I’ve been on medication for 30 years with no relapses. I no longer hear voices regularly. Maybe sometimes if I’m really stressed. I have visual and tactile hallucination more then auditory.
When I first got schiz in the 90’s I was hospitalized on 3 different occasions. I spent months in a psyche ward drugged to the max with Haldol. I was so far gone the doctors told my mom I may never come back.
I only had one relapse. I stopped my meds and had a break. I thought I was ok and I didn’t need meds anymore. I’ve taken my medication ever since. I
It’s been 30 years since I last had a relapse. I’ve gain some insight into my illness. I’m able to identify my symptoms after I have them. I don’t always recognize them when I have it but I’m able to identify them after I have them.
I hear from people all the time how normal I seem. I’m worried people like my doctor are going to think I’m no longer sick. I’m just good at hiding my illness. I spent 8 years in the workforce and I had to hide my illness. For all outward appearances I’m able to hide it.
Some days are better then others. The hallucinations aren’t are prevalent as they once were. But I have other problems. I get paranoid and I think people are plotting against me. I don’t like being around other people. I can’t follow conversations in a group setting. I still have a paranoid personality.
I’ll refer you to what you just said. Your illness is well-managed and you are to be congratulated for this, but you still have the condition and you need to keep staying on top of it.
i sometimes wonder whether I’m a fraud being here, or others regard me as a fraud. Social cognition is, without doubt, the area in which I’m most disabled schizophrenia wise. More so than the average person with just an ASD diagnosis. I’ve been described as ‘in remission, with some breakthrough symptoms’ That sounds contradictory to me.
Without the support I get my ability to maintain a healthy level of independent living would be severely compromised. Even more so now with the decline in mobility.