anyone else suffer from pyschosis/psychotic episodes?

[TheArmadillo]

Had a psychotic episode a few weeks ago. Have had them before but this seems to be a lot shorter (last one was about 9 months long and took about 2 years to recover).

Currently taking anti-psychotics and having therapy. Coming to terms with the idea that this is not going away forever and will come back whenever I get completely stressed out. Also dealing with money troubles as a result.

I don't know anyone who has the same/similar. Just wondering if there is anyone else out there? Dh is a sahd partly because of this, others are supportive but don't understand what psychosis is.

[Imsuchamess]

I have scizoaffective which is all symptoms of bipolar 1 with additional episodes of scizophrenia. I have just come out of a year long psychotic episode and am in recovery. I had my first psychotic episode at 13. I'm here if you want to chat about anything.

[TheArmadillo]

Thanks for replying.

How do you get used to always having the threat of it over you? Also I really struggle with no one being able to tell me when I'll be better again.

Also how do you know when you're getting ill or when you're better? I struggle to know when I'm ill. I feel either fantastic or terrified/persecuted.

Sorry to fire questions at you.

[Imsuchamess]

Fire away. I deal with the threat of it always hanging over me by living every day doing all the jobs and fun things I can. That way if I have a episode and stop doing fun things I won't feel as guilty as they will have had lots of good memories to carry through the bad times. If I keep the house as clean as I can when I get I'll it's not as big a deal when I can't clean. But I admit I find it difficult it's so hard to pick yourself up when you know it will all come crashing down again. All I can do is make sure I am as mentally strong as I can be and have cut ties with any negative people.

As for no one being able to say when you will get better again I struggle with this too. However I sat down and spent many hours plotting a chart throughout my life that has been affected by psychosis and discovered a pattern as to how long episodes are likely to last. It's not fool proof but is a rough guide.

I don't know when I'm getting I'll I rely on family for that. But I know when I'm better because I think what the fuck was I thinking omg.

The think I struggle with most is knowing there is a part inside me that is so dark, knowing that part is capable of almost anything.

[TheArmadillo]

thanks for this - it is really useful. i rely on dg to tell when I'm ill but i do become quite sneaky at hiding it. it's a bit frustrating atm because i am taking the tablets, having the therapy and doing everything i can but am not better yet.

i am lucky that i get down sometimes but not depressed. mostly high/manic interspersed with terror. am on a bit of a knife edge atm. anything unexpected can send me back over the edge.

that's what i think people find hard to understand - that i am mentally ill but the worse i am in general the happier i am. literally believing/feeling i was superhuman, not needing food or sleep (in my head anyway).

my house veers between spotless and really messy depending on how hyper/able to focus i am.

[Imsuchamess]

Yeah I have manic episodes too I find it horrible that people think it's a nice experience when in my case it's not. It's like when you have taken to much drugs and it's out of control.

[Katkins1]

Can I join you? I'm just coming out of my first ever one. Had active symptoms for three months (I ignored) and then three weeks, but couldn't function for five days. No idea what it is. I'm being kept calm with diapazem and anti depressants, doctor in a week or so. I'm finding it hard to come out of it and am so tired. I've had little or no care. I'd appreciate advice on recovery, but I think mine is still active. I'd really appreciate Amy info at all. It's so confusing!

[Imsuchamess]

Katkins what sort of psychotic episode did you have? (I have four different kinds you see and they are all treated different) .

Has your gp referred you to a psychiatrist? You need to see a psychiatrist if your experiencing psychosis as you at the very least need a anti psychotic which a gp cannot give you.

[Katkins1]

I don't know what kinds there are! I'm still having symptoms. I had hallucinations, delusions and gearing voices. All depressive related, so I don't think grandiose. If you do a search for my thread in mental health, I wrote loads during the episode.

[Imsuchamess]

It's a depressive psychotic episode then while the anti depressants will help as will the diazepam you need to see a psychiatrist to get some anti psychotics.

[Katkins1]

I thought so. Am seeing a doctor next Friday.

[Mentalpsychiatrist]

I have bipolar I and extensive experience of psychosis. I also treat psychotic patients every week. I'd be happy to answer any questions you might have.

[SnowyMouse]

I get psychosis as part of schizoaffective disorder, I'm hearing voices at the moment.

