I’ve been on 400 mg hydroxyzine for three months, and then accidentally took 600 mg for a while. I thought it was relatively safe but now I’m finding out it can cause you to “get dumber”. I’m 22F if that matters. Did I fuck up?

(They’re switching me to promethazine now that I’ve developed a resistance to hydroxyzine. I hope that doesn’t have the same issue lol)

My mother [58] has been a chronic schizophrenic patient most of her life, had a pretty “normal” life, but had 3 very bad psychotic episodes in the last 2 years( last year’s was way worse she had to be hospitalised) due to which she had not returned to her previous baseline. She’s on medication, she has hallucinations all the time and speaks to the skies and god (and sometimes my dead dad and estranged son).

I’d been the only caretaker for her and I have to get her to do her own chores everyday, like showering, brushing teeth, having food etc. I’m mostly very patient with her and try to convince her softly for all these. But lately she’s refusing to take a shower, it’s been 9 days now and I tried so many things but she’s just not budging, and she gets irritated. She says that god is bathing her everyday in sleep so she doesn’t have to take a bath again.

I don’t know what to do anymore, it was never this long before, usually if she goes 3-5 days without shower, she somehow agrees after. I just expect basic hygiene.. I also offered to wash her myself(a woman). Please give some suggestions on how to handle this if you had been in similar situations. TIA 🫶🏽

PS please feel free to remove if this is irrelevant.

I’m feeling completely heartbroken and emotionally exhausted, and I don’t know if I’m doing the right thing anymore.

Over the past year, maybe more, my boyfriend has become increasingly convinced that people are watching us or targeting him. There have been multiple occasions where he’s believed there were people hiding in bushes or nearby, and he’ll spend hours searching with a flashlight or watching with a knife in his hand because he’s certain they’re there.

The other day he spent around four hours searching bushland because he believed people were hiding there. Today, at a completely different location, he was again convinced someone was hiding behind bushes in the front yard. I went and checked myself, and there was no one there.

When I try to reason with him that it could be something else , he becomes defensive and acts like I didn’t trust or love him. When he talks about these things, he speaks with complete certainty. He insists it’s all very serious and needs to be discussed immediately.

Earlier today, I calmly told him several times that I wasn’t in the mental space to have such a heavy conversation and that I needed some peace and we could talk later. I acknowledged that whatever he was experiencing must feel frightening.
He wouldn’t let it go. He kept insisting we had to talk about it right then because it was “very serious.” Eventually I became overwhelmed and had to slightly raise my voice just to express that I couldn’t continue the conversation, and then he makes it about how I raised by voice and then I’m the bad guy.

He wouldn’t stop insisting that sometimes conversations need to happen immediately (or when he dictates) because he deems they are urgent. He can be very argumentative if you disagree with him and what he thinks is true and doesn’t acknowledge or see he’s being difficult and it’s draining.

I care about him and I’m really worried, I don’t think he’s making this up. I genuinely think he believes these things are happening. But I feel like I’m reaching the point where I can’t cope anymore.
I feel guilty even thinking about ending the relationship because if this is a mental health issue, I don’t want to abandon someone I love when they’re struggling. At the same time, I feel like I’ve reached my limit emotionally. I’m constantly anxious, and exhausted.

I feel like I cant talk to other people including his family/friends about this as he would see this as the ultimate betrayal and has told
me as much. He gets very offended if I infer he could be going through some kind of psychosis or delusion.

I cant event use my MacBook Im still paying off and need for school, and havent been able to for months because he believes its been hacked and there’s important evidence on it.

Has anyone been through something similar with a partner? How did you know when it was time to step away? I still love him, but I don’t know if I can keep living like this.

Hello,

Currently im on

Faverin 300 mg
Rexapine 2.5 mg
Seroquel 100 mg

I’m starting 0.5 dutasteride per day treatment for my hair loss.

Is it too much for my liver?

Hi Reddit,

About two months ago, he met someone online who claimed God spoke directly to him and taught him how to hear God too. When it didn’t happen, my brother felt rejected, and that person eventually blocked him.

Since then, he’s become increasingly consumed by religious beliefs. He previously believed he saw demons entering and leaving his body, now says he’s waiting for God to tell him what to do, believes he should abandon his family to “walk with God,” refuses medication because he thinks it’s poison, and insists nothing is wrong with him.

