One thing Ive noticed reading through this thread is that a lot of people seem to be waiting for recovery to happen before they start living again. I understand why, because paliperidone can hit some people really hard and when you feel flat, tired or disconnected even basic things can feel like a massive effort.
But I don't think recovery should only be sitting in bed counting the days since your last injection and hoping one morning you suddenly feel 100% again. Your body may need time, but you also have to slowly give your brain a life to reconnect with.
Start tiny if you have to. Go for a 10minute walk. Play a computer game you used to enjoy. Get back on your PC or laptop and learn something. Talk to people. Join a community. Cook something. Exercise a little. Apply for a job or volunteer when you're capable of it. Basically give yourself things outside of the injection to think about and gradually rebuild a normal routine. That doesnt mean symptoms are imaginary or that keeping busy magically reverses a medication. It means recovery also involves rehabilitation, routine, stimulation and gradually doing things again. Neuroplasticity is real, but you need experiences for your brain to adapt to.
And try not to spend every waking hour checking whether your dopamine, emotions, caffeine, music, sex drive etc. feel exactly like they used to. Constantly testing yourself can keep your attention locked onto what feels wrong.
Be patient with yourself, but also participate in your own recovery. Even if you're operating at 10% right now, do something with that 10%. Then build from there.
Recovery isnt only waiting for your old life to come back. Sometimes you have to slowly go out and rebuild it.
But y'all have been nailing it with these reads. Thank you. And very glad a temporary ban has been issued. Hopefully he keeps that stuff out of the forum in the future.
