The negative symptoms are tough. My emotions are so flat. Sometimes, I want to stop my injections so I can feel something. Even if it is bad. I feel a lot of those same feelings that you do. I'm sorry that happens. I'm happy you have your parents with you ❤
Hi Stephen and dad. Thank you both for your candid conversation with each other. My son was diagnosed with pschizo-affective disorder and had his first psychotic episode in 2019. This many years later he is well managed with his medication and is not refusing to take them anymore. As a single mother and having to experience three of his episodes close together, I became an anxious mother especially after I worked during the day and worried while driving home if he was alright or not. As a result, I started taking an anti-anxiety medication. Which helped me to calm down myself. Now I am so pleased with his progress, much like your son. He also doesn't really like too much activities going on so we keep it simple and he feels awkward at social gatherings. I am able to communicate much better with him and when I come home at times we play board games with his brother and I. He is much like he was before he had this condition. He has a great mental health team as well. I am so grateful and so happy to see your contribution to us by your sharing your journey in a helpful way.
Thank you very much for sharing. I am so glad your son is doing better! Thank you for watching and being a part of our community here! Have a happy and healthy rest of your day!
Inspiring video! To live a happy and normal life being schizophrenic, you need a good support system like, a good therapist, close family, friends or a support group for schizophrenics. You need to keep yourself busy, add some amount of distraction in your life like, taking up a new hobby or even volunteering. A proper treatment plan can promote happiness, well-being and a positive sense of self-worth. Thank you Stephen and Steve for posting this valuable video!🙌👌❤👍
Thank you very much! That is so very true, I completely agree with you! Thank you also for your support. Have a happy and healthy rest of your day and holiday season!
@@SurvivingSchizophrenia Thank you for your kind words Stephen! May the Holiday Season bring you and your family Health, Love, Happiness and Peace! Warm Greetings from Melbourne of Australia!👋❤🙏
I try and keep it simple as the Christmas season can get so busy and hectic. I can so easily get caught up in the holiday frenzy if I'm not careful. I tell myself its ok to turn down some activities and events. It can get to be to much so im careful not to over do it. I have given myself permission to leave sooner than everyone else if I'm feeling drained and tired. I don't have to stay as late as others do. I'm an introvert so i can get people tired easily. We all need to respect our limitations for the reasons we have and always remember the meaning of Christmas is Peace.
I love your videos! You guys are amazing at being honest when covering all of your topics!!! I learn sooo much!! Holidays with my son with schizophrenia is very different than others. He cannot handle groups or loud noises. So we eat a meal together. And than play a couple rounds of pool until he says he needs to be done. Than we head to bed. The next morning we open gifts and have a nice lunch!! Sooo thankful for your videos!!! I don't feel alone any longer during our struggles!! Thank you!!!
In a previous video you spoke of waking from schizophrenia. I used to think of it like waking from a coma. I now call it waking from a schizophrenic coma. And I’ll say I’ve now had two schizophrenic coma awakenings. The first time I’ve woken from a schizophrenic coma was spring 2022, and spring 2023 I had my second awakening from a schizophrenic coma. Each schizophrenic coma awakening’s have had significant and marked improvements in my various abilities to think, retain, recollect, function, track tasks, and comprehend. I contribute it mostly due to stress management in breathing and relaxation techniques. Thanks for sharing in your videos and keep up the good work.
Hi Stephan and dad. Im from the netherlands, nearby Gouda city and find your video’s extremely helpful and value everything you share. I have had two psychosis episodes and still recovering. I try to find happiness. I take medication olanzapine 10mg and 10mg escitalopram i feel better now than before. Im seeing the psychiatrist today. Its important to have a good healthcare support team around you. Wish you all the best too.
In my case that are more depressions, no psychotic illness. Also I abused drugs. My parents and other family members never had any interest in my psychiatric illness even when I was in hospital. But schizophrenia is very hard, I wish you the very best. Be glad having such a wonderful family! Sorry, my English is not so good...
