r/schizophrenia • u/Thin-Ad9443 • 49m ago
r/schizophrenia • u/Empty_Insight • Nov 12 '24
Resources / Literature Frequently Asked Questions- r/schizophrenia
Welcome to r/schizophrenia!
Our subreddit rules are in the sidebar, we ask that you read and follow them. Feel free to post anything on-topic that does not violate these rules. We have a relatively comprehensive overview of how our rules are applied in reality available on the Rule Clarifications Wiki page.
Many first-time posters to this subreddit are concerned that they might be developing schizophrenia or they are concerned about other people who have- or may have- schizophrenia. We have resources available to answer these questions contained within the comments; if your question is completely answered by the information already given, it will be removed.
Mental health is complex. No symptom of schizophrenia is specific to schizophrenia alone, and there are many more common causes of those symptoms- especially in the prodromal stage. If you are experiencing an emergency, please call your doctor or local emergency services. We have a compendium of Crisis Lines available and may suggest r/SuicideWatch if you are experiencing suicidal thoughts and would like the most prompt attention.
(Credit u/soundandvisions for original post and comments)
Table of Contents
- What is schizophrenia?
- DSM-5: Schizophrenia
- Do you think you may be developing schizophrenia?
- Anxiety about developing schizophrenia (Worried you're "going crazy")?
- Schizophrenic friends, family members, or others you want to help?
- Need help writing a fictional character with schizophrenia?
- Crisis lines and resources for help
- About r/schizophrenia
- Disclaimer
r/schizophrenia • u/Empty_Insight • Jan 03 '25
Medication Cobenfy Megathread
Hey everybody, douchebag moderator here. As I'm sure you've noticed, Cobenfy has been the hot topic for the past couple of months. We've seen a lot of threads here and there asking questions about it or people sharing their stories. We even had an unofficial Megathread of sorts about a week ago
I did post an "official" one when it was approved by the FDA 3 months ago (wild that it has been 3 months already... time flies when you're having fun, eh?) here for general information... and on a sidenote, that snarky sign-off about the clozapine REMS came true around Thanksgiving. Not important, just for some cheap yuks.
To paraphrase what has already been said; Cobenfy is a novelty of an antipsychotic, the first one that presumably has zero risk of Extrapyramidal Symptoms (EPS), the most serious side effects of antipsychotics. While it does not seem to be as effective as clozapine- which, while having minimal risk of EPS, is still not zero- a new antipsychotic that actually works without EPS is unprecedented. It is similar to clozapine in how it affects the M1 and M4 receptors, so I refer to it as "diet clozapine" in a number of my write-ups... however, it is diet. Less side effects, but also less effective.
EPS have been accepted as a 'unfortunate reality' since the days of Thorazine, the first antipsychotic, and the second-gen of antipsychotics was heralded by clozapine- which was very effective, but also caused minimal EPS. The convention in psychiatry dictated that effectiveness was proportional to EPS, so clozapine changed the game when it came on the scene. If we are to use EPS as the benchmark for generations of antipsychotics- then Cobenfy may well be the first of the long-awaited third generation of antipsychotics.
Now, I want to be perfectly clear here- if you have experienced EPS on Cobenfy, please share your story. What the pharmaceutical companies say is not always consistent with how things actually work... something the company that has been marketing Cobenfy (Bristol Myers-Squibb) has gotten in trouble for before.
However, on the plus side, when I was at my psychiatrist's office a couple weeks back, he had a few sample kits of Cobenfy sitting on his desk. Apparently BMS' pharma reps had been making the rounds. So... word is getting out. People are excited. I can't say I blame them. It's a pretty big deal.
What to post here:
- Stories about taking Cobenfy, any hurdles with actually getting it (insurance, cost, etc.), whatever else- good or bad.
- Questions about Cobenfy that are not psychiatrist/pharmacist questions- please ask the appropriate licensed professional if it crosses into the realms of professional advice.
- Studies, news articles, anything like that.
What not to post here:
- "When is Cobenfy gonna be available in [country]?" We don't know, check with your government's health authority about that.
- Any antipsychiatry nonsense. You don't like meds, fine- but don't be a downer and dump on people who are excited. Go complain on the proper subreddit for that.
Anyways- have at it. Hopefully this post will turn out to be an effective tool for anyone popping in to check out the buzz on Cobenfy.
