Schizophrenia

I was diagnosed with schizophrenia 9 years ago at the age of 26. I spent 2 months in a psychiatric hospital followed by 5 years in a mental health institition where I had numerous activities, including 2 hours of psychoanalytical therapy per week (with a psychoanalyst), occupational threrapy and psychodrama. I have been followed by the same psychiatrist since I received the diagnosis in 1994.

I have taken several neuropleptics over the years, including (in chronological order): haldol, leponex, clozapine and now ripserdal (for 18 months).

My condition has tremendously improved since 1994 and has now stabilized for several years. I am now following a vocational rehabilitation program and am working on my social skills with my doctor. I wish to end taking neuroleptics in the near future (once I have achieved stable social, professional and relationship situations). I haven't yet convinced my doctor to "allow" me to quit risperdal.

I was wondering what you know about quitting neuroleptics after taking them for such a long time? Is it the right moment? How do you proceed? How long does it take to overcome neuroleptic dependency? What are the dangers?

Thank you.

[Roger Gould, M.D.]

These are good and important questions, but I don't feel qualified to answer them, and I don't want to intrude into a very productive long term relationship with your psychiatrist.

I don't have the kind of experience, personally, to comment aboutlong term effects or benefits of neuroleptics.

Personally I believe that one can outgrow and outperform the "diagnosis" and it certainly sounds like you are doing that and progressing well along the path of health and maturity.  You should wait unti you have gotten to a rock solid place on that journey, and then revisit the question of the risks of going off the neuroleptics.

[lucylucy]

HI there

I'm sure youv'e seen the movie "a beautiful mind"?

I thought it illustrated well the matter of insight.. which i think is important in recovery and/or management of schizophrenia.

If you are aware of what can happen to you, ie whether it be a propensity to delusions, voices, hallucinations, etc, and have a management plan, you are so much in a better position than many others who do not have insights into whether they are deluding, hallucinating etc, towards achieving long term management of the condition without any drugs.

I don't know what kind of symptoms you had before you were medicated, but it sounds as though these symptoms were well managed by the medication.

Do you believe that you could manage these symptoms if they re-occured once you were off the medication?  If you have a management plan in your mind of how you would handle these, I think you might succeed.  For example, you might have a management plan with your doctor, that if you re-experience some symtoms (symptoms) you might return to the medication, or learn to "ignore" these symptoms without medication, such as the movie highlighted in the case of that famous mathematician (who experienced the hallucinations, but recognised them as such, and didn't pay any notice to them).  Having insight and knowing yourself well is the key.  Sounds like u might have these important qualities..

I wish you the best of luck..
Peggy

[Jenny pooh]

hello, i'm a 16 year old high school student.

i think i'm going threw depression or something. me and my boyfriend just broke up and i see him everywhere! i hear him i can smell his scent. and it seems to be getting worse. i was diagnosed with suicidal depression last year, it seems to be getting worse. please help me.

          JeNn

[Sue Sidel]

I am currently recieveing my second course of ECT treatment this year and my psychiatrists are talking about maintenance ECT I am unsure of how I feel about this and welcome any opinions

[sugarbee]

Hi my name is chrissy and I'm 20. I have a twin sister name Kc and she was misdiagnos when she was 12 They said she had adha and put her on ritalin while she spent 6 months in Hamstead hospital. She also takes Depercoate for her seizures shes had sine she was born. A few years ago she went off the deep end and my mom put her in concordd state hospital and there they found out what relly was her issue. At the age of 17 there barley figuring out she has Schizophrenia, and took her off the ritalin and put her on three diffrent drugs one being risperdale and took her off the depercoat. My  mother said she could not live with out it after a few months she came home had a stroke  from seizing all night and that killed a half dollar size of her right frountal lobe. after 3 months of rebilitating she had a fit and was put back in for enother 4 moths in diffrent hospitals. she had lost a year of School, because she being in hospitals but also having a brain of a three year old. She graduated 2003 with a&b. So it can be done but it feels like my twin died and I have a new sister but I still love her the same. I was wondering if it was hedretitary? I was looking threw my dads doctor papers and I found my father had it but they couldn't treat it because of his cancer. He passed away during kc being in the hospitals and when she came out she thought he was still alive.people do care like me.            chrissy