I am diagnosed with awful things, one of them is bipolar depression. My Dad said to myself: "If you want to be happy, it's easy: just say, speak these words: "You are no fun anymore". No need to 'aim' or target the words, don't be be nasty. The next day, you will be happy, but you have to say it daily. So I said it and the next day I was happy. Every day I remember to say "You are no fun anymore", the next day I'm happy. I experimented: and said it on one day, said it THREE times. The next day was so much fun, I was making up jokes and laughing a lot. This worked on myself, can you try this yourself, even as an experiment?; Even with psychiatric diagnosis regardless if you believe the psychiatrist is mistaken or not (humans all make mistakes at times), try this idea above. Good luck.
I’ve been told by leading doctors in schizophrenia from around the world that the danger of my son not being on an antipsychotic medication is that he will loose brain cells the longer he is off the medication. Being on the antipsychotic medication can actually begin to grow brain cells. For my son it’s all about enjoying the little things in life and just enjoying and sharing time together even if not doing anything in particular other than spending time together.
Please consider the stress n relaxation techniques Stephen n his dad talk about… I think stress management including stability is all to important. Also look for my other comments in this post.
Family support is such a blessing. Many who suffer from mental illness are abandoned, sadly enough… thank God for Stephen’s parents!🙏. I’m wondering if the kind of foods affect your ongoing thought process and the ability to relax your mind and sleep? Perhaps it does, and maybe sugars or caffeine filled foods should not be eaten after a certain hour of the day?
Wishing the best and happiest holiday season for both of you! I have psychotic depression and autism. One of my strategies when I’m overwhelmed during gatherings is to walk away to a quiet space to be by myself for a few minutes (or longer if needed) until i am ready to rejoin the party. People are always understanding. Hope that is helpful! Take care.
Thank you for sharing what you do! It is exactly what I do! It makes me very happy that you have shared this for our community! It will help other people who read this. I wish you a very happy and healthy holiday season as well!
Thank you for OPERATIONALIZING a positive message. BTW it is not just the Overstimulation of the Holiday Season. It is more that people are acting doing very different than in the past. They do not explain why they are different. Get defensive and angry. AND this is in contrast to what you remember - and it makes one feel Crazy - as they act different rest of the year - often angry and rejecting or rediculing. This leaves the person with schizophrenia flooded with memories which were traumatic - what you describe about as elevated heart rate and sleep issues. All of this is amplified in the holiday season - each of the following making it more difficult. Frenetic pace - too many people - things at a faster pace - people acting different even weird - discordant memories difficult ot reconcile - confusion - leading to a mini-psychosis as it is difficult to make a coherent system of such unusual events and behavior. I am happy that you have overcome so much. I am also glad that your treatment team has been available to help you. Good Luck.
I have schizophrenia ,to the psychiatrist has me on a new medication lumatepernone thank you Steve for helping me I am going through a lot of depression right now thank you .
I'm often overthinking too but I connect it with HSP (high sensitive person) not schizophrenia. Don't know if it's right though, I'm still learning about my illness. Well it is difficult to not to think that much but I've found helpful one thing that I came across on the internet - "other people aren't thinking that much about you". Another one is to let myself to be in a state of not knowing. You know, stop assuming that some behaviour is against me or is meaningful and accept that I don't, can't know that much from the interaction yet. Maybe to focus on other things, like good things but I do know what you're saying. Sometimes it's extremely difficult. Thank you for another video! Have a good day! :-)
This was a great long form video about sza thank you for another banger Stephen. I'm trying to be festive enough to avoid the holiday blues as well. I totally understand that and I hope you stay happy and healthy homie :) 🎉
Thank you for this video ❤ I relate to many things you spoke about this was a settling reminder I'm not alone and extra techniques. I appreciate you and to your father ty ty ty for being so compassionate and understanding. Several of us doing have loving supporters. That is what I wish for this Christmas less stigma more understanding about mental health 🙏 🎅🎄 Thank you again!!!
Hi just want to wish everyone a happy Christmas. I believe neck pain triggered my psychosis. I am well and happy. You are an inspiration to me and everyone. Cheers.
