny rock is equivalent to love. If I had to choose between being "sick" or being "normal," I’d pick sick every single time. I can't wrap my head around the idea that my perception is the problem; to me, it's the rest of the world that looks bizarre. People go to extreme lengths just to belong to a majority that tells them if they don't mimic their idiot idols or wear certain designer brands, they are somehow less valuable. And apparently, because of that, I'm the one with the warped worldview??! I read these incredibly shallow articles about schizophrenia and how it affects people, and I find myself wondering who writes such nonsense. No psychiatrist in the world, no matter how brilliant, can truly explain what it feels like to live with schizophrenia. I’m writing this because there is this persistent, desperate attempt to "help" us simply because we aren't like you. In my opinion, we might actually be the ones who are normal. Because if you really sit down and think about it, you are the ones with the impaired perception; you are the ones with the bizarre outlook on life. We've reached a point where a "normal" person effectively lacks free will and doesn't think independently. If you think I'm wrong, just take a moment to look at everything that defines you as a human being, and you'll see that it isn't actually *you*. Those aren't your thoughts, your desires, or your convictions. You aren't what you think you are; none of it was ever your choice or an act of free will. If you reflect deeply enough, you'll realize you never even had your own unique perspective on the world; the people and things surrounding you manufactured the person you are today. You aren't normal just because you're part of the majority; you're just part of a group that is anything but normal.

I happened to stumble upon this thread quite by accident, and I have to admit, my first impression was pretty grim. I came across some posts from a certain user that were honestly heartbreaking; it’s hard to even wrap your head around just how miserable a person can actually feel.

But then, looking at what you’ve written here, I felt almost a sense of relief. This is, without exaggeration, one of the most insightful things I’ve read on this entire forum. You’ve managed to capture the sheer absurdity of this broken, twisted system we’re all stuck navigating—it’s nothing short of brilliant. I suppose if being "ill" means seeing the world with this kind of clarity, then anyone with even a shred of functioning brain matter would probably want to be in the same boat as you.
Seriously, props to you. Hang in there.

ruggedtinker9 said:Alright, I have a desire to re-engage with this discussion. I have spent a significant amount of time researching schizophrenia and various psychotic disorders. While I do not personally suffer from schizophrenia, I have experienced psychotic episodes myself—two severe ones and one milder instance—so I am quite familiar with what it feels like to exist within a distorted perception of reality. Schizophrenia, by definition, seems to be a chronic, long-term state of psychosis.

The prevailing theories suggesting that schizophrenia is strictly a brain disease seem, I suppose, rather questionable. There isn't definitive proof that it is a physiological disease in the traditional sense, because the MRI scans conducted thus far have only shown abnormalities in a small minority of cases; even in those instances, I would argue it doesn't necessarily prove that the condition is exclusively caused by schizophrenia.

In less developed nations where expensive antipsychotics aren't readily available, the recovery rates actually appear to be significantly higher than they are in "developed" Western countries.

One major taboo is the idea that people cannot recover from this "illness." That isn't entirely true, I think. The reality is that mental health patients are often treated terribly; they are handled poorly, denied hope, and deprived of the support they desperately need. They are broken individuals who communicate through metaphors to those living in "reality." They are wounded, and perhaps it is possible to "return them to reality" through specific techniques designed to decipher their metaphorical language.

Someone who hasn't endured a psychosis simply cannot understand the experience, because during my own psychosis, my reality was entirely real. My reality was just as tangible as the reality of someone who isn't psychotic. It presents a paradox: if my bizarre ideas aren't deemed acceptable by the majority, I am automatically shut down—emergency services, the police, the hospital, and an injection in the backside.

Antipsychotics were discovered somewhat by accident, and while they do seem to halt the psychotic process, one has to wonder what they leave in their wake. They leave behind people who are extremely compliant, but whose willpower and capacity to experience a quality life have been thoroughly inhibited.

I want to believe that psychosis might actually be a transformative process—a metamorphosis of the psyche that realizes there is much more to this world than just the standard nine-to-five grind. Archimedes would say, "Do not disturb my circles!" In that same vein, I would suggest that psychosis is a mystical metamorphosis of the mind, and until we have a professional staff capable of handling a fragmented psyche in an empathetic and sensitive manner, there may be no salvation for those with schizophrenia.

Ultimately, I find myself wondering—what role does schizophrenia play in the process of evolution?

I am convinced that the schizophrenic process is essentially a series of spiritual or mystical experiences. We touched on this briefly in this thread. I’ve noticed that during psychotic episodes—aside from the bizarre delusions, of course—it feels as though the mind, or the core of the mind, is shifting toward something better. I view it as a continuation of evolution. Naturally, my psychiatrist just laughs whenever I bring up these ideas.

