I've been on these forums before, maybe a year ago, I can't remember, since I wasn't functioning too well at the time. Anyway, I'm back, with a diagnoses finally, and on meds that seem to be helping, although they make me incredibly tired.

Basically, I've been diagnosed with schizoaffective disorder, and have had bipolar type symptoms, as well as psychosis and audio and visual hallucinations. (Generally ghosts and demons, and people out to get me.) I've had the whole "my phone is being bugged" thing... to the extent that I refused to register to vote last year, on the grounds that if I was on the electoral register enemies would find it easier to track me down. I've moved house regularly through the years, to get away from "them."

Now I have a housing support case worker, who also sorted out my finances (a real mess believe me) and got me a debt relief order, since I couldn't afford to pay back the debts I ran up while manic, brief intervention worker who is keeping an eye on how I respond to meds, and gradually helping me reintegrate into society. He and two colleagues, for example, came and cleaned my house early in my recovery, and he fixed my broken bed, put up shelves etc.

I still don't open my front curtains, but I can leave the house now without thinking I'm being followed, I can cross the bridge on the way to the shops without thinking there's something under it (I thought of it as "troll bridge.") The meds make me sleepy, and give me crazy dreams, and I did gain weight. I feel slightly less sharp, and make more spelling mistakes than I used to. But in general the improvement is so dramatic that I feel like I'm myself again, after years of anxiety and nightmare.

This of course has a beneficial effect on my teenage son, and the fact that we're no longer in danger of being evicted is a huge relief. I can pay my bills, clean the house, cook dinner, am having music lessons, attending church, all sorts of things that were so hard before. I always put my son first, and he never went hungry, or ragged, but I was so sure that "they" were out to get us that he never had friends around. As I type he's sitting downstairs with a friend playing video games. Life is much better.

Later this month my mental health case worker is bringing me to a patient support group that will help me with training opportunities, CV etc, as well as organising things like joining a gymn (which may help with the weight gain.) I know they're keeping an eye on me, that I don't go manic again, and they're not looking to get me in full time work, something part time, perhaps voluntary in a field I love (animals or children). I just thought I should share a positive story, since I know how bad things can look when you're first diagnosed.

I'm on 300 seroquel extended release (one tablet at bed time) for the psychoses and mania (that's the one that makes me sleepy) and 100 lamactil as a mood stabiliser.

At some point I may be able to reduce the seroquel, but we'll see how it goes. It looks like I'll have to be on something reasonably long term, maybe even the rest of my life. But at least I have a life now.

(Posted twice, because I wasn't sure which was the most appropriate forum.)