I need a time frame

I am doing the best I can to live with this new me and survive in this form. I am trying to regain self esteem and confidence in my own self. I've been a pretty good self motivator.

However I am still having some extreme social problems. Quiet most of the time and don't have the same flow of thoughts I had prior to psychosis.

I've been patient and taking things slow, while looking at some achievements that I've been able to do as time goes on. The silence and what I say no longer bothers me..... but it does and I just want to know when should I expect to get my flow of thoughts back. I'm tired of sitting in the dust with nothing to say.

It's been 6 and 1/2 months since everything happened and I want to move on in my life. Everything requires social contact and you need it in almost every profession. If I don't get it back I won't know what to do. Everyone says people make good recover after their first psychotic break, so why is it taking so long?

Thank you and peace be with all!

I usually try not to post if I have nothing solid to contribute (even if it's just a joke, ha!) But...

I wish I could tell ya buddy. Fortunately I have no experience with psychosis, but I have have been shy, introverted, whatever you want to call it, most of my life. From previous posts, it sounds like you are doing what I've read works for most shy people, just get out there and do stuff. Put yourself in uncomfortable situations, and next time it's not as uncomfortable. It has worked for me. I'll never work a room like Bill Clinton, but I've gotten much better.

My only real suggestion is to talk to you therapist (if you have one), and/or pdoc. Or at least see some mental health professional that might be able to help, or at least give an an informed answer to your question.

I wish you the best of luck! I know it's tough! Much internet love!!

I can't say how long, and I know that's frustrating.

This is all I can give you in my experience, since I don't remember when my pychosis ended or when it started, I just have a vague idea. I was 18/19 when it started. I know it has already started when the movie "The Truman Show" was in theaters, because that was a very memorable night of my "friends" playing along and we were "chased" from the park by the six wheeled cars.... we had gone to the park from that movie.

I know the day that I "remembered" I was 28 years old and I had just picked up my oldest son from Tae Kwon Do class, it was the first time I picked him up from the school's new location, which happened to be on the same street as "the building." At that time I was working full time, had graduated with honors from vocational school (at 27 years old,) and was still undiagnosed with bipolar.

So... if it stopped when I was 25-26, I'd say it took me about a year and a half, because in that year and a half I totally forgot it even happened and that my beliefs were even there....

I wish I knew what happened to my brain from my psychosis. I just know that it was about 10 months long and incredibly intense. Things are coming back very slowly, like my sense of humor, ability to enjoy music, and motivation-they're not consistent but they're at least making an appearance every once in awhile. For the longest time-2 years-I was convinced I lost my Self forever. Starting seroquel in Jan. helped a lot too.
Hang in there. Finding the right meds can take a long time.
I wish it was like on TV where you're crazy, you take medication and then you're okay!

It'll take sometime between two minutes and 100 years.

There's your answer It's not what you're looking for... but no one can give you a time frame. It might be temporary, it might be permanent.

Just continue learning to like the new you, and even a few years from now you might look back at yourself and go "Oh, I've been making a lot of progress over that time!"

Like... just me? If I look at things in my recent past, I'll go "Augh, I'm making no progress!" but when I look back over the past 10 years? I've made HEAPS of progress in all the different areas I've been working on. You just can't notice it when you're so close to it.

Every major upset in life whether bipolar or not cause your life some problems. When it comes to feeling awkward socially right now, I honestly think exposure therapy is the way to knock down walls ( it's worked for me)

I was always worried about being around people and what they might think if I panic or sit there looking uneasy or not getting there jokes etc... So I started going out to things alone , like movies, bars,art galleries, I once went to Disney world alone .. why? If I start panic or freak out , who is really going to notice a person heading for the exit door quickly? no one.

Within a short amount of time I was able to start adding people and situations back into my life, I still have trouble at times being around people, but I think everyone feels that way you just don't have people admitting it out loud.

There is really no time table for healing from any kind of emotional bruises. I think having a T to talk to can help on just as many levels as a medication you take daily.

Hope your feeling better soon .

