For how long time have you been psychotic? And how long time did it take before your medication started to work? I had delusions for a year before I started to hear voices and was hospitalized. And it took months before the medication started to work. I still hear voices, but I have no delusions. Today I´m struggling with negative symptoms, which I think is more severe because of the long period of time I was psychotic. Excuse me for my english, it´s not my native language… Take care:-)
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Been ill for a few years now - mostly delusional with few voices. The negative symptoms are hard. Especially when they are confused as laziness. The meds don’t really help my lack of motivation. But I had good results with glycine and lysine (although the glycine stopped working after three weeks). Am hoping sarcosine can offer more.
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Mostly voices nowadays. Heard them today so I took an ativan. I’m not allowed to watch certain things on TV. They make me delusional. I had psychotic symptoms about six years ago when it first started while I worked at a big name store
My longest period living in pretty much day to day psychosis was 15 to 18. I was not in touch with this world very much in those years. I was in hospital from 17 to 18.
the med adjustment took a long time for me… now that hindsight is 20/20… I see that the problem with the meds was also due to my heavy drinking and drug use.
When I was 24 and finally getting clean and sober… it only took a few months for my meds to keep me more in this world.
About two and half years ago… Latuda was added and my meds were completely adjusted… It only took about 3 months for me to really start getting out of my flat negative wax build-up.
I’ve always had a few little glitches here and there. Once in a while… something will still trigger some of the head circus… But compared to my past, it’s been so mild.
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I got psychotic symptoms right away. I had a complete transformation, I was a shy, friendly quiet person before sz. My life has turned around big time. Negative symptoms are part of sz. I struggle with these also. Therapy can help. CBT, mindfulness meditation, behavior therapy, social and life skills. I’m managing pretty good but I have to keep working at it.
I was delusional at first for seven months more or less…took two months before they released me stable from the state hospital. I wrote a book about my delusional journey and it has small sales…but it’s out there for families that want to know what it’s like. (OUT OF IT an autobiography on the experience of schizophrenia.) anonymous…available on amazon.
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My illness started 18years ago, I was seriously ill for a year and a half, before being medicated with sulpiride and getting the worst akathisia ever. But the sulpiride did help a little and since I have been through just about every antipsychotic in the BNF. I’m still not well, very bad negative symptoms. Now it has been suggested that I should take clozapine but am giving quetiapine another chance first. Hopefully it works over the next few weeks.
since December of 2011. That’s a little over three years. Been a long three years. Psychosis makes time go by slowly. I like to do well despite it, it’s how I cope- I focus on being other labels than “schizophrenic”, like “weightlifter” and “honors student”.
It’s a hard life but it is not impossible…it’s best to know when things are impossible, though.
I don’t think anything is impossible that’s when you start to dream
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You’re english is pretty good. When you say for how long though… You can leave the word ‘time’ out of it. It is implied.
Good on you though for speaking two languages(at least) the nuances of each one take the longest.
Otherwise your post was spot on.
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since i was born
My worst bought of psychosis lasted 2 years, 19 - 21. To me this was my worst because it was new to me and i was aware and tortured.
I could breath for a bit until 23 ( today I admit, the clozeril had something to do with it.) This is when I got bad again and my symptoms changed. I didn’t talk much, unless I was screaming. I didn’t move or shower myself a lot and I don’t recall much. Then again I was practically in a coma from all those emergency injections… I think it hurt the people around me more than myself. This lasted for about 1 year and slowly diminishing.
Today I am 25… and in a way i consider myself to be better than i ever have been since this happened to me. On the other hand i just don’t feel alive anymore at all. I miss those sharp feelings…Still everyday is a challenge but my life is livable :).
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Absolutely, I think being aware of your limitations is necessary for people with sz.
That’s how it is for me but you can learn to work your way around the obstacles sz puts in the way.
It started in 5th grade. Became a problem for society when I hit age 20
Thank you for your replies. I understand now that one and a half year isn´t that long… Everywhere I read about the importance of early treatment of psychosis, and I have been thinking that my condition today would have been better if I had been put on medication earlier. But some of you have been psychotic for years… It puts my experience in perspective. I just can´t figure out what to do with my situation today! I find no joy in anything anymore, I can´t read and write, which was my job before I got sick, I´m slow and boring, not my self at all. For how long will this condition last?? It´s been like that for a year, more or less since I got treatment.
Guess I forgot to answer the original question…
Crossing into the 2 year territory.
Things have gotten a lot better but it’s all about management. I can slip sometimes into a terribly frustrated state. Have to get a full nights sleep to shake it.
Keep doing your homework on the illness. Sounds like you’re dealing with negative symptoms.
A lot of people will tell you to take the meds you need and just power through it, but my mind just wouldn’t work at higher doses.
I struggle with lack of interest in things. Basically talking on here is the only thing that keeps me going.
With the proper attention and lifestyle you should be able to live a happy life. It’ll take time but someday your psychosis might fall into the past and from their it’s just preventing relapse.
my longest psychotic episode was 6 weeks, which is mild compared.
in between the episodes i had in the past, i suffer no syptoms
I’ve been psychotic for a long time, most of my life. And your English is fine, keep up the good work!! 
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I think someone else said since I was born. I agree with that statement. By society’s standards, since I was born. I take my medication and go to see my therapist (He is a very very good therapist) However, I am learning it is okay to be different, nonconforming, unique, etc. I do not have to follow society’s standards anymore if they don’t fit me. I still suffer sometimes. That never goes away; but, even in my suffering and psychosis, I am still me. May you each be the me within you.