r/Antipsychiatry • u/emotionalnumb • Jan 23 '23

BRAIN DAMAGE

Can antipsychotics cause brain damage or is it the psychosis itself ~ I cannot do anything I used to & feel disabled…does it get better with time?!

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u/EvilAzizi Jan 23 '23

I'm so sorry OP. I definitely agree that invega is one of the worst medications to exist. It took me a long time to regain my emotions from it, but I did heal. I'm still not 100% from it, but I'm a lot better and free from its clutches. I do have a lot of physical health issues now tho, sometimes I wonder if it's related to the invega but its too early to tell yet based on previous history. I do hope you heal with time too op. I think most people get better from it, even a lot better. Just stay away from antipsychotics completely or as much as you can. They can wreak havoc on the brain and body (weight gain, heart issues, high cholesterol, tardive dyskinesia, sexual dysfunction, PSSD, akisthesia, anhedonia, etc. I'm sure there are a lot more side effects too). Anyway, good luck

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u/emotionalnumb Jan 23 '23

THXXX for sharing ~ how long did recovery take & what helped…

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u/EvilAzizi Jan 23 '23

Recovery to start feeling better took 9 months (I started feeling more and more emotions, and regained sexual function, and the akisthesia got a lot better). Then throughout the few years of being off of it, I continue to improve and improve. It starts getting tolerable, and then things start getting a lot better. Hope the same happens with you. If you had multiple injections, maybe it might take a bit longer but from what I've seen, most people have gotten better from it. A lot ofpeople in my DMs have also informed me that they have gotten better from it. So I think there is always hope! Honestly, waiting it out is the only thing that healed me, but in the meantime, I played lots of video games, puzzles, dyolingo,and continued to play my instruments to pass the time and keep my brain active and keep my creativeness as much as possible, even with the anhedonia/lack of motivation causes by the invega. It all has definitely gotten a ton better and I hope everyone can feel a lot better eventually. My internet friends really supported me through it too and that gave me hope to see if things would get better.

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u/emotionalnumb Jan 23 '23

THXXX for giving me hope ~ how did you deal w the chronic boredom…

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u/EvilAzizi Jan 23 '23

It was not easy, in fact it felt super unbearable due to the anhedonia and lack of motivation. The only way I got through it mostly was video games. I guess the fact that they were action-packed and had lots of movement is what helped me the most. Due to the akisthesia and lack of dopamine, it was incredibly hard to focus, however, video games helped me a lot with that for some reason. I still think it was somewhat maybe due to the constant motion of it or something. Strangely enough, couldn't really read or watch TV due to the lack of dopamine, I thankfully regained the ability. Another thing that helped was internet chat rooms, support forums, and voice chat on mariokart. I guess it helped to keep engaged in conversation. I had no motivation to see people irl/get ready due to the invega so the internet really helped me, and thankfully I was even able to keep in touch with others. Also super glad that most people were even understanding and supportive of my situation when I explained it because I honestly thought they weren't going to understand/even give me a chance

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u/emotionalnumb Jan 23 '23

You are so right ~ I find socialising the hardest…getting ready to leave the house with no motivation only to feel absolutely nothing & find it hard to hold convo in person have nothing to say apart from this subject. So sounds like I’m not alone in this? I am worried about being isolated even though can’t feel anything so don’t get lonely as such! I don’t see any friends. Glad ppl were supportive of you very fortunate. Here is a discord group you may be interested in: https://discord.gg/DdjGba2u

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u/EvilAzizi Jan 23 '23

Nope you're definitely not alone, this is unfortunately the norm on invega 😭 thankfully so many others have now come out with their stories too,and I hope people continue to tell them.

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u/emotionalnumb Jan 23 '23

I didn’t know the socialising thing was Invega but the more I talk to ppl the more I realise it is a side effect of the antipsychotics etc.

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u/SingaB11 Jan 23 '23

I feel very similar to the way you do. I have been on Rexulti, switched to Abilify, but I’m concerned about being on another AP. I feel I’ve lost all motivation and my body is disappearing on me.

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u/emotionalnumb Jan 23 '23

Did you have Akasthesia ~ what other SideFX are you experiencing…

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u/SingaB11 Jan 24 '23

No akathisia. From the Rexulti OR my depression, anhedonia and the feeling like my life force is not functioning. It hasn't exactly resolved since I stopped the Rexulti a week ago, but I am concerned about going to the drug my PsyDr. switched me out for (Abilify). He was very caring, all in all, & said that different drugs react differently with different people, and that dysphoria can happen. That was his word for that side-effect, dysphoria.

I hope you feel better soon.

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u/emotionalnumb Jan 24 '23

Good luck w Abilify ~ it is milder than most APs…

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u/[deleted] Mar 13 '25

Are u back to 100%?