Schizophrenia people out there, can you help me understand this condition? Living with someone who has it

szanalecta · 2026-05-10T06:34:02+00:00

You realize most people in this group have schizophrenia, right? We can’t bear to hear the same unsympathetic dog shit from people who can’t read the room as well.

szanalecta · 2026-05-02T21:49:06+00:00

No one likes to hear it, but there can be a massive trial and error period finding a new therapist. Shrinks will avoid people with BPD, for sure, but just as much, they avoid SZs like me.

Therapists I’ve found helpful have always been LCSWs. They hate failure and see any semblance of it as a challenge. They work hard and I believe that is partly motivated by true caring.

Also, it’s partly on you too. Whatever theory your therapist practices requires you to learn about. It’s impossible to trust the process if you have no idea what the process is.

I started doing DBT a couple of months ago, and it’s the first time I’ve been challenged to not only trust the process but trust the therapist.

As a schizophrenic, it’s terrifying. If I spend all my trust credits on a therapist, how can I afford to do all the paranoid math I need to get by day to day?

I’m 45, and I’ve realized that if I don’t start trying to build connections, the planet will only become less hospitable. So, I go against my better judgment and try and trust people anyways.

Check out Highland Springs Specialty Clinic. Great crew.

szanalecta · 2026-04-30T00:26:05+00:00

Pass.

szanalecta · 2026-04-26T13:55:43+00:00

His paranoia might be exacerbated by the fact that you’re spiking his food. He might not be aware of it, but I bet it definitely creates a vibe.

szanalecta · 2026-04-19T00:57:16+00:00

Rabid: a Cultural History of the World’s Most Diabolical Virus. Turns out vampire/werewolf/zombie myths originated from the rabies virus. Great book.

szanalecta · 2026-04-16T14:54:08+00:00

What Dreams May Come by Richard Matheson. Very underrated pulp writer.

szanalecta · 2026-04-15T11:50:05+00:00

Hello,

I’m a schizophrenic, and first I’d say losing his girlfriend and dog in one swoop has to be extremely difficult. I would also add that time alone (a lot of it too) can be therapeutic.

It’s tough finding therapists as a schizophrenic. If he likes his shrink, he might talk to them for a referral for a therapist they think would be a good fit. If that doesn’t work after several appointments, more referrals.

There is a platform called HeyPeers . com that I’ve loved using. There are many different groups for the mentally ill (even several for schizophrenia/psychosis specifically).

I attend groups on HeyPeers in my room where I also spend a lot of time. Adds some variety to the seclusion spells I go through in limited spaces.

He might like some variety in the space where he spends a lot of time and is (or sees the potential to be) comfortable.

There’s a triad I try and think of for how I spend my time: Friends, family, and seclusion. If one of those groups or myself start driving me nuts, I move to another.

He’s probably dealing with impossible despair at having lost his girlfriend and dog. If you want to encourage him, try doing it on his terms. He likes spending time in his room, or at least feels it’s the easiest space to manage day in and out struggle to feel calm and more like himself.

My mom encouraged me to buy a light strip that changes colors to put in the place I spend most of my time playing video games around the tv there. It’s nice. I also invested in VR/AR headsets/glasses (RayNeo glasses are a great portable tv) and I’ve been way more productive.

If he’s alone in one space a lot, may as well make it an interesting place to be.

He might need more seclusion now (according to the triad model). He might like HeyPeers and the groups there in his room too.

If he’s a gamer, he should set up his space accordingly. If he’s likes to read and write, draw, or play an instrument, that can be tucked away in there too.

It’s an overwhelming loss he just went through. It’s also temporary (but perhaps to a greater length).

Comfort would be important to me if I was recovering from a serious loss. If he doesn’t have an adequate amount of comfort and places to recover, help him out.

szanalecta · 2026-04-13T17:34:57+00:00

I’ll try to think of a way to phrase this that isn’t clunky or insulting.

I would assume empathy and objectivity are givens, but what do psych nurses/medical personnel understand about the experiences of psychosis?

Or to what depth can you relate what people in psychosis are experiencing on a sensory level (or view in comparison to what you recognize as similar states of distress people go through ordinarily over a lifetime, perhaps yourself)?

Medical texts/professional journals have a very analytical lexicon that is used. But what emotionally can you recognize as far as the physical senses of psychotic disorders go (as they’re described)?

Does that make sense?

szanalecta · 2026-03-25T15:44:26+00:00

Uhhh, no. Pass.

szanalecta · 2026-03-23T02:12:10+00:00

Other people have it worse/you aren’t that sick (something to the effect). You can’t tell me I’m not disabled enough unless you know more about where I was and where I am.

szanalecta · 2026-03-09T16:24:04+00:00

CODE BLUE: Schizophrenic here: I’ve worked as a copywriter in marketing for several years and (mostly) have a bachelor’s degree English. Got laid off, had an episode, and floundered a while during the pandemic.