Hello Stephen and Steve. Thanks for sharing this conversation. When you mention what's happening to you in a social situation, when you talk about the grocery store, you seem to go into "threat monitoring"/"hypervigilance" mode, involuntarily. Perhaps, recognizing that it is just a protection mechanism (with a very good intention, to keep you safe), may give you a new understanding/meaning to the experience, so that you can accept the discomfort and the mental noise, without giving too much attention to it. The strategy would be to not fight it, don't enter in a dialogue with it, but to leave it in the background and focus on other things. It's a practice! Hope this helps, best of wishes!
Thank you very much! Great strategy! I really appreciate your continued support and always look forward to your comments. Have a happy and healthy rest of your day!
@@SurvivingSchizophrenia happy to hear that Stephen! When we enter that hypervigilance state, as a product of it, the mind generates intrusive thoughts, excess worrying, rumination, a negative bias/perception of surroundings. Think of it as a fire alarm that switches on without fire. If you focus on other things despite of this mental noise, you are reafirming to yourself that everything is ok and safe and eventually, with time and practice, the fire alarm will be less overeactive.
@@yoga_iainiIf u don't mind how a schizophrneia episode can lead to suicide aren't they afraid of death aren't they afraid to jump off a high rise building please tell me I wanna know the truth please 🥺 please my uncle has schizophrneia
HI Stephen and Stephens dad, Steve. I loved your video and all your content! Congratulations on 10k subscribers! you're doing amazingly well. I have schizophrenia as well and what I do for the holiday period is similar to yours, I always have a way to get away from events should I need to excuse myself. I hope one day I can be as recovered as you and wish I had such a supporting family member. Best of luck in future videos, I will keep an eye out for them :)!
I support my loved one who has Schizophrenia and takes Clozapine. She does some if the same techniques, routine is very important to her. Taking “brain break” helps a lot. She also has knits and has we do art together!
I find events that should be positive stressful too. And I don't like too much stimulation either, I find the sounds at family meals too much to process.
Rehearsals in preparing for what’s to come you can also build a vision board, talk about it, and write about it… each of those can look at the past, present, and future.
Your exit plan may include going for a walk by yourself or with someone your comfortable with to have some time to relax… it may include doing something else that also helps you relax like having a coffee, an ice cream, grounding exercises, or breathing n relaxation exercises.
Such a wonderful, well done, inspiring, heart warming, and informative video. Thank you both for sharing your experiences. Your help is invaluable. Many thanks. 🙏
“Stable routine… Stability is so important to the deer, you can set your watch to the deer because the deer might smell the wolf but it might never see the wolf. Like you too can keep the wolf at bay with stable routine. - Martin Brousseau”
Your exit plan may include going for a walk by yourself or with someone your comfortable with to have some time to relax… it may include doing something else that also helps you relax like having a coffee, an ice cream, grounding exercises, or breathing n relaxation exercises.
Thank you Stephen for your videos. The person that I support takes Clozapine and it is the only drug that works for all of his symptoms, positive and to some extent negative and cognitive. We almost had to stop this med though because of the side effects of sedation and dizziness. He tapered down to 50 mg because of this but then his symptoms returned. To help with this, we added fluvoxamine to his med regiment and so far so good. The fluvoxamine has allowed us to raise the dose of clozapine and reduce the side effects significantly. We are still working on it but have hope that he can stay on clozapine. One of the things that has helped us figure this all out is that he gets a clozapine test every time he gets his blood drawn which is bi-weekly at this point. This way we can monitor the clozapine:norclozapine ratio and adjust the dosage of both these drugs to work together to optimize the benefits of the clozapine and minimize the side-effects. I hope this info might help some folks.
Thank you for your excellent comment and for sharing your experience. This is very important information for our community! I have not checked my norclozapine level in a long time. As you know I am struggling with tiredness. Your comment has caused us to now want to look closer into this for my situation. Thank you again and have a happy and healthy rest of your day!
Hi Stephen, Just following up with this. The video that inspired us to try the clozapine/fluvoxamine combination is ua-cam.com/video/Sm7hWHxec6M/v-deo.html He was on 50 mg clozapine. We added 50 mg of fluvoxamine and titrated up from there. He is feeling much better now at 125 mg clozapine and 125 fluvoxamine. We may go to 150 and 150, not sure yet. The other document I found helpful was this guide www.hpft.nhs.uk/media/4116/clozapine-plasma-level-monitoring-guide-with-logos-mar19.pdf As far as I know, lab protocols don't require the clozapine test each time you have your blood drawn. I think this is a mistake. I think that this test should be included in all labs so that the docs can get a full picture of what is going on.