Schizophrenia isn't some permanent, lifelong state of psychosis. It usually hits in episodes, and if you stay on top of your meds, you might even dodge those episodes entirely.

Schizophrenia isn't just a "normal" reaction to an insane world.

Antipsychotics aren't designed to turn people into mindless drones or strip away their will to live; they're meant to tackle the hallucinations, delusions, depression, and all that other stuff.

To me, schizophrenia isn't some mystical spiritual journey—it’s a sickness, and thank God, it’s treatable...

I get the feeling you guys are way too obsessed with past relapses and looking for deep meaning where there isn't any... In schizophrenia, your brain is basically just playing tricks on you...

I honestly don't have much to say about that particular topic, though I suppose I could offer a few thoughts if anyone is actually interested in hearing them. kaže:
I’ve always felt that people tend to misunderstand schizophrenia by viewing it as this permanent, unbroken state of psychosis, but that isn't really how it works for most folks. It’s more accurate to say that psychotic episodes tend to come in waves, rather than being one continuous, lifelong struggle. If you stay on top of your medication and keep things steady, you can often manage everything so effectively that those intense episodes never even have the chance to show up.

I’ve always felt that schizophrenia isn't just some random glitch in the brain, but rather a deeply intense reaction to living in a world that often feels completely irrational and broken.

I’ve always felt that people tend to misunderstand what antipsychotics actually do, often assuming they’re just tools to turn someone into a compliant, mindless drone with no spark left in them. In reality, it’s not about stripping away a person's will to live or forcing them to be obedient; rather, these medications are specifically aimed at addressing the heavy lifting of mental health struggles, like managing hallucinations, delusions, and those deep bouts of depression.

To me, schizophrenia isn't some kind of mystical or profound experience; it’s just a heavy, painful condition that, thank goodness, we actually have ways to manage and treat these days.

I sometimes get the sense that you all might be a little too preoccupied with the earlier stages of the illness, almost like you're searching for some kind of deep mystery where there isn't any to be found. It feels more like the brain is just playing tricks on you during schizophrenia, rather than anything more profound.

I just wanted to weigh in on this and say that schizophrenia isn't some kind of mystical or spiritual awakening. A huge portion of my own psychotic episodes actually centered around religious themes; I genuinely felt like I had reached enlightenment, or maybe even like I was some kind of modern-day prophet. Looking back, I realize now that it was just a symptom of being unwell, and if I ever found myself slipping into that headspace again, I’d know exactly what was happening and how to handle it. Though, like you mentioned, if I stay consistent with my medication, the chances of that happening again are pretty slim.

To be honest, my faith didn't actually weaken after everything I went through; if anything, it feels much stronger now than it did before those psychotic episodes hit. I’ve come to look at all that intense suffering as part of God’s plan, almost like this profound, heavy experience meant to anchor my belief more deeply than ever before. There is definitely something mystical about how it all unfolded. 🙂

I used to think I had reached enlightenment—that I’d finally grasped at least half of what the human experience actually entails. Actually, I still tend to believe that. 😁

Mystics deal in visions, altered states of consciousness, transformed minds, and just plain bizarre ideas. Some honestly believed they were God, or that they’d unlocked the ultimate truth, or even that they could "read" someone else's mind—experiencing various incarnations across different planes of reality.

There are more similarities here than differences, I suppose. Besides, if you look at Wikipedia, depression and schizophrenia are actually listed as methods for inducing mystical states.

The one thing mystics never mention is the negative symptoms. They probably experience them too—it's just that they likely don't recognize them from a first-person perspective. 🤷

I find myself feeling quite ashamed..

And as the thread starter points out..

It is just too much...

It is damn hard, and I suppose it never gets easier..

I am certain that I will never experience a sense of normalcy again...

This isn't some fleeting bout of depression that one simply navigates through life...

This is a heavy, permanent weight for the rest of my days...

I suppose I accepted the reality of it all relatively quickly...

However, my surroundings and the medical professionals haven't truly sat down to have a serious conversation with me yet,,,

When I attempted to consult other psychiatrists—they practically tried to commit me to a state hospital without me even lifting a finger

I merely expressed a desire to talk, because frankly, it feels humiliating to discuss these things; in the real world, most people find such topics incredibly difficult to stomach!

STIGMA—SHAME—VICTIMHOOD... the hypocrisy of society is devastating for those desperately in need of help.. they don't need food.. actually, there is no real help to be found, just an attempt to make things slightly more bearable

I have been thinking for quite some time that physician-assisted suicide should be legalized.. after all, people are being killed by various forces everywhere anyway

So why not shorten the suffering for someone who is truly in agony?

I lack the courage to take my own life.. but I find myself forgiving everyone on a weekly basis (internally, of course—because apparently "you aren't allowed to say things like that")

In truth, I don't necessarily want to die, but I have felt dead for years now...

