Schizophrenia and remission

I was diagnosed at 22 and I’m 24 right now. I don’t know many people’s stories (that’s why I joined a forum), but I’d say I had it fairly bad. It’s subsided a lot and now I’m dealing with depression and voices (which happen only monthly). What has been your guys’ experience with remission. And if it’s not entirely possible then what’s the longest you’ve gone with minimal symptoms.

I went with ZERO symptoms (or meds) from late 2000 until around 2009. Then it all came roaring back. Went back on meds, and got recirculated into the system again.

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I was diagnosed when I was 17… made many mistakes and it took a long while to admit I had a problem. I’m now 30.

I’m in my longest remission right now. It’s been about 2 and half years…

First there was a drastic med change… that helped.
then there was therapy that started helping me cope with some of the side dishes.

My Latuda got recently upped from 60 mg to 80 mg and I hardly hear my voices anymore… mixed feelings on that one.

the Latuda also kicked me out of some of my deep negative symptoms…

I still have some off days… and some glitches… but no were near as long or as full on mind ripping as they used to be… I have a much easier time bouncing back from a few hard days.

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Thanks for sharing. I’m also taking Latuda but somethings concerning me and I’d thought I’d ask you or anyone on this post (instead of making a new post). I don’t know if this is a delusion or not but I don’t believe medicine will ever help me so I’m slowly refusing to take it. Is that delusional or am I being stubborn or misinformed? I guess I don’t really understand what a delusion feels like exactly.

Not delusional per the definition, but maybe you’re feeling a little suspect about it. Maybe Latuda is not the med for you. Everybody is different. Some people respond well, some people respond okay, and some respond to nothing. It is HIGHLY individualized. I’ve been on the gamut of meds, and only recently have I found a doctor (it took me moving away from my home) who was willing to listen. He’s been pretty aggressive, but cautious too, which is an approach I like. If your meds aren’t doing all that you feel they could, perhaps ask your psychiatrist for an increase or a completely new medication.

I think a delusion feels different for all of us… for me it hits like a deeply held belief that makes perfect sense to me… It just feels like something I have known in all of my past lives.

But I was also very stubborn about taking the meds given… and that was just me not wanting to admit I needed help.

Maybe ask yourself why you don’t want to take the meds…

when I wasn’t doing well and I was sure my parents were trying to sedate me through the meds so they could control me and keep me away from the rest of my family… that was delusion.

when I stopped taking meds because I was sure I could cure myself with other things… that was stubbornness on my part.

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But this is where I feel delusional/stubborn. I don’t think any meds will help (not even changing them). And it seems when I forget to take my pills usually nothing happens. And when I continue taking them sometimes I hear voices. It just seems with or without meds I don’t see a difference. I know it’s only been 2 years of me trying meds but I feel done. And I sense this is the wrong mind set (trust me my logical portion of my brain is working) but I feel like this idea has taken hold of me and I feel nothing could convince me otherwise. That’s where I worry because I LOVE logic, but not in this case. Show me that 90% of people improve on Latuda and I still wouldn’t be inclined to take it.

I’m a logical person too. Luckily for me, I respond to medication. For me, it’s a question of side effects. In any event, I have seen people on the back ward of a state hospital that I was forgotten about in do a 180 degree turn-around when a new doctor showed up and started putting everyone on Clozaril. Man, that really opened my eyes. The improvement these people showed was unparalleled. These poor folks were hopeless, and then, 6 months later, they were discharged home. It was truly inspiring. Like I said, you may need an increase or a switch. I don’t know what you’ve been on in the past (some history could help me), but you may need something with a little more kick than Latuda.

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I still get some break through symptoms… but there is still a hold on the logic so I can sort of steady the brain and not get too upset or anxious.

the fact that you miss a dose and nothing happens… for me… that would be a good sign… plus… the meds build up in the system so missing a dose after a while isn’t going to make you crumble.

Again… for me… miss a dose here and there… it happens… but I’m Ok. Not take meds for about a week… I’ll be starting to unravel.

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My doctor tells me it may take time for things to build up in your system and work the way they’re supposed to work, that is why you have to keep taking them as prescribed regardless of how you feel. I don’t always feel my my medications are working, but then I get a little jolt of something happen (like a bad moment of hallucinations, or small panic attack strikes) to remind me how bad things could be if I didn’t have the medication helping me.

And while I may be a very depressed mood my mind always returns to that one night I sat in my bedroom with my mom during a full blown panic attack, asking if she thought I should consider going to the hospital or not. She talked me out of going actually, and I’m thankful. I was able to get it back to a somewhat manageable level, not as manageable as I’d like, but still better than feeling like I should admit myself to a hospital.

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I went without noticeable symptoms from 2006-2012, then I relapsed again. I was off meds in that time for five years, then had to resume meds again. Since then its been on and off, but for the last two months I have been fairly stable.

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I crashed in 2010. Have not had more than 3 “normal” months in a row. Without symptoms. I have changed med 3 times. Added one. I still have had to increase the dose every now and then. I’m on 25 mg Abilify and 300 mg Seroquel. My pdoc says if this does not work I need to change meds again. 30 mg Abilify is highest recommended dose.

We all have to come to terms with our egos with regards to the medicine. I had it easy, because my older brother has MS and he’s on meds for the rest of his life. It made it possible for me to just accept it for me. I haven’t missed a dose in two years.

I think about it in the carrot and the stick sense: SZ is a huge and effective stick.

Keep up with the meds. It is worth it.

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I was nearly symptom free for about a year before a full blown relapse in the fall. Relapses cause permanent brain damage. I am not pulling that out of my ass, I heard those words from a medical doctors mouth on a Charlie Rose special featuring Elyn Saks, Kay Redfield Jameson and others.

I would say that if you are nearly symptom free, stay that way with a stable life. I have no choice but to live an unstable life (school and other shit) which I just have to endure.

Don’t be like me and be reckless. My case is severe and chronic yet I function unbelievably highly. What do I think of success? I wish I wasn’t capable.

People don’t even believe me when I tell them that I am schizophrenic. I sure as hell take a little offense at that. I go through hell that people joke about “oh I’m gonna go crazy if this day doesn’t get any better” bitch I have been crazy and will only get crazier.

Just find the right quiet life and never look back. Don’t put yourself through hell.

I am a headstrong 21 year old type A man. I will never ■■■■■■■ quit. I was like this by the age of 13 and will never cut it out. I am this. I look for the hardest things to do and then do them, and it’s a hard life. From working with the most unforgiving (and smartest) professor in my department successfully to lifting ■■■■■■■ 500lbs repetitively, I ■■■■ ■■■■ up.

My ambition in life before the illness was to complete ROTC, serve in SEALs, then Blackwater. I was well on my way.

I still do German volume training and am very muscular. I was a powerlifter on a team last year. I do that crap for fun.

My schizophrenia goes into remission when I can sleep to my hearts content.

Also having nobody pushing me to get things done helps my symptoms go into remission.

So basically my symptoms are in remission when I sleep all day and have no stress at all.

I am not getting much done at all like this, maybe one thing a day.

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