Thank you very much for sharing. Schizophrenia is very hard early on, but does get better with time and proper medication. I wish you the absolute best.
Hello Stephen, one way to get better would be to do what you talked about on an earlier video. Become independent and live separately from your parents. With your symptoms managed and not a problem anymore, it wouldn't be beyond you. You could share a house with someone who knows about your illness. It's your life and you need to look at where to go from here and what you want to do. Schizophrenia is not for life for many people. Unfortunately the medical profession will have you think it is.
Steven when you were younger were you engaged in making communication systems with variables to speak and exprds your thoughts when your thoughts go blank or numb out the motor processing communication? Where you want to speak but have little to no thinking?
Steven you seem to stim in the same way. It's that psychotic energy needs to be less passively aggressively channeled than it goes away you are trying to hyper focus and making yourself over alert and stressed out?
Re: the sleep I don't understand. Is Stephen sleeping 12 (ish) hours or is he lying in bed awake? Just asking because you guys mentioned insomnia yet he's in bed for 12 hours. Thanks!
I am lying in bed awake trying to sleep for a while before falling asleep, but even when I do sleep it usually isn’t very restful sleep. Thank you for asking!
As someone with schizophrenia I find enjoyment in small circles. Too much stimulation just overwhelms me.
Thank you for sharing
Like watching a circus
The negative symptoms are tough. My emotions are so flat. Sometimes, I want to stop my injections so I can feel something. Even if it is bad. I feel a lot of those same feelings that you do. I'm sorry that happens. I'm happy you have your parents with you ❤
Yeah parents can be a huge help and protection for us
I appreciate you sharing. It is a tough illness.
Hi Stephen and dad. Thank you both for your candid conversation with each other. My son was diagnosed with pschizo-affective disorder and had his first psychotic episode in 2019. This many years later he is well managed with his medication and is not refusing to take them anymore. As a single mother and having to experience three of his episodes close together, I became an anxious mother especially after I worked during the day and worried while driving home if he was alright or not. As a result, I started taking an anti-anxiety medication. Which helped me to calm down myself. Now I am so pleased with his progress, much like your son. He also doesn't really like too much activities going on so we keep it simple and he feels awkward at social gatherings. I am able to communicate much better with him and when I come home at times we play board games with his brother and I. He is much like he was before he had this condition. He has a great mental health team as well. I am so grateful and so happy to see your contribution to us by your sharing your journey in a helpful way.
Thank you very much for sharing. I am so glad your son is doing better! Thank you for watching and being a part of our community here! Have a happy and healthy rest of your day!
Does your son takes clozapine and depakine ? At which age did he get it ?
Inspiring video! To live a happy and normal life being schizophrenic, you need a good support system like, a good therapist, close family, friends or a support group for schizophrenics. You need to keep yourself busy, add some amount of distraction in your life like, taking up a new hobby or even volunteering. A proper treatment plan can promote happiness, well-being and a positive sense of self-worth. Thank you Stephen and Steve for posting this valuable video!🙌👌❤👍
Thank you very much! That is so very true, I completely agree with you! Thank you also for your support. Have a happy and healthy rest of your day and holiday season!
@@SurvivingSchizophrenia Thank you for your kind words Stephen! May the Holiday Season bring you and your family Health, Love, Happiness and Peace! Warm Greetings from Melbourne of Australia!👋❤🙏
I try and keep it simple as the Christmas season can get so busy and hectic. I can so easily get caught up in the holiday frenzy if I'm not careful. I tell myself its ok to turn down some activities and events. It can get to be to much so im careful not to over do it. I have given myself permission to leave sooner than everyone else if I'm feeling drained and tired. I don't have to stay as late as others do. I'm an introvert so i can get people tired easily. We all need to respect our limitations for the reasons we have and always remember the meaning of Christmas is Peace.
Thank you Denise! Thank you also for sharing. Your words mean so much to me! Peace to you this holiday season!
