Schizophrenia/Schizoaffective Disorder

nesf · 16-09-2011 12:40pm

Katy89 wrote: »

would be really interesting what this programme involves..thanks for keeping updated.

Group Therapy involving Stress/Vulnerability Model and Relapse Prevention
Group CBT for psychosis
Group Therapy with Social Worker dealing with practical at home issues
Group Occupational Therapy
Group Lecture by a consultant on psychosis types/stigma etc
Group session with pharmacist discussing anti-psychotic medication
One on one sessions with a Nurse Specialist in Psychosis

08-12-2011 10:44am

Some links to good sites:): http://www.mentalhealth-support.ie/ http://www.shineonline.ie/ http://www.detect.ie/ http://www.yourmentalhealth.ie/ http://www.nosp.ie/ http://www.mentalhealthireland.ie/http://www.schizophrenia.com/ http://www.psychosissucks.ca/

08-12-2011 10:53am

nesf wrote: »

Group Therapy involving Stress/Vulnerability Model and Relapse Prevention

Group CBT for psychosis

Group Therapy with Social Worker dealing with practical at home issues

Group Occupational Therapy

Group Lecture by a consultant on psychosis types/stigma etc

Group session with pharmacist discussing anti-psychotic medication

One on one sessions with a Nurse Specialist in Psychosis

Wow sounds like a good course, my wife has had brilliant care but nothing involving group therapy so I find the hardest thing for her is the stigma as she continual try's to hide her illness even from close family, I like the idea of the course you've been on, thanks for the info, Gary.

Rosiestar · 13-12-2011 9:58am

flyswatter wrote: »

A solid sleep pattern is really important, for anyone really. At the moment I'm dealing with post-psychotic depression.

http://www.bestschizophreniatreatment.com/depression-5-natural-ways-to-defeat-post-psychotic-depression-in-addition-to-anti-psychotic-medicine/

I'm finding it hard to deal with things that happened in the past and struggling with motivation, ruminating on the past etc. Not being in college isn't helping because that gave me something to do and keep my mind off things. So I just have to keep myself occupied, exercise, eat well, all those things mentioned above really. The odd critical voice is slipping in but it's mainly depression.

You said there that you have treatment resistant depression and schizophrenia, just interested to know what you mean by this? Are you getting therapy in conjunction with medication? I believe that therapy is just as vital as medication, it's a very serious illness but it's how you challenge those thoughts and the mindset. There are support groups for psychotic people in St. Patricks Hospital and organizations like Grow and Shine where you will meet people who have the same illness.

Best of luck! Keep going.

I was first diagnosed with depression in London in 1991 and my first admission was to Charter Nightingale Clinic (covered by BUPA through work) aged 19 for 3 weeks which really was a nightmare time in my life I had no idea what was happening to me. Then over the years I was diagnosed with Bipolar then Schizoaffective, later changed to Schizophrenia and now in the past couple of months changed back to Schizoaffective all of which have been resistant to treatments of all descriptions including ECT. I have had over 60 ECT treatments over the past 8 years for severe depression and episodes of severe paranoia, some of which were of some short term benefit. I have been twice to St Patrick's Hospital in Dublin and seen Dr Cooney and over the years and to date have seen countless Consultant Psychiatrists all of whom come to the same conclusion that I am resistant to treatment, including Clozaril. So for someone with quite severe and persistant depresssion and paranoia it makes one wonder what is the point other than not to put my family through what I put them through 8 years ago come next month. But that's another story.

So what are my options other than to wait for the next antipsychotic or antidepressant to come on the market hoping this will be 'the one', not much of a life really. I haven't been able to work since 2003 and know I probably don't have much hope of getting a job again, try explaining away an 8 year gap or telling a prospective employer that you have Schizoaffective Disorder, well enough said unfortuntely.

I have tried counselling in the past and didn't find it helpful and am now due to try Cognitive Behaviour Therapy again, which I didn't find beneficial the first time but I can only try again. Sorry for the droning on flyswater, probably just needed to that this morning.

Living with mental illness is difficult, very difficult.

Rosiestar · 10-02-2012 11:02pm

hi, haven't been here in a while, which is not to say that I have been free of symptoms. My depression is back with a vengence, most noticably this past couple of weeks my interest in simple life matters has been waning. I have stopped wanting to leave my house, getting increasingly paranoid.