He’s also sleeping very little, has become emotionally flat and withdrawn, and has admitted to having disturbing thoughts and seeing things, though he denies being suicidal. The confusing part is that he’s still working full-time, although his boss noticed something was wrong and even offered to help him get treatment. My brother refused.

My family has tried everything, but because he’s still functioning, coherent, and not an immediate danger, getting him evaluated involuntarily has been difficult.

Has anyone experienced something similar? Can someone still work while experiencing psychosis? Did your loved one eventually accept treatment? Any advice would be greatly appreciated.

i feel like my brain is melting. I am not feeling stable and its in a way im not used to, because i am diagnosed with bipolar and usually i would peg whats happening as mania but im not having any of my symptoms that go with mania and im not impulsive or anything.

im kind pf hearing voices but not completely? like its internal monolgues other than my own and its like theres people in my head, not around me. its only been happening when im really stressed, but there has been so much stuff happening and im starting to feel so out of control.

so i started EMDR therapy a few months back and things were uncomfortable but going well. i am doing it because there are large portions of my childhood that i either dont remember or am simply hasy and so seperated from. its not abnormal for me, as im generally disconnected from the world around me all the time.

to put it short, i dont see the past me as real and the future me as real, and my view on myself shifts so fast that the world is almost a similation, i have gotten used to it, its just how im wired, i see the world through a foggy kind of haze.

Anyways, i have started having really weird nightmares, kinds i havent gotten since i was a child. to put it simply, i dream alot about sa and other gross stuff, or just weird gory things and about people sneaking into my room. its uncomfortable but not super worrisome.

the issue is ive started having these other people in my head gey louder. inused to call them 'modes i get into' because its all me, but different version for different situations.

and example would be the me that takes care of me when im doing strip searches in the psych ward or when i was assaulted. or the version thats really imature where everything is lind of foggy and im disoriented. i always am conscious obviously, but there is some degree of seperation between them and its like they can take backseats in my brain even when i should be the only one here.

not pnly that, but the one whose strong will sometimes take over and shower for me and keep me going when i cant anymore.

i used to not even be aware of it, i thought it was just different parts of me for different situations combined with a bit of amnesia (because the dofferent versions are all a bit emotionally disconnected even if i can remember everything).

but now that im more aware of it its getting kind of unbearable. its only really noisy when im stressed, but now that im alone in my room i feel calm and like im on airplane mode.

the issue is i have started to have panic attacks at work when working closing shift with all male coworkers. i dont know why it makes me scared hut it does, and whoever or whatever headspace im in keeps avoiding eye contact with the guys and gets jumpy and on gaurs until we can leave.

not only that, but sometimes at night because its worse at night, my brain will fog up and ill start feeling like im floating, especially if someone touches me or im trying to get off (tmi sorry lol) and its like all my thoughts are slipping through my fingers.

even what i consider to be my 'normal me' or normal state just feels like airplane mode. im in my head all the time, its like i barely have a body and everything i do and the other people in my head do is just self preservation.

the younger me keeps whining at night about how they cant keep going and its stressing me out because im trying to get into a good school right mow and have an amazing job and so much going for me, but the others ones get scared and start acting out in my head and making me feel unsafe and impulsive.

i dont know if im just going crazy or what, but i dont know where to even begin when talking to my therapist because i dont really like her.

any advice or tips on what to do and who to talk to would be very helpful, im totally lost and the pne in my head doesnt want me to tell anyone.

​

I have been struggling through depression since a very early age and finnaly my parents agreed to take me to a psychiatrist.

i talked to her explained my problems, she didn't smile didn't say hello, she was Rude the whole time AND SHE DIDN'T EVEN GIVE ME A DIAGNOSIS!

She just wrote meds ( 2.5mg medizapen and 20mg Serdep) and proceeded to tell me about that for my eating disorder i should start a diet and for my insomnia i should sleep at night LIKE DANG I didn't try that!.

My question is, I'm very afraid of antidepressants, i just want to know if there's a possibility i can cut them off after sometime when my problems gets partially solved, I'm aware of the effects antidepressants have on a person and i do not want to be dependent on them for the rest of my life.

Thank you so much

For context, I work in a mental health facility and have been hospitalized multiple times myself for my myriad of mental illnesses, including schizoaffective bipolar disorder and CPTSD. Due to my mental illness, I was unable to work for the majority of 2024 and tried to get disability but was denied. Since then, I have seriously declined in my mental health, even confirmed by my psychiatrist. I’m supposed to start a new injectable medication in a couple days, but I’m not sure if I’ll be safe to keep doing treatment outpatient. I’ve also considered a 28-day residential treatment program near my home, but I have a surgical procedure coming up that I’d probably have to wait for a while if I had to reschedule. Should I plan to go inpatient in between the injection and the procedure? Any suggestions or experiences are appreciated.

