Sharing my journey with psychosis, Alhamdulillah
Bismillah. I've experienced three episodes of psychosis. The first was about three years ago, the second started a little over two years ago and lasted for more than a year, and the third was last year. The last two were extremely difficult, with the final one being the most severe, subhanAllah. I only began seeking treatment about three-quarters of the way through the second episode. I had spoken to my parents about the first one, but they did not understand the seriousness, may Allah guide us all. For reasons only Allah knows, they did not start me on medication until the third episode and did not give me a formal diagnosis of psychosis until then. As for the warning periods before each episode, the first had a long prodrome of 2-3 years, the second about 6 months, and the third just a couple of months, I think. Alhamdulillah, I began medication a year and two days ago, but I am still not on a stable dosage yet. The treatment plan involves slowly increasing to a stable dose, maintaining it for two or three years, then gradually reducing it. If symptoms like hearing voices return during that reduction, they would then consider a diagnosis of schizophrenia. It's important to note this timeline starts from when treatment begins. So, while I might have schizophrenia, I did not start any treatment until I was deep into my second episode, having begun in October, just over a year and a half ago. I place my trust in Allah and ask for your du'as.