Mental Health Fear of psychosis returning

[Eryximachus]

Would you have any suggestions for living with someone with psychosis in the format of paranoia and auditory hallucinations? Or would help so much

This friend/ex I dated way back, until her schizophrenia just became too much. I talk to her father all the time, and it requires in my opinion determination. Clozapine is the nuclear option that isn't used enough, and if you're dealing with psychosis that doesn't get better on the other heavy hitters (Haldol, Zyprexa) that is what it usually takes. But doctors don't like it as it requires monthly blood tests because of a rare but fatal blood disorder. Psychiatrists instead try to do stupid things like combine antipsychotics, which has no evidence of success.

If she is having hallucinations, even auditory, she needs to be on a stronger dose or a different med.

What is she taking and what dose?

I've read a shit ton on antipsychotics over the past year. You absolutely do NOT have to live with psychosis yourself. But you may have to butt heads with the psychiatrist to get the job done.

 

[AlphaMethylPhenyl]

Let's try not to derail this one too much. The best thing to do to prevent psychosis from happening again is to be in preventative treatment for it. Maybe that sounds trite.

I will say though that for my wife clozapine worked very well. It's really effective and underused, in my layman opinion. It can lower your white blood cell count dangerously, which is why they require regular bloodwork for it.

There is some good evidence though of augmentation with a small dose of abilify. Can't remember the study name, but it was recent and longitudinal, I think.

A lot of the time, hallucinations and delusions don't entirely go away, but the patient learns to live with the and see them as less threatening than before.

 

[Jabberwocky]

I have auditory and visual hallucinations occasionally, especially when i'm stressed or have insomnia, alcohol and hang over are huge triggers too. I can't use any kind of stims at all anymore, which is ok, i don't like them anymore anyway. I hear footsteps, speech in the walls and in music which is really sad because I love music more than anything and when I have that psychotic period, i hear "messages" a.k.a. all the lyrics wrong and humiliating me. I see shadows and colourful lights and bubbles, flashes, bugs, living organisms especially in the dark, they move and try to grab mebut they wont, some times i'm very scared and too frozen in horror to even put a light on, or even breathe. The silence is not silent, i hear beeps and humming and distant speech also. Nowadays i'm used to those things and manage to live allright and happy on a good day. On a bad day i'm paranoid, delusional and anxious, restless and quiet, and very sad. I don't use any antipsychotics, only benzos for panic attacks and sleep.
My Last severe psychosis lasted almost 5 months, and I almost killed myself, i was so desperate and sad.
Glad I did not. I had some rough times few weeks ago, they lasted 3 weeks and I really got so scared that bitch psychosis came back, i soon seeked help and got my benzos back for a short while. I'm not diagnosed, but I go to therapy, but I do not tell the therapist what is going on really, because I do not want antipsychotics or go to a psych ward. Yet

 

[paranoid android]

I have auditory and visual hallucinations occasionally, especially when i'm stressed or have insomnia, alcohol and hang over are huge triggers too. I can't use any kind of stims at all anymore, which is ok, i don't like them anymore anyway. I hear footsteps, speech in the walls and in music which is really sad because I love music more than anything and when I have that psychotic period, i hear "messages" a.k.a. all the lyrics wrong and humiliating me. I see shadows and colourful lights and bubbles, flashes, bugs, living organisms especially in the dark, they move and try to grab mebut they wont, some times i'm very scared and too frozen in horror to even put a light on, or even breathe. The silence is not silent, i hear beeps and humming and distant speech also. Nowadays i'm used to those things and manage to live allright and happy on a good day. On a bad day i'm paranoid, delusional and anxious, restless and quiet, and very sad. I don't use any antipsychotics, only benzos for panic attacks and sleep.
My Last severe psychosis lasted almost 5 months, and I almost killed myself, i was so desperate and sad.
Glad I did not. I had some rough times few weeks ago, they lasted 3 weeks and I really got so scared that bitch psychosis came back, i soon seeked help and got my benzos back for a short while. I'm not diagnosed, but I go to therapy, but I do not tell the therapist what is going on really, because I do not want antipsychotics or go to a psych ward. Yet

Ya im on zyprexa which works fine for me. That and 2 different benzos and zopiclone

 

[Jabberwocky]

Ya im on zyprexa which works fine for me. That and 2 different benzos and zopiclone

I have tried zyprexa years back and it didn't help. I also tried olanzapine and quetiapine, they only made me sleepy and aggressive but did not help with those hallucinations. Only benzos help somehow, they soothe my over-accelerated nervous system and give me relief so i can rest. I wish there would be something to help, some not so harmful medicine. I have been without benzos for a few days and my symptoms are so much worse now. But I will survive, one minute after another.