When is it time to seek help?

I posted here a long while ago, describing voices telling me to do bad stuff to myself. Afterwards, I was voluntarily committed to the psych ward, and got better with the help they gave me during my stay.

However, the voices and other symptoms (fatigue, restlessness, depression, headaches) have started returning, and I’m wondering… Should I nip it in the bud by contacting the proper authorities earlier this time, or should I wait and see if it passes?

I’ve taken a seroquel/quetiapin (25mg) as the doctors told me I could do when the voices started being bad again, but it hasn’t helped that much. I don’t want to cry wolf and go to the psychiatric emergency room only to be told there’s nothing serious wrong with me, and be sent home. But on the other hand, I’m afraid if I wait too long, it’ll be getting worse.

So, I guess the real question is… Where is the line between “This will pass in time” (or “you can get through this on your own”) and “You need help to get through this”?
When is it time to seek out help?

What medication are you on?

I’m on 20 mg Abilify a day, and I can take 25mg Seroquel if I need it, 2 times a day

I suppose if you have self-destructing behaviors and voices you may want to get help. Do you have your regular psych visits?

I have monthly talks with a psychiatric nurse, but I don’t feel like it does much…

If the voices are telling you to do something, you absolutely should go to a hospital.

Maybe you could create a listing of topics you may want to talk during your psych visits in order to make these visits more helpful.

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Thanks, that’s a good idea :slight_smile:

I called the psych unit, and they told me to take more Seroquel and call them again if things got worse, otherwise to call the psychiatric nurse I have monthly talks with on monday.
They said things don’t seem bad enough for me to be committed yet.

… I don’t know how to feel about that. I mean, I’m glad I won’t have to spend the money to get to the psych ward, but I don’t know what I was hoping for either. I just want help :confused:

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How long have you been on Abilify? I am concerned about your headache. I did not have headaches while psychotic. Is your headache bad? Then you should have that checked. Abilify can give you headache in the beginning.

I’ve been on Abilify for four or five years now, but I had my dose upped four months ago. I get headaches when my voices increase, I suspect it has something to do with me trying to resist them or shut them out.

Never heard of this. Have you done a brain scan? Better be safe than sorry. My son has bad migraine headaches, he got a brain scan before he got meds for the condition.

Ideally it’s best to get help as soon as you notice anything is wrong or strange. This is because most mental illnesses (and illnesses in general) have the best prognosis if caught early and treated immediately…

Do you have access to a caseworker or some type of counselor you could talk to? Maybe that would help. It seems to me that when you don’t want to go to the hospital they are determined to put you there, and when you want to go they hardly respond.

Hey all, sorry I stopped replying yesterday. As I mentioned, they told me to take more seroquel, which I did, and it made me very tired.
No, I haven’t had brain scans, but I’ll mention it to the doctor next time I see her.
I have a counselor I can talk to, but she is on holiday and I don’t have the number for her replacement. But I think I remember her saying she’d contact me tomorrow. Anyways, I’m contacting the psychiatric nurse tomorrow and ask her if she can move my wednesday appointment to tomorrow. It can’t go on like this.

Today, the voice isn’t as strong, I suspect it’s due to the seroquel, but now, instead of giving me orders to hurt myself, it’s telling me things like I’m not allowed to eat. It worries me, but if the people in charge don’t think I should be comitted for it, then I’m scared to call them again because what if they turn me down again?

Luckily, tomorrow isn’t too far away now.

I usually know it’s hospital admission time when I can’t function for more than a few days and I feel unsafe like when I self harm or am in mental agony for more than a few days. My pdoc said she would help me get into hospital if I feel unsafe. Fortunately that hasn’t happened yet as my meds help a lot.

Hope you get better soon and get the help you need! Good luck!