Is it true that positive symptoms get better as we get older? What about negative and cognitive symptoms?
Can we reduce medication dosage as we get older?
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I think everything goes up considering my current state on Clozapine.
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So positive symptoms get worse?
For me in person i am still on same meds as before but sticking on to one type of meds now, i think i found my meds its been adjusted well.
I think 10 to 15 years is the time frame to get adjusted to meds, but this is just my story.
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Somehow, I think I get tactile hallucinations whenever my finger taps. Probably because of all the med switching around or because I dealt with the suicidal thoughts on Resperidone for 6 months.
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I’ve gotten worse cognitively
Also my negative symptoms have gotten worse as I’m aging.
My moods and positive symptoms seemed to have gotten a bit better but I’m on the same amount of meds.
My doctor won’t lower them.
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I’m soon to be 52. I got on meds late at 29 but as I’ve aged my symtpoms have improved a lot. It’s more over time but I’m religious about my meds and take them regularly etc. Still. I bought a fitness tracker years ago as my negs were biting hard and slowly worked exercise into my life. That made a huge difference…
So. I think it does get easier as you age if your med compliant and I think exercise makes a huge difference in that. I’ve recently come down in ap and ad and doing well. Probably lowest limit but it’s a big difference for me.
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Positive symptoms are better. Partially age, partially stress management, partially CBT. Negs are about the same. Cognitive symptoms abated within several years of my pushing myself every day to get them back. Still doing okay.
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They used to believe that positives got better but negatives got worse with age, but I don’t think everyone agrees about negatives anymore. I have not had sz long enough(I was diagnosed early 40’s) to say for sure from personal experience, but I think my negatives are getting better with time.
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The psychiatrist I had when I spent 5 months in a mental health facility back in 2004 told me once men hit their 40s they tend to improve, and when women hit their 40s they tend to get worse.
Of course it can vice versa in individual cases but those are the trends apparently.
I didn’t ask why that is, it may be just a trend they’ve noticed and they don’t know why. Not sure. Mens testosterone starts decreasing in their 40s and women start entering into menopause so maybe all those hormonal changes have something to do with it.
I’m doing better in my 40s, than my 30s, and my 30s, were better than my 20s when I was really having problems.
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I’m 65. I’d say my SMI symptoms are much milder than they were in my 20s. I’m more practically and socially impaired than anything else. I think too much water has gone under the bridge re inadequate support and treatment for me to fulfil any potential I may have had.
I don’t blame my current MH team in any way for that. I just wish I’d had them decades earlier.
I’m lucky in having a great (s)daughter, granddaughters and gt grandchildren. Contact with my birth family has been very limited. I’ve only physically seen my father since moving here in Sep 2017. It was over 3.5 years ago that I saw him. We exchange occasional emails and phone calls. I exchange regular emails with my brother.There’s minimal interaction with my sister and her family.
The situation cognitively is very much one of batting .310+ in the minor leagues but <.230 in the major leagues. That’s been the case from as far back as I I can remember.
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Since i have diagnosed sz for around 35 years i find that i always get back into balance after an psychotic episode. I think i got more experienced with psychosis. Sz doesn’t got worse, but it is any better either. Exercise and self hygiene is important as @rogueone said as your physical health declines, cause i tend to be careless about my body, but body, mind and spirit are equally important.
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