You’ve been a member of this community for about 20 hours. I’ve been a member of this community for over 20 years. After all this time I can tell you that the kind of turnaround you’re looking for has about the same odds as me turning into a unicorn and farting rainbows and gold glitter. Two words: Placebo effect.
Does sarcosine help me? Yes, enough that I make sure I don’t run out. Is it the best tool in my toolkit? No, it’s lower on the list. I would put CBT, med compliance, regular exercise, proper diet, regular scheduled activities, and health journaling higher up in terms of value. I am open to supplements. The one that made the biggest difference for me was Amyloban 3399. Amazing for reducing positive symptoms. It maybe shaves a bit off the negs. Just a bit.
Not trying to be a downer, just don’t want to promise you things that are unlikely to happen.
Thanks for your honest opinion. Ive been searching for something for about 17 years so i understand what you mean. I just want something that gives me a little bit of excitement and more motivation if there is something then im happy with that. My main hope is that in the future there are going to be better treatments that will help with those symptoms. Luckily i dont have any positive symptoms just those negative ones.
Oh, that’s easy enough. Find a hobby you’re passionate about. You’ll know when you’ve found the right one because you won’t be able to stop doing it no matter how sick you are.
Have you had any relief from being able to think clearer and logical as the way you reply is detailed and seems intelligent so im guessing you can think ok
That’s normal at first. Do a bit. Then do a bit more. Then keep adding on. Keep a journal of what you tried and how long you did it for. You’ll see progress over time. Mostly likely very slow, that’s why the journal. It shows you there has been success even when you didn’t feel like it and would have given up.
It worked for me. I’ve seen it work for many others. I was given an extremely poor prognosis around 1994. Told I’d live in managed care. Since then I have:
gotten educated
had careers
gotten married (and still married 22 years later)
raised a daughter who is almost 21
had numerous fun hobbies
become a respected part of my community
It’s very possible to have a great life if you put effort into managing your SZ.
Well done to you. Its nice to hear someone is doing well and there is hope for people.
Do you get those pleasure feelings now like you did before your illness. I mean when you do something that is enjoyable does your brain actually enjoy doing it. I have 2 children and a great wife she is always busy with them but i find it so hard to join in because my brain just doesnt enjoy those times.
Also how have you got relief from being able to think more clearer. The way you write seems intelligent and logical so im giessing you have had relief from being able to think clear
If you look at my Instagram feed you’ll see that I cook a lot. I’m good at it and I enjoy that too. As much as I do amateur broadcasting and photography.
Get in there and do it. Retrain your brain to have fun. It takes a while but it’s possible.
This is oddly phrased, is English not your first language? I’m thinking you meant an inability to think clearly. It took practice. Practice practice practice. I started out with just a bit of reading or trying to watch a show. Maybe take a shower every four or five days. As I hit these little goals I set slightly bigger goals and I didn’t stop. I still haven’t stopped - I keep pushing at myself to keep what I have and to also see if I can get a bit more back. It took a few years to be come functional again and then a few more to feel human again (well, human for me - I have ASD on top of the SZ).
It so good to hear a positive story so well done. Just to clarify you had anhedonia symptoms and with really good training for your brain you managed to get excited again over hobbies? You have thought blocking but you again managed to train your brain to think clearer. Youve given me so much hope thank you. Ill be listening to your station
I refused to accept that I had lost the ability to do the things I loved and kept myself doing them until the love returned.
I’m not sure what thought blocking is. I wasn’t able to concentrate on things hardly at all at first and I couldn’t think in a straight line. I set small goals for things to do and kept setting bigger goals over time.
I mean by thought blocking you can think about things in your mind without losing that train of thought like it slips away when you try to think. Sometimes my brain allows me to think clearly again and i think its when im not as stressed. I always thought it was a symptom that never gets easier but if i know i can train my brain to be that way that gives me hope. I think it gets worse if i eat junk food too tbh
Still have that a bit here and there (I think everyone does), but I found the harder I pushed myself to get better, the more improvement I saw.
Yes, but it’s very draining. I need recovery time after as it does wind up my positive symptoms. No, people wouldn’t guess I have SZ. I think the autism probably shows a bit, but I have made a point of cultivating a reputation for eccentricity. People attribute my blips to that when I don’t 100% emulate neurotypicals.
