What are some of your coping techniques when you become overwhelmed with symptoms?
For me, I like to stay in bed and write, as I am an aspiring author. So far, I am on my third book.
Getting lost in video games helps as well. It’s nice to imagine a schizophrenia-less world sometimes.
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I like to listen to rap music by trustworthy mainstream artists to drown the noise of the voices (real and imagined, I live on a busy street). One thing that helps me immensely is reading the Bible but mostly the Quran, it’s full of passages that teach you that evildoers never have a happy ending… 
Writing is awesome. Good that you have the ability to keep going with projects like that.
I find that going on a walk or bike ride somewhere aimless helps me. If my legs are moving, my mind can usually move on.
If I’m stuck somewhere, waiting on people or doing a job and I can’t escape, it is harder. Right now I don’t have that problem. I have unemployment problems though.
Other things: I can get my mind off worries and overwhelm by reading something interesting. I love to learn about complicated subjects. It’s like doing a logic puzzle and takes me into a puzzle world but then I may get trapped or go on infinite tangents of related subjects.
The thing that seems best is drawing a picture or making a painting. Then I am in a free form world where I can create what I feel and desire with no rules.
Making digital music or playing with a piano is very good, however I have to be careful not to trigger auditory loops. I’ll go on an endless quest to get the current song out of my head with a new song.
I’ve been learning how to make computer games and this is a good activity because I have to switch back and forth from visual design and programming logic design. My brain gets to do different jobs and take a break.
Then there is smoking cigs, it’s not a good thing at all, but It seems to give me a break to rethink everything.
When I have restless energy, I like to contort myself in a dance, climb a tree or go skateboarding, physical activity like this is great because my mind has to focus on physical things.
Sometimes I feel that all these things are good for my soul, but they provide no monetary reward and I start to feel guilty for indulging in distractions from getting my ■■■■ together and finding work or therapy. I have some self shaming that happens for not being independent. I have trouble with sleep patterns, remembering to eat, hygiene problems. Anything that requires a routine seems impossible. I’m terrible with money. I need reminders all the time to handle problems and feel I can’t do much of these responsibilities on my own.
And right now I’m ok with thoughts, but I change moods and ability all the time. If I’m getting into a bad place I lose myself and forget a lot of these things to do. I may feel out of my body and floating around the world. I’ts tricky to have these wonderful brains in a crazy world.
i come on here and try and write, i also listen to music and try to get plenty of sleep, my meds are my main coping strategy tho bc if it wasn’t for them i would be in a bad place.
Depends on which symptoms… sometimes I need to get outside and go to a park and run and just burn off the panic. Or tire myself out enough that I fall asleep and my voices can’t keep me awake
Other times I need to talk to someone. Face to face… it’s usually my kid sister.
Other times… I need a quiet bath and a dark room with no noise, no one trying to talk to me, nothing.
Also for some reason… I have no idea why, but I’m thankful… this Sz didn’t completely kill my love of swimming. So a long swim will calm me down and help me stop the climbing panic or the climbing depression.
Getting out onto my surf board a long way off from shore where I can’t even hear the city… and all around me is open blue… no one around… no one can just come up to me… that also calms me down.