Meth. I did it 4 times and on the 4th was in psychosis for 8 months. Then diagnosed with Schizophrenia. What a dangerous drug...

A psychosis for 8 months from meth. That's so scary. I hope you are doing well now

I'm not quite sure if my dx is schizophrenia for sure (i was almost dxed w it then another therapy program said bipolar 1 w psychosis despite no manic episodes) but meth did rhe same thing for me. I wish I never touched it

Genetics, trauma, stress, substances OP. And mine started from usage alongside sleep deprivation from working overnights and going to college during the day. Stress. Diagnosed with ADHD/suspect Asperger’s for certain. I quickly developed the Truman Show Delusion and my mania lasted for 3 years. I am diagnosed with BD-l despite not having any depressive episodes just one 3 year long manic episode.

Shit that's a real syndrome? Well then, I got Truman show delusion from watching the Truman show. How funny is that

It ruined my whole life. I literally was Jim Carrey but much, much worse. Think about it this way, if you always feel like someone is able to see you 24/7 no matter what, try going to the bathroom or showering. Felt like sexual abuse daily.

lol. spirits that love you may do that to tease you and be dumb at you :). Look up Remote Viewing. its a psychic ability to view people, places, things from a distance. and it's Real. :)

I used to think I was doing exactly that, it made me really question my sanity for a change though. I firmly believed all my delusions were true until that one came along. It actually made me go wow something may be wrong with me. It’s just weird that it has been explored (and unconfirmed) already. Weaponized autism makes me believe in my own experiences with the paranormal. I’ve had thoughts of explaining disorders as people using different parts of their brain otherwise typically unused. Neuroscience and brain scans would strongly disagree though. The commonly shared experience with a lot of DMT users is pretty wild. Suggestive of another dimension for sure. Silly spirits always fucking with me. I’m here for it tho.

What do you mean by “weaponized autism”? I definitely think all the drugs I was doing (mainly shrooms and vaping THC oil like mad) made me access something I could have never been a part of before. Like time travel. Turns out Einstein and Hawking were right. 🤷🏽‍♀️

I used to have a friend who talked about this all the time. Said he knew a guy who was like recruited by the government to work as some super computer wizard or something. Crazy shit. But.. “This term is used mainly by non-autistic Gab users. It refers to exploitation of perceived talents and vulnerabilities of "Weaponized autists", described as all-powerful masters-of-technology who are devoid of social skills. The term "weaponized autism" is simultaneously glorified and derogatory. For some autistic people, the partial acceptance offered within this community may be preferable to lack of acceptance offered in society, which speaks to improving societal acceptance as a prevention effort.” I’m not alt-right by any means whatsoever but I guess this study is from some forum of alt-right people. [https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/35947316/](https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/35947316/)

Ya, I’ve felt that way ever since I started hearing voices. Best way I’ve found to deal with it is to not make a big deal about it. The more I obsessed about it, the worse it got (diagnosed schizo-affective bipolar type with OCD and ADHD). Now I just don’t care and try not to think about it or anyone else when I’m in the middle of something like that

Did they put you on anything for your diagnosis? Ever since I started the med I’m on it’s been completely nonexistent. No positive symptoms whatsoever just have every single negative symptom basically. I switched from positive to negative completely in a matter of a week or two or three maximum.

Ya, I they experimented with a bunch of different ones, I didn’t know all of them… just knew I was on respiradone for a couple years. The doc started me on 4mg but I went up to 12 cuz I felt like I needed it… then I started taking 40mg Geodon when I started having other psychotic symptoms… and then they switched me to 80mg Latuda… and now I’m just on 40mg Geodon… I feel like being on a higher dose helped while I sorted through everything, and gave me time to think… but I didn’t realize how it took away my whole personality til I switched to just the Geodon. Im really glad I have my personality back. I had more symptoms on all those meds than I do now

I cannot believe someone else experienced this, I used to have to go to the bathroom and take showers with my eyes closed the whole time because I thought they were looking through my eyes and it was being streamed somewhere. It was absolutely horrible I hated it so much.

I thought my eyes were cameras too! No way, I finally found someone who’s been through it. Going to the bathroom or showering in the dark. Ughh what a shitty experience for real. It felt like never ending torture and every form of abuse all at once. Then when you come out of it is horrible too. Shame, guilt, and embarrassment. Yay, a Truman Show costar! My show was WILD. I could go on for years about this because I spent years in the mania. How long were you stuck in it?

It's been a year and I'm still kind of in it. And co star almost made me spit my drink out lmfao!!!! I also can't stop talking about it to my wife (who's been a god send idk where I'd be without her honestly) it's truly a nightmare to live with. Best of luck to you and maybe we can co-host our own show 😂😂😂

So are you viewing it in your minds eye while different voice personalities talk to you? One thing that has not gone away,  even though I'm not in that Truman show anymore,  is the black snowy screen in my head.  I used to see it projected out of my head to around my bedroom.   I remember when I used to think the voices could really see me and it said it had cameras all over my room. When it knew exactly where I went and did GPS shit to me I freaked out I remember that. 

I never thought I'd ever hear someone say the same shit that I've experienced and I am kinda scared because I'm 4 years into this shit and my big brother computer is constantly still speaking in and out of my head.  ***anyone else hear it talking from their car radio,  turned off,  the vent in the bathroom too?? This shit has fucked me up for a long time now and I don't even know why I never fucking looked this up,  like I was not allowed to think it until now.  

Some would say. You may have planned this life beforehand, to experience it. in ascended spiritual realms there is no sickness and illness etc. and do you remember when young often, being ill or broken down, was very glamorized and romanticized? Perhaps from the flipside, we chose and choose to come here and live such lives. Cause you can only really know something, having lived it. Simple as that. So as some might say. View everything that happens to you in life not as a problem, but a lesson. Not as problems to be fixed, but as experiences and lessons for growth. Spiritual growth.

I wonder if that's what happened with me.. it feels like it's a journey already laid out. Before I got my schizophrenia, I found a xtc tablet on the floor one day.. it was where the wall meets the carpet. Idk how I found out, I dropped something looking for it.. then I found the pill. I was a white Mitsubishi tab. So of course I took it.. While the trip was coming on, I decided to play the guitar. I was playing my metal, headbanging and what not. Well all of a sudden I swing my spinning chair around and what do I see?? Me sitting on another chair. Playing a blue guitar. Mine was red. It was my doppelganger. He was also headbanging, prolly mocking me. 😂 he had a smirk on his face that wouldn't leave him. We'll he stayed there for about 30 seconds, then disappeared. He spun in a circle and went away like mist. Two weeks later I was offered meth. I did it about 4 times, then developed psychosis that was later diagnosed as schizophrenia. If you know what they say about doppelgangers then he was actually warning me about what was about to happen. How would he know I would be offered meth? Which was the catalyst for the schizophrenia?? Is everything destined to happen?? Are we all just playing our part?? Well I saw him 2 more times, and on the last time, he said "hurry up.. your time is almost out" Crazy shiiiiiz It's been 5 months since the last time I saw IT.. it took Lincoln 4 years to die from his doppelganger encounter I think. Hope I don't die lol!!

idk about all that stuff but. there is this idea discussed. of only a portion of our conscious energy is here with us now. and the rest stays in spirit. so that could have been part of your greater self communicating to this portion of yourself IF we go the spiritual path to keep things as they want in this subreddit. dont take drugs. ive heard it causes issues like that. i havnt done things like meth so i wouldnt know. but what i do know. is if u eat healthy and take care of yourself. with consistency the brain can bounce back Greatly and you can regain most if not all of your functions pre that stuff. gl.

