I recently got a job that I really enjoy. I’d say it’s the best job I’ve ever had. Coincidentally, I also just started a new med, seroquel. It seems to be doing its job for my psychotic symptoms, but my mood and attitude are unpredictable at best. It almost feels like what happens right before I end up in the hospital. I really don’t want to lose this job, and I HATE going to the hospital!
Any advice? Is there someone I can call for an emergency breakdown?
-catchme
I would say stay on the med for the time being don’t just go off it. Also talk to your pdoc to try and resolve the issue with the mood and attitude. I don’t know if it would be a therapy issue though it couldn’t hurt though. Hopefully others will chime in here on what is needed.
I would almost rather lose a job than go back to the hospital. After staying out of the-hospital for almost 25 years, I had a crisis last year and I ended up in the psyche ward for two days. Before that I had almost ten hospitalizations in the eighties including one for 8 months, but this last visit was the most frightening stay I’ve ever had. I’m not twenty-one anymore. I don’t have the energy for hospitalizations anymore.
You’ve got to take care of your mental health and make it a priority. Can you ask your boss or someone else for a temporary leave of absence so you can relax and get de-stressed? Do you have any sick leave or vacation time accrued that you can take?
Seroquel may be the wrong medication for you. I’ve tried different medications and after a week or so the bad side effects hit me and i had my doc take me off of them. You can call a suicide hotline maybe. I’ve tried those several times and we didn’t just talk about mental illness we talked about various other things too.
If you’re feeling really bad I would check out the various mental health resources around you and find out ahead of time if they would take you in an emergency or what they can do for you in an emergency. Call psyche wards, clinics, hospitals, or other resources. Make out a plan ahead of time. You don’t want to be in a crisis and have to get online or have to phone around a bunch of places to see if they will take you when you’re at the end of your rope.
Make a plan for what to do in an emergency. Get phone numbers and addresses and directions on how to get to somewhere for help in case of a crisis and post them on your refrigerator or your wall. Ask them if they would send an ambulance to pick you up and take you to them or would you have to get there on your own. Maybe even put the phone number of your local taxi cab company on the wall in case you need them.
I agree with nick. I think talking to your doctor is the best first step to take.
I’m really glad you are enjoying the new job. I hope nothing interferes with that enjoyment.