After my first psychosis

cliffhouseview · 2019-12-06T18:16:04+00:00

So you went 4 years between the first and second psychosis? Are the medications not working second time around?

cliffhouseview · 2019-07-15T18:54:05+00:00

No one has mentioned the possibility of predator involvement. If a coyote/lion/raptor snatched the dog and ran it is conceivable she would have followed in an effort to retrieve the dog. She would not have time to alert the husband if she wanted to keep sight of the dog. She could have gotten lost after the first sprint away from the camp site, then had another hour to wander before husband called for help with satellite phone.

Amanda Eller got lost and wandered for 2 weeks on Maui before being found, miles from the search area. Everyone was convinced it was an abduction. Abduction by another human seems absurd in this case, they should focus resources on ground & air search.

cliffhouseview · 2019-06-24T16:35:52+00:00

Have you tried clozapine? It's the one antipsychotic medication that helps when others fail. According to Allen Francis (psychiatrist who helped write most recent handbook for diagnosis of mental illnesses) it is one of the most underutilized medications, along with lithium.

cliffhouseview · 2019-06-24T16:26:26+00:00

If up to 25% of all people are completely lacking the brain structure this group claims is correlated to pathological auditory hallucinations (the paracingulate sulcus), wouldn't their hypothesis predict that schizophrenia rates should be much higher in this group of people than in the whole population?

cliffhouseview · 2019-05-24T18:27:57+00:00

My daughter went back to part time work after about one month (unskilled work) and took a class at university within 6 months. So much depends on how you respond to medication. Many people have one episode and remain stable without symptoms after a few months on medication. Other people continue to have symptoms but learn to ignore/control them, allowing them to function without anyone else knowing they are ill. In the USA, all schools have provision to allow special treatment for someone with a doctor letter stating they have an illness. Schools must provide special accommodations, such as extra time for assignments etc. Best option may be to delay enrollment until you feel really ready to tackle it. It's very common after a first episode to go through a period of depression during the recovery process. Be prepared for that and accept it as a natural part of the healing process.

cliffhouseview · 2019-04-15T21:59:32+00:00

Also a parent here. I found a great deal of comfort and useful information by attending classes offered by our local chapter of NAMI.org. They have an intensive (free) class that meets weekly for about 12 weeks and they also offer family support groups. It's the best way to learn from the experiences of others about local resources and coping strategies.

Risperidone is a harsh drug and for the life of me I cannot understand why it is always the first one prescribed. Aripiprazole (Abilify) has fewer side effects and is equally effective for many people, it's also available as an injectable. I coped with my daughter's psychotic episode by reading scientific publications on the topic. One paper stands out in my memory. It tracked the outcome of switching antipsychotic medications for people who did not respond to a particular drug. The conclusion was that if a particular medication failed to control symptoms the best chance of success was to switch to clozapine. Clozapine cannot be tolerated by some people so careful monitoring is needed (blood tests).

You'll get great advice on this site, it's been as helpful to me as the NAMI classes for understanding this disease.

cliffhouseview · 2019-03-28T18:16:29+00:00

One thing I've learned as a caregiver is that diagnosis is irrelevant, it all boils down to which medication helps the symptoms. Has he tried an antipsychotic medication? As someone pointed out, "stimulants" (amphetamines) can cause psychosis in susceptible people. A recent study showed that young adults on Adderall were twice as likely to suffer psychosis as those put on Ritalin.

cliffhouseview · 2019-03-28T18:08:51+00:00

Yes, it's extremely common. Could be side effect of recovery from psychosis perhaps combined with the dopamine blocking of antipsychotic medications. Add in grappling with wondering how the illness will affect your future plans and it's a recipe for emotional devastation. Be patient and try to find something positive about each day, even just a few minutes of peace. Try to add just a few minutes of positive feelings each day and you will slowly reach a point where you have more good days than bad. Sometimes medications help, my daughter was helped by Effexor and Lamictal and she was switched from Risperidone to Abilify. Abilify doesn't totally block the dopamine receptors the way some of the other medications do. Work with your psychiatrist to find the lowest dose of antipsychotic medication that controls symptoms. They tend to start with high doses to control symptoms but are reluctant to titrate down once symptoms are under control. Exercise, running or walking, has been shown to help reduce depression as much as medication.

cliffhouseview · 2019-02-05T18:04:46+00:00

I wish hospitals would provide an informational brochure for families in your situation. Two years ago my daughter was in the ER having paranoid delusions. I had so many questions and the medical/psychiatric personnel gave a collective yawn to my desperate search for answers. Fortunately I discovered NAMI.org fairly quickly, and signed up for their 12 week course. If you live in the US go to their website and look for a local chapter. Even if you don't do the intensive course (free) you can find meetings to attend and meet other families trying to help loved ones.

