Schizophrenia - General Discussion

Douglas King8 said:Hey everyone. I figured I’d jump in here since this seems to be the most active thread regarding schizophrenia. I'm looking for some perspective or maybe just some advice.
So, for about a year now, insomnia has been my shadow. It takes me anywhere from two to three hours just to drift off. I’ve tried the whole "exhaust yourself" routine at the local Gold's Gym, sat through sessions with a psychologist, and even tried taking some Xanax for a bit, but nothing sticks. Back in the summer, when I was running on total fumes, I’d pass out pretty quick. Now? I’m getting maybe five to seven hours, and I’m waking up constantly in the middle of the night. I spend the next day looking like a zombie with dark circles under my eyes, though weirdly enough, I don't feel physically drained.
The insomnia comes with a side of mental noise. When I finally hit the pillow and close my eyes, desperate to pass out, my brain just starts racing. And I don't mean "thinking about my to-do list" racing—it's different. These aren't thoughts I'm consciously projecting. It’s more like words and sentences just... dropping into my head. They don't connect to anything. I can actually hear them in my mind. I’d break them down into three buckets:
1. Random words that just pop in, totally out of nowhere and without any rhyme or reason.
2. Strings of words or disjointed sentences that float by right before I manage to fall asleep. These get particularly intense if I wake up in the middle of the night, but they always seem to subside enough for me to drift off again.
3. Sentences or thoughts that feel like they’re being spoken by people I actually know—like a coworker using their specific inflection to say, "That's how you do it!" Or, it's like hearing a snippet of dialogue from a TV show or pulling a single sentence out of a book without the context. Just a fragment hanging there.
Honestly, the thoughts aren't terrifying in themselves. If it's just a few sentences, I usually ride the wave and fall asleep. But if it's just those random words, I stay wide awake.
The sensation when this happens is similar to being in a trance or a semi-dream state, except it feels like one part of my consciousness is generating these thoughts while another part is just standing there, watching them happen in parallel.
I am fully aware that these aren't real. They only happen late at night right before bed or first thing in the morning when I wake up; during the day, everything is quiet. Still, it’s messing with my head.
A few months ago, my psychiatrist told me these are hypnagogic hallucinations—stuff that happens right on the edge of sleep. Apparently, not everyone experiences them, but I'm worried because they seem to be getting more intense lately.
The hardest part is trying to explain what they actually sound like.
While it's happening, I feel like I'm dreaming while still being awake. Part of my mind tracks the thoughts, and then once they pass, I snap back to full awareness and start analyzing them—which makes me wonder how I even thought of them in the first place. Then I forget them and try to go back to sleep, and the whole cycle repeats until I finally crash.
For instance, while trying to drift off, the word "pride" just flashed in my mind. Or, I’ll clearly hear a friend's voice saying, "Look at these stairs."
I've already booked another appointment with my doctor because I'm genuinely spooked.
Can anyone tell me if this is a symptom of schizophrenia? It's starting to really scare me.
Thanks for listening. 🙂

No.

username said:Honestly, things are going great—I actually had a two-week stretch of total, crystal-clear lucidity, which is basically a personal record for me. Now, I get these odd little thoughts popping up here and there, but nothing out of the ordinary... it’s fine. 🙂

Superman!! It sounds like everything is moving in the right direction. I'm genuinely happy to hear that. 🙂

Hello everyone. I find myself in a bit of a predicament, and frankly, I’m not feeling quite myself lately. I have been attempting to manage with certain medications, though I must admit, I am not seeing much improvement at all. Currently, I am confined to my home, feeling rather restless, and experiencing frequent hallucinations. It is quite unsettling; I will be sitting in my room and suddenly there is this figure dressed in black just standing there, whispering things—telling me I need to harm myself and other such nonsense. At the moment, I am taking Haldol and Remedica. I suppose I should ask, are these considered reliable medications for these kinds of symptoms?

