When I Know It's Time to Call My Doctor
First, in a crisis, call the 988 hotline or the police. However, for non-emergency mental health concerns, I contact my doctor.
This is based on my years' of experience in recovery and seeking professional assistance to reap the benefits of effective treatments. Here are 3 common situations where reaching out to your doctor may be helpful:
I call the doctor about my schizophrenia when...
I'm experiencing side effects
There are many common side effects to treatment, whether it's tiredness, blurred vision, weight gain, restlessness, or others. In the past, I suffered side effects such as restlessness. I felt I had to stay in constant motion to relieve that feeling.
I paced a lot and kicked my legs while laying in bed, which messed with my sleep. As you can imagine, it was very uncomfortable. Fortunately, I reached out to my doctor and we discussed potential solutions. I learned there are medications to control these side effects I was experiencing.
Still, this required professional attention. Don't try to play doctor, but consider your options with a professional provider. Each time my doctor and I made adjustments we found positive results.
Whenever I feel symptoms creeping back in
It's important to know your own warning signs. This can help you identify challenges in order to tackle them early on. Warning signs look different for everyone, but might be things like disruptions in sleeping patterns, poor hygiene, isolation, mood swings, etc.
Your caregiver and loved ones might notice see a shift in your behavior. Listen to them. They might say, "You look tired." or "You're not wearing your makeup like usual." Or "When was the last time you showered?"
For me, it's been essential that I have an open dialogue with my confidants and my doctor. I encourage you to avoid acting like the doctor, but instead, share your concerns and let them create effective medication combinations to help you stay balanced. While I am an active participant in this dialogue, I rely on my doctors for their expertise.
Here's an example of when I tried to play doctor. I diagnosed my issues as experiencing depression and asked for antidepressants. I diagnosed myself and was wrong. What I thought was depression was actually negative symptoms of schizophrenia. So I responded to treatment better when my doctor tweaked my antipsychotic.
When it feels like my treatment isn't working anymore
I've been on medication for over 15 years. I've changed medicine for many different reasons, such as side effects and feeling the lack of effectiveness in meds.
It's whenever I see my warning signs or loved ones show concerns that I understand I should consider making adjustments to my medications to control symptoms and flare-ups.
Changes to my medication is a shared decision between me and my doctor. I'm grateful we act as a team and find creative solutions to control the flare-ups of my condition.
When to call your doctor about schizophrenia
Seeking professional guidance is a must in fighting schizophrenia. I recommend considering your loved ones' feedback and avoiding playing doctor. I like to make shared decisions with my doctor for tackling symptoms.
I strongly encourage you to contact your doctor to ask questions about your treatment and to manage your wellness.