Steven, you and your father are inspiration. Your father supports you a lot . Glad to see you both everytime
Thank you very much for watching and supporting us!
I love your videos! You guys are amazing at being honest when covering all of your topics!!! I learn sooo much!! Holidays with my son with schizophrenia is very different than others. He cannot handle groups or loud noises. So we eat a meal together. And than play a couple rounds of pool until he says he needs to be done. Than we head to bed. The next morning we open gifts and have a nice lunch!! Sooo thankful for your videos!!! I don't feel alone any longer during our struggles!! Thank you!!!
Thank you so very much for sharing and your support! Have a happy and healthy holiday season!
In a previous video you spoke of waking from schizophrenia. I used to think of it like waking from a coma. I now call it waking from a schizophrenic coma. And I’ll say I’ve now had two schizophrenic coma awakenings. The first time I’ve woken from a schizophrenic coma was spring 2022, and spring 2023 I had my second awakening from a schizophrenic coma. Each schizophrenic coma awakening’s have had significant and marked improvements in my various abilities to think, retain, recollect, function, track tasks, and comprehend.
I contribute it mostly due to stress management in breathing and relaxation techniques.
Thanks for sharing in your videos and keep up the good work.
Thank you for sharing your experiences
I find listening to Stephen really helpful even though I am well on medication. Best wishes to you and your dad
Thank you so much! That means a lot to me!
Hi Stephan and dad. Im from the netherlands, nearby Gouda city and find your video’s extremely helpful and value everything you share. I have had two psychosis episodes and still recovering. I try to find happiness. I take medication olanzapine 10mg and 10mg escitalopram i feel better now than before. Im seeing the psychiatrist today. Its important to have a good healthcare support team around you. Wish you all the best too.
Thank you very much for watching and sharing
Focus on the good in life. It helps so much.
Words to live by! Thank you!
In my case that are more depressions, no psychotic illness. Also I abused drugs. My parents and other family members never had any interest in my psychiatric illness even when I was in hospital. But schizophrenia is very hard, I wish you the very best. Be glad having such a wonderful family!
Sorry, my English is not so good...
Thank you so much for watching, sharing, and commenting.
I am diagnosed with awful things, one of them is bipolar depression. My Dad said to myself: "If you want to be happy, it's easy: just say, speak these words: "You are no fun anymore". No need to 'aim' or target the words, don't be be nasty. The next day, you will be happy, but you have to say it daily. So I said it and the next day I was happy. Every day I remember to say "You are no fun anymore", the next day I'm happy. I experimented: and said it on one day, said it THREE times. The next day was so much fun, I was making up jokes and laughing a lot. This worked on myself, can you try this yourself, even as an experiment?; Even with psychiatric diagnosis regardless if you believe the psychiatrist is mistaken or not (humans all make mistakes at times), try this idea above. Good luck.
I am so glad you are doing better you are heading in the right direction
Thank you!
I get really tired too.
I’ve been told by leading doctors in schizophrenia from around the world that the danger of my son not being on an antipsychotic medication is that he will loose brain cells the longer he is off the medication. Being on the antipsychotic medication can actually begin to grow brain cells. For my son it’s all about enjoying the little things in life and just enjoying and sharing time together even if not doing anything in particular other than spending time together.
Please consider the stress n relaxation techniques Stephen n his dad talk about… I think stress management including stability is all to important.
Also look for my other comments in this post.
Thank you for sharing
Thank you Stephen. You are helping so many people!
Thank you! I appreciate it!
Family support is such a blessing. Many who suffer from mental illness are abandoned, sadly enough… thank God for Stephen’s parents!🙏. I’m wondering if the kind of foods affect your ongoing thought process and the ability to relax your mind and sleep? Perhaps it does, and maybe sugars or caffeine filled foods should not be eaten after a certain hour of the day?
Thank you! I try to stay away from caffeine and sugary foods at night.
Wishing the best and happiest holiday season for both of you!
I have psychotic depression and autism. One of my strategies when I’m overwhelmed during gatherings is to walk away to a quiet space to be by myself for a few minutes (or longer if needed) until i am ready to rejoin the party. People are always understanding.
