[MrAbbott]

Hello all. I'm a bipolar type I guy with occasional psychotic episodes and I live with a relative that looks after me in my most fragile moments, that is, when I have to be heavily medicated to stop psychosis.


My biggest Q would be this: are you able to communicate you're experiencing psychosis in the middle of a crisis and ask for help? Due to one reason or another, I'm never able to... they find out when it's too advanced.


Thanks.

[TheGal]

Hello there.... I have major depression with psychotic features... it can come on without people noticing...

Though now, I am pretty much controlled (knock on wood!) on 20 mg of abilify and 3 antidepressants. I also have some OCD and can believe that I have health problems... not sure where the line is between the psychosis and the OCD in this case.


What I'd recommend is that you have a crisis plan in place and let your near and dear know what it is and how to respond when you are in crisis or pre-crisis. (Talk to your pdoc and therapist if you need help putting it together).


Know what your crisis signs are and tell somebody, as soon as they appear, in other words your prodromal psychosis signs.


Ask pdoc for a psychosis questionnaire that you can take home an self-monitor.

[MrAbbott]

Thanks TheGal, I'm pretty alone on this and it's been a pleasure to see that there are protocols in place. I feel like on a raft, with few directions and my pdoc only appears when I have crashed against some rock. Don't ask me why but he doesn't believe in crisis plans and I can see that even my only family member that helps me out doesn't clearly know what to do. I've recently convinced her that we need a psychologist's help and I've already attended my first therapy session. I need to change things, thanks for your feedback. Peace.

PS. oh, I've dealt with OCD many years, I believe I somehow still have it but it's been weakened... stay strong, thegal

[TheGal]

Thank you for your kind words and encouragement, MrAbbott... much appreciated!

Wishing you the best!

[TheGal]

I was just reading this article about psychosis and thought I'd share it:

NIMH >> Understanding Psychosis

[MrAbbott]

Originally Posted by TheGal

I was just reading this article about psychosis and thought I'd share it:

NIMH >> Understanding Psychosis

I don't know when my psychosis may appear, it usually comes once a year.

I've now started to tell my mother, the only one that takes care of me, that I'll confirm my status everyday with her. "I'm ok" means more than that: it means I have no psychosis. It's hard for me to communicate while having a psychotic episode and reality gets complicated to just say "i'm having a psychotic episode" so we've established a code-word, very simple one, that means psychosis. I honestly don't know if I'll be able to communicate it just like that, but if I can, I'll save much time and avoid an escalation of the situation. It's a pity I don't count with more help on this, I must had to arrive to these conclusions all by myself... Let's see if it works. Cheers.

[TheGal]

(((MrAbbott)))

[HALLIEBETH87]

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