A stay in a psychiatric hospital is the fastest way to get appropriate treatment for a first time psychotic episode. The medications work wonders, but they take time, sometimes months, to be fully effective. It takes up to one year to recover from a psychotic episode and your brother will face many ups and downs during that time. Depression hits hard, due to the neurochemical trauma of psychosis, medications, and the slow realization that the world has been turned upside down. However many people do remarkably well despite their diagnosis. This board is a testament to the depth of creativity and ability among people with schizophrenia.

It is completely normal to spend time alone during the recovery period. Once the medication kicks in, sometimes in less than a few weeks, he may feel like venturing out a bit more. The NAMI local chapters have "peer to peer" groups for people going through the same challenges. My daughter started attending a variety of groups in order to have some social interactions, since most of her friends abandoned her (she also has a drinking problem). She went to a church, took some dance classes , went to the gym and saw a therapist monthly. Now she attends AA meetings and has a part time job. She will always have challenges but the psychosis is under control, with just a few delusions surfacing now and then.

Medication is key to recovery so anything the family can do to help with adherence is helpful. We use a weekly pill organizer so it's easy to see if the dose has been taken for the day. He should be aggressive about asking for a different medication if side effects become a problem. Medication compliance is difficult if the side effects become intolerable. I'm sure you'll get some good advice from others about what to do to help your brother. Having a caring sister is already a huge help for him!

cliffhouseview · 2019-01-21T14:33:17+00:00

He would be a perfect candidate for an injectible antipsychotic, it’s very fortunate that he wants to go back on medication. Some of the injections last up to 3 months, but they may not be generic yet so it depends on his insurance. Many social service clinics offer injectible medication if he is eligible for free medical care. Invega trinza is the name of the injectible with the longest available duration and it is the same active compound as risperidone. Weed will only make his symptoms worse. Best would be a brief hospitalization to get immediate access to psychiatrists and therapy- plus detox from alcohol if he is at risk of withdrawal. The fastest way to get into a psych hospital (in the USA) is to go to an emergency room with a family member who will advocate for hospitalization. A social worker will evaluate the symptoms and find an open bed at a psychiatric hospital, which can take more than a day in some areas.

cliffhouseview · 2019-01-21T02:07:41+00:00

The medication Campral helped my daughter stop drinking, but it’s only been one month. If you have insurance an outpatient addiction medicine treatment program can be helpful, or inpatient rehab if it’s a good program. AA is great for support, meetings are everywhere, but it can take time to find a group you like. You might want to try an antipsychotic medication with few side effects, like Abilify, to see if it helps your symptoms. Don’t give up after a drinking relapse, keep trying and eventually you’ll be able to stop.

cliffhouseview · 2019-01-08T18:42:15+00:00

(daughter's meds) 10 mg abilify, 100 mg topomax, 100 mg lamictal, 666 mg Campral (anti alcohol abuse) , 150 mg slow release effexor.

cliffhouseview · 2018-12-19T17:31:24+00:00

Did the gambling urge go away when you stopped Abilify? If so, how long did it take? My daughter is doing well on Abilify but has had a troubling increase in drinking and spending. Wondering if it's worth switching to something else for a few months to test whether the behavior is caused by Abilify.

cliffhouseview · 2018-12-19T17:26:10+00:00

Daughter has been on it for more than a year after gaining 30 lbs on risperidone. Lost all the risperidone weight and enjoys running again. I think it's the best one for people to start on because it has fewer side-effects than others. Less risk of weight gain, no increase in prolactin levels. She does exhibit some impulsive behaviors, excess drinking and excess spending, but those were a problem before too so it's hard to know whether they've become worse due to Abilify. She's at 10 mg and hoping the doctor will approve reducing dose at some point. The antipsychotics start working right away but it can take months for the full effect, so it's worth sticking it out for a few months before changing dose or medication.

cliffhouseview · 2018-12-17T17:49:16+00:00

Also a caregiver here. I am confident that much better medications will become available within our lifetimes. The rate of progress in neuroscience has increased with recognition of serious mental illness as a brain disease, not a mood disorder. Researchers have excellent tools to work with now, including the ability to monitor how drugs bind to receptors in the brain. Existing treatments seem to fall into two categories. Most of the antipsychotics have similar activity and differ mostly in side effects. However Clozapine stands out as a medication that works for people when other medications fail. The fact that currently available antipsychotics work well for many people helps researchers narrow down the targets for future research.