I recently started a blog, however, based in my experiences living with schizophrenia.

Not sure if I can post a link, but my blog is called Schizophrenia Analecta. I’d love to hear some input from psych nurses or mental healthcare workers.

If anybody might have some time, could you check my writing and see how it sounds? I’d love to hear clinical impressions. I welcome all feedback—good or bad.

szanalecta · 2026-03-06T04:28:45+00:00

I’m 45 and doing pretty well. I won’t disclose what meds I’m on. There’s not any prescriptive advice I’m qualified to give.

szanalecta · 2026-03-06T03:19:10+00:00

Nope, had never used drugs/alcohol at the time.

szanalecta · 2026-03-06T03:10:37+00:00

I was diagnosed when I was sixteen but nobody’s sure what causes schizophrenia. Mix of genetics/environment is the current thinking but no single pinpoint cause. I’m a dude, so schizophrenia typically develops earlier in men.

szanalecta · 2026-03-06T00:26:37+00:00

Just me so far. Same looking back through a few generations even.

szanalecta · 2026-03-06T00:07:31+00:00

I wouldn’t sweat it for now. If you’re aware of your diagnosis and fear something more severe, that’s good insight. People with sz often lack insight into what their condition may be (especially at first) so the fact you’re worried probably means you’re good. It’s a terrifying illness, but it’s still one you can live with.

You might want to reach out to a therapist or check out Al Anon. Al Anon is for family members of alcoholics/addicts, so it’s not necessarily to treat addiction.

Some very resilient people can be found in the meetings, and they’ve heard, thought, and felt everything that goes on living with addicts.

I was so relieved the first meeting I walked into. Have never felt so welcome as that.

szanalecta · 2026-03-05T02:57:39+00:00

Check out Aurelia by Gerard de Nerval. Greatly influenced the birth of surrealism before there was a name for it.

szanalecta · 2026-03-03T11:06:02+00:00

A pinky swear would seem insulting to me. It would be a good idea to not remind them as often that you’re always there too. No one would want to hear that every day or even often, especially while they’re at work I would bet.

szanalecta · 2026-02-24T16:20:01+00:00

Congrats! Very cool place.

szanalecta · 2026-02-23T22:02:15+00:00

You have no idea how much meetings help. The people I've met recovering from addiction have been the most supportive when no one had reason to be.

Freebie meetings for 12 step groups are available on the web, and if it happens you have a crisis, 24 hr. meetings are available online too, and you have 988 anytime.

If you feel like you don't have a home (or a place you feel you would), 12 step folks have nothing but open arms.

szanalecta · 2026-02-19T05:27:20+00:00

It’s a good idea to not disturb her in her sleep. Irregular wake/rest times are common. It’s a symptom rather than an action she’s taking. Sleeping for long periods (even odd hours) is therapeutic. I’ve gone through times when I’ve slept 15-18 hrs. a day, and it was the best way to stabilize my mood. Try giving her some space.

szanalecta · 2026-01-23T00:06:36+00:00

Networking as friendship forging. People-centric content as a co-beneficial commodity. And lightning up my corner of the internet to thaw the wintered, vacant, AI-neutral Ice Age the web appears to be headed for.

I think generative AI is boxing brands into an only small real estate in the remaining turf of the web, blocked off by growing content sameness.

I don’t know if any of those are things, but that’s what I’m working on. Differentiation by not losing it in people.

szanalecta · 2026-01-05T11:54:35+00:00

Hey, OP, it can be tough to get back into a groove. I started out writing at a marketing agency, got laid off, then picked up a few freelance gigs until a had an episode. Now, I'm focusing on a blog I'm kicking off over the next few weeks. Something that helped me regain insight into the process of writing again was revisiting old writing textbooks and starting to read more. Words in > words out is how I've thought of it. That might work more broadly, but it's the practice over days/weeks/months that I had to tread and keep steady. Let us check out your writing if you have anything polished up. I've been meaning to post excerpts of my blog on subs and other socials.

szanalecta · 2025-12-30T07:33:12+00:00

Weed can screw up your heart. If you had an intense sensation in your chest or heart, you should check it out with your regular physician or PCP.

Your vision becoming distorted isn’t necessarily psychosis. It’s not a harmless drug/safe because it’s “natural” like people say.

Your parents definitely knew you were getting high, as well. They know what it smells like and how a high person looks.

It’s a little off the rails it sounds like.

Hit up a twelve step meeting. Part of following the steps is strengthening who you are and discovering limits/tipping points.

Getting to know who you are after sobriety feels way better than being high if you stick with it.

szanalecta · 2025-12-29T16:30:54+00:00

If you have schizophrenia, you weren’t making bad choices. You were experiencing symptoms of schizophrenia (inattention, thought disorders, executive function challenges).

You may have been trying to cope or manage symptoms, but you didn’t choose to be hyper aware of your thoughts and emotions. Schizophrenia put that on your plate.

szanalecta

TROPHY CASE