Hi, I am seeing a mental health professional who specializes in Psycodynamic Counselling. She asked me to analyse what brings on my hallucinations. I had to listen out to what was in my head and what came from the outside world. As a result I noticed I often withdraw into an inner dream. My thoughts lead into the voices. I realised that they must come from me… not other people. This realisation drastically reduced the voices I was hearing. Have you any tips for recovery?
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Recovery is a highly individualized process, friend. What works for me may not work for you.
Recognizing the voice(s) as coming from within you is a very important first step, though. Some people never get there. Congratulations.
What symptoms do you experience, and how do you cope with them now? What about your current level of self-care / medication / therapy / habits indicates you are not in recovery right now?
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Hi BonBonSquad! I have no negative symptoms really… I think that may be a result of the omega three that I take in very high dosage daily. My delusions are gone due to 80mg of Latuda. I sleep well every night due to Latuda. I have Psycodynamic therapy and a low stress lifestyle where I don’t work. I’ve also always been very intelligent.
Sounds like you’re doing pretty well already!
My only comment would be to make sure you’re getting enough stimulation, without stressing yourself too much. Boredom is a curse for some highly intelligent people, but getting too busy can create anxiety, too. So… pick up a hobby or two, and try to maintain some social connections.
Are you enjoying therapy? Do you feel it’s effective?
Do you exercise or take walks regularly?
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I was initially concerned when I read that you were seeing a psychodynamic psychotherapist (as PD-style therapy is usually but not always unsuitable for those with sz unless they are very well stabilized on meds). But it sounds like you got a nice lift-off from some seeing what is.
Other types of psychotherapy that are recommended for those with sz:
REBT – Rational emotive behavior therapy - Wikipedia
Schematherapy – Schema therapy - Wikipedia
Learned Optimism – Learned optimism - Wikipedia
Standard CBT – Psychotherapy | NAMI: National Alliance on Mental Illness & scroll down
DBT – http://behavioraltech.org/resources/whatisdbt.cfm
MBSR – Welcome to the Mindful Living Blog
MBBT – An Introduction to Mind-Body Bridging & the I-System – New Harbinger Publications, Inc
Plus this one, which provides a fast-acting summation of the principles of those above, once the skills of two or more of them are learned:
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Hi, therapy is wonderful and takes a weight off of my shoulders! The therapist really asks the right questions in order to get me to think constructively about my problems and I trust her. Out of therapy I walk for an hour a day more or less and follow a very healthy diet with food I enjoy in limited quantities around my health! So, I’m now a healthy weight.
I am married and my husband works whilst I look after the home. Wednesday mornings I take part in a sewing course which I love! I look after three guinea pigs to a very high standard… they are spoilt.
In terms of money, I am in good fortune since my husband takes care of me. All is well! … just the occasional hallucination.
I hope you are feeling on top of life too… you sound like you know how to manage things as well.
Thank you notmoses! Very useful info…
I didn’t for so many years. Then I had to learn.
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I know what you mean. I look back not understanding how I coped with work and the most ostracising and debilitating disease imaginable. I was once so immensely confused and depressed for a very long time. I struggled on through a degree and 15 years humiliation in jobs I scraped by at whilst psychotic! I made friends but felt very alone. Nobody could treat me as I was too messed in the head to describe what I was going through. I’m so drastically improved now but still sometimes drawn into the persecution I hear and resultingly depressed. I also endure social anxiety and paranoia…
Because I was similarly “drawn,” I just kept plowing into all the stuff I listed above. Now all I have to do to stay at stage five relapse prevent and maintenance is the 10 StEP thingie.
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