[Imsuchamess]

Snowymouse omg another person with scizoaffective I thought I was the only one on here.

[Katkins1]

Thanks, everyone. My first experience was awful and terrifying. Such a long duration, too. A three month onset of hearing voices intermittently, then gauge hallucinations for three weeks then a peak of five days. I can't even begin to guess at what it is. Some say stress of uni, but I think it had to be there to be triggered. I know it's not anything like mania, as my mood is generally stable and prior to this I'd been stable for five years. I had some post traumatic flashbacks last year, then lots of triggers for this experience. I'd say it's been going on, if I count those terrifying flashbacks in it, a year or more. My mother was schritrophenia, and I think I might ask to be screened for that, given as I heard three voices and its been such a long duration. I'm really insightful, which is why it's been missed fir so long. I'd appreciate other people's views- and the types, or any links.

[Katkins1]

Snowy, hope you are ok lovely. You can chat to me anytime.

[SnowyMouse]

They are telling me to cut my throat I'm trying to hang on to that being the wrong thing to do.

They may want to wait and see if you have further episodes and what they're like before giving diagnoses like schizophrenia, schizoaffective, psychotic depression or bipolar. So they might say you've had a psychotic episode. I originally was labelled with a depressive episode, then psychotic depression, and more recently schizoaffective.

[Katkins1]

Don't listen to them snowy. Don't listen. My friend came round today, took my daughter because I was struggling with her. :( heartbroken

[SnowyMouse]

(((( Katkins )))) it's only for a short while, things will get better...

[HeartsTrumpDiamonds]

My mum has the kind of bipolar where she has psychotic episodes. Her worst ones were delusions of persecution, she was convinced that FB and Twitter were full of plots against our family and people saying awful things about her. The police car sitting outside our house was monitoring her, there were messages coming through the radio waves about her, she even had squirrels bringing her messages. The squirrel thing would have been cute if it wasn't so tragic.

I'm bipolar as well but (so far) no psychosis unless you count massive delusions of grandeur.

[HeartsTrumpDiamonds]

Hugs to both of you, Snowy and Katkins - things sound awful but they WILL get better. (((((((hugs)))))))) to you both.

[Katkins1]

Oh snowy don't tell me there's more. Please don't. Looking back, I've been having episodes on and off for two years. How does everyone else cope with the coming out of it state? And how do you know when that happens? I'm not sure it has for me. I can feel it becoming part of my personality.

[mawbroon]

I've had 2 psychotic episodes. The first was after a long period of stress building and building over several years. I was really far gone before anybody realised what was happening. After a few weeks, I developed post psychotic depression.

I was stumbling along for a few months on antidepressants and anti psychotics, then the psych said I could gradually reduce the anti pscychotics and then come off them.

Almost exactly a year after the first episode, I had another one, but this time it was caught much earlier. I had lost all insight though and had to be persuaded to take the drugs. I wasn't frightened like I had been the first time and actually in a strange way sort of enjoyed it IYKWIM. I was quite hyper with endless energy and felt I could do anything. A few weeks later, the post psychotic depression set in again, but this time it was far worse, with thoughts and images of suicide.

My psych changed my anti psychotics and upped the antidepressants, and after several weeks I realised I was feeling so much better. A year on, I am completely well, functioning normally, back working after being SAHM for years etc etc .

BUT I know this is hanging over me. I can't avoid stress forever, and I know I will have to deal with stress in the future and it worries me that I might get ill again.

I have been very open about this with friends and others, although it was very difficult at first. I hope that if the people around me are aware that I have been ill, they might help me spot it coming if it happens again.

[Katkins1]

Can some one tell me how long psychotic symptoms are meant to last? Because mine is mixed in with depression (I think) its very hard to know what is depression, and what is a symptom if you see what I mean.

[Imsuchamess]

Well I'm sorry to say I am just recovering from a year long psychotic episode.

[Katkins1]

A year? I'm really, really sorry, I don't want to pry and feel free not to answer, but as this is my first and I'm moving in phases with it- can anyone tell me what they experience with it all? I've got another thread, I'll try and link, so some-one can see what mine was like. How does it last a year, and what sorts of things happen, who looks after your children? Sorry, so many questions, I know.