Is it possible to live without meds, I was late diagnosed so I lived without meds for a long time, I only became psychotic from outside stresses I can’t control but when I was by myself I could handle it, now I’m in a better situation without the outside stresses harassing me I’m free so I think I should be free from meds too, I believe in take meds when in psychosis but in remission I don’t see the point putting up with disabling negative symptoms, I have the idea to stop meds one day to see what happens and if I get symptoms I can’t handle I can take meds again, I think it’s worth a try and I’d like to learn more about myself instead of taking a major tranquilizer and wondering why I can’t do anything
Only your dr. can tell you if you can go without meds. Me at people with schizophrenia have to be on medication.
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My doctor want me to take meds but I can chose not to take them I’m not forced to take meds but I would rather be supported in the decision from the doctor @HollyHobbie
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I meant most people
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Funnily I think I’m one of the special people @HollyHobbie
I don’t have a problem I can live without medications I have never had hallucinations or heard voices just disorganized thoughts for me the medications has ruined my life.
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One time I was in the same situation and thought taking meds was a choice I, and I alone, made and that I could quit whenever I felt like doing so…and I quit them. Tragically, I went so far down the rabbit hole that I ended up in a place where taking meds was no longer a choice…I had decompensated so much that I was considered incapacitated and put on court-ordered treatment and meds plus spending a great deal of time in the state hospital.
I am allowed to choose my treatment options now and am living independently, but I will NEVER stop my meds without involving my care team. Please don’t make the same mistake I made a few years ago.
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I went without meds after taking them for 14. I went without them for most of 9 years. In those 9 years, i became secluded, cut off all contact with everyone, believed the government was following me and trying to frame me so I refused to renew my SSI, burned all my belongings, lived in an old van, thought i was infested with bugs. Felt like my heart had been removed. Thought people were trying to sniper shoot me and more. So yeah it was possible. But now im broke, isolated, and developed a sort of catatonia that now makes it almost impossible to go without meds cause then i walk extremely slow and weird. I’d still say it’s possible but i’d suffer. And knowing me, i will go off again cause i always have.
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Maybe I’ll ask my doctor if I can have a break im on the lowest dose just every 3rd day so it’s not like I’m jumping of a cliff it’s just a small step, I can get a script if something happens I can just take meds, that’s the plan I’ll wait to see what they say, I’ll see them in a couple of weeks
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Just be careful. You’re assuming you won’t lose insight. For me, that’s the first thing to go. When I cant see what’s happening, what might have been just tripping over a rock quickly becomes falling off a cliff. Which of those two is easier to recover from?
It’s best to prevent yourself from falling. Take the meds.
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The answer is yes. To do it right you should taper over a period of a year or longer decreasing by 25-50% every 3 months. Realistically it’s only practical to lower as long as your not geting positive symptoms. Tragically most of the time it ends in a loss of insight and then being picked back up by the mental health system. Only you can reason for yourself why you need medication but as you can going through that experience can be very jaring.
Also the reason medication is prescribed for 2 years in first episode psychosis is not because people have positive symptoms but to prevent relapse. Psychotic relapse really is that damaging to your life.
On balanced there is no long evidence for the continuation of medication after a period of like 5 years. It’s kind of an open question. The default assumption made by doctors is that your will need it for life. This is probably backed by clinical experience and cases of relapse. However it isn’t a clear cut conclusion, it isn’t in the prerogative of the medical system to take you off medication. The antipsychotic tapering community is pretty esoteric and non-existent. Don’t expect your doctor or anyone else to necessarily support you in ypur direction. If you want to pull it off then essentially it is left up to you to figure out yourself.
As doctors have a certain liability for their patients no reason to risk your licence providing bad advice that is on probability is going to end in a psychotic release. It is a complex issue and there is a lot to the discussion space around being medication free.
I have seen people claim that they don’t take medication. However I haven’t seen a lot of people say that they are symptom free and not on medication. I’m yet to meet a single in person who has claimed in this so I feel like it definitely exist but the probability of making anything close to a recovery is pretty rare. I think it is reasonable to continue to take medication while you still get symptoms. People make a full recovery in first episode psychosis all the time but after that it gets a lot more complicated to live a life without medication.
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I’ve been successful tampered down with doctors approval the next step is to stop I can’t go any lower and I’ve had no positives @Gamma_Fox
I just want to tell you that most of u’s users in this Forum are pro meds and Will always advice you to stay on your meds. My personally point of view is that not using meds for schizophrenia is a down fall.
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I’m pro meds but for me I’m always looking for improvements I can make, positive change @columbus
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Correction: If you cannot manage positive symptoms without your medications and if you lose insight into your positive symptoms without being medicated. Fingers crossed on that second one.
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I’ll change my username to normal 
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I think everyone would do without medication if they could, no reason to stop now if you feel inclined to come off
@columbus
I agree that the community here are unusual pro medication which is unique in that it’s basically the opposite of the sentiment I get in person. Everyone who I have met that has taken APs is anti-med. I gather that users here probably have a lot more experience with relapse, but also are the kind of individuals who will seek support and generally have higher levels of insight
@shutterbug
You are right in correcting me, that was what I meant by practical. In saying that they suggest to take antipsychotics for 2 years in first episode simply to prevent relapse. Going 2 years without relapse while being unmedicated is a very long time if you have a dx of schizophrenia.
I tried to taper off meds but hit some paranoia at a certain point and decided to go back up to last dosage I did well on and leave it alone at small dosage. I am satisfied with the minimal dose I am on at the current time. I’ve been on this dose for many months and seem to be doing well.
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I’m on invega 3mg every 3rd day I just get negative symptoms @Bowens
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Agree this is also my experience also. Most of the time I try and taper it goes nowhere and I end right back where I was on the same dose
@Divergent How long have you been on APs in terms of accumulative time?