My daughter was feeling so much better after her diagnosis that she seemed almost cheerful again. And now, a few weeks in to trying to get some medication balanced out, I think the reality of it is setting in. She seems alternately sad or non-emotional. It is very difficult to watch as a parent.
I have to say that everyone on this board and all the information you have shared has been very helpful to me in helping me gain some insight into what my daughter may be feeling and experiencing. I really appreciate it.
This can be the flat effect of the negative symptoms.
Sometimes I’m like that too, and I was like that every day for over a year after my psychotic break.
There are no current meds to treat this, so she just has to learn to live with it, which is not impossible.
I suggest this book, it was a great help for me and my mom:
The flat affect is something that really cemented the diagnosis for me. When I read about the symptoms of schizophrenia, the flat affect and the withdrawal and isolation were things that I recognized in my daughter.
For the last couple of years I had been frustrated that we couldn’t get a real smile out of her for pictures. I now recognize why, and I feel bad for getting frustrated with her. She could make her mouth smile, but it looked more like a grimace than a real smile.
I will read that book. Anything, just to help her.
Don’t forget to do stuff she used to like. Like shopping, fairs, theme parks, if she can handle crowded places. I believe you need to relearn how to have fun. I never stopped doing things I know I used to like before I got ill. I don’t get any rewarding feelings, but atleast I keep myself active. It is easy to be passive and do nothing at all. Then you get depressed. Anhedonia…sometimes I believe that is better than depression, sometimes I’d like to be depressed to feel something other than anxiety.
**It is very hard to see as a parent! You sound like you are dealing with this much better than I did. I was just running around fighting fighting everyone and everything to get help-or try to make sense of it all.
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It can take some trial and error to get the best medications for a person. Maybe your daughter can find med’s that allow her to express herself as much as she wants. It can take patience. I’m sure it is hard to watch as a parent.