Tell us how you are today?

Thank you Hope. I wish we could all get together for a giant group hug. That would be the most wonderful thing ever.

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That really would be awfully nice wouldnā€™t it? - since we are all from many places around the globe - it would be quite tricky to arrange. We would all benefit from some face to face time.

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My brother was sent to crisis yesterday he been off his medicine for two months , he started having a episode and got agitated with me , broke my tv and spit in my face before the cops took him away . I feel helpless

@Jenny924
Really sorry to hear that.
I spoke to my SzA brother about the topic of meds today. He said it takes about a month or two for the medication to fade completely. Underlines the importance of staying on it, I think. I asked him what he thinks I should do if he ever stopped taking his meds. He said, itā€™s either because the doctor wonā€™t prescribe them anymore, or else he would want me to make sure he keeps taking them.
All this to say, I think getting him treatment was a sound decision, whether he is ever grateful that you care for him or not.

For myself,
I have much to be grateful for. Hard work is paying off.
My dreams for myself seem closer than ever. A family, a house and some time and money to put into hobbies is starting to look realistic for once.
Itā€™s strange looking back at how far Iā€™ve come. I was poor and desperate for life to give me a break, or at least a second to breathe between catastrophes, for a long time.
Tenacity and self-image go a long way.

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@Jenny924, condolences. Hope he recovers.

Iā€™m a schizophrenia sufferer who has had great success in dosing Piracetam 1 to 2 grams a day. Itā€™s an NMDA receptor upregulator, which is great for schizophrenia as that is an NMDA hypofunction disorder, which means the receptors are underactive, so making more NMDA receptors might completely fix the underlying issue.

Iā€™ve been taking Piracetam with Phosphatidyl Choline and Vitamin C (these are co-factors for it) for little over two weeks now, and every day my voices got quieter and quieter, to where I am now, completely unable to hear the voices even when itā€™s completely quiet. I hear the odd very quietly whispered word here and there, but thatā€™s only maybe once an hour. Nowhere near as bad as the constant stream of speech Iā€™d hear before the Piracetam. This is a truly miraculous substance for schizophrenia.

Hereā€™s a study which shows that it reduces positive and negative symptoms when taken with an antipsychotic.

Iā€™ve been able to safely halve my antipsychotic dose (Paliperidone) since taking Piracetam, and I might quarter it once I feel safe enough.

Itā€™s important not to overdose on this substance though. Taking more than 3 grams a day might not be safe.

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I am so sorry Jenny924, itā€™s so discouraging on these sorts of days. The violence just seems to remain in the room. Take care, hope

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This was a great link to read, and it had the immediate effect of making me burst into tears. So much of this page applies to me, and probably to most of us. Tonight is a bad night for my daughter, sheā€™s been semi-raging to her voices since 5 am and it is now 9:30 pm. My nerves are jangling, and I just wish for peace to sleep tonight (for both of us).

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@oldladyblue. I am sorry this day has been difficult and exhausting for you. I have noticed that my daughter seems to get worse this time of year, whether it be lack of sleep, yelling, or withdrawing. It seems to happen like clock work end of O toner through January. I usually increase the Tramadol given for sleep and the klonopin. Although not perfect, it helps

I hope hope you have some peace, and time to relax.

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Thank you for your response oldladyblue. I too imagine the article applies to many of us, and it also probably makes many of us cry.

Iā€™m so sorry to hear of your daughterā€™s raging at her voices. Itā€™s so hard. I try to be patient, hearing my son tell stories about his voices, but itā€™s just so hard.

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Thank you to everyone who is posting. I appreciate you. I donā€™t feel so alone.

I did get some sleep, till now anyways.

I wish, oh I constantly wish, that my daughter would voluntarily see a doctor and get some help. But she wonā€™t.

All of us have different situations, but one similarity is that we feel helpless when we canā€™t make it better for our loved ones, and especially helpless when a crisis occurs.

