i have only had 1 episode and the first time i quit my meds i was off them for 2 months and the voices came back right when i lowered my dose the second time i quit my meds i was actually switching meds and i was only off for 2 and a half weeks before i even got the new med but i didnt even get withdrawal symptoms until week 3 or 4 but by then i was on my new med so i dont know if i am recovered because i didnt hear voices for those 2 weeks or if the meds just stayed in my system for long enough for me to make the switch,
i feel like i may have my hallucinations permanently lessened from taking meds for a long time and i am wondering if i am recovered meaning i dont have to take them anymore, this is the first episode so i dont know if my psychosis is permanent but also i have read that people who get psychotic episodes are genetically different so they will have it there whole life i am just wondering how long am i going to have to take meds and if i will ever be able to stop taking them
"Is recovery real?"
when i first got diagnosed, they said that my mi could be life-long. but i believe that if i dedicate enough effort into overcoming this serious mi, i might just recover right before i pass away. would be only a few good days, but still would probably be the best days of my life
It is possible to cope without medication in the long run, which is an improvement, but you would probably still have cognitive problems that would inhibit earning an income.
if you have only had one episode, you should definitely stick with your meds. Some lucky souls are able to eventually come off their meds after one episode, but that’s after like two years of diligently taking the same med/dose and staying stable. Your doctor can make that determination after you’ve been stable for long enough. But the ones who try to go off their meds on their own because they think they are “cured” tend to relapse and then make their condition permanent. I can’t stress this enough: don’t go off your meds. You are not cured until your doctor says you are. The reason you didn’t hear voices for those two weeks is that it takes eight weeks for a med to fully leave your system.
I don’t think that I will ever recover, not without vastly improved treatments.
I wish for better treatments as current treatments for schizophrenia are woefully inadequate for many patients.
I got off my med’s for about a week or so recently. I was eating more and losing weight. I would eat something, and two hours later I would be famished. I could feel my body getting stronger. I could also feel my mind drifting away into unreality, and I knew I was going to get very psychotic if I didn’t get back on my med’s, which I did. I have too much to lose by getting off my med’s. If you’re serious about getting off your med’s try to do it under the care of a mental health professional. You might want to have med’s available in case things get a little too twisted when you’re coming off your med’s, if that’s what you want.
i tried coming off my meds but i kept on relapsing so i found out the hard way its not worth it. Only a pdoc can take you off your meds if he/she sees fit. Never try it on your own.