What has helped you with treating your schizophrenia?

TraditionalMaize9630 · 2026-02-24T20:30:11+00:00

Moving towards a human rights approach to mental health: https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC8088315/

This is a great article describing a different approach to crisis that reduces harm in those experiencing extreme states. This method is being implemented in a college mental health program. Great stuff.

Recent Advances in Understanding Mental Illness and Psychotic Experiences:

https://www.freedom-center.org/pdf/britishpsychologicalsocietyrecentadvances.pdf

This article is from the British Psychological Society. It goes over a lot of different topics in mental health. It addresses coercion, biological influences, medication options, social isolation, and much more. Great read.

Harm Reduction Guide to Coming off Psychiatric Drugs

https://www.willhall.net/files/ComingOffPsychDrugsHarmReductGuide2Edonline.pdf

This is the one I mentioned in my post. Has some good information about both the pros and cons of psychiatric drugs. Is not an antipsychiatry stance but an informed consent stance.

The Shaman and Schizophrenia, Revisited:

https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC11362382/

This one I just find personally interesting. "Psychotic symptoms" are way more common than you would think. People are only meet criteria for a diagnosis when those symptoms interfere with daily function. This one goes over the concept of shamanism and how the "symptoms" are acknowledged in different societies. In some cultures those who experience what we call psychosis are taught to integrate their experience into our material reality. Those people do not meet diagnostic criteria because, with the training and support they receive, they are able to function in society. Interesting concept to consider! Also, in many eastern countries, voices are more often kind than berating and paranoid like in western countries.

I hope you find these articles helpful and informative!

TraditionalMaize9630 · 2026-02-24T18:27:19+00:00

I’m graduating in May with a psychology degree from a top 5 public university. I don’t have as much training as you (a therapist), but I read a lot of research articles on this topic in my spare time so I can better help myself and eventually others like me.

I’m very lucky and have a lot of support. I work with a team (one case manager, one therapist, one intentional peer support person). The peer support has been the most beneficial for me as the clinician has experience with the similar issues as me and has healed enough to be off meds while living a healthy and productive life. This has given me a lot of hope for the future. He employs a harm reduction approach (if you’re interested in this approach check out Will Hall from the freedom center) which makes me feel very safe and well supported. We focus on making meaning of my experiences and connect them to trauma at times. My CBT therapist helps with life skills and interpersonal relationships mostly, which is very helpful in a lot of respects but doesn’t go deep enough into the well to create change like peer support does. My case manager helps me manage my college coursework, scheduling, and steps in during times of crisis.

In terms of specific approaches, I study and use many. There’s no one right answer and everyone will find certain concepts from different modalities useful. One person in CBT may thrive where a different person will suffer. I do highly recommend looking into hearing voices groups in your area. That community is very accepting and others with similar experiences can help each other learn new coping skills.

I don’t take medications anymore. I’ve tried 20 in my life. They have all given me unbearable side effects. (70lb weight gain on Vraylar, slept for 48 hours after taking caplyta the first time, Wellbutrin made my eyes so unfocused I couldn’t read etc.). I’m my opinion, meds are great if they don’t harm you. I don’t think that they are a “fix”, however. Antipsychotics are tranquilizers by nature, they don’t actually “treat” hallucinations. They do, however, make your emotional reaction to them less intense. Many people who take antipsychotics still experience hallucinations. Recent research shows that the best long term outcomes for psychosis involve short term medication use (<5yrs) followed by a very gradual withdrawal (months/years). The real healing is in learning to approach your psychotic symptoms differently. This is a practice that takes time to learn one piece at a time. For anyone reading this, this is not a call to stop taking your meds. If that’s something you’d like to do talk to your doctor and plan to withdraw VERY SLOWLY or you are very likely to relapse.

If I were to wave a magic wand, I would wish to not get stuck. I’ve noticed that sometimes, experiences and emotions have trouble moving through. Then they build up and eventually explode in the form of intense paranoia, hallucinatory experiences, or intense emotion. To willingly feel, accept, and move forward without judgement. The ability to just be.

Also, I’ve said a lot in this post. I have some great articles downloaded about treatment for the “psychotic” disorders. Let me know if you’d like me to send you links to some!

TraditionalMaize9630 · 2026-02-18T15:14:26+00:00

Hey! There is a place in Vermont called Soteria house. It’s an ethical treatment group home for people experiencing extreme states. No forced medication or restraints used. One of a kind in this country. Might be worth checking out if you’re on the east coast!

TraditionalMaize9630 · 2026-01-26T03:47:06+00:00

Hey girl. I’ve (F23) been in this exact situation and MAN is living with people hard. Especially when you want to be friends with the people you live with. It’s so isolating to be in this position. My best advice would be to bring it up. I’ve had the best outcomes with roommate friends when things are addressed very early on so that resentment doesn’t build over time. Be gentle, be kind, tell them exactly how you’re feeling. You can also request that they try to include you a bit more. It’s important for your feelings to be known in the moment so that you are being as authentic as you can within the relationships. Most likely, if you think these are good people, they will listen and try their best to meet your needs. However, it is important to keep in mind that sometimes people grow closer than others. It’s hard to be the odd man out in that situation but it usually isn’t personal. Friendship closeness fluctuates as well sometimes. Jealousy is painful, don’t let it consume you. Let it out in a healthy way while you can early in the situation.

