Schizophrenia - General Discussion

jadeharbor81 said:Because you can only really be Self-Critical toward yourself...😁😁

Yeah, yeah, go ahead and roast me—I'm clearly the favorite target here. 👏
Even a Teddy loses their cool once in a while. 🕺

Noah Garcia4 said:Yeah, yeah, go ahead and roast me—I'm clearly the favorite target here. 👏
Even a Teddy loses their cool once in a while. 🕺

I'm just kidding 😁 but seriously, how are you doing now? You actually managed to break out of that mindset or what?

Noah Garcia4 said:Yeah, yeah, go ahead and roast me—I'm clearly the favorite target here. 👏
Even a Teddy loses their cool once in a while. 🕺

So, here’s my message to anyone out there contemplating suicide—I am seriously grateful to God that my own attempt didn't work out, because honestly, recovery is actually possible if you stick with it.

jadeharbor81 said:I'm just kidding 😁 but seriously, how are you doing now? You actually managed to break out of that mindset or what?

I actually did break free from that mindset, though I’ll admit I lingered there for a while longer; believe it or not, if you read my previous posts, you'll see the evidence. In fact, I had already started drifting away from those suicidal thoughts way back before summer started. It turns out a little bit of intimacy can solve just about anything 🤣, though honestly, there's much more to it than that ☕
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On another note, I’ve realized I tend to be the ultimate conversation killer in this thread, but since I am technically the founder of this topic, I feel obligated to jump in and explain my recent absence 😁.

It seems like the guys have completely taken over the advisory role here; just a few posts ago, I was the one busy dropping links to relevant articles and trying to provide actual resources
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But why has this whole discussion devolved into a situation where family members reach out for help, only to have "seasoned veterans" immediately tell them to call 911 or the police 🤦 every single time someone asks a question?

Noah Garcia4 said:I actually did break free from that mindset, though I’ll admit I lingered there for a while longer; believe it or not, if you read my previous posts, you'll see the evidence. In fact, I had already started drifting away from those suicidal thoughts way back before summer started. It turns out a little bit of intimacy can solve just about anything 🤣, though honestly, there's much more to it than that ☕
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On another note, I’ve realized I tend to be the ultimate conversation killer in this thread, but since I am technically the founder of this topic, I feel obligated to jump in and explain my recent absence 😁.

It seems like the guys have completely taken over the advisory role here; just a few posts ago, I was the one busy dropping links to relevant articles and trying to provide actual resources
.
But why has this whole discussion devolved into a situation where family members reach out for help, only to have "seasoned veterans" immediately tell them to call 911 or the police 🤦 every single time someone asks a question?

Maybe the topic shifted because people living with schizophrenia are staying quiet about their struggles. Lately, we’ve seen here that this illness is truly a matter of life and death. No one is suggesting calling the cops as a first resort; rather, we suggest seeking professional psychiatric help. For us, nothing works except medication—psychotherapy and talking don't cut it.

The real question is whether this thread can actually help anyone. Can those of us dealing with this really speak openly about our burdens when, during a psychotic episode, nothing seems to matter because we feel like we own the universe?

Take you, for example. You left this discussion saying you were taking 1mg of Risperdal, that you landed a job, and that everything was great. Then you vanished for a long stretch, only to resurface now with the shocking news that you attempted suicide.

I was genuinely happy and proud of you for doing well and finding the right meds. I assumed your absence from the forum meant you simply had nothing left to report because life was finally good.

At the very least, check in once a week. Even just a single sentence or a happy or sad smiley face would suffice.

Nicole Barrett76 said:During those two weeks while you were sleeping or in a coma, did you experience anything at all? Any sounds, shadows, touches, a breeze, or perhaps any visions... like, could you perceive a difference between light and darkness... even just that, if nothing else...?

Did you feel them giving you IVs, or perhaps shaking you or slapping you, whatever?

Now that all of that has passed, do you feel as though some part of you has been changed forever? And do you think your family ever suspected that those voices coerced you into attempting suicide? Did they, for instance, ever suggest to you that when you heard the voices, you could have called for help?

Of course, if you find these questions too personal, you don't have to answer them.

Honestly, I didn't feel a thing, and I don't remember any of it.

Now that everything is over, do you feel like a part of you changed forever? And do you think your family ever suspected those voices were what pushed you toward suicide? For instance, did the voices tell you that when you heard them, you could have reached out for help?

To be honest, no. I don't really feel like some part of me has changed, especially not permanently...
My family? I don't think so, at least that's not the impression I got.
And yeah, they told me I should have called for help, blah blah blah, but it wasn't like they held it against me.