Hope that is helpful! Take care.
Thank you for sharing what you do! It is exactly what I do! It makes me very happy that you have shared this for our community! It will help other people who read this. I wish you a very happy and healthy holiday season as well!
Great, informative video. Stephen, I wish everyone with mental differences had a good support system like you do. Your parents are terrific.❤❤
Thank you so much!
@@SurvivingSchizophrenia 👍
Thank you for OPERATIONALIZING a positive message.
BTW it is not just the Overstimulation of the Holiday Season. It is more that people are acting doing very different than in the past. They do not explain why they are different. Get defensive and angry.
AND this is in contrast to what you remember - and it makes one feel Crazy - as they act different rest of the year - often angry and rejecting or rediculing.
This leaves the person with schizophrenia flooded with memories which were traumatic - what you describe about as elevated heart rate and sleep issues.
All of this is amplified in the holiday season - each of the following making it more difficult.
Frenetic pace - too many people - things at a faster pace - people acting different even weird - discordant memories difficult ot reconcile - confusion - leading to a mini-psychosis as it is difficult to make a coherent system of such unusual events and behavior.
I am happy that you have overcome so much. I am also glad that your treatment team has been available to help you. Good Luck.
You're dad is very supportive ❤ wonderful
I have schizophrenia ,to the psychiatrist has me on a new medication lumatepernone thank you Steve for helping me I am going through a lot of depression right now thank you .
Thank you for sharing. I hope things get better for you soon. Have a happy and healthy rest of your day
I'm often overthinking too but I connect it with HSP (high sensitive person) not schizophrenia. Don't know if it's right though, I'm still learning about my illness.
Well it is difficult to not to think that much but I've found helpful one thing that I came across on the internet - "other people aren't thinking that much about you". Another one is to let myself to be in a state of not knowing. You know, stop assuming that some behaviour is against me or is meaningful and accept that I don't, can't know that much from the interaction yet. Maybe to focus on other things, like good things but I do know what you're saying. Sometimes it's extremely difficult.
Thank you for another video!
Have a good day! :-)
This was a great long form video about sza thank you for another banger Stephen. I'm trying to be festive enough to avoid the holiday blues as well. I totally understand that and I hope you stay happy and healthy homie :) 🎉
Thank you very much!
Thank you for this video ❤ I relate to many things you spoke about this was a settling reminder I'm not alone and extra techniques. I appreciate you and to your father ty ty ty for being so compassionate and understanding. Several of us doing have loving supporters. That is what I wish for this Christmas less stigma more understanding about mental health 🙏 🎅🎄 Thank you again!!!
thank you Stephen you are helping with my paranoid schizophrenia I'm still a live because of my father.
I take clonidine and propranolol for heart rate and sleep. Its second to anxiety and treatment of nightmares. Also migraine headaches.
Thank you for sharing
To be fair, I think it's pretty normal when someone doesn't return our greeting, to worry that we may have offended them in some way.
Very true
Hi just want to wish everyone a happy Christmas. I believe neck pain triggered my psychosis. I am well and happy. You are an inspiration to me and everyone. Cheers.
Thank you! Merry Christmas!
whats your opinion on Stop Having Kids community?
@@SurvivingSchizophrenia
My son recently joined a walking group. (It's once a week.)
That’s great!
Hello Stephen and Steve. Thanks for sharing this conversation.
When you mention what's happening to you in a social situation, when you talk about the grocery store, you seem to go into "threat monitoring"/"hypervigilance" mode, involuntarily.
Perhaps, recognizing that it is just a protection mechanism (with a very good intention, to keep you safe), may give you a new understanding/meaning to the experience, so that you can accept the discomfort and the mental noise, without giving too much attention to it.
The strategy would be to not fight it, don't enter in a dialogue with it, but to leave it in the background and focus on other things. It's a practice! Hope this helps, best of wishes!
Thank you very much! Great strategy! I really appreciate your continued support and always look forward to your comments. Have a happy and healthy rest of your day!
