Oh, I have "seen" shadow people and stress or bad insomnia triggers it for me.
The first time I saw them, I was terrified. Your reply .... you're going through a lot for a LONG time. It's good you can sometimes know what triggers you. Not being able to shower for a month, that serious, IMO. What happened that led you being able to shower again?

Are you able to go about your day with all of this that you're currently experiencing? No judging from me, at all. My paranoia ...being delusional and hallucinating, it lasted eight months because I trusted no one.

I finally told my psychiatrist that a secret society was following me, tracking my movements and electronic communication and they were after me. He was the sole person I trusted by this point. Ironically, he pulled me out of it and back into reality with one question! And then he prescribed a medication to treat the symptoms, which went away completely within a week.

Nowadays, I have more insight and can often tell when I'm starting to become psychotic, similar to you knowing media can be a problem.

Severe, ongoing stress in my life tends to bring my symptoms on. I've had psychosis during bipolar episodes since .... but I can recognize when I'm at risk. And I let my treatment team know and we typically can end the episode early on. I have a medication that helps - delusions and hallucinations disappear.

I realize now that shadow people aren't real. I know that I need to get myself stabilized and my boyfriend keeps an eye on me, as I disassociate often. He also has bipolar 1 with psychotic features. He gets it, so to speak.

I am concerned for you, having to deal with all that's happening in your life and it's ongoing, it seems. There's help out there for you. A good psychiatrist and therapist can work wonders. What do you think? I know it's always a personal choice and some manage fine not seeking medical care - and there are those, like me, that require ongoing treatment. It took me a few years to fully accept that. But mental illness does not define me.

A medical professional could benefit one's health and quality of life greatly---people experience unusual things like shadow people in various illnesses. We can support you and I hope you continue to let us know how things are going. We are of course not qualified to offer medical opinions/diagnoses. But there are people here (like me) that care and you're not alone. This is a safe, supportive community. Are there IRL folks that are supportive when you are going through a hard time?

Do you want the shadow person in your kitchen to go away? Do you think they are there for a specific reason or do you realize it's a hallucination?

Regardless, big hugs for you. Have you considered finding out why all these things are happened--the cause? Do you feel depressed at all?

Thinking of you. I'll keep up with your thread...