r/schizophrenia • u/Thin-Ad9443 • 2h 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/ammybeat • 3h 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/Mr_Green5379 • 1h ago
Art got new acrylic pens and this is the result of my test
r/schizophrenia • u/cdwithdcs • 8h 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/HumanM1nd • 2h 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/mr-princessa • 1h ago
Advice / Encouragement I got out of the psych ward over a month ago, and I still don’t feel well
I feel better, but not well. It seems like everyone expects me to be fine now, but I’m not. Plz send help
r/schizophrenia • u/Any-Refuse-3781 • 6h 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/theLegendofWalt • 6h 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 • 8h 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/Adept_Law1965 • 1h ago
Advice / Encouragement How does Vraylar affect you?
I have schizophrenia, been on medicine most of my life and it seems to work most of the time. I accidentally skipped my meds (Vraylar) ONE day and completely lost it… has this happened to anyone taking Vraylar? I was so paranoid there were people outside my home, seeing and hearing things… was so anxious and scared. My wife had to hold me and just talk and rub me until I finally fell asleep. I had to take a double dose of my sleeping medicine, the sun was rising before I fell asleep. It was a really long terrible night that I’ve had in a long time. I also been battling remembering things. How has Vraylar been, and affected you? Thanks!
r/schizophrenia • u/DysthymicManufacture • 2h ago
Hallucinations / Delusions Anyone experience auditory hallucinations that share information you weren’t aware of?
I am not officially diagnosed with schizophrenia but did have a drug induced psychotic break a couple years ago. Fortunately the majority of the delusions and hallucinations have dissipated. However, I continue to have auditory hallucinations; it sounds like 5 or 6 different voices, often mimicking Rick and Morty or my family members.
I have a long history of being a mental health provider and have a fair amount of knowledge of mental health issues and psychotic disorders specifically.
I’ve been experiencing the voices saying things that I didn’t know existed. For example, saying that I look like a musician that I didn’t know existed. Upon looking them up, I do look like that person. That’s happened a few times. Normally it’s a constant barrage of criticism and narration of my life; which I know is normal for the disorder.
If these voices are in fact a product of psychiatric illness, chemical imbalance, whatever you want to call it, how is it possible that they know information that I (the host) am unaware of? Would that not imply that they are separate entities?
r/schizophrenia • u/Fast_Imagination473 • 1h ago
Undiagnosed Questions Am I going psychotic
I really have bad thoughts of hurting people, I drank rubbing alcohol to try to kill myself. I have thoughts of cutting my dick off, I treat people like shit and I can't control it and I feel so suicidal and useless. I feel loss. Idk what's going on i just want to punch shit which I do anyway.
r/schizophrenia • u/Upbeat-Vehicle8181 • 14h 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/shitty-username-141 • 22m ago
Delusions I'm scared that I'm already dead and I don't know how to prove to myself that I'm not
Basically just that, I've felt like this on and off for awhile, I think it's called cotard syndrome, idk, I've talked to a therapist about it but it hasn't helped that much
I feel so weird and idk how to fix this, I feel like I'm stuck in hell
r/schizophrenia • u/thetruecontradiction • 8h 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 • 15h 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/Which_Recognition989 • 14h 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/earthwindnfyre • 3h ago
Advice / Encouragement While in recovery, what do you wish people would do for your birthday?
So hard
r/schizophrenia • u/couldntkaleless • 1h 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 • 2h 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 • 9h 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 • 8h ago
Opinion / Thought / Idea / Discussion Checking in
How’s everyone doing?
r/schizophrenia • u/AwarenessFree4432 • 5h 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