Might you find interest in this particular Ayurvedic herb, which possesses such remarkable anti-catatonic properties?

http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC3868798/

Hey there. Is anyone else here dealing with schizoaffective disorder—specifically the depressive type? Also, if anyone has actually tried using Azolla for it and wouldn't mind sharing how it’s worked for you, I’d really appreciate the insight. I'm just hoping I'm not the only one on this specific treatment plan. Thanks in advance.

Douglas King8 said:Hey everyone. I figured I’d jump in here since this seems to be the most active thread regarding schizophrenia. I'm looking for some perspective or maybe just some advice.
So, for about a year now, insomnia has been my shadow. It takes me anywhere from two to three hours just to drift off. I’ve tried the whole "exhaust yourself" routine at the local Gold's Gym, sat through sessions with a psychologist, and even tried taking some Xanax for a bit, but nothing sticks. Back in the summer, when I was running on total fumes, I’d pass out pretty quick. Now? I’m getting maybe five to seven hours, and I’m waking up constantly in the middle of the night. I spend the next day looking like a zombie with dark circles under my eyes, though weirdly enough, I don't feel physically drained.
The insomnia comes with a side of mental noise. When I finally hit the pillow and close my eyes, desperate to pass out, my brain just starts racing. And I don't mean "thinking about my to-do list" racing—it's different. These aren't thoughts I'm consciously projecting. It’s more like words and sentences just... dropping into my head. They don't connect to anything. I can actually hear them in my mind. I’d break them down into three buckets:
1. Random words that just pop in, totally out of nowhere and without any rhyme or reason.
2. Strings of words or disjointed sentences that float by right before I manage to fall asleep. These get particularly intense if I wake up in the middle of the night, but they always seem to subside enough for me to drift off again.
3. Sentences or thoughts that feel like they’re being spoken by people I actually know—like a coworker using their specific inflection to say, "That's how you do it!" Or, it's like hearing a snippet of dialogue from a TV show or pulling a single sentence out of a book without the context. Just a fragment hanging there.
Honestly, the thoughts aren't terrifying in themselves. If it's just a few sentences, I usually ride the wave and fall asleep. But if it's just those random words, I stay wide awake.
The sensation when this happens is similar to being in a trance or a semi-dream state, except it feels like one part of my consciousness is generating these thoughts while another part is just standing there, watching them happen in parallel.
I am fully aware that these aren't real. They only happen late at night right before bed or first thing in the morning when I wake up; during the day, everything is quiet. Still, it’s messing with my head.
A few months ago, my psychiatrist told me these are hypnagogic hallucinations—stuff that happens right on the edge of sleep. Apparently, not everyone experiences them, but I'm worried because they seem to be getting more intense lately.
The hardest part is trying to explain what they actually sound like.
While it's happening, I feel like I'm dreaming while still being awake. Part of my mind tracks the thoughts, and then once they pass, I snap back to full awareness and start analyzing them—which makes me wonder how I even thought of them in the first place. Then I forget them and try to go back to sleep, and the whole cycle repeats until I finally crash.
For instance, while trying to drift off, the word "pride" just flashed in my mind. Or, I’ll clearly hear a friend's voice saying, "Look at these stairs."
I've already booked another appointment with my doctor because I'm genuinely spooked.
Can anyone tell me if this is a symptom of schizophrenia? It's starting to really scare me.
Thanks for listening. 🙂

I get that too, occasionally, when I've overtaxed my brain too much before bed. Some people told me they were hallucinations, but I was silly enough to tell my doctor, and she gave me a heavy sedative the next morning. Thank God your psychiatrist isn't paranoid.
I think it's "just" stress and an overactive imagination. With schizophrenia, I believe the voices say things that feel personal, whereas with this, you're aware it's just your own thought.