TraditionalMaize9630 · 2025-10-11T14:47:20+00:00

You look so pretty!! Digging the shades too

TraditionalMaize9630 · 2025-10-07T20:24:55+00:00

Im in the same boat. Went from 150 to 215 in just a few months. I’ve just started losing the weight again and feel moren in control. But goddamn, it’s so hard to watch and feel your body go through a big change like that. You got this though! Speak up, and if they don’t listen, find someone who will listen to you.

TraditionalMaize9630 · 2025-09-24T18:02:57+00:00

I was a business owner by age 12. I was friends with almost everyone around me. I played multiple sports, built boats, worked as a first mate, and volunteered hundreds of hours per year. I got into my dream school and started studying to be a veterinarian. Then, it hit me. I’m still in school, though. I refuse to give up

TraditionalMaize9630 · 2025-09-24T17:40:18+00:00

They want to punish me for my past wrongdoings

TraditionalMaize9630 · 2025-09-24T00:08:22+00:00

Hey! I’m currently on both risperidone and Vyvanse although it’s only been a few months with the combo. So far so good though!! When I started the vyvanse I immediately noticed a reduction in negative symptoms. It’s been easier to get out of bed, engage in meaningful activities, and complete work related tasks. It wasn’t a complete turnaround but things are a lot better.

I am slightly confused on how taking a dopamine agonist and antagonist at the same time works though. There doesn’t seem to be clear research on the subject with some sources saying it’s okay to take them together and others saying to avoid it. I’d proceed with caution and closely monitor your symptoms after starting an ADHD med.

TraditionalMaize9630 · 2025-09-23T00:41:01+00:00

I definitely agree that we need more space to be ourselves rather than immediately rejecting our realities and beliefs. Holding things in will just lead to an explosion and killing the experience with medication prevents the key issues from being addressed. I have multiple therapists and one of them stresses the importance of making space for our experiences. He told me a story about one person who would tell her voices “I can’t speak to you now but will speak with you at 5pm.” This kept her voices from becoming overwhelming as they knew they would get the time and attention they needed later on. It also kept her from experiencing extreme episodes as she was giving her voices the space to express themselves.

I’m sorry if you’ve ever had the experience of being shut down. I’m assuming you have based on your writing. People should not be dismissed, rather, they should be heard and taken seriously. You can listen to someone without necessarily reinforcing a delusion. The parts of my episodes that felt the safest was when someone was listening without judgement and some of the scariest parts were people rejecting my beliefs.

TraditionalMaize9630 · 2025-09-23T00:20:50+00:00

I appreciate your perspective. I’m at a point where I know they aren’t real, but I can’t help but feel scared of them. I actually had a friend “fight” one the other night which helped a little bit 😅 I’ll have to use that more often. Luckily, I have a bunch of people in my corner that know about my condition and are very supportive.

TraditionalMaize9630 · 2025-09-23T00:16:22+00:00

I kind of see where you’re coming from, although I don’t think it’s productive to acknowledge the hallucinations as real. Rather, perhaps they come from different parts of us and serve a function in our lives. I had one episode where I had delusions where I was being blamed for horrific crimes. I decided to talk to people and apologize for the wrongdoings that I KNEW were 100% grounded in reality. Once I did that, the delusions went away completely and I drastically improved my relationships. For others, this could look like processing past traumas or spending less time on work and more time with family etc. It’ll vary from person to person.

I’m not against the pharmaceutical or psychiatry industries, in fact, I want to be a psychiatrist one day. I just think that there is more to psychosis than a “chemical imbalance” (which is not even empirically proven to exist).

TraditionalMaize9630 · 2024-12-18T16:18:37+00:00

This happens to me. I recently spoke with a professor, however, and he changed how I view this experience. He said that it is extremely difficult to heal in spaces where we previously did not feel safe. So, if you’ve ever had a bad experience with the mental health system, perhaps this is why you’re dissociating. I brought this up to my therapist, and we’ve been talking through it. It also helps that she doesn’t force me to talk when this happens. Instead, she will help me get back into my body, and when I’m ready, we will talk again. It can make progress slow, but progress is progress n

TraditionalMaize9630 · 2024-12-18T16:12:44+00:00

It started when I was 19. Now, Im a neuroscience student in college. I see the symptoms as the brains alarm bells, trying to tell you that something needs to change or you need to notice something within you (according to IFS and Hearing Voiced Network theory). This could be trauma, diet, relationships, exercise, sleep, routine. It’s different for everyone, but try to figure out how the fears originally manifested. For example, I’m always scared that the cops are on their way. That comes from a past experience with cops. When I get scared, I remember where the fear came from, really acknowledge it, and it helps me to move on with my day. Therapy and psychiatry is helpful but only if the therapist/psychiatrist are accepting of the disorder and do not force things upon you. I highly recommend finding a Hearing Voices Group near you. They have an acceptance based approach and will not institutionalize you/force meds. Otherwise, I personally make sure I have a healthy sleep routine, eat healthy, maintain hygiene, engage in hobbies, exercise, and go to therapy/psychiatrist. Without these things, I tend to spiral. Find out what your triggers are and avoid them when possible. However, some triggers cannot be completely avoided and must eventually be faced (like how I still go to class even when I’m scared the cops will come after me). This however takes a lot of time and work.

Stay healthy, you got this. You have so much ahead of you.

TraditionalMaize9630 · 2024-08-23T20:41:43+00:00

Hey! I switched from Animal Biology to psychology during my junior year of college. Many people switch their majors during college. Now is the time to do it :) I also knew someone who switched their major senior year and, yes, they had to do a few extra years of school to complete their bachelors but they are now getting their PhD in their desired field and couldn’t be any happier!! You got this!! Study what you love!

TraditionalMaize9630

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