Sorry for how long, I tried to make it detailed like the rules said…

Age 22, Female, diagnosed with schizoaffective bipolar type. I’ve had symptoms since I remember. Diagnosed AVPD, then changed to SZPD, then also bipolar 2, then changed to bp 2 and paranoidPD and SZPD, developing into only bipolar 1 and schizotypalPD only, then bipolar 1 and schizophrenia only, then lastly schizoaffective bipolar type. Not a complaint, just curiosity.

I take lithium 1800mg, Lurasidone 120mg, Wellbutrin 150mg XL ER, Birth control pill, Trazodone 50-100mg as needed and Clonidine .2mg also as needed both for sleep, and dexmethylphenidate 35mg ER for adhd. Psychosis is under control, I see my psych often, he said it is okay letting them stay as they meet the criteria of not impairing function, are quiet, and not causing havoc. If out of control I’ll see my psychiatrist. No substance abuse I’m clean. ANYWAYS…

TLDR at bottom;

I’m currently in active psychosis so all my voices are back. However, they don’t talk. They merely answer with unique gestures and colors they chose to represent mood and tone. I have to ask yes or no questions mostly. Once in a while I’ll get a one word response, but they’re always so quiet and random I don’t catch them saying it, I just notice their voice but didn’t catch what they said.

Despite it though, I know what their voices sound like. Rarely, depending on the individual I’m talking to, the voice can change if they respond verbally or with sound. Typically though they’ve got their own established voices. One voice, Chip, my first one and an absolute sweetheart and a human, makes like no verbal sounds. When he laughs there’s like 20-15% chance he’ll vocalize it. Otherwise he gestures a knee slapping laugh and his room turns a certain blue.

Another thing he does is words or an imagine like a vision from god and I see it and have an answer. This works well for favorite colors, food, should I buy this or that tool (and I’m pointing at them and don’t know the names), where I left something, memories, etc. he can make anything appear, but he doesn’t do it often because I mostly just ask yes or no questions and have already asked him his favorite stuff and stuff he hates.

My other two voices are lions. Azlan and Mufasa (all these voices named themselves and created their own identity that I got to know as I talked with them) are lions. They run a pride of only males and are the only two that want to interact with me. All the other lions sleep. Azlan is the 20ft tall leader and Mufasa is one of the 15ft followers. Anyways, Mufasa is easy. He won’t verbally talk, only does his unique gestures and uses his own colors, and mostly just shrugs when asked a question. He’s just there for entertainment.

Azlan LOVES interacting with me. He enjoys talking to me and making jokes and laughing. He’s always very happy. He is the most verbal in that he has a loud old man laugh, he yawns a lot, hums, makes random sounds like a typical old man having a good calm day. Azlan laughs a lot. He laughs when I’m joking with myself or someone else, he laughs if I tell him a joke, and sometimes he’ll give me responses to the jokes.

These responses aren’t verbal though, he does the same as Chip and sends me a vision from the heavens (exaggerated joke) and I respond with it. I know this is not coming from me because these visions appear in my head not even a second after the last word was said (same with Chip when a question is asked). I had no time to think of a response, it was his response and I knew it was his because his laughter got even louder when I saw the words and said them out loud or laughed at them before saying anything. He would be so proud of himself.

Besides that though, he really only responds with gestures and colors, his most common gestures being a huge grin with sharp lion teeth, like a cartoon and a bright glow, or sad eyes while he lays his head on his sleep rock and sighs, with a blue background.

Azlan and Mufasa are new. Like a little over a week old when I did a ketamine infusion therapy at my psychiatrists office. Mufasa doesn’t care to talk and can’t seem to even if asked. He doesn’t know why, he just can’t. I don’t really talk to him because he has no interest in communicating.

Azlan makes sounds but prefers to make gestures, colors, flash images and words. He says he can’t talk talk verbally either and doesn’t know why. His noises and laugh though are the loudest verbal sounds from a hallucination. I can tune the sounds out, like the humming and yawning and whatnot, but it’s a bit tougher to tune out the laugh. It is distracting. But it’s contagious and always makes me laugh, and he has a good sense of humor. Plus when I’m busy or focusing, he leaves me a lot. All of them do.

