Can the progression of Schizophrenia be deliberately slowed down with treatment/medication/supplements? I need treatment right now

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As of today I am in the final stage of schizophrenia, and I experiencing the negative symptoms - like anhedonia and lack of motivation. But the thing is… I am not completely anhedonic, meaning I still feel pleasure and emotion. You don’t become anhedonic overnight; in my particular situation, it is a gradual process. It’s been several years since I first noticed I was becoming more and more anhedonic, my ability to feel pleasure and emotion was gradually declining over the years. At some point I realized I was enjoying music less and less.

When you listen to a song or watch a music video that you enjoy, for example, you feel something - that happy feeling, “stimulation”, aroused, or excitement, however you describe it. I did things I enjoyed, like watching music videos on the internet, several days a week, and I realized that the satisfaction or stimulation I got from watching the music videos, and other things I enjoyed, was steadily decreasing, week by week. I guess I could say it happened in real time because I was observing or watching as it happened. That “stimulation” a healthy person would feel from doing an activity they enjoyed, was disappearing, in my case. It’s been a handful of years, and I still am not completely anhedonic, as in I still feel a sense of pleasure, just not nearly as much as I used to.

Currently on a scale of 1 to 100, just to describe my experience, I have lost at least 50 percent of my sense of pleasure, if I compare how much pleasure I’m able to feel right now, to how much pleasure I was able to feel several years ago - before I started experiencing negative symptoms. I’ve had schizophrenia since adolescence, but I always could feel pleasure during my schizophrenia then, pleasure to the maximum degree. Then the years went by, and during my middle 20’s the anhedonia initiated.

Right now, I can still enjoy music to some degree. Other activities like socializing, browsing the internet, consuming food and drink, I still enjoy, even though I am in the process of losing my sense of pleasure.

So, what I would like to know is: Can the progression of my anhedonia be ‘deliberately slowed down’ somehow? Can I fight it with medication or a supplement like vitamins? Like Omega 3’s?

Or am I simply doomed? I’m willing to try anything that is sensible or practical, as soon as possible.

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Maybe what you enjoy has just changed? That’s what happened to me i also still enjoy eating and browsing the internet but I couldn’t do music videos

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I didn’t read your whole post. It was too long. But schizophrenia is not a neurodegenerative disorder. It’s not progressive. With treatment you can recover, but not everyone does.

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Welcome to the forms @Schizo123451

The positive symptoms of schizophrenia (Hallucinations and delusions) can be completely eliminated in some cases if you are lucky and if you find the right medication. Some people are known as “Treatment Resistant” and nothing helps them. There are no guarantees, you just have to try different medications until you find something that hopefully works. Everyone reacts differently to the various medications that are available.

The negative symptoms of schizophrenia (Like lack of pleasure, loss of interest in hobbies, cognitive decline) are harder to treat. Some people improve with medication but some do not. This is an area where a lot more research needs to be done and treatments need to be found.

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Welcome to the forum, @Schizo123451!!

I agree with what @Headspark said. Just gotta keep trying different meds to find which one(s) help you the most.

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I wonder if my anhedonia is caused by brain inflammation. I think something is attacking the part of my brain that’s linked to my sense of pleasure. Maybe an anti-inflammatory agent will help? Though I would need one that can reach my brain.

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I don’t really know anything about that. The negative symptom I am most affected by is “The flat effect”, I don’t think I have an extreme case of it, but I definitely experience it.

I do know they have problems trying to develop drugs that get into the brain because the blood brain barrier prevents a lot of chemicals from entering the brain.

You’ll have to talk to your doctor if there is such a drug that will prevent inflammation in your brain, if that is the cause. Unfortunately it’s possible it is just a negative symptom of schizophrenia and there is very little or even nothing that can be done about it at this point in time with the state of current medicine. Nothing I have done has changed the flat effect I experience.

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Welcome to the forum! I’m not sure about reversing it. I think it can be improved with the right med(s). But not cured.

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What if your blood brain barrier was compromised? Toxins would be able to get in.

I need a very potent anti-inflammatory agent that can get through the blood brain barrier and reach my brain. Does anyone know of such a thing?

I also experience the flat effect to a good extent. What have you tried?

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I’ve been on various antipsychotics and antidepressants. Tried various supplements and herbs. Nothing has had the slightest effect. I’ve had schizophrenia for 17 years and I’ve just learned to live with it.

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Did you take omega 3’s? It’s an anti-inflammatory drug and I heard from some schizophrenia website that it can prevent you from developing psychosis, and that its better to take it during early onset schizophrenia.

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Omega 3’s can have a calming effect on the neurons in your brain or so I’ve read, they are one of the things I tried but I had a negative reaction. When I take Omega 3’s my whole body feels like it is burning up and a little agitated, it’s very discomforting. After 4 days I threw them in the garbage.

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Did you ever have positive symptoms? How do you know it’s schizophrenia?
Depression can have negative symptoms too

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Well I do suffer from flat effect and disorganized thinking, so I probably have schizophrenia. And on top of that, I was depressed for a long time.

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I’d say try and keep active. Get out for a walk. Try to notice basic things like green grass, a blue sky, some cool clouds. Just getting in touch with the world.

Pick a small goal like learning some new thing or a little hobby.

Have caffeine to boost your energy.
Maybe try sarcosine. It helps me in terms of feeling a bit more motivated and focused a little more clarity.

Forced habits helps keep things moving

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I’d rather not go out too much. :confused:
But I’m got new goals like treating my health issues.

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Yeah just do whatever you feel may help

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Welcome @Schizo123451

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I play guitar and it gives me pleasure, and also an interest in music I would never have otherwise liked. I consider maybe my lack of former enthusiasm of listening to music a result of age and/or lack of new good artists.