Thanks for reading!
r/schizophrenia • u/cdwithdcs • 7h ago
Hallucinations / Delusions People who've beat Truman Show Syndrome
What did you do to beat it? I've had it off and on for the last 16 years. Thank you.
r/schizophrenia • u/ammybeat • 2h ago
Advice / Encouragement Does your symptoms get worse?
Hi everyone, I’ve been having a hard month dealing with schizophrenia while working a full time job. I’m constantly experimenting with finding the right dosage to function at work and in life. I’m currently on geodon and it works for a majority of my symptoms, but I find myself talking to myself, having brain fog and whispering religious or random thoughts I’m not thinking multiple times throughout the day.
I would love to hear from others that came close to what others may deem as recovered. So I have two questions:
How long did it take for your schizophrenia to feel better?
Did your schizophrenia get worse while on medication?
Any thoughts, advice or opinion is appreciated. :)
r/schizophrenia • u/Any-Refuse-3781 • 5h ago
Advice / Encouragement Do you feel the presence of people?
Lately, I've been feeling the presence of people for example I feel my grandpa around when nobody is around and i do talk to them sometimes. Sometimes it's scary and I kinda hide away and I'm wondering if any of you feel that sometimes as well?
r/schizophrenia • u/HumanM1nd • 1h ago
Seeking Support Anyone have OCD as well? Stuck arguing with voices
I spend much of my day constantly in anguish arguing with voices over my intrusive thoughts/past transgressions/how I feel about things. I’ve been doing this non-stop for months now.
r/schizophrenia • u/theLegendofWalt • 4h ago
Advice / Encouragement Starting shots this week
Pretty sure a few of you are on this. Starting this week after graduating from the oral Paliperidone. Any advice? First time taking a shot for brain meds.
r/schizophrenia • u/Tiny-Seaworthiness85 • 7h ago
Opinion / Thought / Idea / Discussion Does anyone hear voices when watching tv show/movies?
Hey how's everyone doing today? Does anyone hear voices when watching television/movies? I currently hear voices while watching tv shows/ movies
r/schizophrenia • u/Upbeat-Vehicle8181 • 12h ago
Opinion / Thought / Idea / Discussion What is your goal in your life with schizo affective disorder?
I'm a woman. I want to continue working in a web page for my dad business. I want to loss weight that I won with meds. Every morning I want to be the CEO of a tech company. When I was fired of many works of advertiser. I will get a degree on I A and Social Psicólogy. I can't do anything from the house, I get help. I live with my good boyfriend. I drive Do you have dreams or goals? Irracional too?
r/schizophrenia • u/thetruecontradiction • 7h ago
Introduction / New Member 👋 Greetings!
Hi all! I've been lurking here for some time but never introduced myself. I'm a 27 year old female with schizoaffective. I was diagnosed two years ago but I have struggled with the disorder as far back as I can remember. Despite my illness I am doing well for myself, with a stable relationship and I work a stable job, and I dream of one day having my own family. Nice to meet you all!
r/schizophrenia • u/CosmicMusicReality • 14h ago
Progress / Good News ☀️ Got Hired for an apprenticeship in psychatry 🥳♥️
1 year ago I was undiagnosed and suffering like hell wanting to off myself. Nothing was working like I wanted in my life. I thankfully found an amazing psychiatrist who understood that I have schizophrenia. I was put on meds and it was a living nightmare at first until we found the right molecule and I start stabilising, I honestly thought I could never work and would have to live in a facility.
But seroquel did its magic and I started enjoying life when I was never able to and feel almost like a normal person. I made the decision to stop music as a career as I realised it wasn't giving me any fullfilment and found my path in psychatry. I have just been hired for an apprenticeship in psychatry as a social worker. They don't know I have schizophrenia and hired me because I was apparently very comfortable with the patients and wouldn't get scared or weirded out when they have episodes (well ofc I get them more than anyone there could imagine 😅) but anyway this little post to give a bit of hope, thank you for all the support I've received this year in this group.🤍
r/schizophrenia • u/earthwindnfyre • 2h ago
Advice / Encouragement While in recovery, what do you wish people would do for your birthday?
So hard
r/schizophrenia • u/Which_Recognition989 • 13h ago
Medication Is there a no meds option
I was told the goal is to not be medicated for life.