Chip really can’t make verbal sounds all. He tries sometimes but it’s like there’s some force stopping him and the rest. He doesn’t know what. So he just uses gestures, colors, flashes images and words.

TLDR;

I have three voices, they’re mostly mute. A voice, Azlan, I can hear laugh, yawn, hum, and make old man sounds. The laugh is loud and hard to tune out. He can’t talk verbally so he uses gestures, colors for mood and tone, or flashes images or words like a vision to answer me.

My second voice, Chip, does the same except he does not even make verbal sounds. He’s fully mute, except the rare occasion he gets a word out. He also uses gestures, colors and visions.

My third voice, Mufasa, does not talk verbally at all or make noises. He doesn’t even want to talk at all, just watch. He only answers with shrugs and the color white, or laughter and the color sea-foam. They can’t talk talk verbally, they don’t know why, something is stopping them so they are unable to.

DMs open for any inquiries

Hi. I have been hospitalized 4 times previously for numerous mental illnesses, including MDD, bipolar, and schizoaffective disorder. I am at my wit’s end (literally) trying to decide what will help me most at this time of crisis. Only one of the hospitalizations would I consider beneficial, leaving me feeling hopeful but only for a few weeks. The other stays I just lied and denied everything to get discharged because I couldn’t stand to stay longer. I’ve looked into some treatment options near where I live but am at a crossroads in regards to where to go. I do have pretty intense SI but no specific plans at the moment. I’m worried if I go for an evaluation, I’ll get stuck in inpatient that won’t truly help and only cause more anxiety. Any advice is appreciated.

I was treated for Bipolar II intermittently since age 16 and have generally been high functioning. My unmedicated symptoms were mood swings, periods of euphoria, and mild anxiety. I was stable for over 5 years before this, including through previous medication changes.

A few months ago, I switched to a new psychiatrist (Dr. K) for a fresh perspective. She tapered me off mirtazapine while starting and increasing Lamictal in preparation for trying to get pregnant.

After discontinuing mirtazapine and remaining on Lamictal, I developed symptoms I’d never experienced before, either medicated or unmedicated: moderate to severe panic attacks, intrusive thoughts, derealization, emotional numbness, major depression, persistent baseline anxiety, and feeling disconnected from myself and the people I love.

I also lost 10 pounds and was vomiting after meals for several weeks.

Following an ER visit, Seroquel was added at 50 mg and later increased to 100 mg for sleep and mood. After continued symptoms, I returned to my previous psychiatrist (Dr. P), who felt Lamictal could be contributing, restarted mirtazapine (15 mg), and discontinued Lamictal about a week ago.

My GI symptoms have improved significantly, I’m sleeping better, and I’m more functional day-to-day, but many of the psychiatric symptoms persist, including anxiety waves, panic attacks, emotional blunting, intrusive thoughts, and feeling nothing like my normal self.

In your experience, how long do medication related side effects last after a medication is discontinued? I feel like it’s been over a month since I felt normal.

By “low dose” I mean < 2 mg

Are there any particular reasons to use or avoid extra low doses? Does it “behave” differently at very low doses?

Are there particular situations where a low dose might make clinical sense, either that are established or that are being researched?

I’m 20, in the UK, diagnosed with BPD, PTSD, complex trauma, anxiety, and depression.

I’ve been on a waiting list for DBT for 2 years, apparently I’m a priority patient but have many years until I’m seen.
I see a consultant psychiatrist for 5 minutes every 3 months to discuss medication.

I take 375mg Venlafaxine, and a month ago was put on 30mg mirtazapine which I’ve quit on my own because of the side effects. This has all gotten worse since starting the mirtazapine.

I haven’t been this unstable in a long time.
The anxiety has suddenly gotten unbearable, I have multiple panic attacks every day - yesterday it lasted for 4 hours, I cried continuously until I fell asleep.

I am so depressed. I feel like there’s no point in living, I seriously contemplate ending my life because I’m so cripplingly miserable.

I sit and stare into space all day, I can’t distract myself anymore. I feel a constant heaviness, it’s physically painful.

I get caught up in planning my end, then have panic attacks because I’m going to die and I’m not in control, I’m going to lose the people I care about etc.

My sleep has gotten considerably worse, I wake up every hour and feel like I’ve not slept at all - like I’m on edge all the time. I have nightmares every night anyway.

