Schizophrenia Support Group

I know this will make me sound like a demon-y doctor liker, but you should look into getting hospitalized to adjust medication. I know it sounds scary but it's not, it's quite cozy. I have problems going places alone but there there is always someone else. It's a small unit and it makes a close little family. Plus you can be more open and talk about crazy things to them, they'll think it's cool because heck, they can say to themselves when they leave "Wow, I got to meet a person with hallucinations." Maybe you'll get lucky and meet another person there with schizophrenia stuff! That'd be awesome! And for hallucinations, I can usually tell they're not really real even if they're ordinary because they're TOO real. Like, I'll see it in my mind's eye too or something. It's just like SUPER real. It's hard to explain.

You don't sound like a demon doctor. But I am terrified to be hospitalized. I've been to the psych ward twice now, but both times it was the adolescent ward cause I was under 18. At the first place we had to walk through the adult ward to get to our ward. And one time they "borrowed" the isolation room to strap down a screaming woman. I am terrified of the adult ward. And I don't know if it's possible for me to have my meds adjusted to fix this. I've been on a couple different anti-psychotics over the last few years and it never helps, at least not enough. They never even keep the voices away. Some of the people I've met in psych wards really scare me and I couldn't even put a locked door between me and them. My problems have been progressively getting worse. The only times I haven't hallucinated or heard voices in the last i don't know how many years, my psych had me on so many meds I don't remember much of that week. Maybe three or four snippits. I want my independence back, not taken away.

Hi there, I read your post last night and have thought about it a lot since then. You're an extremely well-spoken and smart person - you're going through quite a crisis right now.

I'm the mom of a bright young man with schizophrenia. Maybe one of my ideas can help you. First of all, you don't have to go to the hospital to adjust your meds. Even tiny adjustments can help so much. Go to your doctor and start that process. I know it's frustratingly slow, but be persistent and hang in there. Those little changes can make a huge difference.

You're having a lot of anxiety, which probably makes your symptoms much worse. Talk to your doctor about some anti-anxiety medication.

Try to get 8 or 9 hours of sleep each night, at the same time. Get up and drink some tea (coffee is too anxiety-producing) and get a little exercise in the morning, to help get you going. Those meds can really make you tired in the morning, I know.

Think about getting a service dog. I know that you already have a dog, but service dogs are trained to help you through a crisis, to keep you safe, to keep you out of harm's way, and you're allowed to take them anywhere with you.

You're so smart - perhaps you could take an online class or two, something you enjoy that isn't too stressful, a step in the direction of a future in which schizophrenia is a side-note in your life, not a prison. Because really, things are getting so much better for people who suffer from schizophrenia. People go to college, get married, have fulfilling lives, and contribute a great deal to society because of all they've gone through.

Try to reach out in small ways to other people - send a card, make cookies, say a kind word. These things are a great way to bring some joy to your life.

Try to get some exercise every day. Those endorphins really help make us feel mentally stronger, better able to cope. Try to get your heart rate up for at least 20 minutes a day.

Consider light therapy - full spectrum light bulbs and/or a light box have helped my son tremendously. Only 20 minutes a day makes a huge difference. His doctor, who runs a mental hospital, recommended this, it really works.

Pay attention to your nutrition. Junk food will make you feel worse. Make sure you get omega 3s and/or 6s each day (fish oil, olive oil, flax oil). These are essential for a healthy brain.

You'll naturally feel better as you get older, I promise, so please hang onto that. But also more medications and better treatments are just around the corner. Hang in there. I can see by your post that you're a very sensitive and intelligent person, and that you have a lot to give. Your mother is lucky to have you as a daughter.

I too suffer from agoriphobia which sounds like you are going through. I can only leave the house with a safe person. SHe is my only safe person and my wife. Even if I do leave the house with her, it can get bad and we will have to leave what we are doing. It sounds like your safe people are your parents. Which leaves you trapped in the house a lot. I am stuck all day long during the week. I have zero friends and it has been a while since I have had any real friends. The very last friend I lost assulted me because I asked him for a favor. It was a verbal assult, but it hurt worst than a physical assult. If the law recognized verbal assults as a crime, I would have pressed charges and he would have got a felony. Do you have any friends that you can go out with? I hope everything starts getting better for you. Maybe you can find a med that will help with that. So far I have been on 15 different physc meds but nothing has helped with any of my symptoms. I really hope that you have better luck than I do. Best of wishes to you.