I don’t hear voices but without antipsychotics I become extremely manic and psychotic (delusional and paranoid)
I wish I could live my life antipsychotic free but it’s not possible.
For me neither. I need my meds and have to deal with the side effects like trying harder than everyone else to lose weight and keep it off. It’s just hard at 47 years old.
If my family and fiancée didn’t push so hard, I might be off APs by now.
My family would flip if I went off my meds too. Every time I get upset they ask me if I am still taking my meds. I know they care about me but they can be rude sometimes.
Without meds my voices are viciously mean. With meds they are kind and therefore easier to ignore. I know it doesn’t work this way for everyone though.
I credit my insight into my illness to my medication. I wish I could manage without my medication but I tried that and had a major psychotic episode. I have a family and too much to lose. I would be off chasing butterflies if it weren’t for my family and my meds.
I compromised by lowering my AP dose to the lowest I could stand. Currently that’s 5mg Zyprexa. I can’t go without that or I start losing my mind again.
I was already on lifelong meds for bipolar, and had been on them for fifteen years when sz symptoms hit, so I was onboard with adding an AP from day one. My little bro, however, never took any meds for anything and is refusing meds now that he has sz. His outlook is a lot more grim than mine because of that. Even if he chooses the no med route, he needs to acknowledge that he’s sick.
I’m not sure if I would have had insight without meds, I was always on them so I guess we’ll never know 
Very good read so many things that speak to me in that article. Its nice that the w.h.o. is trying to get rid of coercive and forced treatment. Also the billions being paid out from pharm companys for lying about the fact that aps ruin metabolism.
I personally never suffered from voices or hallucinations. But very ill and detrimental body feelings and perception and delusion. Which i couldnt figure out on my own either.
I probably can’t come off my med’s. I hate having to be dependent on them, but I think there is no alternative. Geodon and Seroquel keep me sane. What happens when I come off AP’s isn’t good. A lot of people, including me, are very appreciative of Geodon.
A minority can live off meds without serious symptoms, 5% according to one of my Drs but maybe thats without any symptoms at all not just without serious symptoms. I went off meds then got hospitalized after 2yrs. I risked my life because of that, not doing it again.
I thought I heard that having a psychotic episode without meds can lead to brain damage and more episodes leads to more brain damage.
That’s what I heard too @Rester
She shouldn’t have to live with voices. I’ve always found they’re worse with things that ruin your health. Thyroid medication worked better than any antipsychotic for me and I know there are other simple reasons for a lot of symptoms.
The meds don’t stop them completely, but lessened them for me. There is a difference between hearing hundreds or just a few. The meds took most of them away, but I am still left with a few. Meds don’t help for them. So I better keep the meds, i think.
Me too @anon84628834. My meds used to work perfectly though. After going off my meds thinking I was fine, I am back on my meds but they don’t work as well as they used to.
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