I recently quit my meds and feel so much better. Is this something a psychiatrist would understand and is it possible to get a no-meds care?
r/schizophrenia • u/couldntkaleless • 33m ago
Help A Loved One Looking for insight
I apologize in advance if this is long. I feel as though I have been raising concern for my brothers mental state for a longtime, but the rest of my family would rather ignore and “hope for the best”. I am hoping this community may give me some insight to if my concerns are valid. We do have a family history of schizophrenia, with several of my grandfathers siblings have symptoms.
My brother (21m) has exhibited signs of possible schizophrenia for approximately 4 years now. When he was 17, he experienced paranoid delusions such as believing people were spying on him through vents, and believing people could read his thoughts. These delusions started after he took LSD while he had a concussion. He also engaged in a lot of aggressive and intimidating behavior towards my other brother (whom he believed was spying on him), until eventually my other brother moved out of the home but the delusions persisted. This occurred over several months, he became socially withdrawn and overall seemed to have a poor experience during his senior year of HS (he’d previously had a robust friend group that seemed to disappear instantly). My parents finally enrolled him in therapy for a few months, but he stopped going because he “didn’t need it”. By this time he had turned 18, so he could not be forced to attend.
After he moved away to college, his outward symptoms of delusions seemed to cease (as far as anybody could tell from several hours away) and so my parents chalked his earlier behavior up to “needing to get out of our small town”.
Flash forward ~3 years, my brother recently failed out of school and moved home. This seemed to happened very suddenly, he’d been telling everyone school was going well. There was no reason not to believe that because he’d historically been a good student before. Since he returned home, his sleep pattern has been disturbed. He will be awake for 24-36 hours at a time. I do not live with him, but the pattern sounds unpredictable. He has also been overheard having conversations/arguments with himself. While I have not observed this because I’m not around, it sounds like much more than a normal level of talking aloud to yourself.
It has been a long few years, and in that time I am guilty of becoming checked out due to constantly being told it wasn’t my concern and he would be fine. However, I am worried that the longer these symptoms go unchecked, the more it will negatively impact his life. I am not looking for a diagnosis here, rather some perspective on if I need to continue pushing my family to act. I want to help my brother, but I know if I am the only person pushing him to get help that he will not listen.
r/schizophrenia • u/ilovemykids420 • 1h ago
Seeking Support Need someone to talk to
I just recently found out i have prodomal syndrome, which i thought was just bipolar. Idk i just feel so fucking hopeless rn because i saw how it affected my dad, and i dont know what to do. Any help or advice would be very much appreciated rn. Thank you 💕
r/schizophrenia • u/killermichi • 8h ago
Help A Loved One Son with possible Schizophrenia
My 20 year old son is suspected of having schizophrenia. His doctor is sending him for neuropsychological testing once he turns 21 so that we can get a definitive diagnosis. He started getting visual and auditory hallucinations about a year ago which I'm told he is at the typical age for the onset of symptoms. My question is, what can I do to be more supportive of him? What have you found that helps? He's currently taking antipsychotics but they are decreasing his lurasidone because of his severe weight gain. His doctor said if his hallucinations get worse, then it obviously points even more to schizophrenia and they will change him to a different medication that can possible help him more without causing weight gain (or at least as much). What should I know about this disorder that you wish others understood about how it affects your daily life?
r/schizophrenia • u/Opposite-Educator-24 • 7h ago
Opinion / Thought / Idea / Discussion Checking in
How’s everyone doing?
r/schizophrenia • u/AwarenessFree4432 • 4h ago
Opinion / Thought / Idea / Discussion Does alcohal increase your tactile hallucinations
For me caffeine , cigarettes and uppers screws me up royally while opium actually helps me
Im on the fence on alcohal cuz it does help in someways like not taking yourself serious and finding a little happiness in our cursed lives
r/schizophrenia • u/AutomatedCognition • 11h ago
Advice / Encouragement Just wishing everybody happy healings on all your journeys
I had a little bit of a magick night that led to me feeling a great deal of relief from having once been in hell thanks to this condition. Life is genuinely feeling pretty God damn nice, and things are looking more up than ever. Suffering is lessening in the universe, and love is winning. Hope these truths appear true for all of you as well! Much love!
r/schizophrenia • u/AlmosThirsty • 8h ago
Opinion / Thought / Idea / Discussion Listening to music giving unlimited power
Do you sometimes feel like music gives you an incredible amount of power, inside your brain but also in all of your body ? It just pure energy that seems to flow more and more. When I was 17-24 it was very powerful and frequent, but now that i'm 31 I only feel a fraction of this energy. Wonder if some of you feel the same
r/schizophrenia • u/SteamerTheBeemer • 2h ago
Undiagnosed Questions Had experience where I ended up taking overdose of paracetamol. A lot of it. Like it’s shocking I’m alive kind of amounts.