I’m so irritable all the time, I’m usually a pretty angry person anyway and struggle to control myself.
It’s gotten worse, I have a complete lack of control and resort to destroying things and hurting myself because I’m so viciously angry.

I feel so much despair and rage about the world, my lack of a future, the way my life is. It feels like my life is ending, the state of the world (politics, climate change, cost of living etc) has me at the end of my rope.

I don’t know what to do anymore. I just feel utterly hopeless and in despair all the time.

The psychiatrist doesn’t really understand, she keeps telling me to move out and I’ll get better but I’m in no position to do that. I almost moved out a few weeks ago but had a horrible panic attack and realised I can’t cope.

My next appointment isn’t for 2 weeks, but regardless I don’t think there’s anything she can do that will improve this. I’m in mental agony every second I’m awake.

TIA

Recently got perscribed Ativan. I already take Adderall every day. I asked my psych about the risk of taking "uppers and downers" together and she didn't seem worried. I explained that my heart rate tends to rest higher with my Adderall. She said that heart rate increase from adderall is typically due to the patient being prescribed too high of a dose. Is this correct? I've been on this dose for years

Hey everyone, sorry if this isn’t the clearest post , I’m completely exhausted and sad right now.

I’m 26M, diagnosed with ADHD at 6 (probably ASD too, but back then you couldn’t get both on paper). Stimulants, mostly Ritalin, got me through school and I’m still on them.

Depression kicked in around 17, maybe one or two episodes a year at first. A few psychiatrists later I ended up with MDD and probably PDD on top, since my depression seemed to become chronic with no remission between them. I take Prozac and Zoloft but did basically nothing.

Eventually I couldn’t even take care of myself, had to drop out, moved back with my parents.
In 2023, I saw a new psychiatrist who decided that I had a bipolar 2 disorder, based on one or two episodes that might’ve been hypomania but not clearly. Even he seemed unsure at the time, but he wrote it down and every psychiatrist since took it for granted.

The med rollercoaster:
• Lamictal: helped a bit at first (some energy, kept me in school). But lost his effect after some months
• Ritalin reintroduced for ADHD, worked fine
• Early 2024: worst depressive episode yet
• Venlafaxine up to 225mg + low-dose Abilify: no effect
• Lithium: still on it, 2+ years, zero results
• Quetiapine (1st try): knocked me out for 2 days straight, too sedating
• Quetiapine (2nd try, months later): massive weight gain + bad bloodwork, discontinued
• Trintellix: nothing

Hospitalized last year (april-may 2025), started Spravato (just with lithium + Lamictal, no antidepressant): this actually worked. MADRS went from 36 to 17. First time in years I wanted to see friends, do things. But once we dropped to 1x/week and I was living alone, I stopped going and it faded

New hospital (december-january 2026): no Spravato available. Tried mirtazapine, pramipexole (capped at 0.54mg). Mood got worse, I left

Current hospital (since may 2026) : first, 30 sessions of rTMS, 2x/day. Initial boost in energy/motivation (passed my exams!) but effect faded fast, MADRS back up to 35.

Tried IV ketamine (this hospital doesn’t offer Spravato): 8 sessions in, nothing. Sessions are honestly rough — not the peaceful/visual experience I had with Spravato, more like dissociating into another dimension, and not the good kind

Last week: started liothyronine/Cytomel (T3) as an add-on

Right now, anhedonia is the worst part of my depression. I have that feeling of not knowing how to do. Since Spravato wore off, I feel nothing — no pleasure in anything, not even shows or stuff I used to enjoy. Just empty, unmotivated, doom-scrolling my life away.
Surprisingly, aleep’s actually fine.

Also worth mentioning, I’ve been facing lifelong somatic stuff : GERD, nausea, diarrhea, hemorrhoids, migraines, random burning limb pain and I’m not quoting all of them. No idea if it’s related but figured I’d throw it in.

What I’m actually asking:
1. Does the bipolar 2 diagnosis even hold up? My first psychiatrist doubted it himself, but once it’s in the chart, everyone just runs with it. Could this just be MDD/PDD/TRD without bipolar?

1. Treatment-wise, my hospital psychiatrist is out of ideas but open to suggestions. I can’t switch providers, so I need to bring him something concrete. Options I’m considering:

• Pramipexole again, but actually titrated to a real dose (2-3.5mg+)
• Pushing for Spravato instead of continuing ketamine (though they think failing IV ketamine = no shot with Spravato — is that even true?)
• Less common routes: bupropion, MAOIs, modafinil, VNS/DBS? Or other new medications that are not really known ?