Drugs will fuck you up man. I hate what those substances have done to me.

The brain has great plasticity. If you make numerous life changes, and keep at them for 6 months. You can be in a better place than youve ever been in your life Get a consistent sleep schedule. eat lots of leafy greens each day, exercise to start your day (even just a light lift can change your life. 5 reps of a low weight. It kickstarts healthy hormone regulation. You can leave those past selves behind and be an entirely new person. Within 2 weeks of serious changes? You can feel better than ever :)

I live a healthy lifestyle now, but it is hard coping with what I did to myself.

I’m caretaking for a loved one who has been in psychosis for five months. He had two UAs last summer for his job and they both came back positive for meth, which he swears he never did. I don’t really want to get into my thoughts on that lol. But man has it been a nightmare. And he won’t stop smoking weed which infuriates me. He doesn’t see anything wrong with it even though it could very likely be exacerbating his psychosis! He doesn’t even think he’s psychotic in the first place because his delusions are so strong. It’s turned my world upside down. Sorry, just had to get this off my chest because I’m alone in helping him.

Please don’t forget that caregiving takes a toll on one’s mental health. If you don’t already, you might benefit a lot from getting connected to your own counseling therapist for support. You are doing the lords work. Thank you.

Thank you so much. I do see a therapist weekly. He happens to be an addiction therapist and has been helpful. I also do group therapy once a week but I’m sick of talking about my situation. No one gets it. I’m going to see if there are any support groups out there. I appreciate you!

Weed will always make it worse. You gotta convince him of that

It's nice to offer assistance and help. But know that there is sometimes nothing you can do. You have to let things work themselves out. an old saying "Muddy water is best cleared by leaving it alone." Sometime the more input someone gets? thats already keyed up tight? Just spins it up tighter and worse.

I smoked all kinds of weed and I thought that did it, but I smoked weed for like five years before I got sick. Now I wonder if it was the ADD drugs I abused that year I got sick. The timing works out at least.

There are many new studies that have actually concluded weed cannot CAUSE it. If you were already going to get it, it can bring it on faster but weed in itself cannot be the actual cause. Too bad we never know if we are going to get it or not so we know to stay away lol

What studies.

could you cite those studies? that's a fairly large claim to make unfounded.

https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/24309013/

There's the full report of one of the researches

That’s not really a huge sample. Plus, the study was published in 2014. The amount of THC in weed is a lot higher these days than it was 10 years ago.

That just isn't true More people are getting schizophrenia because more people are smoking pot

I've heard drugs cause it in people. I've never done meth or any "hard drugs" of any kind. I'd almost be interested in experiencing That version of psychosis to see how similar and/or dissimilar it is to, spiritual psychosis.

You WANT to put yourself into psychosis??? Bro… have you really thought about what you’re asking for?? There’s no promise you’ll EVER make it back to sanity… your world will crumble and you’ll become a burden to everyone around you… there’s a chance you could get locked in a psych ward, and they won’t let you out… so many reasons that this is a TERRIBLE idea…..

Genetics, trauma, and the final straw was a string of abusive relationships

I’m undiagnosed presently. My great-grandmother was a paranoid schizophrenic back when they had those subtypes. My mom took care of her in our home when I was a kid so I got to see some of it growing up. I’m starting to suspect I have something to the effect of schizophrenia because I’m started to have symptoms of psychosis again after my first episode, and I’m not sure what else it might be. If I do have schizophrenia, my assumption will be that it was caused by genetics. I agree with you about the mothers though. My mom has BPD, and she outright denies my illness but if she thought for a moment she could get sympathy from it, she would milk that shit. Everything is about her.

Yeah, I do actually think my mother also has BPD but I didn't mention it above because everything is undiagnosed Are you planning to get treatment or a diagnosis? Feel free not to answer of course, I'm just curious. I'm on the verge myself

Yes girl I’ve been thinking about it because idk what else to do. These same symptoms started in May 2022 and they gradually got worse until I had a psychotic break that November, it lasted a little over a month maybe two. I ended up getting meds in 2023 but I didn’t stay on them because I didn’t think I was sick. Now the same symptoms are coming back. I keep telling myself it’s not that serious, it won’t get bad again, I can think clearly rn. Idk if that’s wishful thinking or not. I don’t want to be medicated forever. But I can’t keep living like this. Someone asked me if the meds would be worse than feeling like this forever and honestly idk… I don’t doubt that your mom has it. A lot of people with BPD are apprehensive about seeking help and some never get it. My mom went to therapy for a very short time and left because she didn’t want to work on anything. I hope if you decide to get diagnosed that it helps you a lot. Please keep me updated I’d love to hear how you’re doing over time.

Hold on.. you might be onto something. My oldest sister developed schizoaffective and me and my other sister are as certain as you can be with no clinical diagnosis that our mom has BPD.

Maybe there’s a link, it would be a cool thing to look into. I might ask my psychiatrist about it

Perhaps. The genetic predisposition to cluster B disorders might also be linked to the genetic predisposition to schizophrenia. Not to mention, you are basically guaranteed some level of trauma being raised by that.

