Mokie,
Of course normal is a relatively difficult state to maintain even for those who aren't mentally ill. And this dx is one of the most difficult to treat and severe of all mental illness. We are combining the two worst dx in the world. Before the modern atypical antipsychotics most SAs were permanent inpatients. My normal days/nights are few and far between(~7 days/month). At least there is cognitive therapy to use for the intrusive thoughts. I can tell when I am going into a psychotic episode by the olfactory hallucinations that begin it. It is kind of like having a seizure disorder that you can't tell when it will strike. Between times you are manic or depressed and even both in the same day. Usually it takes me a few days to go from/to manic/depressed though. ANYONE: Let me know if you have strange smells or flashes in your peripheral vision before a psychotic break please. It is specific to SAs.