I suspect my soul has died.. all that remains is logic and memory, but the essence is gone.. the body feels strange.. as if mental anguish translates directly into physical pain.. the soul.. it's as if I am depleted, devoid of any vital energy.. there are only painful physiological processes.. the processes themselves ache.. very rarely.. far too rarely do I feel anything that could be described as "alive"

And what a wretched state of affairs it is when this is the only thing I can write here...

That in this entire mess of civilization.. of humanity and similar nonsense..

When I first sought help from doctors, I assumed everyone around me was insane

Now, I am convinced that everyone else is indeed mad / they have removed any shadow of a doubt ☕

Does anyone happen to know where the original poster for the outoftheblue-) thread went?

Arthur Wood20 said:Does anyone happen to know where the original poster for the outoftheblue-) thread went?

outoftheblue
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Lawrence Bailey77 said:outoftheblue
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WHY, WHAT ACTUALLY HAPPENED

Henry Garcia9 said:Schizophrenia isn't some permanent, lifelong state of psychosis. It usually hits in episodes, and if you stay on top of your meds, you might even dodge those episodes entirely.

Schizophrenia isn't just a "normal" reaction to an insane world.

Antipsychotics aren't designed to turn people into mindless drones or strip away their will to live; they're meant to tackle the hallucinations, delusions, depression, and all that other stuff.

To me, schizophrenia isn't some mystical spiritual journey—it’s a sickness, and thank God, it’s treatable...

I get the feeling you guys are way too obsessed with past relapses and looking for deep meaning where there isn't any... In schizophrenia, your brain is basically just playing tricks on you...

(my comments are written in all caps)

driftingpilot2 said:(my comments are written in all caps)

Look, if you’ve ever actually dealt with schizophrenia or tried to fight it, you know the meds aren't even the worst part—it's the psychosis itself. And just so we're clear, the newer stuff actually helps with the negative symptoms too 😉

Yeah, sure, but when you wake up from a dream, you know it wasn't real. During an untreated episode? You think the fake stuff is the only thing that's real.

Insulin doesn't "cure" diabetes either, but without it, people are dead. We use it because it works. Antipsychotics are the same way; they help.

No, you treat sch with MEDS. Therapy is great, but it's a sidekick to the medication.

Trust me, schizo logic is a total mess. It doesn't matter if you're talking about the conscious or subconscious mind. In any sane world, 2+2 equals 4. In schizo-land, 2+2 equals 5. That's just how broken the math is. I'm sure you get that. 🙂

Personally, I find being in a state of psychosis to be quite alright... I feel this profound connection to the entire universe. I am overwhelmed by sensations I didn't even realize were possible to experience. It is true that I act somewhat irrationally at times... but society simply won't tolerate that. So, they lock me away.
The worst part is when they sedate you with all those medications until I become a complete zombie; my entire will evaporates, and every positive emotion just withers away... I suppose I would rather be dead. Yet, here I am, surviving, if one can even call this existence a life. I think I would much rather deal with diabetes than be labeled a psychotic.

I tend to feel pretty unwell whenever I run into a significant hurdle, though I don't think it’s just a matter of my mental state.

See, growing up, people always told me I was a bit odd, but honestly, it never really bothered me much. For some strange reason, though, that perception started weighing on me lately, and I began to

lose my footing in all the activities where I used to actually excel. That’s when the diagnoses started rolling in—first it was numbers hovering around the 100 mark, then they kept dropping lower and lower until I hit 20 🙂 I can't quite wrap my head around what exactly is going on with me, but I know I've found myself stuck deep in the trenches 🙂
To my fellow folks dealing with schizophrenia, how do you all manage the bipolar swings in your moods if you experience them? 😉

Those intense sensations during psychosis—they were honestly a nightmare. I’m just relieved they're gone.
Feeling connected to the universe is actually quite a nice thing. ☕
I certainly wouldn't want to lose that—not really.

As for the bipolar side of things, I think only certain manic traits stuck around—mostly those grandiose ideas and that sense of having some sort of special mission. I'm working on shaking those delusions off. Luckily, I don't deal with the depressive side.

Henry Garcia9 said:Look, if you’ve ever actually dealt with schizophrenia or tried to fight it, you know the meds aren't even the worst part—it's the psychosis itself. And just so we're clear, the newer stuff actually helps with the negative symptoms too 😉

Yeah, sure, but when you wake up from a dream, you know it wasn't real. During an untreated episode? You think the fake stuff is the only thing that's real.

Insulin doesn't "cure" diabetes either, but without it, people are dead. We use it because it works. Antipsychotics are the same way; they help.

No, you treat sch with MEDS. Therapy is great, but it's a sidekick to the medication.