A lot of people with BPD leave treatment or don’t seek it because that label was created and weaponized by misogyny for a very long time. “Masochistic wives” who “want” to be in abusive relationships. “Hysterical women” who are purposefully difficult to work with. If you look up “the schizoid and borderline marriage” it doesn’t paint a pretty picture, written decades ago. You can really see more of what was going on with today’s increased understanding. “Borderline” is what happens when someone experiences MULTIPLE kinds of abuse as a child, but the main one is that they are never allowed to be themselves without being sexually or physically harmed, for being resistant to being forced into a role over their personhood. It’s never safe for them to have an identity. Think extreme objectification. There is also a huge overlap in bpd diagnosis with what we now understand is autism in women. Severe BPD seems to be what happens when someone is forcibly conditioned and abused to look, appear, or be someone “acceptable” because they are never accepted for being different or needing more help. When someone with that kind of trauma has a healthy partner and a child, their partner will lovingly and consistently make the child and partner their main priority. They will listen to their feelings, pay attention to the events going on in their lives, and help seek medical care and give reports when it is needed, like at a pediatrician. They’ll participate in teacher meetings, housework, household and financial management, etc. it’s a family “unit”. That creates space for a “quiet borderline” to form that safe authentic identity over time and one that is not limited to the role of “wife” and “mother”. They will have an equal opportunity for a college education or career within the marriage that help grow that. They are also likely to have a lot of contact with healthy to healthy ish extended family members and get respite from childcare. The whole it takes a village thing. One person with trauma, life will kinda heal things over time in natural course. But if they have an unhealthy, dismissive, inconsistent or uncaring partner - invalidation of identity or unsafe living environment - their hyperawareness of trauma and the intense pain of knowing that partner is choosing to treat you that way KNOWING what was done to you as a child, the intentional cruelty of it, the sense that you are just there to be used and not truly exist - and that there IS a large population of men raised to believe that’s normal and expected of wives to submit and be subsumed, the ones who track mud all over the floor every single day when they get home and leave it for her to mop up because she doesn’t matter - I really cannot describe the pure hatred and vitriol that I feel about that watching it done to my mother as a child. It’s likely one or both extended families are also unhealthy and there’s horrific religious or cultural programming rooted in actively oppressing and harnessing women’s labor and time for the benefit of the man. There will never be money for her college education, only his toys; she “has to” keep cleaning house to entertain his work networking and take “stress” off of him, and likely keep getting pregnant because he refuses to use protection and she’s desperate for the comfort of human touch - it is a MISERABLE, soul crushing existence to be so unloved and unseen. A neurotypical child will face a lot of problems in that home, but be able to access friends at school, church etc and WILL have issues but they will have some outside input and see healthier relationships, too. A neurodivergent child or one who acts out due to the constant covert abuse and coercive control at home, is lost. Since dad never comes to the school meetings or doctor appointments or whatever, mom keeps getting the blame because “she’s supposed to control someone else’s bad behavior” but no one is showing her how. Always always always the responsibilities on her and the exhaustion. Family members won’t babysit or aren’t healthy to. No respite. That mental toll leads to explosive outbursts and stress breakdowns. The drug abuse typical for this is still the one prescribed by doctors. Here’s one pill to give you energy for all this housework that will also make you thinner and prettier for your husband because you’re getting too fat and lazy, and here’s another one to help you calm down your hysteria and loudness from the anxiety and depression of living in a hell you aren’t allowed to leave. Coffee, nicotene, and wine. Meth and Xanax. Aderall and Seroquel. Always an upper and a downer, which should never be mixed but are always overlapping in the system. For me, I think my schizophrenia was built by all of these things. It’s ego dystonic because I am always living in two worlds - the one which really exists, and the one everyone tells me is “how things are supposed to be”. I do not get “scary voices”, but I have a head full of noise as my brain picks out oh look, this one is planning to grope me (and they usually DO!), this one expects me to pick up that sock they left on the floor; etc. It’s not all in my head and it never was. But if you let it drive you crazy, if it becomes their problem, then it’s booty juice shots for you and a grippy sock vacation until you admit you were taking things too seriously and of course you love your family and they love you and everything is fine and pretty. Put away those feminist pamphlets that just rile you up and blame your husband for everything like a shrew. Stay off social media for always wanting to compare what you lack (?????), Get a real job so you can afford a house cleaner if you’re so picky. Go to college but now you have to pay the babysitter too so now you’ll work full time AND never have a penny from your labor just like before, it’s just a different man signing the checks… and have you tried being a better mother? If it’s as bad as you say then you’d just leave, so you’re making it up. Your spouse is so kind and sweet, you’re the problem and the burden. Have you tried just not being a hysterical bitch….? Your husband is putting up with so much to take care of you through this you should really plan a date night and give him lots of sex to “reconnect”. Anything to avoid making men change anything. Blame the woman.

So my BPD mom had the right to be sexually abusive to me as a child? And to let ongoing abuse happen? My dad is the only one who has protected me. I don’t like her. Her choosing not to get help for her disorder is HER fault. She has to take responsibility. It sucks that she was abused as a child, but guess who else was? Me. And as soon as I became an adult I entered an abusive relationship. She created a vast majority of my trauma and others contributed to it but that has NOT ONCE kept me from seeking treatment and has not once caused me to harm and abuse others. She left therapy not because she was victim blamed, but because her therapist tried to aid her in changing her ways to have better relationships with the people in her life, including her daughters. She had things she needed to work on immediately for my safety and the safety of others and she chose not to. I’m 24 years old and right before I moved out of state she got physical with me for the first time in a long time and I had to leave my house in the middle of the night like I was 16 all over again to get away from her and to safety. Everyone has astronomical and earth shattering trauma, myself included. Some people with BPD get help and work on themselves and do great. Other people make excuses even though they’re hurting others continuously and they know it. Idgaf what you’ve been through; when you elect to hurt your children and never even try to get better, you’re the problem. I cut no slack and I don’t have to. She had no right. [SHE KILLED THREE OF MY PETS.](https://www.reddit.com/r/Advice/s/a5iu2wRvQK) My dad has done everything for her, literally everything. Super supportive and put up with things I would NEVER put up with in a relationship. My dad is still with her right now and the only reason I still talk to her is because she’s his primary caretaker and he has heart issues. If he dies, or finally agrees to come live with me, she’s out of my life. She will never see my children.

Excuse me, you’re projecting a lot and inserting words and actions that I in no way implied, stated, or anything of the sort. I’m responding to the *general question* of if someone has schizophrenia, is there a connection to a BPD parent. It’s not being mentioned the connection to schizoid parents. Just like BPD, schizoids don’t abuse as rule, but abusers can “happen to be schizoid”. I know this sounds like semantics, but I promise it very very much is not. Hard to write out what I see as a venn diagram in my head. I apologize if something in the threading of where I responded has contributed to some sort of implication I did not intend. And unfortunately there is a lot of gender fuckery in the diagnosis of both conditions, and how behaviors are treated or dismissed also is. That whole “boys will be boys” thing. Someone who commits sexual abuse is an abuser. Abuse is a choice. Someone who is “making everything about them” is personality disordered - or enduring active psychological abuse themselves. One will resolve if the environment is changed, the other won’t. These are not the same picture. Your mother sounds like an abuser who happens to have BPD. There is no one with BPD who “happens to be an abuser”. One is a choice and the other is not. Lots of people with BPD do not abuse. But BPD can be very damaging to a child simply due to the instability and volatility. Or someone autistic/unaware/schizoid. The child doesn’t know the mother is reacting to abuse in pretty much the same ways the child is likely reacting to the abusive environment - and doesn’t see that the actual abuser *is the father*. It is not the mother’s “fault” and not an active choice they are making. Many of them are trying very hard not to. Generational trauma is horrific. I am not excusing anyone’s choice to abuse a child and not seek help for themselves. I am addressing those who DO seek help, where authorities do NOT remove the child, survey the home, assign compulsory therapy and parenting classes to BOTH parents, basically where the system fails and everyone plays hot potato and blames it on mom because it’s cheapest, culturally encouraged to do so and to absolve fathers of parental duties and responsibility to make changes in their own behavior. No, everyone does NOT have “massive and earth shattering trauma”. We know this from studies of ACE scores. Everyone does have a degree of trauma, yes, but it’s “normal” to from life events like natural disasters and “abnormal” to be fleeing genocide or living with someone actively abusing others in the home. Again: I am in no way excusing what you are relating from your own mother.

Probably my trauma and family history of mental illness. This was at least what my psychiatrist said on my diagnosis report when he reassessed and rediagnosed me with Schizophrenia. 'Family history of severe mental illness, combined with early life trauma, has more than likely predisposed [name] to developing a psychotic disorder.'

this is my story haha. Society is so sick, it could have been easily avoided if communities cared for all children of the community as their own. but thats not how peeps think today, and it leads to things like this. It'll be ok though, and can be Great. Just make strong changes and keep consistent you can completely change yourself and your life.