@@SurvivingSchizophrenia happy to hear that Stephen! When we enter that hypervigilance state, as a product of it, the mind generates intrusive thoughts, excess worrying, rumination, a negative bias/perception of surroundings. Think of it as a fire alarm that switches on without fire. If you focus on other things despite of this mental noise, you are reafirming to yourself that everything is ok and safe and eventually, with time and practice, the fire alarm will be less overeactive.
@@yoga_iainiIf u don't mind how a schizophrneia episode can lead to suicide aren't they afraid of death aren't they afraid to jump off a high rise building please tell me I wanna know the truth please 🥺 please my uncle has schizophrneia
❤I respect & adore you and, your strength, Stephen!!❤👼🫶🦢⛵️🚢🗽
Thank you so much!
Dad Steven seems like he is “always thinking “ too
Thanks for sharing
Peace to you both
Thank you! Peace to you as well!
I have the condition too, I enjoy gourmet cooking, coffee, music.
Thank you for sharing
HI Stephen and Stephens dad, Steve. I loved your video and all your content! Congratulations on 10k subscribers! you're doing amazingly well.
I have schizophrenia as well and what I do for the holiday period is similar to yours, I always have a way to get away from events should I need to excuse myself. I hope one day I can be as recovered as you and wish I had such a supporting family member.
Best of luck in future videos, I will keep an eye out for them :)!
Thank you very much for sharing and for watching. I wish you the very best this holiday season!
I support my loved one who has Schizophrenia and takes Clozapine. She does some if the same techniques, routine is very important to her. Taking “brain break” helps a lot. She also has knits and has we do art together!
Thank you very much for sharing and your wonderful advice!
Great video, well done!
Thank you very much!
I find events that should be positive stressful too. And I don't like too much stimulation either, I find the sounds at family meals too much to process.
Rehearsals in preparing for what’s to come you can also build a vision board, talk about it, and write about it… each of those can look at the past, present, and future.
Your exit plan may include going for a walk by yourself or with someone your comfortable with to have some time to relax… it may include doing something else that also helps you relax like having a coffee, an ice cream, grounding exercises, or breathing n relaxation exercises.
Thank you
Such a wonderful, well done, inspiring, heart warming, and informative video. Thank you both for sharing your experiences. Your help is invaluable. Many thanks. 🙏
Thank you so much for your kindness and support!
“Stable routine… Stability is so important to the deer, you can set your watch to the deer because the deer might smell the wolf but it might never see the wolf. Like you too can keep the wolf at bay with stable routine. - Martin Brousseau”
Your exit plan may include going for a walk by yourself or with someone your comfortable with to have some time to relax… it may include doing something else that also helps you relax like having a coffee, an ice cream, grounding exercises, or breathing n relaxation exercises.
Yes! Thank you very much
I’d just act like it was a normal day and overcome anxiety if I had it.
My mother was bipolar paranoid schizophrenic. I remember moments of her happiness
The strategies are so helpful. Thank you!
Thank you very much!
Happy New Year to you... keep being you🙏🏴
Thank you! Happy New Year!
Holiday Season is stressful for so many people. It is not unique to a person who has Schizophrenia. Join the crowd.
That is so true
Thanks Stephen and Steve for another awesome video! it’s so inspiring and informative! Happy holidays 🎉
Thank you! Happy Holidays!
Wish my family cared like yours. I get happiness as mine is Schizoaffective.
Thank you for sharing. I hope you have a happy and healthy rest of your day
Thanks , hope you doing well. I understand how hard it is.@@SurvivingSchizophrenia
Thank you Stephen for your videos. The person that I support takes Clozapine and it is the only drug that works for all of his symptoms, positive and to some extent negative and cognitive. We almost had to stop this med though because of the side effects of sedation and dizziness. He tapered down to 50 mg because of this but then his symptoms returned. To help with this, we added fluvoxamine to his med regiment and so far so good. The fluvoxamine has allowed us to raise the dose of clozapine and reduce the side effects significantly. We are still working on it but have hope that he can stay on clozapine. One of the things that has helped us figure this all out is that he gets a clozapine test every time he gets his blood drawn which is bi-weekly at this point. This way we can monitor the clozapine:norclozapine ratio and adjust the dosage of both these drugs to work together to optimize the benefits of the clozapine and minimize the side-effects. I hope this info might help some folks.
