I don’t know how to call them, sorry, maybe I used the wrong term, but I mean: when do you usually start to feel bad, like (I suppose) hearing voices, have delusions, hallucinations and stuff… it’s all sudden? It’s easier after a stressing period? Do you realize that you’re about to have a breakdown or it’s all sudden? What about the people around you?
I have OCD and when, to me, it’s a stressing period I start with having pathological doubt and I became obsessive, asking questions to everybody around me about the things I care most to feel more secure about my worries and suspects… but when I feel good that, more or less, doesn’t happen. So what about you?
(Sorry for my bad english, it’s not my language :D)
It used to feel sudden with no way to control it. I never paid attention to my triggers and warning signs.
But if I pay attention, I find I do have some fair warning. I begin to feel a bit disconnected and over exposed. Then it builds and it’s usually always stress triggered.
It’s odd to think that by paying attention, my glitches actually start hours before I feel like I’ve lost control. I never noticed that before. I used to think they just hit me hard out of the blue.
But now I can sort of pay attention to the fact that all lights seems too bright and loud and basic noises sound far too loud. My clothing begins to feel tighter and little by little I feel more irritated about silly stuff then I know it’s going to be rough day.
When I didn’t pay attention and the paranoia/ panic got me… I would be pacing, rocking and started to loose my hold on this reality.
But these days I know it’s a stress trigger and if I can… I get out of there and try to let myself calm down. Sometimes… it won’t work. Once that ball is rolling… I have to ride it out.
My family who knows me can tell even sooner I guess. I’ve asked my sis about this since she lives with me and she says she can tell what it happening by how I’m acting.
She swears it’s very subtle she has told me this is what I do … I won’t answer her when she asked me a direct question, my eye contact goes away, I start focusing on tiny inconsequential stuff and getting fidgety.
I don’t talk much and answer with few words or sounds, I start walking slower. To her those are the signs that I’m not doing well and it’s time to go home or time to decompress the stress.
I see 
and more or less how long it lasts? And when you’re into the breakdown… are you aware what’s really happening? Sorry maybe it’s a stupid question, but I’d like to know this kind of disease better.
That depends… there have been times where I’ve been in low level rough shape for over a week before I can calm down and sleep and swallow my panic.
Lately, I’ve been having little mini- glitches… that is if I have a panic attack. Some of my sneaky brained thinking like delusions start quietly and can take years to get over. But I’m still functional, I’m not panicked, I’m just not seeing a situation realistically.
As far as a sudden break… The last bad one lasted almost 24 hours and I sort of lost my hold in this world.
My Latuda got switched to Geoden and the final phase of that was… full blown panic, paranoia, sure the kidnappers were back, sure the sonic hearing was back, it took a lot of work to reel me back in. I almost landed in hospital.
There was a point I had no idea what was happening to me because I do remember that I needed to be outside because the walls were closing in. I was really getting agitated, irritated, and deeply upset… But I woke up in bed. I was exhausted, and I feel like I was put through a cheese grater as far as my nerves and muscles.
I can’t seem to remember what happened to me between getting out of the house and waking up in bed. My sis was watching over me and making sure I didn’t hurt myself or wander away, I have heard her tell me what I was doing. But I can’t for the life of me remember doing it.
mine are usually sudden.and they are lead by voices. they just attack non stop, such as they are doing now and have been for about a week but i’m not going for it this time. i’m way used to it by now to be honest and they are simply trying to give me another “episode” it’s a basic persecutory thing in which i don’t believe so i’m not even entertaining the ideas of what they’re saying right now. it’s all bollocks anyway. they’ve tried so many times to get me to commit suicide but that’s not going to work. i have kids so i’m not leaving them for anything. they tell me things like, i’ll die if i win the lottery, write a book, invent anything of financial worth. usual shite but i’ll just plod along anyway and do what i do. nill points to the voices this time. 
I usually get breakdowns when I am stressed or when I stopped my meds.
When I go off my meds, always happens.
meds have never made a difference to me at all. i’ve always been on them in one form or another and have had breakdowns regardless. i know i’m not schizophrenic, my shrink knows i’m not schizophrenic but every now and again in the past i have just lost touch with my surroundings. a pre programmed response but it happened nonetheless. triggered by tv and music videos and now by the spyware on my phone. none of this is my fault however much the voices would like me to believe it is. it’s just a basic persecution complex designed to get me diagnosed as a schizophrenic so that i can’t testify against my rapists. it’s bullshit. i have never harmed anyone in my life and neither have my kids. they don’t deserve any of this sordid dispicable treatment at all. so no meds have not and never will make a difference to my mental state as my problems do not stem from a brain disease.
I have my “breakdowns” because of stress. It enhances everything for me from the voice activity, to the depression and beyond. I tend to call them episodes more than breakdowns. Another problem with me is my activity increases right before and during that time of the month, but I’m usually fine for a couple weeks afterwards before the next episode. It builds up, starts a minor anxiety filled moment, then the voices, hallucinations/delusions will increase and my paranoia and panic attacks hit. Sometimes I’m able to talk myself out of it, other times I have to find away to distract myself and just work through it. While the effects of the attack may be slow and progressing I don’t always know if it will fully attack as a full blown episode or if I’ll be able to talk myself out of it before it happens. It depends I guess on how convincing of an argument the voices/delusions make.
When I stop taking medicine, stress, lack of sleep, and if I drink alcohol (even a couple drinks destabilize me)
anytime…mostly when tired,
take care
sorry, hope you are feeling better soon.
take care
I usually have ‘breakdowns’ because of a traumatizing trigger of some sort. My first big break was when I experimented with a powerful hallucinogenic - it was mescaline that triggered me into the throws of my disorder. I was young naive depressed and away from home in college. I was delusional for many years, it was not a break, but I have to blame a potent tricyclic antidepressant one of my first doctors prescribed me - it kept me on the manic side of things for years.
My divorce and split from my wife was a huge trigger for me, this was about 8 or 9 years ago? I had severe mixed episodes and lost it - my cognition was shot, I had a difficult time finding a simple item on the supermarket shelf and had a hard time starting my car! it was a long tough road getting back down to reality - but i did it.
So now I try to avoid triggering factors - no drugs, no alcohol, no nicotine, no toxic people, no crowds, no antidperessants, no romantic relationships etc … I know I guess I am trying to cushion myself from stressful situations, but I have to - oh yeah, I take my meds religiously
When my meds change, when I lose sleep or when something really bad happens.
Like Wave does, I cushion myself from breakdowns: keep stress low, avoid crowds, no drugs, very little alcohol, no changes in geographic location of home, regular weekly routine, take my meds religiously, keep Dr. and nurse appointment’s, pay credit card off in full each month, no nicotine, minimal contact with family, no romantic relationships, drink only decaf. coffee, get enough sleep, etc…etc… This strategy seems to keep me as well as I can be. I have to take a lot of med’s and I have residual paranoia, but, I’m a lot better than I used to be in my younger years.
It’s good to watch your stress levels. High stress levels can trigger other symptoms like a breakdown. Stress monitoring helps, watching your breathing, if it’s too shallow that can be an indication to something worst. I think nervousness too like shaky hands, twitches. I think it’s a great idea to prevent it from happening. You don’t want to get overwhelmed or agitated. Dreams can sometimes tell us, like a dream journal. Seeing your doctor and therapist will help to prevent a breakdown and regular schedule of medicine. Take frequent breaks. Walking is good
I’m trying to learn to be more tolerant to stress and also changing my attitude toward things that stress me out and altering my behavior the best i can to a more healthy reaction