This is really good advice, actually.

It reminds me that as a teen I was so severly depressed I had no friends. I joined my church youth group to "practice" being around people when I was 16. It really worked! I just figured youth group was a good palce to pracitce because I only had to see those people once a week, instead of school 5 days a week.

I had / have to do a lot (1-2 hrs. day-ish) of cognitive training when I can.

-Christina I use to work at Disney World. That place alone can make someone go crazy.... either happy or with all the people.

Either way it's good advice.

I've been going out here and there, but it's not the same as far as enjoyment go. I want to look back years from now and say I've come a long way. Whether that be learning to cope or getting over my failure with social cognition. I feel like the only thing I know is what is right in front of me or stuff I read over and over again. Producing words is difficult. It's like my mind is silent. I'm getting better at coping, but I am still not over it. I want it back more than anything in the world.. Because if that comes back so does my confidence and everything that comes with that.

Here's a question how is someone suppose to be confident without saying hardly anything/ being able to have a conversation? That's a million dollar question. My social worker says that these problems are common for people coming back from psychosis... but I don't see these problems anywhere online (I do thorough research). I am having highs and lows where I'm happy to be me now and times where I hate it and have to talk about it. I am getting better in the sense that it's not always on my mind. I still feel disabled socially and if I can learn to be happy without being social, I'll be the happiest man there is. How do you do that?

Mr Radio I am in the same situation as you are. My head feels empty and foggy. I have trouble at work because i can't keep up with conversations and the workload. I also have trouble reading, studying, and remembering. My psychotic episode was 3 months ago and slowly my cognitive side is improving. My Pdoc said that i usually takes 6-12 months before your cognitive side comes back. Hang in there. Its the hardest thing to do. I feel stupid and incompetent at work and fear i may loose my job if my cognitive side doesn't come back soon.

I'm happy that there's someone to relate to. Not happy that you have to be going through it too. I hope that the time frame is correct and I just need to wait a full year and then poof I'm zapping back to normal. I too have the feeling of being stupid because I can't remember things I just read or did for that matter. I've noticed few things coming back, but nothing significant. What are some of the this you've noticed getting better? It's good that you've been able to hold your job this entire time. I've worked for the family company during my recovery (not too much pressure there). Best of luck to you as well.

I don't follow the " you had a psychotic break and you need time to heal and be yourself again , or your depressed it takes time to recover and go back to being you , or your manic and it takes time to recover an go back to being you ... all of these are negatives in my mind. You are You , 5 years ago you were different and 5 years from now you will be different.

No one one whether Bipolar or not will ever go back to how they once were , it's impossible because today is Sunday and you are a different person than you were yesterday on Saturday

I choose to live my life in the here and now. I want to be content with myself. Maybe I will never be a social butterfly, maybe being that person that sits a bit off to the side and "people watch" is what I should be , what is healthy for me.

Life is always changing and evolving, No one stays the same, and to me that is a gift. People in general whether bipolar ,or other MI or seemingly perfectly healthy and outgoing ALL have issues. I do not need to compare my life to anyone elses. No one gets through this life without huge hurdles to over come or learn to live with.

A very good friend on here taught me about Mindfulness.... It has changed my life.

I am not saying I never have bad , terrible or horrible days ,weeks or months, I'm dealing with situational crap right now that I can't get around or avoid it , But I know that it will work it's self out. Right now I have to focus on self care and just leaning on my friends when I need a boost and love.

That's some great advice. Live in the here and now. If being quiet is healthy for me do that. Either way be happy in what I do have and continue to strive to make that better.

You've got some motivational art Christina. Thanks for piecing that together strongly.

After my psychotic episode within 1 month i was able to make coherent thoughts that flowed clearly in my head. In 2 months i was able to read and make sense of what i read. At the 3 month period i am able to read but still not remember what i read, it just makes sense for a second then i forget everything i read. Its a slow process and i need my cognitive side at work so i am going to ask my pdoc if there is anyway i can get my cognitive side back fast as possible.