Bryan Moore8 said:I get that too, occasionally, when I've overtaxed my brain too much before bed. Some people told me they were hallucinations, but I was silly enough to tell my doctor, and she gave me a heavy sedative the next morning. Thank God your psychiatrist isn't paranoid.
I think it's "just" stress and an overactive imagination. With schizophrenia, I believe the voices say things that feel personal, whereas with this, you're aware it's just your own thought.

With schizophrenia, you aren't even capable of thinking about anything at all.

Jeremy Scott said:With schizophrenia, you aren't even capable of thinking about anything at all.

That is simply not the case.

When a patient is being treated with antipsychotics, their thought processes might certainly slow down, yet they remain entirely capable of reasoning.

Furthermore, if they aren't on medication, their thoughts may instead become intensely focused on their delusions, or perhaps manifest through various "formal" thought disorders—such as tangentiality, viscous thinking, incoherent speech, or flight of ideas, among others.

Nicole Barrett76 said:That is simply not the case.

When a patient is being treated with antipsychotics, their thought processes might certainly slow down, yet they remain entirely capable of reasoning.

Furthermore, if they aren't on medication, their thoughts may instead become intensely focused on their delusions, or perhaps manifest through various "formal" thought disorders—such as tangentiality, viscous thinking, incoherent speech, or flight of ideas, among others.

Exactly. They’re drifting toward your delusions and absolutely nothing else.

Jeremy Scott said:Exactly. They’re drifting toward your delusions and absolutely nothing else.

The man clearly wasn't in a full-blown psychotic break.

I’m sorry for dropping in so suddenly like a parachute without warning, but I wanted to share one more thing—this will be my final post on my blog 😉

Sorry for jumping in when I'm technically off-topic—I just really enjoyed reading this and plan on sticking around for a bit over the next few days.
Good luck, Beautifulhearte!

Paul Thompson3 said:Sorry for jumping in when I'm technically off-topic—I just really enjoyed reading this and plan on sticking around for a bit over the next few days.
Good luck, Beautifulhearte!

Thanks, Paul! I'm so glad you're enjoying it. If you had half as much fun reading this blog as I did writing it, then I suppose I actually had twice as much fun as you did. 😁

Douglas King8 said:Hey everyone. I figured I’d jump in here since this seems to be the most active thread regarding schizophrenia. I'm looking for some perspective or maybe just some advice.
So, for about a year now, insomnia has been my shadow. It takes me anywhere from two to three hours just to drift off. I’ve tried the whole "exhaust yourself" routine at the local Gold's Gym, sat through sessions with a psychologist, and even tried taking some Xanax for a bit, but nothing sticks. Back in the summer, when I was running on total fumes, I’d pass out pretty quick. Now? I’m getting maybe five to seven hours, and I’m waking up constantly in the middle of the night. I spend the next day looking like a zombie with dark circles under my eyes, though weirdly enough, I don't feel physically drained.
The insomnia comes with a side of mental noise. When I finally hit the pillow and close my eyes, desperate to pass out, my brain just starts racing. And I don't mean "thinking about my to-do list" racing—it's different. These aren't thoughts I'm consciously projecting. It’s more like words and sentences just... dropping into my head. They don't connect to anything. I can actually hear them in my mind. I’d break them down into three buckets:
1. Random words that just pop in, totally out of nowhere and without any rhyme or reason.
2. Strings of words or disjointed sentences that float by right before I manage to fall asleep. These get particularly intense if I wake up in the middle of the night, but they always seem to subside enough for me to drift off again.
3. Sentences or thoughts that feel like they’re being spoken by people I actually know—like a coworker using their specific inflection to say, "That's how you do it!" Or, it's like hearing a snippet of dialogue from a TV show or pulling a single sentence out of a book without the context. Just a fragment hanging there.
Honestly, the thoughts aren't terrifying in themselves. If it's just a few sentences, I usually ride the wave and fall asleep. But if it's just those random words, I stay wide awake.
The sensation when this happens is similar to being in a trance or a semi-dream state, except it feels like one part of my consciousness is generating these thoughts while another part is just standing there, watching them happen in parallel.
I am fully aware that these aren't real. They only happen late at night right before bed or first thing in the morning when I wake up; during the day, everything is quiet. Still, it’s messing with my head.
A few months ago, my psychiatrist told me these are hypnagogic hallucinations—stuff that happens right on the edge of sleep. Apparently, not everyone experiences them, but I'm worried because they seem to be getting more intense lately.
The hardest part is trying to explain what they actually sound like.
While it's happening, I feel like I'm dreaming while still being awake. Part of my mind tracks the thoughts, and then once they pass, I snap back to full awareness and start analyzing them—which makes me wonder how I even thought of them in the first place. Then I forget them and try to go back to sleep, and the whole cycle repeats until I finally crash.
For instance, while trying to drift off, the word "pride" just flashed in my mind. Or, I’ll clearly hear a friend's voice saying, "Look at these stairs."
I've already booked another appointment with my doctor because I'm genuinely spooked.
Can anyone tell me if this is a symptom of schizophrenia? It's starting to really scare me.
Thanks for listening. 🙂