Robin Lopez2 said:Maybe the topic shifted because people living with schizophrenia are staying quiet about their struggles. Lately, we’ve seen here that this illness is truly a matter of life and death. No one is suggesting calling the cops as a first resort; rather, we suggest seeking professional psychiatric help. For us, nothing works except medication—psychotherapy and talking don't cut it.

The real question is whether this thread can actually help anyone. Can those of us dealing with this really speak openly about our burdens when, during a psychotic episode, nothing seems to matter because we feel like we own the universe?

Take you, for example. You left this discussion saying you were taking 1mg of Risperdal, that you landed a job, and that everything was great. Then you vanished for a long stretch, only to resurface now with the shocking news that you attempted suicide.

I was genuinely happy and proud of you for doing well and finding the right meds. I assumed your absence from the forum meant you simply had nothing left to report because life was finally good.

At the very least, check in once a week. Even just a single sentence or a happy or sad smiley face would suffice.

Look, some people take their meds and actually manage to pull themselves together to live a normal life, while others just sink deeper into the pit and go totally south, even when they're being strictly compliant with the prescription.

Pills handle the symptoms—it’s like if you’re bleeding out and you need to stop the flow—but you still have to address the actual root cause driving the psychosis in the first place.

David Vaughn75 said:Look, some people take their meds and actually manage to pull themselves together to live a normal life, while others just sink deeper into the pit and go totally south, even when they're being strictly compliant with the prescription.

Pills handle the symptoms—it’s like if you’re bleeding out and you need to stop the flow—but you still have to address the actual root cause driving the psychosis in the first place.

Does anyone actually know what that factor is?

Robin Lopez2 said:Does anyone actually know what that factor is?

Look, nobody’s nailed down the exact cause yet—but we do know that any kind of life frustration just acts like gasoline on a fire when it comes to fueling psychosis.

So, if you think about it, the best "cure" for psychosis is basically just living a decent, high-quality life.
The problem is, half the people out there don't even have a clue what a "quality life" actually looks like, which is why they end up sitting on a therapist's couch in the first place. Take a woman stuck in an abusive marriage, for example—she isn't just going to pack her bags and bolt immediately. You've got to dig into those deeper, messy psychological triggers that keep us paralyzed and stuck in place before anything actually changes.

My private therapist mentioned to me that while many people have a genetic predisposition toward schizophrenia, they never actually develop it because they live relatively stable, comfortable lives.

What's your take on that?

Robin Lopez2 said:My private therapist mentioned to me that while many people have a genetic predisposition toward schizophrenia, they never actually develop it because they live relatively stable, comfortable lives.

What's your take on that?

Could be true.

Back when life was cruising along smooth for me, I felt totally fine—but once all the real bullshit started hitting the fan, that's when everything finally broke.

Robin Lopez2 said:Maybe the topic shifted because people living with schizophrenia are staying quiet about their struggles. Lately, we’ve seen here that this illness is truly a matter of life and death. No one is suggesting calling the cops as a first resort; rather, we suggest seeking professional psychiatric help. For us, nothing works except medication—psychotherapy and talking don't cut it.

The real question is whether this thread can actually help anyone. Can those of us dealing with this really speak openly about our burdens when, during a psychotic episode, nothing seems to matter because we feel like we own the universe?

Take you, for example. You left this discussion saying you were taking 1mg of Risperdal, that you landed a job, and that everything was great. Then you vanished for a long stretch, only to resurface now with the shocking news that you attempted suicide.

I was genuinely happy and proud of you for doing well and finding the right meds. I assumed your absence from the forum meant you simply had nothing left to report because life was finally good.

At the very least, check in once a week. Even just a single sentence or a happy or sad smiley face would suffice.

I'll check in whenever I feel like it.🍿 Fine:😁, so I've laid out exactly what happened and how things spiraled. Perhaps hearing the other side of the story might be useful for those "healthy" caregivers within a family of patients.

David Vaughn75 said:Could be true.

Back when life was cruising along smooth for me, I felt totally fine—but once all the real bullshit started hitting the fan, that's when everything finally broke.

Well, things haven't exactly been smooth sailing for me either, so what else could it be if not that?

Noah Garcia4 said:Well, things haven't exactly been smooth sailing for me either, so what else could it be if not that?

Screw the past, man. We’re living here in the US right now, in the here and now, so we gotta focus on what's coming next and how we actually move forward.

