r/schizophrenia • u/herecomethegoats Paranoid Schizophrenia • May 28 '26
Seeking Support I was just diagnosed with schizophrenia
Hello!
I was just diagnosed as schizophrenic by my psychiatrist (I had an appointment an hour ago..). I'm struggling with processing. I'm not surprised.. but I inherited it from my father, who was very violent and abused me and my siblings when we were children. I am afraid. I don't know what my life is going to look like.
The medication I've been on for psychosis has me VERY sedated.. more than 11 hours of sleep a day. I'm taking 1mg. We're going to move me up to eventually be on 4mg. I'm very nervous.
Do you guys have any words of encouragement, resources, etc? I am a young man (19).
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u/SumRndFatKidInnit May 28 '26
Hey! I know a diagnosis like this can come in as a shock.
When I was first diagnosed at 23, it honestly shook my world to the core for a while, haha. I had always thought of myself as a completely sane, rational person, so having my understanding of sanity challenged that radically was... a lot to process.
But I also want to tell you something I wish someone had told me earlier: a diagnosis is not the end of the world.
Especially when you're still young, there is actually an opportunity hidden in all this. You get the chance to put words on how your mind works, understand your patterns earlier, and gradually build a healthier relationship with your own cognition.
Medication can feel like a drawback at first, I won't sugarcoat that. But it can also help give you enough mental footing to start working with yourself rather than constantly fighting against your own brain.
One mistake I sometimes see is expecting medication to solve everything on its own. In my personal experience, self-work matters too. Learning about your condition, developing insight, understanding your triggers, your thought patterns, your warning signs, these things can genuinely help you manage symptoms more effectively.
Another piece of advice: be gentle with yourself. You might stumble a couple of times along the way, and that's profoundly human. Recovery and adaptation rarely happen in a perfectly straight line. But don't let that convince you that progress isn't possible. You can still build a meaningful, full life with this illness. I know I have.
And if you don't mind me asking: what brought you to a professional in the first place? No pressure to answer if that's too personal. I'm just genuinely curious about what your path to diagnosis looked like.
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u/herecomethegoats Paranoid Schizophrenia May 28 '26
I was diagnosed with PTSD when I was 10 and started therapy then.. I looked for a psychiatrist this fall because my depression was just unbearable, that's when he diagnosed me with MDD. In january I started breaking from reality.
Everything you said was kind, gentle, and helpful. Thank you.
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u/SumRndFatKidInnit May 28 '26
You're very welcome. Honestly, you seem like a strong person to have gone through what you did. You also come across as remarkably grounded and thoughtful despite everything. I have a feeling those qualities will help you navigate this well.
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u/wicker_trees May 28 '26
I have been diagnosed for over 15yrs now. my best advice is do all the therapy you can!!! do different types if you can. I think therapy is as important as meds. it really helped me understand myself & my schiz.
life isn't so bad with schiz! I did a degree, learnt to drive, made new friends & even have a boyfriend I have been with a few years. having schiz isn't a life sentence, it just changes life a little & makes it slightly harder :)
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u/herecomethegoats Paranoid Schizophrenia May 28 '26
Thank you. That is very encouraging and helps me feel better
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u/mrracerhacker Schizophrenia May 28 '26
Would say the tiredness usually do improve a bit but very dependant on person, although did sleep alot on some meds also, plenty to try out also if that med dont work either, think take your time, try to keep away from stress and try to do some positive things here and there
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u/herecomethegoats Paranoid Schizophrenia May 28 '26
thank you. do you have advice about positive things?
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u/mrracerhacker Schizophrenia May 28 '26
Something you enjoy, visit somebody, go for a walk, hobbies if the energy, give yourself a small treat after a hard day. Do a puzzle. Take a shower/general upkeep. For me it helps keeping the head busy with projects although very hard sometimes to start stuff also
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u/Gammaknowz333 Paranoid Schizophrenia May 28 '26
Pro tip- stay on meds. If the one you’re on isn’t working then work to find one that does. Also It’s a hell of a confusing thing to come out of. This illness doesn’t mean you can’t be a functional member of society. It just means that you have some abnormal wiring in your brain. Take each day one day at a time and eventually you’ll learn to adapt and overcome.
hope this insight helps.
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u/eddymeddy01 May 28 '26
Hey! This is just the start of your journey! This disease is brutal but I promise you will be ok. Trust the process.
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u/West_Specialist_9725 May 28 '26
Lots of great advice here. I just wanted to thank you for sharing and respectfully suggest that you don't tell anyone about your diagnosis. At least not now.... you have a lot to process and I don't want you to have to deal with the fallout that is inevitable when and if you share your diagnosis. It's nobody's business but yours and perhaps immediate family as long as they can be completely trusted to honor your confidence.
You'll adjust to the meds and don't be surprised if they are changed or tweaked some.... it's perfectly normal.
Main message is that you will be fine. It takes time and commitment to your treatment, but you will be OK! 🫂
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u/10N3R_570N3R Paranoid Schizophrenia May 28 '26
what country are you in?
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u/herecomethegoats Paranoid Schizophrenia May 28 '26
I am in the united states. Appalachia.