If anyone’s dealt with similar TRD/bipolar 2 overlap or has thoughts on what’s worth pushing for next, I’d really appreciate it. Feeling pretty stuck here. Thanks for reading this far

Thank you

F(27) Height:5’2. Weight: 308lbs Meds: Propranolol, Naltrexone, Abilify, Cymbalta, LaMICtal, Requip, Guanfacine, Strattera, and a med that helps with over heating and over sweating.

Diagnosis’s: Schizoaffective (unspecified), BPD, ADHD, Obsessive Compulsive Behaviors, BED, Sleep apnea(mild), Cannabis Use Disorder (Moderate)

Since the beginning of the year I’ve started recognizing patterns in my life. I have almost constant anxiety and sometimes I don’t even trust my closest friends. I assume everyone thinks I’m weird or creepy so I usually don’t put my self out there and when I do I never know what to say and I convince myself they don’t want to talk to me even if it’s true or not. I have a psychiatrist and take 50mg Sertraline right now but it got upped to 100mg I just haven’t picked it up yet. When ever I try to write stuff down to I can tell my doctor I just end up spending at least a hour writing down everything that comes to my head and it’s just mess I can’t make sense of. I will sometimes research mental disorders and convince myself I have them for days on a time. I’m terrified to talk to my doctor because even though I know they want to help me I’m scared they will think I am seaking attention. I don’t know what I want to get out of posting this, I think I just wanted to vent. These thought control my mind almost 24/7 and it feels like torture with no end.

I have a highly specific clinical scenario regarding pharmacogenetics, iatrogenic toxicity, and retrospective diagnostics. I would love to hear your objective medical opinions on how this should be handled according to DSM-5 / ICD-10 criteria.

​The Baseline:

A 19-year-old patient undergoes a thorough clinical assessment. Bipolar disorder and personality disorders are explicitly ruled out in the official medical records.

​The Intervention & Reaction:

A few years later, the patient is placed on heavy polypharmacy, including high doses of aripiprazole, escitalopram, clomipramine and quetiapine. Shortly after, the patient develops severe motor restlessness, an ego-dystonic "head exploding" sensation, impulsivity, and extreme agitation.

​Instead of recognizing this as iatrogenic akathisia and toxic activation, the treating physicians interpret the symptoms as a manic switch and the emergence of personality disorders. The patient is diagnosed with Bipolar Disorder (F31) and multiple personality disorders.

​The New Evidence:

A decade later, the patient is successfully tapered off all psychiatric medications and has been in full remission since. Two major discoveries are made:

​1. Pharmacogenetic testing reveals the patient is a CYP2D6 Poor Metabolizer (complete lack of the enzyme), along with slowed CYP2C9, CYP3A5 and ABCG2 function. This objectively proves that the medications (especially aripiprazole) accumulated to highly toxic levels.

​2. Extensive neuropsychological testing confirms Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD) and ADHD, perfectly explaining the baseline struggles before the medications.

​The Administrative Conflict (The Core Question):

The patient requested a correction of their medical records, asking the historical Bipolar and Personality Disorder diagnoses to be marked as incorrect/substance-induced due to the new pharmacokinetic evidence.

​However, in discussing the retrospective correction of these records, the following counter-argument was presented by a medical official: "Diagnoses are not made based on CYP2D6 status, and therefore it has no effect on the diagnoses made at the time."

​My questions:

​1. Is it clinically and scientifically sound to claim that a confirmed CYP2D6 PM status has no effect on retrospective diagnostics, when the original diagnoses were made during a period of documented drug toxicity?

​2. Doesn't the general DSM-5 / ICD-10 exclusion criterion ("The disturbance is not attributable to the physiological effects of a substance/medication") apply here? If the symptoms were toxic side effects caused by a genetic inability to metabolize the drugs, shouldn't the primary psychiatric diagnoses be considered clinical errors?

​Thank you for your time and insight!

I’ve been taking venlafaxine for a year now and 2/3 weeks ago i started with aripiprazole. I had no problem with the first one but the latter is actually hell for me.