The thought of leaving the house, getting into the car and driving to Supervalue is making me very paranoid. The thought of people there being able to read my troubled mind terrifies me. The anxiety wells up inside me. I turn back. I don't go. I'm back to square one.

My next pdoc appt is 8 March, I don't know if I can hold out that long. It's very difficult. I feel like crying...again. I wake early in the mornings, every morning, around 4.30/5.00 am and up until about 11.00am at which time I go back to bed until about 1.00pm and I do nothing for the rest of the day. I can't. I have lost interest in everything, absolutely everything.

paky · 10-02-2012 11:24pm

im just wondering what you guys think of people using the word 'schizo' to describe somebody? i think its a highly offensive term and a lot of people seem to use it these days.

nesf · 10-02-2012 11:36pm

paky wrote: »

im just wondering what you guys think of people using the word 'schizo' to describe somebody? i think its a highly offensive term and a lot of people seem to use it these days.

Just shows ignorance really. They don't know what they're talking about normally.

paky · 10-02-2012 11:42pm

nesf wrote: »

Just shows ignorance really. They don't know what they're talking about normally.

ya i thought so. schizophrenia is a very complex illness and painful for those who suffer from it. the last thing these people need is to be stigmatised by society

Rosiestar · 13-02-2012 4:44pm

paky wrote: »

im just wondering what you guys think of people using the word 'schizo' to describe somebody? i think its a highly offensive term and a lot of people seem to use it these days.

It's actually a very hurtful term and those that use it are just purely ignorant.

LegacyUser · 16-02-2012 10:02am

Hi,

I don't know if I am the only one or do others feel the same way that the medicines prescribed to treat schizophrenia result in a loss of grey matter.

I feel that my memory is most affected along with other things like poor concentration, inability to organise my thoughts and not being able to perform like I used to.

I am taking 10mg of Zyprexa at the moment, and from what I have read on the internet about it memory loss is a possible side effect.

mg1982 · 20-02-2012 9:37pm

Hi everyone, this is my first post on boards, just wanted to say i suffer from psychosis (my psychiatrist hasnt diagnosed me schizophrenic yet) and have done for about fifteen years. Its had a devastating effect on my life like not being able to have relationships, paranoid when im around people, hearing voices, thinking people can read my thoughts. I have a theory as to what caused my psychosis, smoking cannabis when i was a young teenager although i could be wrong. Im glad i came across this site where we can support each other.

mg1982 · 11-03-2012 9:21pm

Hi cloud1976, i was on zyprexa 10mg for a while and i found it a very heavy drug with a lot of the side effects you mentioned like poor concentration, inability to think clearly, sleeping 11 hours a day. No one knows what damage these drugs can do when used for a long time.

Call Me Jimmy · 11-03-2012 9:34pm

Cloud1976 wrote: »

Hi,

I don't know if I am the only one or do others feel the same way that the medicines prescribed to treat schizophrenia result in a loss of grey matter.

I feel that my memory is most affected along with other things like poor concentration, inability to organise my thoughts and not being able to perform like I used to.

I am taking 10mg of Zyprexa at the moment, and from what I have read on the internet about it memory loss is a possible side effect.

I felt like my mind had been shut off on zyprexa. I felt like I couldn't think without effort, including simple tasks, and my imagination was non-existent. Couldn't read books, watch tv, just couldn't hear anything.

11-11-2012 11:30am

Hi, i want to find a dedicated schizoaffective disorder forum for my wife to use that's safe and can help her with her recovery, something a little less public than boards, thanks, Gary.

flyswatter · 11-11-2012 12:05pm

gary71 wrote: »

Hi, i want to find a dedicated schizoaffective disorder forum for my wife to use that's safe and can help her with her recovery, something a little less public than boards, thanks, Gary.

Psychforums maybe. Although I was banned from that forum for posting experiences I had written on boards. Which is bizarre since I only linked to it. Was annoyed to be accused of spamming when I was only trying to help. Boards is as private as you want it to be though.

12-11-2012 1:45am

flyswatter wrote: »

Psychforums maybe. Although I was banned from that forum for posting experiences I had written on boards. Which is bizarre since I only linked to it. Was annoyed to be accused of spamming when I was only trying to help. Boards is as private as you want it to be though.

