Why can't I get off antipsychotics?

[Jellyfish26]

I am currently on antipsychotics (APs) and have been for the past 7 years. I am 29 years old. I was first put on them involuntarily, due to a threat I would hurt myself while I was in a safe house - however I did not mean it seriously and do not have such a history. I can explain more, if you wish.
I want more than anything to get off now. I feel numb, tired and depressed on them, I am robbed of my ordinary feelings and even people say I stand out now in a bad way (seem weird, etc.).
I have never had a hallucination or delusion in my life, and at most, struggled with mild depressions occasionally. I always functioned excellently (was a great student, etc.). But when I was first put on an AP and later tapered down, I was plagued by hallucinations that would not stop even after a year, made me a disturbance to society (unusual behaviour, etc.) and made me unable to function normally. I have tried very slow (2 years) to fast (a few months) tapers, but the result is the same.
So this all started the moment I was put on an AP.

Have you had experience with this or know anything about this? When I am off APs and hallucinating, nothing works except taking an AP again, and I was once in that state for over a year until I was back on the pills again. I hope you can advise ...

I thought if you needed Antipsychotics then you needed them for life?

Hello, it all depends on the causes. Usually first-time prescribees need to take them for about 2 years, then they help them withdraw if they wish to.
There is no reason not to go off if you can and don't need them anymore.
I explained what happened in this case, it was just an exasperated threat. But for me it actually caused hallucinations, which I never thought could happen if it's supposed to treat this.

Are you sure that the hallucinations aren't breakthrough symptoms of actual psychosis?, as I've got Schizoaffective disorder, I'm on a high dose anti psychotic but get breakthrough symptoms of psychosis when I'm stressed or tired.

Which anti psychotic do you take, and what's your official diagnosis?

I'm very sorry to hear about your situation regarding your medication. I've never been on anti-psychotics but I do understand how medication can rob you of your personality and make you feel outside of yourself. It can then be a very frustrating situation when you feel compelled to take the medication to help your symptoms while sacrificing your personality and suffering side effects.

While I can't offer any useful suggestions as I've not been in your situation, it would probably help others if you could provide a bit more background about your medication and diagnosis that led to you being kept on the anti-psychotic medication. Hopefully someone can offer you some advice.

Well, I already explained how it actually came to this. But they decided the first few times I had psychosis, and then as I was hospitalised more times changed that to schizophrenia. Now this sounds so serious and everything, I would never have thought before this started I would get something like this. Even at my worst without pills, I just get hallucinations - but no paranoia or social withdrawal, basically I don't think I'm crazy at all, it's just these pills have instigated something in my brain.
I have tried a few different pills so far. As you can imagine, they are all pretty poisonous and each has some sort of serious side effect. I am now just trying to find one that has the least and that I can tolerate ok (no 20 kg weight gain, the actual possibility of getting a full night's sleep, having some energy during the day, etc. And then there are some, old ones mainly, that even make you quiet and socially awkward.) But right now, I am taking a small dose of olanzapine (sort of Zyprexa).
Hope someone can chip in and add their two cents.

Hello. Sorry to hear that you're struggling with your meds. I take olanzapine for severe OCD and have for 3 years now, twice I've tried to come off it and literally within days been in total crisis with how loud my mind gets. Which teaches me I need to stay on them!

Have you got a psychiatrist you can talk about this with?

I have tried loads of antipsychotics and got bad side effects. The only one I can tolerate is lurasidone (Latuda).

Hi I have bip bipolar 1 and I'm on antipsychotics and antidepressants, I'm currently on quetiapine and vortioxetine. From what you have said it sounds like you will need them for a lifetime,especially if you hallucinate when off them.
It's not the end of the world being on them,I think you just need to find the right ones for you.

Mine do make me more sedated but thankfully that's the only side effects I have had. However they have been a lifesaver for me and help to keep me put of a psychiatric unit