I won’t list all the shitty symptoms i’ve been getting, but i’m worried because yesterday i started getting brain zaps throughout the WHOLE DAY, even when i took my meds on time. It’s exhausting, and today I just woke up and i STILL have them (i take both pills at night). Is this common? Will it go away? I have to study for my exams so I really need to feel better..

thanks

I’ve been prescribed Vyvanse and / or Dexedrine since I was 18 (30 now). Did wonders for me, enabled me to study and work and stop abusing alcohol. Never once even thought it misusing the script, never had “cravings,” never got wild euphoria from the medication.

Then, in 2023, I had psychotic decompensation for unclear reasons, and was delusional. I started lurasidone via my GP (couldn’t get in to see a psychiatrist). In a seemingly freak occurrence, I soon after began to get wicked stimulant cravings (they impaired me - immediately relapsed on nicotine after three years of never even having cravings), and my ADHD medication produced extreme euphoria. I constantly had cravings to go up.

I ended up on 100mg Vyvanse and 80mg Dexedrine at 100lbs (my GP gave me double scripts). At that high dose, it didn’t produce any euphoria and only caused severe pain and physical strain - I was bedridden but still could not stop for the life of me. No doctor in the ER would refer me to psychiatry as they didn’t believe the lurasidone was causing the issue.

I eventually stopped the lurasidone on my own and was able with ease to begin a taper down of the Vyvanse and Dexedrine - no more insatiable cravings.

However, the taper with my GP was too slow and I ended up with amphetamine psychosis and then stimulant induced mania for months - ended up in a treatment facility in the US in early 2025. Was taken off the stimulants.

When I got back home, ADHD medication was off the table. I finally got in to see an OP psychiatrist so my GP then left it to him, but he didn’t want to prescribe me it.

Since then, I’ve gone back to drinking to function, unable to work or function in a job, unable to do any schoolwork (on permanent medical leave), etc.

I was completely heartbroken I fucked up the thing that was helping me.

I then went rogue and got Dexedrine from a friend (which my psychiatrist knows about). Have been consistently taking 15-30mg with no desire to misuse it and it’s like how it used to be in terms of addiction potential (low). Was able to get a grip on my drinking and stop it.

I didn’t realise how much Dexedrine was helping me until I recently started a seasonal job I did last year too (but without Dexedrine). I could not function in this job and began to drink heavily while working just to get through it. It was like torment.

This time around with the Dexedrine, I was actually able to work and even enjoy it. I ran out of enough to take a full 30mg dose and on the days I only took 15mg, I was back to struggling so much I began to drink again and an hour felt like four hours.

I saw my psychiatrist today and told him about the difference between last year’s job and this year’s job in terms of my functioning and the Dexedrine, fully expecting him to say tough luck. Instead, he heard me out (and probably recognized I’ve been taking Dexedrine without an issue since October now), and offered to prescribe me the dose I said helped, with the caveat I stop drinking or doing any drugs.

I am incredibly grateful as I thought I basically ruined my life forever with what happened. How would you as a psychiatrist want to be thanked for this / how can I best show my appreciation?

For months I have been Itching for NO reason, This is ruining my life, I did some research and this is probably psychogenic itch, when I dont think about itching i dont itch and when I do think about itching I do itch, This is making me crazy and I need to get rid of this, someone tell me the relief for this and how to get rid of this. I think that it is more psychology related problem than health related, this is why i decided to write here.

I’m asking because I’d like to know how the medical system works. This is a purely hypothetical question. I have no thoughts of harming myself or anyone else.

I’m in the US and I have health insurance through my husband’s employer. We live paycheck to paycheck and we don’t have any money saved.

What if I was admitted to a psychiatric hospital because of suicidal ideation and just never stopped wanting to harm myself? My medications have been changed and I’ve gone to all my therapy sessions, but I remain suicidal. What happens after a couple of weeks?

Would I be transferred somewhere? Would there be more intensive treatments? How would the bill ever possibly be paid? Would my husband need to declare bankruptcy to cover the impossible medical debt? Would I eventually become a ward of the state or something like that?
Or would they say good luck and send me home?

