any messages of hope…
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Good meds, good herbs, good stimulation of brain and also mind,
There’s a way out for sure,
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Yes. There’s plenty of meds to try. There’s one out there that will work for you ! Keep trying.
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Yes, there are those of us who are functional or semi-functional. For me, I became more functional through medication. 
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Make the right choices. Do things that are good for you. Which gives you the idea that you will continue. Walk in the right direction. Focus on healthy things. God will always help you. peace
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You are a good person you will get through this and with the medication I think it’s trial and error
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In1980 I was diagnosed with paranoid schizophrenia. I was 19. That first year was spent in a group home. It was a program that believed they could treat mental illness without medication or hospitalization. It didn’t work for me and I suffered badly the year I spent there.
I didn’t get relief from scary, horrible symptoms for even a minute the entire time I was there. After a year I was asked to leave after a misunderstanding. I moved back in with my parents but I only lasted a couple of weeks before I was put in a psyche ward. I stayed there two weeks and then my parents arranged to have me put in a long term locked psychiatric facility.
I spent 8 months there with 70 or 75 very disturbed people. I saw some pretty strange people in there and some pretty strange stuff. But it was more hell and more suffering for me. After 8 months I got released into a Residential Treatment Home. Basically a program that had at least one trained counselor and staff there 24 hours a day. It was a nice home in a nice neighborhood. I started to get better. Everybody in the house ate together took turns cooking, were assigned chores, and we had two weekly mandatory meetings.
I enrolled in a vocational program and 9 months later I got a job. I ended up staying at the job for four years despite still being occasionally psychotic and being addicted to drugs the last year I was there.
Now I’m 56 and I’m looking back at being almost steadily employed for the last 35 years. Now I live in my own in a nice, clean apartment with one roommate. I have a nice car and I get out most days. My symptoms are not a intense as when I first got diagnosed. Not even close. I often have peace of mind, everything slows down and my mind stops racing.
I take care of myself and see my sisters once a week or more and we have dinner. I’ve been at my janitors job for almost 5 years.
When I first got sick, I was nothing special. Just a kid with a horrible disease. I had no clue that I would ever get better. Anyone seeing me back than would never have thought I would ever work again or go to school or do anything in my life. But I’ve done tons of fun stuff, I’ve traveled a little, I’ve had friends, I got rid of my drug problem. I often felt hopeless in the beginning but with the help of family and therapists and medication I have managed to accomplish some stuff.
You just have to keep plugging along and keep going. You have a chance that things will get better. I’ve seen too many success stories to ever give up on myself or others.
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What are your difficulties with this disease?
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Just keep trying your best. Keep working to improve. There are always ways to improve.
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Trust your instincts
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at first I never thought I would ever be happy…one day I decided to live for God. have ever since and I since then have found happiness. Life is what you make it…please work with your pdoc and get your meds in order. if the ones you are on aren’t working tell them that and they can fix it. hang on brother. @karl
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My message would be, do not aim for the good from the beginning but aim for the “not too bad.” Try to find not too bad moments in your life. Try to think how to have such moments more often. If you can find them you just build up from there. If you can appreciate not too bad situations I’m sure you can enjoy the recovery process.
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Seems like there will be a drug with no side effects releasing soon which helps with negative symptoms as well:
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You are a winner. You did not let disease win.
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I was very badly ill. But I got so much better to the point of it’s like I’m cured. Getting on the right medicine and right dose and if things in your brain line up right it’s almost like a miracle. I had 2 major psychotic breakdowns and many minor ones but I got better and it’s been great.
I had a med increase back in January after getting worse again but ever since then I’ve been doing amazing! It just takes time that’s all. I’m on disability now and I make a really good amount of money to where I never have to work again and I save thousands a month thanks to the US military veteran system
My life has been great ever since I stopped working and even better since my meds increase in January. So it does get better. And it will. Everyone is just different! Take care!
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I have had my illness for 37 years (exactly today). I was badly ill for a long time but the whole time I felt and stated “I am getting better.” Slowly over the past 15 years or so I have markedly improved. About 6 months ago I believe my delusions faded away. I credit the new type of anti-psychotic meds.
What I believe works for me is: 1. Taking anti-psychotic meds every day, 2. The love of my mother in particular, but love from others as well, and 3. Keeping a good attitude as much as possible.
I have felt the hand of God along the way, but we cannot discuss that on this web community.
It’s encouraging that science is moving forward with the medical treatment of this disease.
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My life is normal except I take meds and have a few side effects. Job ,family,Home, church,a few good friends. I would be alone and homeless without meds. I couldn’t work and am totally phsycotic without meds. Takes time to recover time to addapt to be meds. Time to rebuild your life. Patience
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I fought this illness, (sza), for 33 years before the medication technology had evolved to such a degree as it could finally help me. Sometimes it just takes time. For instance, I’m on three different AP’s right now. Sometimes it takes being on more than just one or two AP’s.
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There is a light in all of it. Never give up. It’s hell but you move forward and fight for some solace,a break.
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I was struggling with my schizoaffective disorder for a very long time and still have my daily struggles. I’ve been in and out of hospitals since I was 16. I wasn’t opening up in therapy and I wasn’t on the right meds, I didn’t feel heard. Eventually I took action. I decided to go to a different clinic for therapy and groups, I got on new meds which have helped my mental health improve a lot. I haven’t been in the hospital for psych reasons for a few months, an all time record since age 16. I am now 25. I’m a college student and I’m exceeding in college, I drive, I have my own apartment and my meds are working. There’s still some minor adjustments that need to happen but I am starting to feel somewhat stable now. Overtime, with the right meds, the voices become less frequent and more manageable. I used to always be paranoid and I still am but not as much as I was then. I can function now. My psychotic episodes are less frequent and don’t last as long. I am reaching the point of stability. It IS possible.
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