What are the chances?
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I don’t know what the odds are but I know that members like @shutterbug and @anon4362788 don’t take APs anymore.
I’ve been on APs for over 10 years now and not once have any of my pdocs even discussed quitting them.
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I think the only way to know would be to try it with your pdoc.
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I think you would need to find a pdoc who’s willing to do that. Hard to find here.
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In the uk, ive gotten the impression that if you are labelled sz and not psychosis of a different cause. You are hard to find a dr whod take you off. Esp the younger drs
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I think the recovery rate is 20%. But doc told me that I’ve been sick for too long so I’ll need meds for the rest of my life. 
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Or you could try 1 pill a night , or taking meds as needed every other day or every few days. I don’t know why pdocs are so brainwashed into believing that you must take 3 or 4 even 9 pills a day, this really just hurts your physical and mental health way worse .
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Stop knocking people who take more than one pill a day. Some need multiple meds to survive. You are generalizing, that just because you take more than one med must mean you are over medicated.
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I tried. I made it to 2 years off meds, then ended up psychotic in hospital. There’ll always be a cohort off meds at any given time so I wouldn’t pay any attention to that.
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From my experience, I won’t recover or be normal again but with experience, maturity, coping mechanisms and holistic living I can live without meds. I am already on a small dose.
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I’m not knocking people who take multiple meds , if that works for you that’s fine. It’s just I’ve never seen someone with a mental illness who has a lot of pills in their med pack , who is mentally or physically healthy. I’m knocking the psychiatrists , they simply need to reform their methods.
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I know that I’m lucky.
But, I don’t advocate anyone coming off their meds. It takes a lot of work, insight, and luck.
I do have positive symptoms. They’re just mild at this time. They come and go. Usually based on stress.
I went back on APs the last time I tried it because I had enough insight to know when things were going bad.
People that rail against meds, psychiatrists, and claim that they can fix themselves with natural cures lack insight.
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Recovery isnt really something you reach with mental illness. You can manage it throughout life though.
The moment you stop working on it you can get worse again (for negative symptoms atleast).
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It took me 30 years on APs to get to the point where I could function without them. The only reason I’m functioning with ongoing positive symptoms is because I worked - and continue to work - very hard at CBT.
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It’s possible, but a lot of hard work staying stable all the time. Enforcing good habits and avoiding what deteriorates you.
I’m stable on 5mg olanzapine, but at this point I’m just dreaming of getting to another medication because olanzapine is causing me a lot of problems, especially insomnia after long term use. I will proably give seroquel another try later on when I feel fit and up to it.
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I tried too.
I made it about three years with out medication .
I was doing well for a while then I got delusional and stopped eating and drinking and was hospitalised.
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I managed off meds for five years but my sza returned. That was 10 years ago. Couldn’t successfully come off meds since
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I don’t recommend trying to go off, the gamble is like do you want to be as unwell as an alzheimers patient or find out you’re pretty stable off medication, its just not worth the risk
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According to the psychiatric protocol, when having a psychotic break, the medication must be taken for 1 month.
When doing another one for 6 months.
Already when making the third psychotic outbreak, the medication is taken for life.
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I’m only doing so becase my psychiatrist recommended trying, and I’m doing it with medical oversight. I’m ready to go back onto Vraylar if it becomes obvious it’s not working.
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