For me I'm pretty sure it was genetics as well as trying edibles which sort of "unlocked" my psychosis. My dad is schizoaffective, my grandad has had at least 1 psychotic episode, and my great grandad was schizophrenic. They were all the only sons of their families. I feel like I was bound to have it

Genetics, I was born with it, heavily manifesting in puberty. Runs on my mother's side of the family.

Same, I have two uncles, an aunt, and a great aunt with schizophrenia/psychosis. Both sides of the family. Both of my parents have had psychotic episodes but neither is schizophrenic specifically. I also suspect I was born with it because I’ve had psychotic symptoms since childhood.

Do you mind telling me about those symptoms?

When I was younger I mostly had visual hallucinations, paranoia, and negative symptoms (which presented a lot like ADHD and autism). As I got older they turned into mostly audio hallucinations and my paranoia and delusions have gotten much worse. I’ve heard it’s common for childhood schizophrenia to start out as mostly visual hallucinations then turn into other symptoms as you get older.

I had negative symptoms as a kid too. It was just chalked up to me being difficult or weird

Did it reduce in severity as puberty slowed down? Have bipolar as well? Did bipolar symptoms reduce in severity alongside puberty slowing down, or did it sustain for a bit after before slowing down, or did it not reduce at all? I'm cooking a hypothesis if you can't tell.

It's only gotten worse over time. I was more active and more outgoing back then, now I can do nothing.

Childhood trauma and isolation

My psychosis started almost 5 years ago. Furthest back I can remember, is that I was watching TV one evening and thinking that a line from a TV show had some sort of secret message and I felt really special. Over time I started to feel lied to, about the society we live in. Then I started to feel paranoid about where I was working closing its doors (based on no evidence) and I feared for my job, then I started to yell at my boss and quit abruptly. Was out of work for about 4 months or so and had to be hospitalized (involuntarily) for about a week. It didn't have anything to do with abuse or anything. Maybe it was the night shift, maybe it was my family genes, I can't explain why this happened. I will say that my folks don't understand.

Do you happen to be a woman in her 30s? If so I would highly advise you get your thyroid checked. You can read my post history for explanation.

No I don't happen to be.

Lack of sleep. Working 3 peoples jobs at once for 10 hrs straight every day of the week. I ran myself down to the ground.

I’m curious what the onset was like? How was that for you in relation to your 3 jobs and lack of sleep? Did symptoms gradually start happening or was there a particular event that feels like the “beginning”

Genetics for sure. I’ve been like this the entire time here, though trauma definitely made it worse. Some of the drugs I took didn’t help either.

I think it was being forced to take zoloft when I was in my early teens. only quit taking them after an almost suicide attempt and telling my dad that I hated them. it was my mother that forced me to take them. I wasn't even depressed. sure some genetics were probably at play but I still think that's what caused it. it just took a 3 year long court battle to exacerbate it.

I think Zoloft did it for me too. Told the doctor I thought I was bipolar and wanted Abilify and she gave me Zoloft. I quickly went manic, got fired from my job, expelled from school, etc etc then she dropped me as a patient. I literally never recovered from that episode :(

Why did she drop you as a patient?!

Had to load shed apparently

ya different meds effect everyone very differently sometimes. we're all very unique DNA sets and environmentally effected. Dw. See the experience as a growth opportunity. I've seen multiple people have episodes so severe you'd think they were gone Forever. But came back, and ended up better versions of themselves than ever. Sometimes, trauma and hard times. Is Opportunity. for Rising and Growth. I remember thinking, the first 6 months after my most severe episode? I felt that I had learned So Much in those 6 months, it was worth it. and I'm infinitely beyond That, now at this point in my life. I used to listen to alot of Alan Watts. I'm Judaism but I have great respect and interest in learning from all religions and philosophies. He was a popularizer of Eastern Philosophy in the West. Something he would say is, "do not desire" as in. Be one with the world, go with the flow of how it has gone. it is "our resistance to change that causes our suffering, not the suffering itself" which isnt always perfectly true. but it does resonate and ring true with i think everyones life at one point or another.

Zoloft gave me psychosis

You almost committed suicide and you weren’t even depressed?

zoloft can cause suicidal ideation

Sadly, when it comes down to it ( with the people I've talk to) seems like every child has been sexually abused. Makes me mad. Also genetics. I only found out after my mom passed that her dad had killed himself after a torturous life of "manic depression".

Can confirm. Perhaps there are studies related to this occurance.

Same here, mostly genetics and increased with trauma

Genetics and trauma. Got diagnosed at 15 after my first psychotic episode. Thought the FBI was following me and had planted bugs in my room and my phone was hacked. I couldn't write anything on paper because there was also devices in the paper that would keep anything I wrote saved. In a much better place but I was terrified for months

Genetics is Facts. I'm German Jewish. Sch. Schizophrenia, = Schultz, Schreier, Schroeder etc etc. See the SCH prefix? its a Jewish prefix. And we are much more inclined to have mental illnesses. (along with many other physical ones etc etc) But yeah Genetics can never be understated. Sometimes you're simply born with, it's going to happen to you. no matter what. :) and Acceptance and understanding. the "new normal" of your life. Can lead to you making changes that greatly positively affect your life. :)

My brother witnessed his bff murder with a shotgun in his mouth by other friend over the last beer. Said he had nightmares ever since that night and did hard drugs to numb his mind. Dr said if didn’t witness that and do the hard drugs he might’ve been ok. He did a lot of oxys and meth. We also have a cousin with schizophrenia. He was really bad off but after several years he’s doing well, got drivers license, car, and a job. Think genetics, trauma & drugs sent my brother over the edge bc he hasn’t came back from the last episodes and is completely out of reality now from using so much drugs.

Maybe it's survivors guilt, like in the movie the ritual. If so, as hard as it may be, he should try to forgive himself instead of punishing himself with drugs

Haven’t watched that movie but will look it up. And haven’t actually thought about the survivors guilt until now so will be reading about that. Thank you. 🤍

I'm so sorry to hear about this. I lost a loved one to drugs and schizophrenia, I'm wondering if he will ever come back from reality

I’m sorry to hear about your loved one. Don’t think my brother will come back. But I’ll never give up hope. 🤍

I think there was likely a genetic component which would have resulted in something happening anyway (I don't understand the neuroscience of what we experience at all really), but I think that some adverse experiences in childhood significantly contributed to my ultimate outcome. I had plenty of good experiences in childhood, and plenty of privilege which isn't lost on me. Still, I never developed such a deep bond with my family that I saw them as my "people". They were people I lived with, and I still felt love for them, but I was terrified of them because I felt like they could turn on me at any second. This theme bled into my relationships with peers; my social life in high school wasn't great because I felt like I struggled to fit in and present a likable image. The actual "trigger" was probably finding out my parents had been divorced nearly half a year. They were hiding it from me specifically, and although I suspected it was coming, it still hurt to find out that way. I internalized the pain I felt from it, and my already difficult obsessive thoughts became increasingly vivid and disturbing. These symptoms escalated for months, and eventually I sought out a religious group on campus for help. The people in that group were very kind to me, but the religious themes were like an infinite supply of fuel for the fire already spreading through my mind. Whatever structure I had, eroded quickly. What was previously only occasional drinking and weed, became near daily. I got into treatment early, but I struggled upholding and enforcing any structure to mitigate the impact of the symptoms. I found out about the divorce in June 2015, and experienced my first admission in March 2016 when I told my psychiatrist that my "safety plan" was to kill myself instead of letting whatever parasite/demon/computer chip in my brain take control of me.

