I have schizophrenia, but I’m curious as to whether or not these symptoms sound like depression to you guys, or if they’re just normal negative symptoms of schizophrenia. They’ve been a lot worse lately.
First of all, my motivation is TERRIBLE. I don’t do pretty much anything. Even when I get in a mood where I feel like drawing, I don’t have the motivation to either start, or finish it if I do start it.
Secondly, I sleep over 12 hours a day most days. I’m thinking this one could be do to my medication, but it causes a lot of problems with my mother, whom I live with. She doesn’t think I need as much sleep as I’m getting, and says 8 hours is plenty. She gets incredibly angry if I’m still tired after she wakes me up (which is due to me not getting enough sleep).
I also have pretty much no joy or pleasure in anything anymore. I’m pretty much emotionless most of the time, when just a few weeks ago I was the happiest I’ve ever been. This symptom gets better, then worse, then better, but it just keeps coming back. It’s not nearly as bad as it was years ago, but I’m worried it will continue to get worse.
I’m not sad, and I’m not what I consider suicidal, but if I found out I had cancer and would die in the next 6 months I don’t think I would be sad. I probably wouldn’t even try to make my time left longer.
I’ve had depression before, and I was incredibly sad and suicidal, which I’m not now, but I think it’s weird how all of these symptoms are suddenly getting worse. What do you guys think?
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Anyone who doesn’t want to read all of that, just answer this question. How do you tell the difference between depression and the negative symptoms of schizophrenia?
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personally i would say if you dont have a hint of sadness or melancholy or anything its probably not depression. maybe someone could experience depression without sadness necessarily but in the context of someone having schizophrenia i would say its negative symptoms
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That’s what I thought as well, but whenever I was reading the diagnostic criteria of depression (because I’ve been diagnosed before), I fit the criteria to be diagnosed, even now. I really hope my psychiatrist doesn’t diagnosis me with depression or schizoaffective disorder, because I don’t want to take any more medication than I absolutely need.
That’s what always pissed me off back then. Even when I wasn’t what I consider “depressed” anymore, they always tried to make me take antidepressants. Sometimes I wonder if THEY can even tell the difference between depression and the negatives.
i feel like clinicians are sometimes quick to assume everyone that presents is depressed, as if it were a prerequisite to being mentally ill. ive explain many times that im not depressed, only ever been depressed due to circumstances, never chronic or pervasive etc yet they always try to tell me im depressed? hello i really am not
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By the way, over medication of antipsychotics is another thing that looks like depression and looks like negative symptoms of schizophrenia.
I thought Trazadone helped with (what looks like) negative symptoms of schizophrenia. I take it!
Jayster
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I took trazodone for years and years, even before I got schizophrenia I’m pretty sure. It stopped working after a while, and I had to stop taking it due to it interacting with my medication, messing up my heart rhythm.
I never noticed it helping with the negative symptoms, but maybe I just wasn’t paying attention.
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i saw improvements in feelings of no motivation or energy with wellbutrin, which is the most activating of the modern antidepressants. if it DOES come down to being on another medicine maybe that would be one to ask for?
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Okay, thank you. I’ll try to keep that one in mind if an antidepressant is brought up by my psychiatrist.
I don’t know but i know my medication does this to me,
i sleep way too much
and have no energy or motivation.
Can’t seem to find joy in anything at all.
I hope things get better for you
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Sounds to me like negative symptoms or AP medication side effects. Possibly both.
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@redanne, If a sad mood is present, then it’s depression. If not, it’s probably either AP meds or sz or both.
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That’s a good point about paying attention. Darn!
J.
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Thank you, and those are my symptoms too, so maybe it is all just caused by my medication.
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No, no sad mood. That’s why I didn’t think it was depression, because I actually used to have depression and I was always sad and suicidal. I just don’t want my psychiatrist to see these symptoms as depression and try to make me take an antidepressant. I don’t want any more pills!
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If you are not sad it’s negative symptoms. I feel the same
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I would like to add that I have the same problem with severe boredom and lack of activities, and sleep. I need a treatment for this part of my disease. I too do not think I have depression.
I will keep trying, but I wait for a better drug. I am on Zyprexa and Gabbapentin.
Like someone said, it comes and goes.
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I used to be on zyprexa. Does it help you with your positive symptoms? It used to help a lot with my hallucinations and delusions, but I had to stop taking it due to side effects.