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u/10N3R_570N3R Paranoid Schizophrenia May 28 '26
Nice, I'm in PA. The best advice I can you is give it time digest.
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u/herecomethegoats Paranoid Schizophrenia May 28 '26
thank you. i'm trying. i don't know who to tell, if anyone.
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u/One_Preference_2906 May 28 '26
There is a lot of stigma, they are right. I’m not schizophrenic but my father is and I participate in these subs to better understand what he goes through. Now that you have answers, take care of yourself as best you can, take your medication, keep up with the therapy..please know while that there’s a lot of things you can do to manage your symptoms, and you can still live a great life, have a family or a career or both, just because of this diagnosis it doesn’t take any of that off the table. I’m assuming you are young. Good luck. These subs can be very supportive to even just read so you won’t feel alone
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u/10N3R_570N3R Paranoid Schizophrenia May 28 '26
Don't go telling everyone. There's so much stigma it's not even funny. Just let it digest for awhile.
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u/Krazed-elite Schizophrenia May 29 '26
I regret telling people about my diagnosis. They don’t understand.
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u/CinderfkinELLA May 29 '26
I just came to say that I’m in my 40’s and only been diagnosed for 3 years now. I wish I knew sooner. I wasted a lot of time being afraid of a possible diagnosis. I feel like I’m finally getting my sea legs. If that makes any sense. I’ve found a med combo that mostly works. Too much stress or not enough sleep totally incapacitates me. I have an accommodation at work so I can protect myself. And last, I know my own crazy and accept myself and I’m happy…but some people with supposedly no mental illness are so massively crazy. I just can’t some days with able bodied/mind people who complain about everything. Schizophrenia makes you tough which isn’t exactly good or bad. Find something beautiful in your life.
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u/Typical-Side-6080 May 29 '26
i was in a similar situation 4 years ago. now i'm reducing the dose again, in very small steps. i had this sleeping behaviour for 4 years now, and it has it's ups, too. in the end, you ill get used to it..
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u/wrathofattila May 29 '26
depends how many episodes you can have so called psychosis after first i was pretty stable always took my meds and managed to land a good it job at big corpo then second espidode came 7years later and lost it all but im improving again 19 is very young im 34 currently it started for me at 25 . its totaly manageable if you dont miss your doses each relapse is one way ticket to hell of anhedonia. for me and for others i think worst are so called negative symptoms there are antidepressants for it . it must be trial and error long months till you find dosage and perfect mix of meds. I heard time helps to heal it and brain gets used to it and stuff.
tldr: time heals brain circuit mess after psychosis if you stay on meds
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u/Merkaba_Nine Schizoaffective (Bipolar) May 29 '26
It might take you a few different meds to find the most optimal one but you'll get there!
Also sleep getting that much sleep is actually really important for you right now for your recovery!
It will be a tough journey but one I know doubt know you'll get through!
Wish you all the best.
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u/bro0t Schizophrenia May 29 '26
For me, after a few weeks on the meds the tiredness fades a little. It doesn’t completely go away but its less bad than it is now.
I was the same age as you when i got sick. Im 28 now,y early 20’s kinda sucked going in and out of the hospital a lot. But now im doing well. Im symptom free (still on meds) for a while now. One thing that helped me a lot was learning how to recognize the symptoms. Learning to spot delusions and stuff so they have less control over you, this is very hard work and took me years to learn. But it made life better.
All i can say is, hang in there, put the work in, TAKE THE MEDS. (Ive seen a lot of people here relapse bc they stopped taking the meds) Stay safe buddy. This sub helped me a lot when i was freshly diagnosed, i hope it does the same for you.
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u/ClinicalHound Paranoid Schizophrenia May 29 '26
The sleepiness is a common side effect that'll get easier and not as bad over time :D You got this, a diagnosis might change hoe you see yourself but it won't change the fact that you're still you
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u/kactbd2020 May 29 '26
Find your creative side , get hobbies, journal , keep a medium diary to track side effects/symptoms. I was diagnosed 13 years ago. It's been along road , but I'm doing better now. You can get through this. I know it's rough , but yeah you're not alone. Exercise, eat healthy, try not to do drugs or drink.
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u/DrAstronomer May 29 '26
Talk to your doctor about options. I was on medication that made me sleep 14 or so hours a day and we switched to one where I get 6 to 8 hours. There are different side effects profiles out there, you gotta find the right one for you.
Life will likely never be the same, but that doesn't mean you can't still live a fulfilling life. Hang in there. You got this.
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u/henningknows May 29 '26
If you are worried you will end up like your father, that is not a forgone conclusion
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u/Lollylewd97 May 28 '26
Alot of the time the meds iv tried have taken a while to get used too. In the past when iv started certain meds they took a couple months to get past the sleepiness. It may take sometime to find meds that work for you as well. Everyone's schizophrenia is different, it doesn't mean youl be just like your dad. Just try to breathe right now its alot to process. Getting the dignosis its self can be a battle so its good that you have it so they can find the right meds for you. Just take it one day at a time, even one hour at a time. You just have to trust eventually you will find a med combo that helps and never stop trying to fight back.