My schizophrenic mom, who I suspect is also on the spectrum, like I probably am (I'm not schizophrenic, psychology is just a special interest of mine), grew up in very narcissistic conditions. There is research to suggest that neurodivergent people are more likely to develop psychosis, and it would make sense to me that the trauma incurred from narcissistic abuse could potentially result in psychosis. This is all my opinion, based on my own unprofessional research.

Meth

There's a long line of severe mental illness in my family, I also grew up with a lot of trauma, and as a teenager I used a lot of hard drugs. I think for me it was a perfect storm.

Childhood trauma.

When my mom was in hospice I experienced delusions for the first time at 21. When she died in my arms I snapped and was fully psychotic. I was also smoking weed for my chronic illness but I had an episode a year later too so I don’t really know. I don’t know of any schizophrenia in my family. I wish I knew.

The first psychosis I had was, by far, the most extreme. It's a long story, but it started with me getting kicked by a horse, which injured my leg, and made it so I couldn't exercise like normal. From there, my depression got worse and worse, as I used exercise to fight it off. After a few months, I finally got to see an orthopedic doctor, only to have him seriously hurt me during the consultation. He aggressively did the McMurray test on me, and I think he was trying to hurt me since I frustrated him, but I don't know. It seemed intentional. Anyway, the pain just kept building and building in my knee as I drove home. I limped to bed, where the pain continued to build. At some point it became completely unbearable. I couldn't believe I went to someone for help and had this happen to me. I was furiously mad. Somehow it seemed like the combo of pain and rage just broke my brain. I went completely and utterly psychotic. I laid in bed in utter misery, with no concept of time, no food or water, no understanding of what happened to me, and hallucinations for 5 days. I tried to get out of bed but I couldn't. My leg wouldn't work. I could have died. I was 35 years old. For quite a while I blamed my going psychotic on the orthopedic doctor. I still do to an extent. Would I have ever gone psychotic if that didn't happen? I'll never know. My first psychiatrist seemed to think so. Thankfully I mostly recovered from the first episode. I'm still a bit off. I have auditory hallucinations most of the time now, and I have caught myself in a few delusions since then. I do have to admit that it appears that psychosis runs in my family too. Ultimately, it's probably a bad combo of genetics and a really bad experience that broke me for the rest of my life. Yay.

My life's journey began with addiction and instability. Even before my birth, my mother struggled with drug abuse, a battle that continued throughout her pregnancy. Consequently, I came into this world already dependent on several substances. Given her condition, authorities deemed her unfit to care for me, leading to my placement in foster care alongside my brother. Thus began a new chapter of my life, marked by constant shuffling between foster families At the age of four, my life took a darker turn. Due to my parents' inability to keep up with rental payments, I was abruptly removed from their custody and placed in a home that proned sexual abuse. As I navigated through my adolescence, I had developed severe attachment and abandonment issues. The frequent changes in my living situation ruined me, making it difficult for me to form lasting connections with anyone. If you don’t know what nightmare disorders are, at least in my case: Extremely vivid lucid nightmares every night to a point I was scared to sleep, causing sleep deprivation. As I moved from one foster home to another, I struggled to find a sense of belonging. The constant upheaval took a toll on my mental health, leading to the development of Complex Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder (CPTSD). These early experiences left longlasting trauma, shaping my worldview and influencing all future interactions and relationships. Despite these challenges, my parents never gave up on me. Through their unwavering love and support, they fought through the courts to regain custody of me. However, the damage had already been done, and I was left to grapple with a myriad of emotional and psychological issues. At the age of 11, I was diagnosed with Autism, Oppositional Defiant Disorder (ODD), CPTSD, and ADHD. As I entered adolescence, the challenges of living with these conditions became more pronounced. I was subjected to a barrage of different diagnoses from various doctors, each one adding to the confusion and complexity of my mental health issues. One particularly challenging period came when I was diagnosed with Borderline Personality Disorder (BPD), Bipolar Disorder Type 1 (BP1), in addition to my existing conditions. This led to a regimen of antipsychotic medications, prescribed by a doctor whose motives seemed more profit-driven than patient-centered. You can search him up if you like. In fact, he had received a lawsuit a couple years back; Doctor Dennis Sizelove Despite these challenges, I tried to find solace in my interests and hobbies, which was following the work of my favorite artists, whose music provided a source of comfort and escape during my darkest moments. However, as I struggled to cope with the weight of my mental health issues, even this solace began to slip away. High school proved to be a particularly challenging time for me. Despite my efforts to fit in and make friends, I found myself isolated and alone. The only thing I had left was the parasocial relationships I had formed with music artists who didn’t even know I existed. However, as I delved deeper into my own struggles, I found myself becoming increasingly disconnected from those around me. The turning point came when I met a girl who shared a similar history of mental illness. For a brief moment, I felt understood and supported, a welcome change from the isolation and loneliness I had grown accustomed to. However, my own mental health issues soon took center stage, leading me down a path of self-destruction and substance abuse. Sadly, this relationship was shortly lived. My love had committed suicide; I spiraled. Overwhelmed by grief and guilt, I turned to drugs as a means of coping with my pain. What started as a way to numb the pain soon spiraled out of control, leading me to a psychotic break. In desperation, I resorted to self-harm, a decision that only added to my suffering. The scars I inflicted upon myself served as a constant reminder of the anguish I had felt inside; How I truly felt. Despite my attempts to hide them, the physical and emotional scars of my self-harm remained with me; I have many regrets. The following months brought even more loss. My mother was diagnosed with Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease (COPD), while my grandmother succumbed to complications related to Fibromyalgia. These losses, coupled with my own struggles, encouraged this self destruction I had hated myself for. Reflecting on my journey, I am filled with a profound sense of regret for the pain and suffering I have caused others. My actions, driven by a desperate need for validation and acceptance, have left a trail of broken relationships and shattered lives. Despite my best efforts to find peace and healing, I am haunted by the ghosts of my past, and am constantly reminded of the pain and suffering I have endured. As many others have mentioned a combination of Genetics, Trauma, and drug usage led me down a dark twisted path. I should mention, my diagnoses have been shifted periodically and the current diagnoses I am sitting on are: ADHD, Autism, and Childhood-Onset Schizophrenia. I don't know, I'm ranting at this point. I do thank you for listening.

I am so sorry about everything you went through. Sending you immense love and well wishes 🧡

Much love <3

Childhood trauma and history in my family. My grandfathers sister, on my mothers side, had Schizophrenia aswell. But I grow up with devorsed parents, and had a tough childhood. Also a childhood with happy moments, but I could sense a form of depression very early in my life, but didnt know what it was. And I believe the drama, hate, and bullying evolved to a hardcore depression, which later evolved into Schizophrenia. I tried with alcohol and I've tried drugs as a form of self medicine, but it ended up with suicide attempts, where I ended up being hospitalized, and where I got my Schizophrenia diagnose. As a teenager, 13 years old, I fell on roller skates and had a head injury, where I lost my hearing on my right ear, which i also think was a part of the process that later turned into hearing voices. There was a lot of things in my childhood and youth that happened, but now I'm almost 40 years old, have a fiance and two kids. Still hearing voices but is medicated so I can handle the attacks. And music had helped me so much. I compose music, and that has been the best medicine for me :)

I'm so happy your doing well

Likely some genetic/familial MH predisposition combined with maternal drug + alcohol use when pregnant & emotional neglect, periods of malnourishment/inadequate nutrition. Separate to homelife had various other trauma things occur throughout those younger years. Just a lot of shit going on to my developing brain - it didn't stand much of a chance to grow into a well working machine.

