Hi dfowler,
I would write or e-mail your senator and congress person at both the state and national level. NAMI sends me e-mail Updates about federal legislation they want me to write in about, complete with a boilerplate letter I can cut-and-paste. They have my name and address and zip code saved so all I have to do is hit send and the software knows which elected official to send it to. You can sign up at www.nami.org. You can also have NAMI send you Updates about new schizophrenia information.
One thing: I'm not sure how long your lapse was in getting the Risperdal Consta shot so I wonder if that is partly why the negative symptoms have returned. I also will go out on a limb and say that in this dire economy a lot of people are stressed out over money and the activities of daily living that require money. Even if you are not this is a tough time for us all and I could see how the negative symptoms could return.
Please, this doesn't mean they will be permanent or that you won't ever be able to deal with them if they linger longer than you'd like.
I don't recommend a sleeping pill at night as they are quite addictive, especially Ambien even though the makers of that drug claim it is not. They are lying. Seroquel is sometimes used as a sleep aid. Risperdal is not used to regulate sleep. My friend was recently put on Trazodone (sp?) an anti-depressant that her doctor is using to help her sleep and it had the effect of boosting her mood. This friend had been telling her doctor for seven years that she was depressed and the pdoc wouldn't consider an anti-depressant and then when my friend was given it for sleep things changed.
Staying local might be a good option for your treatment. Please don't rule out this option thinking a local center won't be good. I know someone who chose a mental health center in his neighborhood because it was recommended and he wasn't disappointed; he's pleased with his treatment team, which consists of a nurse practioner for meds and a therapist. My great therapist used to be five blocks away.
Although it may not seem like it, your body could be telling you what it needs to do. Are you under stress? Maybe your body is telling you that now is the time to take action on an unresolved issue. I was on one SZ drug for 20 years and it suddenly stopped working, which was a blessing in disguise because I consider the newer atypical I'm now on to be a miracle drug. Had I not made the change, I wouldn't be doing as well.
So keep up a positive spirit as best you can, educate yourself about the latest treatments, and explore your options..
Have a good night.
Regards,
Christina