I say ‘hypothetically’ as, although I often wonder why or if I need them, I wonder about the repercussions re benefits and access to any help and support/treatment if I do.
It’s not as though I am psychotic or have been to any large extent for quite a while. Even my mental heath team are ambivalent on the issue ie it can vary between “no signs of psychosis” and “has psychotic symptoms” rather than “has psychosis”.
I’ve tried before and it didn’t end well so it’s easy to remind myself not to go off meds 
My therapist said sometimes for people it takes trial and error before they become committed to meds. That was the case for me.
I’ve been off meds for a week. I’ve gotten muscle spasms (mostly in my right forearm and bicep), my energy and emotions came back yesterday stronger then usual, and I get a soreness in my body sometimes.
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Some people can get off meds just fine. Some people cant. You gotta try at least a lower dose if you wanna try
Schizophrenia is episodic so u could be fine for a week month year and then all of a sudden you relapse spectacularly. Ur negative symptoms might come back strong after u have another episode. And if ur like me ull be dealing with pesky symptoms in your day to day life. If i were u i would try a lower dose and see if it makes u feel better alive more human. If a lower dose works talk to ur pdoc about going even lower. But dont do it on ur own if u can help it. If u must do whatever u need to do.
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If you’re docs are on board I say go for it. You can get a lot of your life back. Physically it will be a bitch and a half but it’s worth it. I spent 5 months discontinuing and that was faster than I had planned. I had some specific circumstances that dictated how I quit. I think that going slowly is the way to go but maybe 3-4 months. It’s a balance between not dragging it out too long and not going off too fast. It also depends on your dose and how you respond. I took a long time because I was finishing school and couldn’t speed it up because I would risk dealing with those final withdrawals right before finals. None of that timeline was planned, though, the meds were causing problems to the degree where I had to just get of during a really busy time. If you don’t have any huge responsibilities in your day to day life you will be much better off. The withdrawal symptoms can include things like sweats, thirst, shaking, headaches, dizziness. A lot of just feeling weird and so if you don’t have to be up and work 9-5 and can rest as you need to you will have a much easier time. After you are completely off you can deal with a post acute withdrawal. That is not fun at all but it’s manageable. You need some support. You may feel too crappy to get up and go out so if you have someone in your life who can help you get groceries or whatever if you need help like that you will do better. I felt more mentally clear when I went down. My thought process seemed more organic. I also did not have any psychotic symptoms at the time and had been symptom free for a couple years. Different meds cause different things. I had an extreme sensitivity to light as I got off. I adjusted to this by two months post meds. Just weird things like that are gonna happen. Your brain is adjusting to this massive change so a lot of things that you feel may just be weird and you have to get through them. It’s easy to freak out and worry you’re gonna go nuts. Your brain is going to be different and you MUST monitor yourself and know what’s happening, talk about it, journal, whatever. The different brain stuff may be easy to correlate to psychosis returning. While you can of course relapse, you will feel weird and it may very well just be your brain adjusting and you have to know the difference. You have to learn it. This is why going slowly is important. You need some time to adjust to the world on lower and lower doses before none. A lot of drugs will sedate you or dull you and so as you adjust to the new state your mind is coming into you will have to process the world a little differently.
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I suffered severe (extremely) insomnia just from cutting back my meds. Changes in brain drugs can have a significant impact on you. Definitely go VERY slow and with pdoc supervision. I need my meds and I am going to continue to take them. I have had 3 psychotic episodes in my life and it’s enough to scare me into staying on meds. Good luck to you.
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I have read lots of people on this forum advise of coming off medication slowly and gently such as lowering dose over long time period till feel confidednt to come off them entirely.
Some others have advised talk with dr.
But that depends who your dr is…
do you trust dr…
feel comfortable with…
do you feel medicine is right for you… do they understand …
do they over exagerate scenario which feels like they trying to make you sick…
Try forse you to psychiatry you dont want be part of…
First time I got of meds I think it was zyprexa and it was a high dose.Made me gain over 20 kg.
I had no major problems that time and quit by myself and with out notifying or seeing dr.
A little stressed out n depressed but no huuuuuge dramaz.
Second time I came of by myself and was then on several different types of medication.
It was bit more difficult and I had difficulties but once I got through it I was with out medicine for 8 year and able to work, study etc
Then after 8 years I was hospitalised again and put on olanzapine.
Gained 20 kg.
Now ive had a medication change to Abilify.
Been two weeks on Abilify but olanzapine seems pretty calm and can sleep well n all through night on but weight gain but Abilify seems to make me un eased, anxious, stressed, restless, unable sleep well or all through night.I was not really like that before abilify.
but will give it some time.
I hope to be off medication in 6 months.
and to gain my normal weight back.
Hope you will find what is right for you.
Maybe you can start by lowering dose of medication with drs support.
It could be advisable to discuss with dr you feel is good to n for you.
I have never heard of a dr encouraging other forms of treatment while coming off medication.
Be nice with some more alternative care options.
I rather do acupuncture, exercise etc than meds but trusting who to perform such procedures.
In Scandinavia was written in news paper about drs getting paid by pharmaceutical companies money n holidays but lots of these medicines seem to help people and do good…
If you have schizophrenia, then coming off meds means you will end up thinking you can fly and jump off a building. Basically.