David Vaughn75 said:Screw the past, man. We’re living here in the US right now, in the here and now, so we gotta focus on what's coming next and how we actually move forward.

That’s easy to say. I know exactly what my flaws are, and every night I tell myself things have to change. But then I wake up the next morning feeling like I'm under some kind of spell, falling right back into the same old patterns.

It’s been about six months since I was hospitalized and slapped with a schizophrenia diagnosis. Since then, I actually went out and sought a second opinion. Ended up getting a different diagnosis: F23, acute and transient mental disorders. My new psychiatrist over at JPMorgan Chase swapped out my old meds for something else entirely. All I can say is that my focus and memory are just... shot. There’s this constant mental fog hanging over everything. I’ve lost all interest in studying or even picking up a book. Now, I'm trying to track down some medication to help with concentration, but man, it’s proving to be a real headache to actually get my hands on. The intrusive thoughts? Gone. But I'm not the same person I used to be. Everything feels much louder now—I'm way more sensitive to any kind of negative input from the outside world.

Well, I guess I'm joining this thread too. My son got sick about a year ago. He was using way too much weed, and honestly, his whole life just flipped upside down in an instant. At first, the doctors had him under one diagnosis code, but now it's shifted to another. He tells me it's schizophrenia. It’s been brutal for all of us. I still haven't really come to terms with how sick he actually is. In the beginning, he didn't even realize anything was wrong, so he wouldn't take his meds—he'd just hide them or toss them out. He ended up in the hospital twice early last year. Things are slightly better now, I guess. But he’s still stuck in psychotic episodes and hears voices sometimes. I don't know a ton about the specifics because he won't talk about it. That's why I'm reaching out here... I just want to make things easier for him, but I need to understand what's going on in his head first. The doctor says he needs to talk about it, tell us what the voices are saying and all that, but he just shuts down. Should I push him? For those of you dealing with this, were you ever able to talk about it?
I have a million more questions, but that's where I'll start. If anyone feels like helping, I'd really appreciate it.
Reading what David Vaughn75 writes makes things feel a little easier. I'm always looking for some kind of hope, thinking maybe he'll get better or find some version of a normal life. Thanks if any of you can help.

Olivia Bishop8 said:Well, I guess I'm joining this thread too. My son got sick about a year ago. He was using way too much weed, and honestly, his whole life just flipped upside down in an instant. At first, the doctors had him under one diagnosis code, but now it's shifted to another. He tells me it's schizophrenia. It’s been brutal for all of us. I still haven't really come to terms with how sick he actually is. In the beginning, he didn't even realize anything was wrong, so he wouldn't take his meds—he'd just hide them or toss them out. He ended up in the hospital twice early last year. Things are slightly better now, I guess. But he’s still stuck in psychotic episodes and hears voices sometimes. I don't know a ton about the specifics because he won't talk about it. That's why I'm reaching out here... I just want to make things easier for him, but I need to understand what's going on in his head first. The doctor says he needs to talk about it, tell us what the voices are saying and all that, but he just shuts down. Should I push him? For those of you dealing with this, were you ever able to talk about it?
I have a million more questions, but that's where I'll start. If anyone feels like helping, I'd really appreciate it.
Reading what David Vaughn75 writes makes things feel a little easier. I'm always looking for some kind of hope, thinking maybe he'll get better or find some version of a normal life. Thanks if any of you can help.

In my view, does it truly matter what those voices are whispering, if the real issue lies in whether he is actually following their commands?

Very few patients actually succumb to the orders of these "voices," but if you want to understand the specific factors that lead someone to obey them, wouldn't it be worth your time to dig through some American medical journals and look up this exact term in bold:

"imperative auditory hallucination"

David Vaughn75 said:Look, nobody’s nailed down the exact cause yet—but we do know that any kind of life frustration just acts like gasoline on a fire when it comes to fueling psychosis.

So, if you think about it, the best "cure" for psychosis is basically just living a decent, high-quality life.
The problem is, half the people out there don't even have a clue what a "quality life" actually looks like, which is why they end up sitting on a therapist's couch in the first place. Take a woman stuck in an abusive marriage, for example—she isn't just going to pack her bags and bolt immediately. You've got to dig into those deeper, messy psychological triggers that keep us paralyzed and stuck in place before anything actually changes.

Thank god... finally someone else who isn't screaming that pills are the only way to fix cause and effect. 🙏

placidheron7 said:Thank god... finally someone else who isn't screaming that pills are the only way to fix cause and effect. 🙏

When it comes to psychosis, there is only one solution: medication (antipsychotics)!!!