Thanks for that, my wife isn't ready to admit publicly or in a group that she has SD, i'm hoping a smaller forum would help her to start reaching out, I think posting on boards(even anonymously) would be to much for her, stigma is a bitch:mad:, Gary.

flyswatter · 12-11-2012 2:02am

gary71 wrote: »

Thanks for that, my wife isn't ready to admit publicly or in a group that she has SD, i'm hoping a smaller forum would help her to start reaching out, I think posting on boards(even anonymously) would be to much for her, stigma is a bitch:mad:, Gary.

I wouldn't say it's a smaller forum, the one I mentioned. It's a large mental health forum. Whereas this is a small section of a huge varied site.

I wouldn't worry about the stigma thing, I've come across none in this forum, as far as I can remember.

Whatever suits your wife best though is what matters.

12-11-2012 11:47am

Thanks flyswatter, the stigma I talk about is her own perceived stigma that she projects on to others, I'm trying to find away of combating that and I have a hope if I can get her to speak to others further on down the road of this journey it may help her.

This site is fantastic and has helped me a lot over the years, but she won't come on boards incase someone spots its her, the other site you mentioned looks good so I'll show it to her, so again thank you, Gary.

murphys12 · 17-01-2013 2:27pm

new here

I hate having Schizophrenia, it has totally destroyed my life. I am paranoid beyond belief, simple things like going to a supermarket are a no-go area for me now, I no longer have a social life and have very few friends left mainly acquaintances.....

I so wish there wasn't such a stigma surrounding this illness, it just makes it so much more isolating. I feel like a burden on my partner and family. I can't work. I stay in the house all day every day doing very little bourne out of absolutely no motivation. I also suffer with Depression quite badly.

I don't know why I'm posting this, just needed to get it down maybe.

Thanks.

18-01-2013 12:46am

My wife has had similar thoughts and experiences to yourself a few years ago, she is now back nursing, somedays are good, somedays are bad, but everyday's a battle. I think it's good to talk as it's helped her a lot to figure things out, exercise, meds and healthcare support has also worked well for her.

Stigma is a funny thing, there's a man in my village who works nights and stops for a pint every morning, most morning he sees my mam outside her house. He became a bit upset as he was so sure that after months of been seen outside of the pub that my mam thought he was some kind of alcoholic, so he felt driven to approached my mam to explain, she told him that as she never had her glasses on in the morning she was never able to see him outside the pub, so she had no bad thoughts at all about him standing outside the pub and he had wasted months worrying.

This is how I see my wife's stigma, stigma impacts on her everyday but in reality nobody really cares as people have their own problems.

Good luck.

29-03-2013 12:51am

My wife has battled the beast that is schizoeffective disorder for many years now and at the start just getting her to recognise us was very difficult, starting with the massive difficulties of medication which took a very long time to get right with some frightening relapses on the way, the psychiatrist was amazing and helped us through the relapses when things got bad.

Once things settled down after a year(ish) she returned to work on a special programme with the help of her Public health nurse colleagues who met her outside then walked her up the steps in to the building on her first day (which was a tearful day I never thought would happen) she slowly got her life back under the amazing care of the psychiatric nurse who shadowed her movements and put implace the framework to allow her career to continue.

At the start the meds took a toll on her the robotic movements, the shaking, the nervious tick and other things I don't need to mention but with the help of her colleagues and the community she worked in she was able to deal with everything and very slowly with one problem at a time work got better, especially as the side effects lessened.

Now she works fulltime and has survived the worst of what was thrown at her, the anxiety and fear is still a tuff nut to crack but lately she has found running and yoga have really freed her from the shackles in her mind, it's hard work but there is a payoff.

I would tell anyone at the start of a journey like this that nobody can tell you where your heading, nobody can tell you how you'll get there or how long it will take, the journey is hard one and you'll stumble but the only choice you have is to fight or not, the fight is a fight for your life and is brutally tuff but to give up is worse as you can get left behind, I can tell you if you fight then there can be a end to it but it's one day at a time, one problem at a time but it can end, good luck, Gary.