Trust me, schizo logic is a total mess. It doesn't matter if you're talking about the conscious or subconscious mind. In any sane world, 2+2 equals 4. In schizo-land, 2+2 equals 5. That's just how broken the math is. I'm sure you get that. 🙂

Are we discussing actual schizophrenia here, or are we just debating what constitutes "normalcy"?

There was a time when I genuinely felt like everyone in my orbit had lost their minds.

Eventually, through some extensive work with professionals, I came to realize that my perception wasn't misplaced; it was actually accurate.

It turns out I am the one functioning normally in a world populated by lunatics...

I mean, for heaven's sake, two plus two equals four. Even the ancient philosophers understood that basic truth.

But no, everyone else just insists that everything is perfectly fine and totally fine. ☕

To be perfectly honest, the medication doesn't bother me anymore—not even a little bit. In fact, I’ve actually reached a point where I feel like they're helping me stay level. I don't feel drowsy, nor am I dealing with that sluggish, foggy sensation people always complain about. Now, I have no idea what your internal experiences are like—everyone's brain chemistry is a different beast entirely—but I know my own history. I’ve managed to pull myself out of the trenches about 80% of the way, and on some days, it feels like 100%. But let’s be clear: this didn't happen overnight. It wasn't some sudden epiphany. I went through hell—real, grinding hardship—and I suffered for it. However, I made a choice not to descend into total despair. I didn't spend my life weeping over my misfortune or wallowing in self-pity; instead, I just endured. I put my head down, took the hits, and kept pushing forward. That sheer grit—that ability to just endure—is what got me here.

Larry Lewis said:To be perfectly honest, the medication doesn't bother me anymore—not even a little bit. In fact, I’ve actually reached a point where I feel like they're helping me stay level. I don't feel drowsy, nor am I dealing with that sluggish, foggy sensation people always complain about. Now, I have no idea what your internal experiences are like—everyone's brain chemistry is a different beast entirely—but I know my own history. I’ve managed to pull myself out of the trenches about 80% of the way, and on some days, it feels like 100%. But let’s be clear: this didn't happen overnight. It wasn't some sudden epiphany. I went through hell—real, grinding hardship—and I suffered for it. However, I made a choice not to descend into total despair. I didn't spend my life weeping over my misfortune or wallowing in self-pity; instead, I just endured. I put my head down, took the hits, and kept pushing forward. That sheer grit—that ability to just endure—is what got me here.

I am glad to hear that... though I suspect some people might have criticized your struggle or your way of enduring it more than once. Just imagine being stuck in that cycle for your entire life... dealing with circumstances where you feel unable to influence or change the very root causes of your condition... I suppose one *could* change things, but perhaps I shouldn't suggest how to go about it. 😛

But this isn't some sort of competition. Most people are essentially lost because this primitive, hyper-competitive mentality has taken hold of society—or, if I may use a tired cliché, because our "values have become distorted." It’s as if someone accidentally set up the fences incorrectly, and since we are all flawed humans anyway, nobody really cares. So, the sheep wander blindly toward the cliffside, pushing one another along. And if one black sheep happens to bleat in protest, it’s usually swallowed up by the crowd before anyone notices. ☕

Greetings to everyone... My mother-in-law was prescribed a new regimen last week consisting of 10 mg of olanzapine once in the evening and 100 mg of fluvoxamine once in the morning. Does anyone here have any firsthand experience with this specific combination? How did it affect you? To provide some context, she is currently managing a diagnosis of schizoaffective disorder, though her physician mentioned she is increasingly trending toward schizophrenia. Interestingly, she hasn't experienced hallucinations just yet, but her overall condition remains quite poor. Thank you all in advance!

I’ve officially stopped taking Fevarin, though I can't help but wonder if it was actually making things worse for me.

To be honest, I’ve phased out most of my medications lately.

I try to limit my use of xanax as much as possible... I really only reach for it when I need to sleep, since it’s the one thing that keeps the nightmares at bay.

During the day, things are a struggle, but I haven't quite found a viable alternative yet. It’s a difficult trade-off; as hard as it gets, I feel more like "myself" without them. When I'm on the pills, I just feel sick and drugged out, which honestly ends up depressing me even more. I suppose I find the psychological and physical ache of reality easier to bear than the realization that I've turned myself into a zombie.

There is so much more to unpack here... this has been going on for such a long time. No pill seems to offer a true solution; they all just dull the symptoms. In my view, it feels a bit like getting drunk—it makes me feel like I don't care, but in reality, I'm just forcibly stripping away parts of my identity and choosing to ignore the underlying issue.

I am actively seeking help, but the real question is how much I am actually allowing myself to be helped, and how much I am still sabotaging my own progress.🙂

People keep trying to convince me that I'm normal, which gives me a flicker of hope that there might be a chance to actually feel alive again—the way I used to feel most of the time, rather than just catching fleeting glimpses of it in my memories. But it's been years like this now.