Hey there! I wanted to jump in and say that while insomnia can be a factor, it doesn't necessarily mean you're dealing with schizophrenia. I’ve actually been living with schizophrenia for five years now, and even though I've stayed pretty consistent with my medication—though the dosage wasn't particularly high at first—I did hit a rough patch recently due to some intense stress at college. It all started with about a week of sleepless nights, which then spiraled into paranoid thoughts and a bit of escapism from reality. In the end, the fix was actually quite straightforward: my doctor just bumped up my antipsychotic. So, instead of the usual 5 mg, I'm on 10 mg of Zyprexa now.
Could you share what your specific diagnosis is? Have you experienced any psychotic episodes, and what kind of medication are you currently taking?
Your doctor will definitely be the best person to help you navigate this.

To all my fellow folks living with schizophrenia... I have to ask—how much sleep are you actually getting? Is it enough to keep the gears turning, or are you constantly running on fumes? And more importantly, where do you stand on the whole concept of recovery—do you truly believe in a full healing, or are we all just aiming for a slightly more manageable version of "getting by"?

Larry Lewis said:The man clearly wasn't in a full-blown psychotic break.

Not in any way, thank God.

Unless, of course, one considers the unrelenting and smoldering depression I endure due to my worsening physical condition.

Nicole Barrett76 said:Not in any way, thank God.

Unless, of course, one considers the unrelenting and smoldering depression I endure due to my worsening physical condition.

What kind of illness are you dealing with? Is there even a glimmer of hope that you might pull through this?

Larry Lewis said:What kind of illness are you dealing with? Is there even a glimmer of hope that you might pull through this?

There are absolutely no signs of improvement.

Currently, I can only see ten percent out of my right eye and a mere two percent through the left; can you imagine how much my vision is failing me?

Some fifteen to twenty years ago, my vision was still at twenty to twenty-five percent, yet I am constantly struggling with endocrine issues that I must manage with synthetic hormones.

Nicole Barrett76 said:There are absolutely no signs of improvement.

Currently, I can only see ten percent out of my right eye and a mere two percent through the left; can you imagine how much my vision is failing me?

Some fifteen to twenty years ago, my vision was still at twenty to twenty-five percent, yet I am constantly struggling with endocrine issues that I must manage with synthetic hormones.

I’m sorry, my friend—but then again, who really knows? Modern medicine performs miracles these days—sometimes it feels like we're living in a science fiction novel just to stay upright.

Larry Lewis said:I’m sorry, my friend—but then again, who really knows? Modern medicine performs miracles these days—sometimes it feels like we're living in a science fiction novel just to stay upright.

One cannot help but wonder: does this same miraculous logic apply when one is facing the complexities of schizophrenia?