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Old 10-07-2011, 10:04 AM   #2
spiders*web
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Join Date: Aug 2007
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Hi Steel Maiden. It sounds like the negative symptoms of schizophrenia are very similar to symptoms of clinical depression. I don't suffer from the former but I do suffer from the latter and I find a gradual building up of a routine is the only way to get me through those periods. It might not happen all at once but I write down what I eventually want to be doing each day. I wrote a similar list of things in another thread so I've pasted them in here.

Start off really small, and be proud of yourself when you achieve anything. To others it might seem tiny but all sufferers of depression will know what a big achievement it is to just get out of bed and wash.

Having a set getting up and going to bed time really helps. I put my alarm across from my room. It makes me get out of bed just to get rid of the annoying noise! Although in severe times you may be tempted to put up with it for fear of moving.

Have everything you would like to achieve that day written down. I know this isn't the whole answer, but having it written down will help when your concentration is poor. Thinking you've forgotten something will only increase anxiety. When you do achieve it tick it off with a smiley face! (I know that's sad but it always cheers me up a little!)

You note showering as something that is significantly missing in your life now. Try to make that a goal for one day. It only has to be the one goal of the day. And if and when you are able to achieve that think about adding brushing your teeth to the routine for the next day, building it up gradually. If you don't achieve everything, and you probably won't as we all seem to expect far more from ourselves than is realistically possible, concentrate on what you have done and remember that there is always tomorrow.

When you go to bed make sure everything is how you would like it to be when you wake up. For me it's a tidy room, clean bedsheets, me in jim jams and not my day clothes, clean face and stuff sorted that I need tomorrow ie clothes, books, etc.

Studying when feeling like this I often feel is nigh on impossible. I'm fortunate as I'm doing independent research so to a certain extent there is a flexibility of when I have to work. So it often helps to take a few days out to concentrate on building up those others things, the foundational things I tend to think of them, like washing, getting up, eating, keeping tidy surroundings. And when you return to study return slow. Try reading an article you know isn't going to cause you much trouble. And listen to yourself, you'll know if it's productive or not. If your head cannot take in the information then it is not worth studying at that moment in time. The important thing is to tell yourself that you tried, you're not well, and you need to look after yourself in other ways. Carry on with your routine and try again the next day.

Not being able to experience pleasure is a hard one to beat. So I tend to try my best to ignore it and do things that I know used to give me pleasure, perhaps not quite so often but I'll put it in my routine, like watching a film. The fact you made that stir fry is great. Don't concentrate too much on how you felt about doing it because it won't always be like that. The fact that you are doing it will help get you through these periods.

If you don't do as well as you wanted to do today, remember that tomorrow you can try again. Be kind to yourself, don't shout at yourself in your head or berate yourself. Tell yourself when you lie down to go to sleep that you did good today and tomorrow you can do it again.

I hope this helps in any way and I'm sorry for the length. I don't know how to do that thing where you hide the contents for space reasons?

Like I say I don't know what negative symptoms of schizophrenia are like to experience, unless they are very similar to depression, so I hope you get a reply from someone who has the same/similar diagnosis as you. Much love and hugs xxxxx

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