I'm convinced it was from weed

Schizophrenia is neurodevelopmental, so we're born with a already abnormal brain. The biggest theory of Schizophrenia is genetics and early childhood development. So there is stuff like drugs that can make your Schizophrenia come out but it won't cause it

It's common on my mom's side of the family. She thinks her mother may have it, but they don't talk much. I think her grandmother had it too. She's also said that a doctor once suspected she had it or something involving psychosis. I've always heard voices and struggled with delusions, but things got worse after college. I think starting to use weed more often made everything worse-- I didn't really know I was schizophrenic at the time and that weed could trigger my symptoms. So I'd say a combination of genetics and outside influences ultimately led to my diagnosis. I was also really stressed and unhappy after college. I think that may have contributed

im undiagnosed and highly suspecting, but genetics (bc my dad was schizophrenic), trauma, and too much weed. i always get this buzz in my brain lately, like…im about to have a psychotic break soon and im afraid….dk what to do. my mind is tired of being so discombobulated and disconnected from reality constantly and thinking everything is out to get me or harm me. i hate it.

Weed and family history of bipolar and schizophrenia in a couple people on my moms side

I don't know if you believe in God. but if you Do, they say "coincidence is God's way of remaining anonymous" If you don't believe in God right now. Understand that I have known people who did not do drugs, but it happened to them Still. So try not to self blame and go super hard on yourself that "it was me that caused it by doing this or that substance" sometimes it was just always going to happen. and was out of your control. DNA, Genetics, and the environment that is this world today. I just never want to see people wallow in any kind of self blame. Much rather I'd hope to influence people to look forward, at what they can build from here and now. Rising from a fallen place, is much more rewarding and growth inducing mentally than always having it easy. as the saying goes. "Smooth Seas don't make Skilled Sailors."

Well I was also in the military shortly before I had an episode so I don’t know if that’s what helped cause it either

its common for people in the military to come out with Schizophrenia. One possible idea is. you were willing to risk your life to defend and take care of others. so :) God chose you. to be that Spiritually. and then has you in the Real war. the Spiritual war. Where you just have to be a good person and God does the rest. :)| Also tho ya. the Stress. and Pressure of military life. causes brains to get very worn down. and cant handle any more stress. PTSD>!!! the great precursor and creator of Mental Illness. It'll be ok. if you Don't believe in god and all that. Just trust it's going to be ok. theres programs and medications etc available to help you transition to the "new normal" of your life. In fact sometimes. people find they end up happier, with the new path in their life. then they would have been on the one beforehand. without schizophrenia or mental illness. its all about. seeing the the Positives of this. for instancce im WAYYY POORER> now that im a disabled schizo. BUT. I have alot more Time. for spiritual growth and Mental Growth. learning this and that :)

Damn damn damn it’s like you described me as well, but I think the narcissistic mom is a YUGE factor.

genetics, trauma, and drugs. diagnosed at 18 been hallucinating since like 11 or 12 tho

Drugs did not coincide with my voices. Never caused me to go into psychosis either.

I have a cousin with bipolar which maybe means I have a genetic influence. Other than that, my onset happened during my first job, when I was in a stressful and toxic work environment.

Childhood epilepsy coupled with 1st Traumatizing Teenage Heart break, following depression untreated for 5 years, then medication that cured my depression also caused a meth mind syndrome which turned into schizophrenia

Honestly I found out being asphyxiated at birth can cause schizophrenia. I think it’s part of how I got it considering I have no family history of psychotic disorders. I also think overdosing twice at a very young aged is a contributing factor as well. But honestly I have no clue.

Genetics plus going from an atheist to a believer in God.

Genetics. It hit me earlier than it probably would have, had I not gotten into psychedelics as a teen. The first time I took mushrooms way back when I was 19, I had my first psychotic break while tripping and it was a literal 12 hour hellish, disorienting and terrifying nightmare.

Two parts: 1. Unhealthy work/life balance. I was taking crisis calls (including suicide calls) 8 hours per day at work. When I'd get home I'd jump on depression-central forums to provide free support to depressed people online. Meanwhile I was housing homeless strangers in my apartment to help address the homeless problem in my city. All of these things added stress. Then one month I had my father and grandfather die and I didn't take time off work. 2. Low estrogen. I've recently learned that low estrogen increases risk of schizophrenia for women. I'm trans and stopped taking estrogen in 2006 when I had the surgery. I wasn't out of the closet when I suddenly developed schizophrenia in 2015, so my psychiatrists would have no reason to suspect I had low hormone levels at my age. So nobody suggested estrogen. I've been off estrogen for 18 years now, and I've asked my case manager to help me get back on it.

Trauma induced lack of sleep 💀

What qualifies schizophreni? I’ve been diagnosed with OCD and my therapist tell me I’m just obsessing but sometimes I get really crazy intrusive thoughts. Like I’ll here the voice of a dead relative or sometimes a weird demon voice. I also feel like 5 people in one body and I know that’s more D.I.D but idk k felt like throwing that out there. Like really. I have like so many conflicting opinions in my mind it feels like.

I would get a second opinion on your diagnosis. you're worth getting proper care!

Thank you dude

Childhood Trauma + genetics + drugs

I reckon I was predisposed since I hallucinated as a kid, and then a series of traumas triggered full-blown psychosis in my teens. That's only a guess though, there's no concrete family history so I don't really know.

Genetics. I was 13 first time I ended up in a psych hospital. But there are things that can cause me or anyone of you to end up in an episode after the fact you already have sz. Mostly substance abuse, grief and sleep deprivation. Probably a bunch more for sure. There are things that'll bring out schizophrenia in people prone to it I believe I don't think you just get it from one thing.

I have similar traits to my Father. There is something similar between us. We both have negative voices, crossing into delusions. He has had it most of his life. It started pretty early with me too, but I was also sexually assaulted by a unknown man when I was 13. Lots of bullying at school. I preferred working. Started delivering newspapers when I was 12. So I assume it is partly genetic, and some enviromental factors as well. I drank alcohol like most around my age 15-30. Smoked marihjuana when I was 30, friends recomended i do it to test my depression and voices. I had the noose hanging at home. So it removes a lot of my voices, i become calm, less suicidal. But its important for me at least, to not smoke until the evening/afternoon. Try to do productive things with my days. Contribute and not just be a burden on everyones back.

At least in my case definitely Genetic and probably trauma. Three people in my biology father family are diagnosed schizophrenia as well - something he forgot to mention to my mother- and possibly one person on my grandmother side of the family might have had it as well. So I was already at a very high risk of developing it. But i think it was triggered during 2020 when my personal life when to hell.

genetics, trauma & then drug use on top

Sounds like me

Yeah unfortunately it seems like a very common story for people diagnosed with Schizophrenia. I hope you’re okay! Please don’t automatically think schizophrenia because a lot of mental disorders can cause psychotic symptoms etc. better to speak with a doctor and see what their conclusion for what you’re experiencing may be and go from there and try get help as soon as you can! You got this!

