Psychosis

pyjamaviking
pyjamaviking Online Community Member Posts: 13 Listener
in Mental health and wellbeing

Hi, I'm recovering from an episode of psychosis and I now have post-psychosis depression too. I take my meds and I have a lot of professional support (I'm under Early Intervention), but I am struggling a bit.

I struggle with my self-esteem and embarrassment, since my episode. I can't stop thinking about the stupid things I did and said. It's also really scary, not being able to trust your own mind.

I am also struggling with socialising and social skills because of my hearing impairment, and a big part of the recovery support I have is social stuff. My nurse is really good with my hearing. It's everyone else where it's hard.

Comments

  • anisty
    anisty Online Community Member Posts: 834 Championing

    Bless you. Such a tough, tough time but you will come through it.

    I had psychosis back in 1993 following the birth of my first baby (puerperal psychosos) I had ECT which was very successful in zapping me back into reality but left me like a fragile shell.

    It was one of the toughest periods of my whole life. I still remember it vividly and get where you're coming from.

    You just cringe deep inside at all the things you did and i'm not sure it's any better understood now than in was back in the early 90s.

    In this early recovery period, it's just one foot in front of the other. Gradually, you'll get more days behind you where you manage really well and the psychosis gets further behind you.

    Look forward and try to see it as a journey where you are travelling away from what happened.

    I never spoke about my psychosis to anyone i knew for 30 YEARS!!! It's only really in the past 2 to 3 years i'd say i have properly got over it to the point where i can talk about it without feeling it. Like before, thinking of it took me right back there with those feelings so i just buried it.

    Hopefully, there is more therapy to help with that part now as, back in the early 90s, the stigma of mental illness was such that it wasn't mentioned. To the extent i went without sick pay at work as it was kept off my work record!

    I think talking to people who had had a similar experience to me might have helped - i hope that can be arranged for you, if you want it and that you have family around to help you through.

  • pyjamaviking
    pyjamaviking Online Community Member Posts: 13 Listener

    Thank you for sharing your experience with me. It really helps to know that someone else understands, although I'm sorry you got psychosis too. :(

    I can't imagine having psychosis in the 90s, you must have had a horrible time. :( It's bad enough now, and there's much more awareness of mental health now.

    I didn't get help for years either. I'm in my thirties and I've probably been hearing voices since I was 21. I'm really isolated, so there's no one to notice and the times I did come into contact with mental health people, they missed it. But they've caught it now and I have loads of help. I've just been having a bad patch where I've got residual psychosis going on, or I've forgotten to take my meds and I don't know. As far as I'm aware I've taken them, but I thought that would explain my symptoms.

    Thank you again for sharing and for the advice. :) I hope you're doing ok.

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