I hope @Jenny924 that your brother accepts help while in hospital, and stays on meds when out. His aggression toward you is (at least in my state) the only way he can be forced into treatment. Although it doesnā€™t seem like it, that aggression is a cry for help from him and perhaps a gift toward the right meds and some insight.

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My knowledgeable friend asked if I would remind everyone that US Daylight Savings Time ending this coming Sunday can often cause an increase in symptoms.

Weā€™ve had it all this month, a closer full moon, Halloween and now the time change coming up.

I feel so alone , the guy that Iā€™m dating weā€™re talking about my brothers mental illness people just donā€™t know what to say no encouraging words just minimal, ask about how my mom
And I are doing hut not my brother I told him about it and also stated how people around me do not understand or ignorant to it he kinda took it to offense , I stated to him he never ask about my brother , then he proceeded to ask I told him
I shouldnā€™t have to tell you this and then you ask he said heā€™ll give me my space he doesnā€™t want to cause negative energy and Iā€™ll contact him when Iā€™m ready smh sigh Iā€™m over it I know itā€™s not his fault but I feel like the support could be better but Iā€™m just so focus on getting my sza brother on the right track to good health even if me and my mom are his only support system .

Jenny924 I can remember how people who didnā€™t have experience with mental illness never could say ā€œthe right thingā€. Over time I have learned to get that from this forum and from other people I know who have family members with mental illness.

What sort of things are you working on in regards to getting your brother on the right track?

In case the time change causes issues ā€¦

@Jenny924
People almost never say the exact right thing. The important distinction is good intentions from bad ones.

@hope
Thanks for posting that printout.
ā€œā€¦no intention of letting mental illness rob us of our life.ā€ Is a really perfect line, even if I do choose to interpret it a little loosely.

From me:
Today was a good day. Spent time trick or treating with the nieces and nephew. They tired out surprisingly early.
The oldest, 6 was shocked when I told her the last time I went trick or treating was about 18 years ago.
ā€œYouā€™re so old!ā€ Haha! I told her I feel young, that I have a lot of life left to live and Iā€™m as strong as ever. I told her she will feel the same way too when she is my age. She seemed to really think about it in a positive way. Hopefully, itā€™s something she holds onto and gains some perspective from.

Other than that,
Work is smooth. My prayers are answered every day. Thank God!
I had a particularly productive meeting in the afternoon and I finally feel like my input really matters.
I have wanted this for my whole life since about 16 or so. I am extremely grateful to be living part of my dreams.
There is so much more good to come, if only I continue to stick to my morals, ask God for help, be good to my family and be strong enough to lift those close to me up when they need it.

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@wreklus I am happy for you and appreciate your ability to have a positive outlook on life. We each have ā€œseasonsā€ and you are a shining light!

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Every now and then I like to post excerpts from NAMIā€™s Family to Family. Some of our forum members arenā€™t located where classes are available.

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Hello @jenny924
I hope this helps. My husband of 42 years sounds the same as your boyfriend. They are indifferent to what is going on, or how we may feel. They cannot understand what we are experiencing. They are not capable of understanding. In my case, it is my son, my poor girls, (Louā€™s sisters) just like you, are experiencing the same process. In defense to our men and other loved ones; they do not understand what we may be going through.
It is all the advice I can offer you.
Deepest sympathy and compassion for you, AnnieNorCal

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NAMI Family-to-Family has really helpful information, especially for those new to the illness or who have not researched it much. And I keep reading and connecting via online journalism, medical and advocacy groups for serious mental illness. There is SO much information for us that can be helpful. Donā€™t give up. There absolutely CAN be recovery from SZ.

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Of course I wake up to an email from the state services that provide Jebā€™s SNAP support and they want him to ā€œrequalifyā€.

We just did this 6 months ago. I suspect they will keep it up until they can find him making more money than is allowed and they will take his food stamps and QMB away.

Sigh.