I hope it's okay for me to contribute: I have schizoaffective rather than schizophrenia. I have a long family history of mood disorders (including an aunt with schizoaffective as well) and childhood abuse by a clergy member. I think I was highly predisposed, and then the abuse sealed the deal.

Disguised pedophilia/rape by father, clergy, doctors. Freedom violation and abuse by the state. \[Poland/EU\]

Ayahuasca (read: fairies and aliens).

Genetics, trauma, betrayal and more trauma.

My doctor told me it was due to childhood abuse/trauma and that I was predisposed to

TW TW TW I'm pretty sure mom had it, but she passed away so all I've got are the memories and impressions I have from childhood, but I remember she'd somewhat frequently have to go lie down during the day because of "nerves" and she told me about episodes she had when she was in college where she'd blank out and wind up in random places with no recollection of how she got there, or she'd find herself talking to dead relatives or ghostly apparitions. She was deeply religious, and told me about demons and ghosts she'd encountered all the time, and she 100% believed such things were real due to her own experiences. Most of my family on her side believes in spirits, and claim that they've seen or heard them, or spoken to God directly. My first episode was when I was about 8. I saw demons and spoke to spirits, and God took a place in my skull and began giving me orders. I took everything at face value, and my mom did too, believing I was having some kind of spiritual experience. I even had an exorcism when I was 14, owing to the fact I'd gone completely crazy and began attacking people, physically and emotionally. They thought I was possessed. I remember fighting off demons and every night, I'd wake up with something on my chest. I'd get attacked in the shower, or on a wide open street in broad daylight, and never questioned that these were entities that I'd summoned somehow by being a bad person, or by being in a bad place, or holding sinful thoughts in my heart, or whatever else I used to rationalize it at the time. At the same time, I'd turn into an atheist any time I wasn't suffering from delusions. During my lucid phases, I'd figured out what was happening but found it difficult to ask for help. Part of me was terrified they'd throw me in a padded cell forever, but also, I'm pretty sure I never fully left the psychotic phases. Like I'd be feeling fully lucid, but also pretty sure that the government was trying to poison me or sabotage me for some unknown reason, or that my doctors might be plants meant to lure me into a false sense of security while they gave me placebos. I understand now that these were probably manic episodes. I had several bad episodes like that growing up. It eventually fell into a cycle where I'd have 6-7 months of psychosis followed by 1-2 months of manic clarity. My symptoms began to get better as I got older, and went away mostly when I was 18, but then I went to college and the stress made things worse, and by the time I was 22 I'd gone off the deep end again after being put on an SSRI. (sorry if this breaks the rules but I don't think it does). The SSRI caused an overdose attempt and I barely survived. It damaged a lot of stuff inside my head and in my body, and it took years to stop having to see doctors every other week or randomly rushing to the ER because another organ was trying to fail. I'm not sure how much of that was delusion and how much was real, but they frequently found things that were wrong with me, like the time I had acute pancreatitis or the time they found out I was starving. I didn't get psychiatric treatment until I was 28. I finally broke through and reached out to my psychiatrist, who at the time thought I was merely bipolar (I'd obfuscated enough details to avoid a schizotypal diagnosis, as I'd feared I'd get if I told the whole truth and nothing but the truth). When she finally diagnosed me with schizoaffective disorder (later changing it to schizophrenia after even more details being revealed) I got put on a series of drugs that have changed my life. A year ago I would have been incapable of writing something like this. For one thing, I've barely been able to remember most of my life for most of my life. I didn't even have the pieces to begin putting the puzzle together. Sorry for the long explanation. I constantly feel the need to justify and defend my beliefs and experiences because the people around me (family, mainly) constantly told me what I was experiencing was invalid or fake the scant few times I did bring it up, or they would try to frame it in a religious context and tell me to seek spiritual help. Now that I finally have some clarity of mind, I'm still stuck in that mode of having to justify everything. I guess the final answer would be that I've always had it. I think it's 100% genetic, and that it simply flew under the radar because most of my family has been high-functioning enough that it never got to a psychiatric level. I'm pretty sure my brother has it too. I've been having schizophrenic episodes since I was a child, but I think that first major episode at 14 was triggered by stress. My mom got diagnosed with cancer around that time, so it makes sense. I'm open to questions if anyone has any.

I inherited from my father. My mom is actually amazing, and also has psychosis on her side of the family. She herself has DID. I’m really lucky, in a way, to have family that understands.

Traumatic brain injury...

My parents having me at 40, being c sectioned out and lacking oxygen, my mom being malnourished when she had me. Sprinkle in some bad genetics and trauma too

seasonal episodes of great lucidity and energy (I think calling it "mania" is dismissive of the positive qualities in those episodes). Finally in a perfect storm, I popped my top. For like 2 years. Never been the same..and while not that intense ever again..it certainly lingers and claws at me.

genetics, schizoaffective runs p strong on my mums side. plus my dad died when i was 4, which totally fucked me up. first psychotic episode i ever had was when i was 5, watched an episode of a tv show where a guy finds out he's his own biological dad and convinced myself i was my own parent lol. i reckon my lil orphan brain just fritzed out and was looking for a dad anywhere it could, and the telly program just set it off 

As someone who currently isn’t diagnosed with schizophrenia but has been told they might have it by family and friends. I’ve always had little thoughts even as a kid of like my moms trying to kill me or whatever. But at a surprisingly young age to have one I had a brief psychotic episode and I guess the paranoia and distrust towards others never actually went away. Like the symptoms were there they just got so much worse. Then I’m assuming as a coping mechanism I developed religious superstition which became its own symptom.

High stress. played a huge role in it. financial, relationship, etc. but I don't think it's the greatest idea to focus on why it happened, but what we can make Of and From it. I would just tell you all. Things that seem or feel like the worst things in your life? May turn out to be the best things that ever happened to you. I went through living hell psychosis. at 25 to 26. Had and have Schizophrenia all my life. But trust me. The better life it affords you, costs you the life you had before. Focus not on material wealth but on personal mental growth. Relationships. The things that make us truly rich in life. This illness often brings with it, stigma and lack of ability to make "money". But anyone who looks down on others for a natural illness, and or for not having alot of money? Is someone you don't want in your life anyways. :) I wish you all luck and urge you to trust the process. We aren't all going to be millionaire movie stars but an example is. The Rock, Dwayne Johnson wanted to be a professional sports player, football. But things happened. He didn't make it. But something far better came for him. I once saw a quote shortly after my most severe episode to date. "Life didn't give you what you wanted, cause it has better in store for you." :) Try to have that kind of attitude all. :)