Thank you for your excellent comment and for sharing your experience. This is very important information for our community! I have not checked my norclozapine level in a long time. As you know I am struggling with tiredness. Your comment has caused us to now want to look closer into this for my situation. Thank you again and have a happy and healthy rest of your day!
Hi Stephen, Just following up with this. The video that inspired us to try the clozapine/fluvoxamine combination is ua-cam.com/video/Sm7hWHxec6M/v-deo.html He was on 50 mg clozapine. We added 50 mg of fluvoxamine and titrated up from there. He is feeling much better now at 125 mg clozapine and 125 fluvoxamine. We may go to 150 and 150, not sure yet. The other document I found helpful was this guide www.hpft.nhs.uk/media/4116/clozapine-plasma-level-monitoring-guide-with-logos-mar19.pdf As far as I know, lab protocols don't require the clozapine test each time you have your blood drawn. I think this is a mistake. I think that this test should be included in all labs so that the docs can get a full picture of what is going on.
I really feel for Steven. Wish I could be of help somehow. Very interesting channel.
My daughter takes mode stabilizer depakine and that really helped stabilize her mood. Ask your doctor it could help you.
Thank you! I will ask my doctor.
My heart rate is very high also because of taking Antipsychotic medication for over a decade.
Thank you for sharing
That was a helpful video!
Thank you!
Happiness is not possible with schizophrenia! 😢
I was diagnosed in January 2023!
@GypsyLil my next psychiatrist appointment is until January! 😢
Hopefully Clozapine saves my life, since I am treatment resistant!
@@baciliorochajr_schizophrenia clozapine is the best antipsychotic IMO. Even with monthly blood tests it's worth it if it works for you.
Thank you very much for sharing. Schizophrenia is very hard early on, but does get better with time and proper medication. I wish you the absolute best.
@@SurvivingSchizophrenia thank you very much Steven!
Hello Stephen, one way to get better would be to do what you talked about on an earlier video. Become independent and live separately from your parents. With your symptoms managed and not a problem anymore, it wouldn't be beyond you. You could share a house with someone who knows about your illness. It's your life and you need to look at where to go from here and what you want to do. Schizophrenia is not for life for many people. Unfortunately the medical profession will have you think it is.
Thank you for your suggestions and your encouragement. That means a lot to me!
Steven when you were younger were you engaged in making communication systems with variables to speak and exprds your thoughts when your thoughts go blank or numb out the motor processing communication? Where you want to speak but have little to no thinking?
Steven you seem to stim in the same way. It's that psychotic energy needs to be less passively aggressively channeled than it goes away you are trying to hyper focus and making yourself over alert and stressed out?
Bering tired I find is expanding from your mind being over active
I agree
Steven we have the exact same thoughts and symptoms you never heard voices just saw visual hallucinations?
Re: the sleep I don't understand. Is Stephen sleeping 12 (ish) hours or is he lying in bed awake? Just asking because you guys mentioned insomnia yet he's in bed for 12 hours. Thanks!
I am lying in bed awake trying to sleep for a while before falling asleep, but even when I do sleep it usually isn’t very restful sleep. Thank you for asking!
Hi can I skip a dose of anti psycotics once a week?? whats your experience. Thanks
This is such a great Chanel I wish you all the best mate for you and your family.
Thank you very much! Your words make me feel good!
Is joy possible?
Yes it is
@@SurvivingSchizophrenia I'm happy for you. 🙏🏾
I don’t like Walmart bc of all the lights and shelving and people. I have schizoaffective disorder.
i have that too. Bipolar type.
Thank you for sharing. Have a happy and healthy rest of your day
@@paulflint6254 yeah I have bipolar type too.
Don’t you think you still had racing thoughts?
Maybe subconsciously
Your son is too nice. You have made him too depended on you. You are not helping him by monetizing his illness.
I hide on the holidays.
Happiness is a choice.
happiness is chemical IMO. Thoughts can't seem to override feelings in my case.
No it isn't or we'd be happy all the time
Happiness may be a choice for someone who is cognitively coherent… However in psychosis I would call it brain rot.
Another excellent and informative video! 🫶🏻👍🏻
Thank you so much!