As this is a subject many of us, including me, wonder about.
Here’s something I posted about 4-6 weeks after starting Consta.
06/11/2009
Had my injection on Wednesday. My care co ordinator who usually gives me
my injection thinks i might need to see my consultant again. I explained
to her that although the injection helps me to be less paranoid and
prone to weird thoughts it
doesn’t do much for my lack of motivation- that sometimes i don’t get
dressed for several days at a time and don’t like going out of my flat much.
She thinks i might be depressed.I told her i don’t feel as though i’m
depressed,that i either feel too little ie blah/grey or feel too much
ie negative emotions.
When i explained further(that the lack of motivation/not wanting to get
dressed etc had been going on for quite a while) she said the lack of
motivation sounds like a chronic rather than acute problem and could be
a negative symptom of my illness.
Left to my own devices my motivation would still not be good , but it’s my opinion that having someone chasing you up, ie gently but firmly encouraging you ,
can make some difference.
Since I finally realized that what I had was a illness called schizophrenia, I was shocked and then fell into the swamp of depression. This depression lasted for nearly 5 years during which I had ltiile motivation. Even taking for a walk everyday was an effort. My legs just did not have the strength to move fast. Now the depression has come to an end and I gradually have the motivation to make life meaningful.
schizophrenia causes the negative symptoms but maybe aps worsen them. I have periods of extreme and severe negative symptoms and periods when I am relatively ok. today I have no energy at all. I can’t even move. I think it’s the illness