late onset schizophrenia

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Thursday, February 07, 2008
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I was 55 when I had an experience that a psychiatrist diagnosed as a psychotic episode of an organic origin, namely a noticeable loss of prefrontal (?) tissue. I was in an extremely unhappy marriage, diagnosed three years earlier with fibromyalgia and chronic fatigue and at age 52 I became unable to ...

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late onset schizophrenia
DCROY9633
Friday, February 08, 2008 at 09:36 AM

I too went through periods of deep depression and psychosis. Mine was from 1995-2002. And when the depression lifted, it felt as if I could breathe again. Like there was freedom inside my head (it is hard to explain.) That is what Zyprexa did for me. Depression was always worse to me than psychosis. I don't ever want to be there again.

It is so good to read your post and see that you are doing so well. I hope many others read it and find hope for themselves.

Carolyn

re: late onset schizophrenia
latebloomer
Friday, February 08, 2008 at 01:36 PM
Thank you for your kind words, and yes, I also think the depression was worse than the psychosis. "Freedom inside your head" is a beautiful description of how it feels to escape finally from a deep, lengthy, never-ending depression. It is as if you are your own hostage and that this mental state has taken you against your will to a dark hidden place, bound you so you are paralyzed, put tape over your mouth so you can no longer communicate, turned out the lights so you can no longer see and robbed you of your humanity....like your own personal Gitmo. One of the saddest aspects of mental illness is that it scares family and friends. It's not that they don't want to understand......people who have never experienced depression have a hard time wrapping their heads around mental illness. If I had cancer, no one would dream of saying "if you tried harder, got out, did things, sat in the sun, exercised, you'd get better". Although it is true all of those things really can help in recovery from depression, what can you do when you can't find the key to unlock your cell?

late onset schizophrenia
Christina Bruni
Sunday, February 10, 2008 at 05:20 PM

Hello latebloomer,

In response to your post, I'd like to say that it's quite possible you will have continued success and I wish you to have this vibrant life.

Feel free to post again.

This is a welcoming community.

We may not have had the same experiences you did, but we all lived with psychosis, and the aftereffect of this trauma.

May God Bless you.

Regards,
Chris

re: late onset schizophrenia
latebloomer
Sunday, February 10, 2008 at 07:09 PM
Thank you for your wishes Christina....I read your profile and it's really impressive.....your experience, diagnosis and treatment were far more serious than mine but I was comforted to know how far you have come and the successes you have had. I'm also a writer, investigative journalist for 15 years, magazine columnist and also wrote policy, procedure and operations manuals for several companies.......my writing abilities were wiped out during the depression but in 2006 I wrote the first chapter of a book I'd like to be able to finish and I also dream of writing in detail of my experience with depression. I have not been able to do that so far but the more distance from that experience, the more likely I'll be able to put it into words. Since I have been living alone I have not been able to afford psychotherapy, but God works in strange ways. Today at church one of the men who is completing a masters in psychotherapy at a local university handed out applications for free psychotherapy through masters students at the school and I applied for individual therapy. Isn't that a blessing?

Thanks
Jacob2009
Monday, March 09, 2009 at 12:21 AM

Thanks for this, My wife and I were just talking over about her trying wellbutrin. I hope that it helps her out like it did for you! She has schizophrenia, and she tells me that she is in constant pain. I haven't been able to find anything to help her for this. I have tried giving her GABA,Glycine and Glutamine, they all helped with different problems of her illness mainly the "negative" ones (flattening of affect, poverty of speech, lack of volition and drive, loss of feeling, social withdrawal and decreased spontaneous movement.) She use to take celexa but she still felt in pain. Hopefully wellbutrin will help her out with this, I read in wikipedia that NAC has been shown to reduce the symptoms of both schizophrenia and bipolar disorder in two placebo controlled trials. So maybe, these two new things I read about here will help!! and if they don't. Well like igor use to say "back to the drawing board.."

Thanks
Jacob2009
Monday, March 09, 2009 at 12:26 AM

Thanks for this, My wife and I were just talking over about her trying wellbutrin. I hope that it helps her out like it did for you! She has schizophrenia, and she tells me that she is in constant pain, she says that even talking is difficult for her, it frustrates her. I haven't been able to find anything to help her for this. I have tried giving her GABA,Glycine and Glutamine, they all helped with different problems of her illness mainly the "negative" ones (flattening of affect, poverty of speech, lack of volition and drive, loss of feeling, social withdrawal and decreased spontaneous movement.) She use to take celexa but she still felt in pain. Hopefully wellbutrin will help her out with this, I read in wikipedia that NAC(N-acetylcysteine), had been shown to reduce the symptoms of both schizophrenia and bipolar disorder in two placebo controlled trials. So maybe, these two new things I read about here will help!! and if they don't. Well like igor use to say "back to the drawing board.."

re: Thanks
latebloomer
Monday, March 09, 2009 at 02:31 AM

A whole year has passed........and I have to say I am at least 30% better this year than last. One medication that has been added to help combat chronic fatigue is generic ritalin, 20 mg., one early a.m. and one early afternoon. Although one has to watch very carefully for any additional manic behavior, it is really meaningful to me to wake up, make my bed, dress, send an email cross country to my sister that I am OK...eat a good breakfast.......keep my place organized, clean and neat.............all that makes me more organized and satisfied too. Then I have a day when the pain is bad and the bed stays unmade........I just don't beat myself up over it because that's only 10-20% of the time. Jacob, I hope your wife has success with Wellbutrin. Please let us know!