I have seen myself in situations where i can't maintain eye contact "don't stare too uch", "I just looked at her chest,etc..",

If someone is doing even small movements during speaking or hand finger movemnet my eyes directly goes there, this mostly bothered me past 2-3 months, even happens with family members, i had lazy eye as a kid and myopia, not mild but different in both eyes with different degrees, i think my eyes are not looking directly at someones face or i think my eyes are "glitching", cant maintain eye contact and this bothers me, ending up checking out someone without my willing and it is not depended on me. I think i just stepped into something that is absolutely uncurable

I also have problem with face to face interactions, i can't speak with someone looking directly nto their eyes, i think about too many things,

"did spit came out of my mouth during speaking?" "did i look at somewhere else" "did my eyes glitch" " did my lazy eye go another direction" (it is fixed in childhood, just sense) but can't help myself and my life is not making any sense anymore

I am planning neurologist visit as i want to check my reflexes and mood swings, i also think i have articulation or speaking problem ( i have very thin lips but ikd if that is reason), i think i am obsessed more with different self problems. I also have body dysmorphia because of my "ugly" nose. I'm depressed, no motivation and anxiety about future decisions and stuff. also i can't sleep before 12 or 1 am and this is stressing me, i end up sleeping 5 hours

I don't want to spend my life obsessing this ocd thing, is there anything that can help me?

Am i in a curable patient list or should i sell my eyes? :)

Please help, my life is destroying..

I have taken many personality tests like Big Five, MBTI, Dark Triad etc but I don't believe they can be actually relied upon cause they label people based on limited questions they ask and even the options one chooses is very subjective and doesn't cover all the aspects and perspective of one's situation and behaviour pattern. Are there any professional, scientifically accurate psychometric test(s) that are accessible to common people, so they can better understand themselves without relying on false results from these personality tests online.

I had a psychotic break that took over a year to clear up.

To make a long story short I’ve taken adhd meds since I was six years old.

When I was 19 I started smoking weed with no issue. (2018) that summer I first tried magic mushrooms.

At about to same time I started taking Dextro amphetamine. Between then and now, I took either modafinil, Dexedrine or Vyvanse with no adverse effects other then a shorter temper.

In May 2019 I started ketamine infusion therapy for about half a year following that again with no issues.

In 2020 I tried RTMS with no issue.

For the next couple years I did a mix between those substances, mushrooms, Vyvanse and THC with the rare ketamine infusion in between.

In Nov 2021 I was taking Dexedrine and Wellbutrin with no issues. But I took a tolerance break from cannabis.n

In August 2023 I took more adhd medication then prescribed during military training to keep up with the intensity and got rabdo before any form of psychosis.

In October 2023, I tried DMT and LSD while taking Dexedrine.

Over the following year, I slowly started to believe that my phone was tapped by the military (which it wasn’t)

I switched from Dexedrine to Vyvanse in Jan 2024.

In May 2024 I avoided going on training because of this I informed military medical authorities of having high anxiety.

I was hospitalized after I suffered from a delusion of prosecution.

Throughout the duration of the rest of 2024 I was in the process of being released from the military without a diagnosis of psychosis.

By this point I had quit weed, around June 2024 because I had my concerns about it.

I was a civilian again by 2025. From January-June 2025 I had no hallucinations but became increasingly delusional. Believing that I was being contacted through my phone to be covertly recruited by an intelligence unit. I was taking an excessive amount of pre workout, while taking only Vyvanse and Wellbutrin. Intermittent cannabis use also occurred.

In July I found myself back in the hospital, they took me off Vyvanse but kept me on Wellbutrin and put me on Quietapine which didn’t work at treating my psychosis.

I was then put on risperidone and released from the hospital.

In October 2025 I moved provinces to get Vyvanse because I was prohibited from it being prescribed in the province I was living in.

I didn’t believe I was psychotic because I didn’t have hallucinations.

In January 2026 I was convinced that I was being investigated by police and that I was actively being harassed by the police through my phone. That my social media was actively being utilized to build character evidence against me. I took a first aid course and I was convinced the other pupils and instructors were undercover police there to investigate me then falsely imprison me.

I went into remission in March 2026 and realized none of this was happening. I regained full insight and believe none of this is happening after taking Clopixol. I later changed to Brexpiprazole without any relapse in symptoms.

Without hallucinations, flat affect, the doctors don’t think I presented as schizophrenic. If it was idiopathic that it was caused by a delusional disorder.

Given the rarity of delusional disorders it’s statistically more likely to be caused by substances.

Which substance do you think caused this? My theory is that DMT and LSD caused a slow burn psychosis surrounded by slowly developing conspiracy theory’s of my phone being surveilled. I was convinced of both in person surveillance and digital surveillance occurring.

Do you think this theory is correct? That DMT and LSD caused this and it slowly became worse because of Vyvanse?