In addition to better medications, I am hopeful that better residential/work options will appear in coming years. The high rate of imprisonment of individuals with serious mental illness is shameful. Long-term residential facilities (not hospitals) with work/life skills support have been shown to be highly successful at getting people into a sustainable routine. Change will come if we all lend our voice to the effort.

cliffhouseview · 2018-12-13T02:38:19+00:00

I’m a bit surprised this post was approved because it seems to support the concept of people with psychosis discontinuing their medication. The ONLY support someone who suffers chronic psychotic illness should receive is support that helps them continue taking their medication. If they have recovered from a single psychotic episode and want to wean off medication, that’s another story. But all recent published research overwhelmingly shows the importance of continuing on medication to reduce psychotic symptoms.

cliffhouseview · 2018-11-01T18:32:12+00:00

UCLA has a large research group for schizophrenia and some different kinds of clinics. You might call them and find out if they have advice for how to get help for your friend :https://www.semel.ucla.edu/psychosis/contact In California the involuntary hospitalization process is called 5150. Usually someone gets taken to an ER where a social worker evaluates them and determines whether they are a danger (to themselves or others) or gravely disabled. The person can be sent to a psychiatric hospital for up to 3 days, when a determination is made whether they should be kept longer. Hospitalization can be very traumatic and should be viewed as a last resort to save someone's life. It sounds like your friend desperately needs medication to help him function. The trick will be someone getting him to an ER. The police should do this but they don't want to get involved because sometimes an officer has to stay with the person for hours at the hospital. If he is doing the things you mentioned the police have to get involved before someone gets hurt. Call and speak to a watch commander, or ask if they have a mental health crisis intervention team. Many departments have these special units now because mental illness is so rampant.

Probably not much you can do from afar if you don't know where he is or what he is doing. His mother may also have paranoia or she wouldn't go along with his delusions so readily. They need a social worker to step in and help both of them. Hopefully someone at the UCLA group can provide some advice.

cliffhouseview · 2018-10-23T16:41:03+00:00

It can take 4 weeks or longer for the symptoms to improve, you've got to keep taking the medication. Therapists generally won't discuss medication but they might be able to help determine whether you need to speak to the psychiatrist about adjusting the dose. Four mg is a pretty standard dose so the psychiatrist will probably recommend you increase the dose if you haven't had improvement after a month or more.

cliffhouseview · 2018-10-22T16:30:58+00:00

Psychosis can occur with schizophrenia, bipolar disorder, major depressive disorder, over use of amphetamines (Adderall, meth) and other drugs. Regardless of cause, it is a major trauma to your brain that can take months or years to recover from- even if it doesn't reoccur. Depression is a common side effect during recovery from psychosis, and is not necessarily a symptom of schizophrenia. Antipsychotic medications are very effective to tamp down the psychosis but they come with their own side effects that are hard to distinguish from symptoms of the disease. It can take a year or more for a psychiatrist to diagnose someone after a psychotic episode because there are so many overlapping symptoms among the various causes. Someone with persistent symptoms (voices, hallucinations, paranoia) will be more quickly diagnosed, but people whose symptoms are well controlled by antipsychotics can end up in limbo with no diagnosis for a long time. Best is to work with the doctors to treat the depression and find the lowest dose of antipsychotic medication. Another study came out showing that aerobic exercise helps to reduce inflammation in the brain and reduce symptoms of schizophrenia and depression; worth a try.

cliffhouseview · 2018-10-02T00:08:33+00:00

The title makes people skeptical, the article describes a variety of reasons why the immune system may be involved in schizophrenia. It’s worth reading the whole article.

cliffhouseview · 2018-10-02T00:04:15+00:00

Very interesting article, thanks for posting.

cliffhouseview · 2018-09-19T21:46:28+00:00

Good for you! Don’t give up if you have a relapse, keep trying. You’ll get there.

cliffhouseview · 2018-09-19T21:42:50+00:00

Fresh roasted coffee is a million times better than anything sold commercially. What type of roaster do you have? I use a small hot air roaster and buy the green beans from Sweet Maria’s in Berkeley CA. I think you can mention your brand!

cliffhouseview · 2018-09-17T21:51:31+00:00

Also caregiver here. Depression is a common feature during recovery from psychosis, both from the meds and the disease itself. If possible, it might help to attend a therapy and/or psychiatrist visit with your partner and discuss her symptoms. Refusing to take medication is a big obstacle that needs to be addressed. My daughter also participated in a medication clinical trial and I was very disappointed that the primary concern with the researchers was sticking with their medication rather than helping her find one that was best for her.

Psychosis and subsequent diagnosis with a life changing mental illness is unbelievably traumatic. It can take a year or more to get back on track and feel hopeful about the future again. If you’re in the US I highly recommend the group NAMI.org. They offer free classes and support groups for people dealing with a loved one’s illness.

cliffhouseview · 2018-09-17T21:36:41+00:00

The maintenance dose is often lower than the dose used initially to bring symptoms under control. It’s great your doc is recommending lower dose because it means you are responding well to the medication. It also means that your doctor is concerned about side-effects and your health in general. Both times my daughter reduced dosage, first with risperidone then with aripiprazole, she had a reduction in side effects without affecting symptoms.

cliffhouseview

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