They’re called anti-PSYCHOTIC for a reason. They stop you from drifting into your own little dream world.
Am in the process of cutting down meds - anxiolytics though not APs.
Depends if you have a good support structure and a grounded belief system firmly in place. As well as good coping techniques.
Some people think you gotta be on them forever others don’t
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I dont agree with you ever hope ful.
Having been diagnosed with schizophrenia does not neccasery mean you have such beliefs.
Some people have been mis diagnosed.
Not every one with such diagnosis lives in a dream world or thinks they can fly etc.
I have been diagnosed but never ever thought such things.
We are different.
People are different.
I agree levelj1 about a good support structure and coping techniques.
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I am,as I have previously explained, not diagnosed with schizophrenia or schizoaffective although they are previous diagnoses, When I was not taking meds regularly symptoms included paranoia, weird thoughts/delusions? and anxiety/social anxiety, loud(intrusive)thoughts/internal(pseudo)hallucinations. Since taking meds regularly via depot paranoid thinking is still there to a lesser degree(but I am less reactive on account of it),weird thoughts are in check, intrusive thoughts/pseudo hallucinations-virtually gone. The anxiety/social anxiety is still present My biggest problem is socially/difficulty with social interaction. I have no friends and have very little interaction with anyone outside of family. Social skills are reckoned to be poor.
I often think I am more socially challenged than mentally ill.
Common sense tells me that pdocs don’t put you on depot on a whim and when I was taking oral meds irregularly they could have just said “no big deal” if that was the case rather than opting for the depot route. However common sense does battle with the “Do I really need this? I’m socially challenged not mentally ill” type thinking.
I was on Antipsychotics for years.
I respect my current psychiatrist for taking a chance and getting me off of Risperdal.
The taper down of my AP was rather quick and although the majority of withdrawal symptoms is over, I am still experiencing some dizziness-nausea and a general feeling of Derealization.
Getting off of Antipsychotics is a very difficult process, some of the withdrawal symptoms that I experienced were Diziness, Nausea, Headaches, Increased Anxiety, A distorted feeling of Reality - like you are tripping on a low dose of an Halluconegenic.
Agitation, Akathisia, Extreme Fatigue - Sedation.
Night Sweats, Muscle Pain, Diminished Appetite, Etc…
Getting off of an Antipsychotic should not be done without the approval of your psychiatrist.
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What would happen to me would be that I went along normally for a couple of months or so, and then I would mess up spectacularly. My family dreads the thought of me coming off my psychotropic drugs.
You might relapse. Maybe the medications stopped your psychosis and without them, you might just slip back into the same condition you were in before you started taking them. Stopping meds is a risk and a gamble.
I had a minute, modicum of a relapse a couple of years ago. I have been on medication since 1982. A couple of years ago I ran out of meds and I couldn’t get anymore. I was without meds for just four days but I started feeling dizzy and weird and a few other things. Even though I hadn’t had an official relapse since 1990, I started getting the old, familiar feelings of being out of control and uncomfortable. That experience is all I need to remind me why I need to take medication. I have too much at stake in my life to risk a relapse.
I think that you should not mess with it until talking to your psychiatrist, even then, relapse can happen randomly and suddenly without expectation or warning. I had a relapse after 6 months of being off abilify and it came on suddenly without warning. I’m taking another anti-psychotic now so I think I’ll be ok, but I cant be certain. Over time I’m having less and less delusional thinking. It’s still a difficult thing. I can’t drink alcohol and have to stay on the right track. I’m actually debating being put on a higher dose of Abilify again because 10mgs is not enough but on 30mgs had a stabilizing effect. I just thought I’d never get off it. I’m scared of permanent side effects and I’m losing weight. I’m also communicating better since being off the abilify.
Be careful. Everyone is different. With schizophrenia you will need something to keep you stable. Creative visualization and brain training games are really helpful.
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I’m also more problem with socialising.
Fire monkey .
It can be so horrid n enabling n causes me to avoid lots of situations n even potential dates at say restaurant setting where one has to talk I rather first date where one can be bit active coffee n play ball on beach or walk or …
Can feel so awful to be silent when others are asking questions one doesn’t answer … Bääää
I don’t have friends either.
Not in person
But spiritually I do
N my best friend I had is in another country but I send card couple times year but he not send me card often not even once year some times.
I Believe the social difficulties can get better.
Maybe at least with some people some time.
I’ve stopped medication last couple days n am on only zoplicon .
Feel much better.
Maybe you can seek second opinion from other drs .
Maybe you can speak with some one you trust.
People here speak of weaning of meds slowly .
It can feel awful to quit meds.
Think it’s few months at least for meds to leave ya system.
My gp seems want to psychiatrise me some how with meetings n med that’s not working for me etc.
It is my body.
My being.
I too have an almost impossible time functioning Socially - lots of Awkwardness and Paranoia - intense Anxiety when I am in the presence of most people (except for my parents)
The more intimate the relationship, the more Paranoid and Anxious I get.
This is why I will be bringing up Schizotypal Disorder with my psychiatrist.
Hopefully I will get a proper diagnosis - I have been misdiagnosed with bipolar type 1 for years.
I have been diagnosed with Schizoaffective disorder as well - this is closer to my current symptoms than bipolar.