If you had a friend or family member that you knew (let’s say with a fair degree of certainty) was likely to develop schizophrenia. What would you tell them, would you try to help them in some way? Do you think it would help?
I would let them know that they could always confide in me no matter what the topic was, and if they needed more than I could give, I’d help them find another person they could trust.
I’d tell them that I’d always be there for them.
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Would you tell them this without mentioning schizophrenia, let them remain blissfully unaware?
I’m not sure much can be done if you are going to develop it. But certainly things like high stress (which can’t always be avoided) and street drugs (which can, but only if the person believes they are dangerous.)
Where I live, marijuana is legal. And recreational use of street or prescription drugs is common enough, most people think little of it unless you’re a full blown addict.
ive been sz since i was 10 my parents let me live my life until i was 32
What changed at 32?
iI had the a second break with reality
The pdocs have a heck of a time trying to Dx Sz without changing their Dx a bunch of times, so why would I want to slap a limit sign on someones forehead before it was necessary and they lose all hope?
Answer is no, not ever would I label someone myself, but if I was certain it would affect them, I’d start early on getting them familiar with the treatments, then encourage them to work with the professionals to prevent an ugly situation from possibly occurring in the future.
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I’d tell them what I’ve been told. Keep your focus, keep your wits. Don’t overstress, be careful, perhaps use some low dosage of medication to avoid symptoms and stabilize your lifestyle and talk to other people as much as possible.
One of the things that helped me the most with my delusions was to talk openly about it to other people.
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Just an example, but I first tried marijuana when I was over 35 years old. I was not impressed and didn’t use it again, and it doesn’t appear to have done anything to me. But it is a real risk factor for some people. But, if someone had just told me, hey marijuana might be bad for your mental health, I would have shrugged it off thinking they were overly cautious. But if someome had told me, you might become psychotic, here’s the research showing 500% increase in risk, I probably wouldn’t have tried it. Not that for me it would cause any different outcome, but, for some people. Especially given how commonly it is used. More people seem to use it than not.
I tried marijuana shortly after my psychotic episodes and it felt a lot like the beginnings of a psychotic attack even though I was on meds. I wouldnt try it again; I think the doctors are right about it being dangerous for szs.
I smoke marijuana everyday, with no psychosis. But it’s different for everyone. Also I’m very particular in the marijuana I use as to avoid any psychosis or anxiety
When you had the second break, they did something different?
That’s really pretty impressive though to go from 10 to 32 with only 2 breaks with reality, of course I don’t know what other symptoms you were dealing with, but that’s a long time.
Thats good that you can handle it. Have you ever tried the varieties that are higher in CBD and lower in THC?
Yeah I usually buy a mixture of thc strains and cbd dominant strains.
As a disclaimer I do want to say I was very stressed and smoking concentrates heavily before my first psychotic break. But I believe I had cognitive and negative symptoms before then and some paranoia. So who knows if the marijuana really triggered it. During my psychosis weed really messed with me so I didn’t smoke but picked it up again once I was medicated (and a 9 month stint without medication) and seemed to do fine. Sometimes I’d get anxiety but that’s it.
If smoking marijuana was legal in my state I’d give the CBD heavy weed a shot. at least I can get it in pill form but its expensive.
Yeah its legal where I live. Marijuana shops offer a plethora of CBD goodies.
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my path dosent fit in your senario like trying to match apples annd lemons
I only ever heard from my family when they wanted something. generally a helpful person so try to help and something like that if I was aware of it I’d help especially if still very young. Think I’d see it and try to intervene before it became an huge issue in the first place.
I’m sza and I have one sister so her chances of developing is like 30% or so. One night she kept checking her doors and locks and I told her that’s basically how it started for me. She said it was just stress. I can say I tried but I can only share I guess and leave the rest to her.
Given that weird little things can stick in my head and take on inflated meaning, mentioning sz might later become a false belief that I’d caused it or wanted it to occur. But I don’t know. I do think early treatment is important, but we’re bad at that in general. It seems like you just have to luck out with good doctors, family support, and if you’re really lucky, a med that works.