Need some understanding

Hello,
I have depression and now they tell me schizophrenia. My life is a mess. I can't work and have little motivation to get out of bed. I am locked in a constant battle with voices in my head. I have a therapist and a psychiatrist but they seem to be little or no help. The same is true for my meds. I just want some relief or a friend to talk to about all this. I don't understand what is happening to me. I wonder sometimes if I will ever get better.
My family tries to help but they aren't very good at it. Yesterday my mother told me if I prayed enough I could get rid of the voices. It hurt and I felt bad for her that she thought my problems could be solved by prayer. I tend to believe more that medicine holds the answers for me. I just want to be normal.
What have you all found that helps ?

Kayti

Kayti,

I'm sorry you're going through a tough time. If I were you I would try to get a second opinion, or at least look for a psychiatrist that seems to understand. Meds can help, they have certainly helped me, but it takes time to find the right cocktail, and some never find that right mix. I find that trying to distinguish reality from non-reality is helpful. Knowing myself if I am hallucinating or if something is real. Sometimes I have to check with other people but it gives me a reassurance that I need. I'm sorry about your mom. I know prayer does not solve everything. It may help you feel more calm though.

I hope you keep up on this site. You'll meet some wonderful people. Hang in there,

Love and Hugs,
Tara

Meds are difficult. Sometimes you have to try many different kinds to find the kind that work. Sometimes you have to learn to live with the things you hear, turn them in to backround noise.

I was like you. I had depression first. But I've had an underline of feeling that something's been wrong with me since I was little. I always KNEW there was something was wrong. Now I'm starting to present symptoms that are too strong to be symptoms of depression, and I'm delusional and paranoid. They aren't saying I'm schizophrenic yet, of course, 'cause I'm not there yet. But I know that's what's wrong. They just don't believe me.

But it doesn't matter. Just a few more months and they'll see.

Sometimes it can take a long time to find the meds that are right for you; sometimes it takes a certain combination of meds. And for some people, meds just won't work. Therapy is hard to use to your advantage in this kind of situation; it's hard to talk your way through psychosis.

Sometimes you just have to learn to live with the psychotic symptoms and try different meds and therapies that can help other problems, like depression and anxiety, both of which can easily be by-products of schizophrenia. You may not be able to "get rid of your voices" right away, so try fixing things that aren't so complicated.

It's hard to understand because it makes no sense. It's hard to understand something totally inner-stimulated by things we can't control. I've found that, at least for me, that listening to music I like--new music, or music you haven't heard in a while works best--can sometimes replace the voices in my head for a while. It gets annoying, because the songs are just as persistant as the voices, but I could focus a little more and my head seemed a little clearer.

Don't worry--everyone has their ups and downs, both in mental sickness and in health. Losing hope just makes it harder to get better, because you won't try anymore. There is hope. There is always hope.

I wish you the best. If you ever need to talk, I'm here.

[[[ evie ]]]

Thanks for replying. I am trying to make the voices background noise but its hard. I am doing a little better today than yesterday. I got up and ate dinner. I hope I will do better tomorrow. I am trying for one day at a time.
Antidepressants have helped me some and buspar I hope I get some results soon until then I'll just have to do the best that I can.