Is your illness caused or exacerbated by stress?

My MI seems to be exacerbated by stress, yes.

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Stress is a known trigger for all mental illness. It’s not my only one though, things like lack of sleep or lack of activity/social interaction for an extended time period can also do it.

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Stress is a major factor in flaring up my psychotic symptoms. I take an AP that’s not effective enough at the moment but has a better side-effects profile so I am tolerating residual symptoms.

I have kinda put myself in this position, but I refuse to go on Clozaril.

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Thanks guys. I suppose stress then is a major factor like you said. I know it definitely isn’t helping anything. Living a stress free life seems impossible, but I’ll have to figure out a way to lower my stress levels I suppose.

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High stress can make me nutty.

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Definitely stress is a factor. My worst episodes have always come during stressful times. When I think about it though, I don’t think it’s just the stress itself but the way I used to handle it that would exacerbate things. For example, I would turn to drink and drugs, and my eating disorder problems would flare up and that in turn made everything else worse.

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My hallucinations started after moving very far away, also drank too much diet coke. They’re exacerbated by stress and health problems.

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sz=stress…personally i dont think sz is caused by stress, but sz in itself is extremely stressful

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Alot of research says it is. It’s increased with childhood poverty, immigrants, people in concentration camps, men in deadly war situations develope symptoms.

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I’m really stressed about the move. I had to take ativan because I feel anxious and there’s a pit in my stomach. I feel like this never ends. I just jump from one crazy theory to the next. Right now I sense that there’s something trapped in my mind that wants to escape. At least now I can think maybe it’s a delusion. According to my mom it’s not real. This sucks. Thanks for your replies, I really appreciate it. I hope you’re all hanging in there.

Side note: I had a dream that I was typing this exact thing a while ago and now it’s happening.

Hang in there yourself, big changes like that are a really common trigger it seems. I’m mostly in the residual phase but, I was the same after moving house a couple of years ago, the change stressed me out to the point of psychosis again until I was used to living here. Anxiety management strategies might help, if you’re less stressed and anxious it could help the psychosis settle back down.
As for sz being caused by stress, I’ve heard that people with really stressful childhoods (dysfunctional families, many big changes, witnessed a disaster, abuse, etc) have a higher likelihood of developing it… but I think that’s true of a lot of mental issues, where prolonged stress and/or trauma helps to bring them on. It’s one of those environmental factors.

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Mine is made worse by stress.
You can’t really say it’s caused by stress, but stress can make the symptoms worse.

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Yes when I’m stressed then my sza gets worse. Usually the first warning sign is irritability and depression and an urge to cut myself then voices and insomnia.

To cut stress is important for anyone. I usually listen to music or have a coffee with my husband and chat or write in my journal. Walking is good too. And prayer.

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Stress doesn’t cause my illness but it definitely makes it worse…

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Stress isn’t helping matters. I feel like nothing is right. I don’t belong here, there’s an unidentifiable force trying to break walls in my mind to get out and it feels like it’s getting close because of small hallucinations. I feel like I’m stuck between two different worlds.

I try to avoid stress and it works

I think trying to avoid stress is good. We recently moved to a new state and I’m really stressed now, being in a new place and all.

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Yes it could contribute for me so I’m more careful now.

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