I’ve been noticing that my positive symptoms have been getting far worse every year that I age. When I was on medication at 15, I was doing much, much better than what I’m doing, on two antipsychotics, at 19. It’s like I become more treatment resistant the more I age. I’ve heard this might happen, and that schizophrenia, if medicated, peaks around mid-twenties. I really hope this is the case, but for now my positive symptoms have gotten worse. Both with hallucinations, delusions, and thinking; some days it’s hard to formulate words into coherent statements while talking. My visual hallucinations have spiked also, often being very pernicious ones. For instance, a couple weeks ago I saw my dad hanging in my room, then after a couple of moments, his spirit came out of him and flew away. Luckily, I realized this was a visual hallucination almost instantaneously.
Anyway, sorry for the long post, but has anyone else’s schizophrenia gotten worse as you age early on in the illness?
I know my schizophrenia has gotten worse as I age. I used to be able to discern but now its becoming harder and harder. Im on 3 antipsychotics as of now, its been a rough couple of weeks.
I have yet to talk to my doctor about this recent realization, but rest assured, I will. You may be right that meds are losing effectiveness, which would help my theory that I need to change the risperdal to either clozapine or haldol. Haldol because it is more weight-neutral, and clozapine because it is used for treatment resistant schizophrenia.
For me it didn’t change but with time I gained insight and discovered sz symptoms I wasn’t aware off at the begginning like anger issues. A dose increase of risperidone to 6mg fixed all my sz problems. I still have negative symptoms but not sure if those are from the meds or from sz itself.
I think 19 is a significant age in regards to schizophrenia. If you’re going to get schizophrenia it is the most common age. Arguably, any age from 19 down is the worst time to get it because at those ages you’re still kinda finding out who you are and where you belong in the world. And schizophrenia screws up that process royally. At age 19 you’re out of the protective bubble of high school and just learning about the real world. It’s when you’re trying to be an adult and learn adult responsibilities and be independent and start looking for a mate and schizophrenia screws that up royally too. I got schizophrenia at age 19 and started getting better in my twenties. I got a job, went to school, got friends, got a car, lived semi independently. I relapsed when I was about 29 and had to start all over. Around 46 years old is when my symptoms really started getting better. And now at age 60 my positive symptoms are down and my brain slows down and I have peace of mind.
But those early ages it really hit me hard. You can read up on how hormones or tetesterone or whatever might play a role in early schizophrenia.
Yeah, my therapist said those hormones changes things for people with schizophrenia a lot. He said it gets better the as the hormones stabilize and fully matures.
Mine definitely peaked in mid-twenties.
I would say Cognitive Behavioural Therapy helped almost as much as the medical part of the treatment.
It taught me to manage my symptoms and my expectations.
Some people expect they can take a few pills a day and then they’re completely symptom free. And when that doesn’t happen, they get frustrated or desperate and up their doses or change meds.
Therapy helped me accept that some symptoms might not go away, but also how to control both them and the way I react to them.
I’ve had ups and downs, ins and outs. I’m just so beat up every day. I can’t read much but don’t want to, it’s work! I can get into my musical instruments just fine. I don’t have as much awareness, man am I indifferent! Much less angry at 51. I can’t work but life is work and walking is the same as work. I struggle through each day in a positive way because I’ve got a solid foundation in addiction recovery from going to so many damn meetings. I don’t know if there’s an afterlife so I want to stick around.
It is known that schizophrenia fades away as we age. Also nutrition has been linked to mental health and as adult we tend to eat what we need . For example,as adults we tend to drink coffee more than milk so we feel better.