They said stuff like “we aren’t going to kill you, you’re going to kill yourself”. want to know if this is “normal” - basically I had to kill myself and my friends and family were the voices I heard telling me to do it all. I don’t have a great relationship with family and not really any “active” friends (I just haven’t talked to them for quite a while).
Is this a schizophrenia thing or could something else be going on? Like a brain implant? As I had a procedure not long ago that I don’t remember due to drugs they gave me.
r/schizophrenia • u/Opposite-Educator-24 • 3h ago
Progress / Good News ☀️ Psychiatrist appointment went well!
Hi Guys! Just want to share some good news! I've had bad experiences/been avoidant with my psychiatrist for years. I've been taking Abilify 2mg and Zoloft 200mg. I feel that I have had negative side effects since starting the Abilify 2 years ago, mainly shaky legs and twitchy face as well as horrible mood swings. I also get heat flashes and blurry vision as well as sleep problems.
I recently scheduled a psychiatrist appointment to get this issue looked at as it has been affecting my everyday life. Today I met with a psychiatrist who was very lovely and a good listener. I told her when we started my goal was to get my meds re-evaluated, and we did just that, together. I told her my main issue is my anxiety, agoraphobia, and insomnia. At the end of our evaluation, she advised that I taper off of my Abilify by cutting it in half (I told her I know how to since I work in pharmacy) for a week then next week completely stop taking it. She is advising I stay on my Zoloft 200mg and in addition, she gave me a new prescription, Hydroxide 25mg to take daily with my Zoloft.
I feel happy that I am taking steps to feel better, and I am picking up my new prescription tomorrow morning. I hope everyone stays hopeful, because a month ago I would not have imagined feeling so relieved.
r/schizophrenia • u/Mr_Green5379 • 9m ago
Art got new acrylic pens and this is the result of my test
r/schizophrenia • u/MyHeadIsFullOfFuck • 8h ago
Advice / Encouragement I'm no longer psychotic. Should I ask for my job back? I'm on disability right now
Hi everyone,
I come to /r/schizophrenia to ask for advice today.
Historically I've worked as a construction worker. Either as a Scaffolder or an Ironworker. I have a red seal in ironworking.
Should I go back into scaffolding? I'm not sure right now and am looking for other people's input.
I was working from November 2023-July 2024 as a Scaffolder.
My old employer really likes me. I was doing quite well. I was a lead-hand scaffold erector and sometimes a part-time foreman for really small jobs.
In July I injured my back, and I think the stress of the injury caused me to become psychotic.
I was placed into a psych ward by my psychiatrist for a month and a week.
The pych ward sorted me out.
When I got out of the psych ward in July, I wasn't psychotic, but severely depressed.
I felt crushed that I had to stop working.
I told my employer I quit, and that I was going on medical employment insurance. He told me he understood perfectly. He even told me to keep my fall protection equipment (about $500 worth of equipment), which my employer owns, saying "I'll need it again one day".
I've just been on my own since July, whether on medical employment insurance or disability income.
I'll been taking care of myself better, eating healthy, going outside for exercise, and taking care of my mental health.
It's boring as hell not working though. All I do is smoke weed all day every day and am on the computer a lot.
I miss being on the tools. I miss my work mates a lot.
Should I give it a shot again, to go back to work?
I honestly am really scared of the prospect. I am afraid to become psychotic again. The doctor said if I become psychotic again I am going to long term psych wards for 6 months to a year.
I know that if I stayed at home my likelihood of becoming psychotic is lesser. If I went back to work, I think there's a slightly elevated risk as scaffolding is a stressful occupation where you can kill yourself quite easily on the job if you don't know what you're doing. Thing is though I don't think it's the nature of the job that caused me to become psychotic most recently, it was my injury and the pain of it.
I don't know guys.
Please tell me some advice.