Calm3IE · 30-07-2014 9:48pm

May I please ask,

Are there different types of Schizophrenia? What I mean by that is, well are some of people with Schizophrenia maybe some may be mis diagnosed with Schizophrenia and they more have a ego thing going on (like they think they are god or something) and as a result need to be in a mental hospital

(please note: I am not in any way what so ever saying that Schizophrenia is like that. but I'm just asking you know, like are there different types of "insanity" some people have real mental health issues when other people just have crazy ego??

thanks.

peckerhead · 31-07-2014 1:07am

Calm3IE wrote: »

May I please ask,

Are there different Schizophrenia es of Schizophrenia? What I mean by that is, well are some of people with Schizophrenia maybe some may be mis diagnosed with Schizophrenia and they more have a ego thing going on (like they think they are god or something) and as a result need to be in a mental hospital

(please note: I am not in any way what so ever saying that Schizophrenia is like that. but I'm just asking you know, like are there different types of "insanity" some people have real mental health issues when other people just have crazy ego??

thanks.

What you describe sounds to me like delusions of grandeur or "Grandiose delusions" (GD), associated with certain types of Schizophrenia but also with bipolar disorder.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Grandiose_delusions

I wouldn't say that it was any less "real" than other symptoms of mental health issues. Perhaps less common than other delusional subtypes (like paranoid delusions or persecution complexes).

Roquentin · 20-12-2014 8:23pm

may i ask: is withdrawal from society one of the first signs of the disease?

Yorker · 21-12-2014 3:30am

Roquentin wrote: »

may i ask: is withdrawal from society one of the first signs of the disease?

It can be and often is

http://www.helpguide.org/articles/schizophrenia/schizophrenia-signs-types-and-cause

The most common early warning signs of schizophrenia include:

Social withdrawal

Hostility or suspiciousness

Deterioration of personal hygiene

Flat, expressionless gaze

Inability to cry or express joy

Inappropriate laughter or crying

Depression

Oversleeping or insomnia

Odd or irrational statements

Forgetful; unable to concentrate

Extreme reaction to criticism

Strange use of words or way of speaking

DonnaDarko09 · 24-01-2015 4:34pm

Hi All, I don't have schizophrenia (that I know of anyway!) but a close relation was diagnosed last year. They are starting treatment of Clozapine next week and I was wondering if people could tell me about their experience on it? She will be monitored on a weekly basis for white blood cells (she is in the hospital at present). I did a search but there doesn't seem to be much mention of it. Apologies for my cluelessness but I'd love to hear how people found it. Did it help? What about once the medication was stopped? I know it will differ for everyone. Are there any potential long term issues with use? TIA

mg1982 · 28-01-2015 2:27pm

Hi Donna, from what i hear Clozapine is the gold standard med for treating schizophrenia and schizo affective disorder. She will need to have weekly blood tests as Clozapine can interfere with white blood cell count and there are many side effects to it from what i hear, not being on it myself. Despite all the side effects its meant to be the best med out there these disorders.

LegacyUser · 08-05-2018 2:27am

Rosiestar wrote: »

I am female, 38, and diagnosed with Schizoaffective Disorder. I also have major depression for over 20 years and suffer from paranoia which is well controlled now with medication. I really think these boards could do with a forum for people with this illness as it really is much more common than one would think its just not talked about as much as more 'mainstream' illnesses. So please if you have issues with Schizophrenia or Schizoaffective disorder feel free to express yourself here. You are not alone.

Just one word to every schizophrenic.... Sarcosine... Go educate yourselfs

jessei · 26-10-2018 10:42am

People...
I am battling away with Minister's trying to get a bed for my son in the Central Mental Hospital.
Hes on remand in Cloverhill since August, and getting no treatment. (He's paranoid and psychotic at the moment and in a very bad way) And things look very grim for him.

Is there anyone out there who knows someone (who knows someone etc) who has a family member on remand waiting for a place in the Central Mental Hospital (on D2 wing)I want to organize to apply more pressure to get people treated and not just locked up.

Or if any of you people reading this could send off an email to
info@justice.ie
info@health.gov.ie
ministerdaly_office@health.gov.ie
please write in the subject "Paranoid and psychotic in Cloverhill"
And ask a question about what is happening on D2 wing. (Its the area in the prison that is set aside for people with mental health problems, (mostly people with schizophrenia)

if you guys have a minuter and could that, I would really appreciate, and ask your fb friends too ..Please

Schizophrenia/Schizoaffective Disorder

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