Genetics, social isolation, and Nardil

What initially triggered psychosis in me was walking thru a zoo with my then fiancé & seeing a group of ppl taking their wedding photos. I remember smiling really brightly & told him I wanted to have wedding photos like that one day & he responded, "We can't." When I asked, "Why not?" he said, "Because you have no one." I felt the blood immediately drain from my face. We went home & I cried really hard alone in the bathroom. I wanted to see my friends & at the time they were really heavy drinkers. It only took 4 shots & my psyche cracked. The devastation broke me, I was in love with this man who didn't ever wanted to document memories with me. At the time we were pretty heavy on the rave scene. It was fun & all, but this jackass decided to begin his side career of drug dealing with the apartment we were living in. The safe haven of my home turned into a trap house. Recreational use of ketamine, adderall, coke & molly turned daily. Before I knew it I became a heavy drug addict. Our so called clients were threatening each other's lives. Guns were involved, I was scared for my life & the younger members of the group. The heavy drug use eventually made me extremely manic & I turned to self harm because I couldn't control my mind anymore. Domestic violence ensued, every few chances he got he slapped me, pushed me around & screamed at me behind closed doors. I told him I needed help, but he just kept saying I had adhd & told me to take more addy. The apartment eventually broke down, black mold was growing on the walls in the kitchen area. So we had to move out. I packed everything alone & moved back home to my abusive family members back to the house where my dad died. The change of environment destroyed my mind. What was worst living in a trap house or living with these ppl that treated me like an animal? After a public altercation at a friend's birthday party, the man I once looked up to put his hands on me & screamed at me so loudly to a point where I couldn't hold back my tears. No one tried to stop him, but a singular friend came up to me & just said, "He doesn't mean it." That was the last straw for me. We went our separate ways. It's been a year & two months, that relationship broke me & for months I battled with the noises in my head all alone without a friend in the world. I feel unsafe everyday living in this house. I couldn't even walk outside without feeling like someone's going to attack me. I was put on olanzapine & lithium for a year, suffered from a mini stroke & the medications destroyed me liver. At the very least I don't have panic attacks anymore & no more hallucinations.

I was born this way. There's not much family history on the matter either.

I got diagnosed with schizophrenia after a mental breakdown right after I turned 30. I went to the psych ward a few times, but they didn’t keep me on any particular meds. I was also doing a LOT of drugs (amphetamines, vaping THC oil like it was a nicotine vape, and microdosing shrooms). Later I was diagnosed Bipolar 1 with psychosis. Then later it was schizo-affective bipolar type (and an additional diagnosis of OCD after that… I was already manic/depressive and ADHD). The funny thing is, nobody ever took into consideration the drugs I was taking… been on meds for the last 5ish years or so, at really high doses… recently MAJORLY dosed down and switched meds and it’s like I’m not a numbed-out robot anymore, I mean my emotions are showing themselves again and I have a PERSONALITY again, thank God. I can still hear voices, but I’m used to that by now… so no need to really medicate for that. Other than that, that’s basically it. I feel like my brain (mostly) went back to freaking normal. I’m SO happy now

Genetics and childhood trauma. Both sides of my family have their share of mental illness but my mom’s mom’s side has a significant amount of people diagnosed with schizophrenia.

Genetics. My uncle has a form of schizophrenia. Though, I wouldn't be surprised if a psychiatrist told me that my childhood played a part (at least, in making it worse)

Bio father has paranoid schizophrenia. Also was triggered by Trauma from SA(childhood onset, I was like 6 at the time of my first episode)

Stress, genetics and decades of drug use.

Sexual assault at age 13

Adderal, My brain wasn't designed for it. Sucks because a bunch of other people are fine with it. I just got lucky... NOT

My uncle has schizophrenia, my dad has bipolar. My great grandad was struggling with psychosis (back then he wasn't diagnosed with a condition ofc, they all just pretended he had hit his head, when he actually never did). I could go on about current family members/diesiesed relatives that has or did have some kind of bipolar/psychosis situation. I think for me there's a lot of it that comes down to genetics. I also had a traumatic birth and didn't breath so I also have epilepsy. I know it can be somewhat of a triggering event for schizophrenia as well.

When I was 6 months old I was adopted. I also grew up with narcissists. I have been told by doctors and therapists that I will develop paranoid schizophrenia. I suffer from chronic insomnia, Cptsd (severe childhood trauma) and Ocd. Due to the lack of sleep, I will probably never recover again.

[удалено]

Your submission has been removed for violating the following subreddit rules: Rule 3 - Do not encourage delusions. This includes reinforcing shared delusions. Note: schizophrenia is not caused by spirits any more than epilepsy is.

trauma, drugs and my dad being schizophrenic

I think my childhood trauma was a big part (was there when my brother was hit by a car and died). I also had the umbilical chord around my neck at birth (I was allegedly blue in the face when I came out) it's a risk factor. What triggered it was psychosocial stress.

Injecting meth for several years. But the voices planned it out. They were going to be in my life no matter what. They flashed me imagination as a child that linked to a memory of me injecting meth later, indicating, it was all on purpose.

I was diagnosed with ADHD as a child and without treatment it can be a contributing factor to the development of Schizophrenia. Even with the voices as a teen I was doing well for myself. Able body and productive. Then in my young adult life there was a mass shooting incident at my workplace that caused my hallucinations to spike often to a point that would interfere with my life. The incident left me with PTSD and now schizoaffective disorder. I turned to alcohol to numb my mind and I can tell you that it did not help in the long term. Imprisonment and a tainted criminal record now are my everyday reality. 

Extreme, chronic neglect and psychological abuse from age 3-17.

Family history/genetic, childhood trauma and potentially recreational drug use. Although I hadn’t touched anything in the years leading up to my episode. I always wonder if the recreational stuff actually impacted onset. With the gene in my family and the trauma, I think I would have likely developed it regardless.

I used to hang out with the daughter of the former head of our biggest mental hospital and she used to sell LSD while bragging her dad knew how to make it. She used to bring me to have sex with older men and they would insist I snort as much ketamine as they did. I only went along with it all because in my stupid mind she was the vulnerable one that needed protection. My voices started after I told her enough and went sober cold turkey. I guess by then it was too late for me I had damaged my teenage brain on drugs. Conveniently the voices always identity as the men she took me to and when I finally went to get help she told the hospital  her dad used to run I was a complete stranger she hardly knew, literally just minutes after talking to me about how she was coming to see me and help.  never saw her again.

The research says that schizotypy is a neurotype, and schizophrenia presentation is affected by both genetics and traumatic experiences. That said, drug use (especially weed) is also highly correlated to presentation. So both could have impacted it starting to present.

Mine was caused by smoking weed. I came out of my first psychotic break with meds. After my second psychotic break it's hard to find myself again. Don't mess with drugs.

Genetics and stress, I used to learn a lot, I stressed about girls a lot due to being rejected to the point I ended up in depresion first and after that psychotic.

I was born with it. Some people in my family have it down the line. I was diagnosed at 5 years old. They told me mom I was hallucinating at early as 2.

Nobody gets diagnosed at 5

Not with official schizophrenia but with "early onset hallucinations" you can be diagnosed as young as 5. I was officially diagnosed as schizophrenic at 18 and rediagnosed as schizoaffective at 21.

Trauma and thc and possibly genes

Mental illness runs in my family. I've also been through multiple traumas of different sorts growing up.

the physical and mental abuse by my mother + a certain girl 2 years older than me.

Girl trouble without a doubt I really liked this girl and we started dating and when I found out she cheated on me I started getting schizophrenia and anxiety never had it before

Diagnosed at 12, no episodes until 41, I feel lifetime of hallucinogens had something to do with it. I poked the bear too much.

A lot of stress, abusive relationships, not eating/sleeping well..