Is it hard to be happy on antipsychotics?

Medications
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Because they lower your dopamine levels? I find myself with an extreme lack of feeling anything.

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Abilify and just about every ap that has helped me in a significant way has had that effect, sadly.

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I love my mood and I’m fairly happy. The antidepressants mess my mood up way worse than antipsychotics.

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I don’t lack feelings on my AP—I can still get plenty sad—but I do find it hard to be happy. I don’t get excited about things like I used to, and I don’t get that feeling of accomplishment when I complete a task. I also don’t get that happy buzzed feeling from alcohol anymore.

And I’m only on a small dose.

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That’s like exactly what I’m referring to.

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i dunno, i find it has no effect on my positive feelings but has improved my ability to socialize and numbed my tendency to overreact to stuff though it didnt get rid of it

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For me, all the typical AP’s make me feel flat bad. Geodon and Seroquel have controlled my symptoms for many years without making me miserable. For some people Geodon is the answer.

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I don’t get super sad anymore on AP’s and an antidepressant. I can’t even get sad when someone close to me in my family dies. I don’t cry at deathbeds or at funerals for example. I have yet to cry or feel sad over my mother’s death. And that was two years ago. I am always very content.

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9

I am sad inside. But around others I’m upbeat most of the time. The rest of the time I’m overly self conscious and say stupid stuff like pointing out the obvious. But I try.

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I feel fine on the new meds I’m on. I’m on Vraylar and Zyprexa. I still feel a lack of motivation tho.

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11

I was angry most of the time before starting risperidone so it’s probably been more of a boon to my happiness if anything. I’m a lot nicer which makes me feel better.

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12

It is difficult for me to feel joy on risperidone and Depakote.
Not unless I’m manic.

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13

That’s called anhedonia. That’s my chief complaint these days. Kinda bites.

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14

I am on Invega and Ability and I find it harder to feel happy. It has to be the dopamine levels. At least I am not delusional, I try to look at it that way even though I feel pretty unhappy.

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15

I don’t feel. Anything :purple_heart::black_heart:

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16

It’s also hard to be happy with acute psychosis. Antipsychotics are about all we’ve got. Take your pick.

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I am sad in the morning, I ruminate all the time. drowning in all my negative and intrusive thoughts.

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@crimby I’m on Geodon! And Lamictal and Klonopin

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19

Since starting antipsychotics I think I do find it harder to be identifiably happy, but I also don’t really get sad either… I’m on a low dose though. The end result is my two main moods are “content” and “tired” which isn’t so bad!
I really think the answer to this question depends a lot on whether you have a mood component to your disorder.

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For myself I don’t feel joy. I am not happy. It’s a struggle. I am not motivated or get enjoyment out of things. But I am not delusional. My antipsychotic has just been lowered to hopefully increase my motivation. But I feel it could be negative symptoms and not being over medicated.

So yes for me it is. I also really don’t like being on medication. So that also makes me unhappy.

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