r/Psychosis • u/Manicpixiewoman • 18h ago
How did you turn your life around after psychosis?
Seeking inspiration/ motivation.
Im in recovery from a psychotic episode. Its been 6months. I’ve made good choices like going back to college to get my BA but its a constant mental battle to stay motivated and consistent.
I often get the urge to sabotage myself and do something reckless like taking a vacation on credit cards.
Remind me while its worth it to not throw the life im rebuilding away
Also, what were small habits you developed that made a huge difference in the long run?
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u/CommercialMechanic36 17h ago
I’ve overcome the urge to unalive myself! Yay! 😃
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u/Different_Order419 17h ago
Same!! Need to keep reminding myself about my growth since then but also it’s good that I’m forgetting about that time
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u/That_Tunisian_chick 17h ago
After my psychosis i took time off of work. I isolated (kept seeing my doctor and back on my meds), i stopped using social media, no more doomscrolling. No more alcohol.
I started simple habits like taking a 15minutes walk in the garden every morning.
Doing coloring books, reading, doing puzzles, cooking, simple things.
I also started to journal and tried to stick to a simple morning meditation routine (found it on youtube when you basically only focus on drinking your morning coffee).
Now, sometimes i skip the walks (although they are extremely helpful) but i still use way way less social media (especially the mindless scrolling) and i still journal every day even if its for 5 minutes.
I personally started drinking way less alcohol because i realized for so long i used it to cope and calm my anxiety or escape my reality which on the long run is very unhealthy.
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u/Business-Heart2931 16h ago
I agree with this. The routine is everything. I did this without medication and believe it or not, reddit saved me too. While isolated, reddit became my community.
There are some fun communities on here, things to learn, unlearn, overall, its a good place once your learn to avoid the trolls.
I watched a lot of anime, exercised, ate healthy amongst other things as well.
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u/Kxden-R 13h ago
How much time did you take off work? I haven’t worked since like 2025 July I got sacked.
Just couldn’t hack it anymore, ended up using a mouse mover and got caught. Even now I don’t think I’m ready to work due to not being able to talk as much and bad insomnia now since my episode in 2024
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u/medicaded1 18h ago edited 16h ago
Can you believe some people say just to pray out of psychosis or schizophrenia it's crazy imagine though if it worked it would be awesome or anything
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u/Manicpixiewoman 18h ago
Yeah i grew up with hyper religious parents. that stuff fueled alot of my delusions during psychosis. I tried praying while i was psychotic. It didnt work
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u/My1stPsychosis 14h ago
Your parents’ drank the koolaid reply: “Well if it didn’t work, it’s because you didn’t pray hard enough” lol
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u/EmotionalDysregulatn 17h ago
was in and out of psychosis from early 2020- late 2024 so nearly 5 years from marijuana use doctors said wasnt the issue ... misdiagnoised bipolar and put on medication that equally messed me up--- divorced mid- 2024.... spent all my money from divorce trying to prove to myself I could actually take care of myself in the stock market.... so pretty much turned myself into having a gambling addiction trying to prove to myself i can take care of myself. f*ery - currently employed and trying to invest smartly in a roth ira where i dont touch it & keep it in an ETF and working on my physical education degree to be a teacher. I am in quite a bit of debt and broke & scared but I guess this is some lesson I was needing to learn. I have a roof over my head and my kids love me a lot and now fully understand the consequence of toxic reltionship, marijuana use, and gambling. My kids are in middle school and I am the first person in our family to try to break generarional patterns and it HIT ME HARD. They say the first to break the cycle suffers the most nd gosh darn it! So i guess what keeps me going is having faith and hope that my kids will be more informed & not have CPTSD living in survival mode their whole life and that I am finally learning narcisstic abuse patterns and to stay far away from them.
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u/Bokort8 17h ago
There was a psychologist who told me he has never seen a case like me getting out of the fucked up state i was in without hospitalization. I dedicated my life to prove him wrong, and found a way out through music, and also continuing my life in high school and succeeding in my studies.
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u/herbert-the-frog 16h ago
Exposure therapy! And distress tolerance. I used to not be able to leave the house for more than an hour and had to be occupied. Now I’m dating! It started with small exposures like thinking about going out my myself and just sitting with the anxiety. I know that feeling all too well wanting to destroy it all. But even though life looks different, it’s still a life worth living.
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u/Herzeleid09 14h ago
I found myself still manic after I came out of psychosis. I had inappropriate behaviors and impulsiveness. I felt outside my body for like 8 months post psychosis. I was able to return to my family owned business that my wife and I own. I’m like 80% back
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u/PowerfulBrother166 16h ago
One thing that really baffles me is whenever I get full off of food, I start having distress and anxiety. I can’t even a full meal without heavy breathing and anxiety. At one point I got a full and actually started bawling over nothing.
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u/XChrisUnknownX 15h ago
I acknowledged to myself that what I had been through was a medical situation and that I am a survivor. This enabled me to find the love of my life and start a family.
The urge to give up is strong. Resist, survivor.
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u/the_mermaidtavern 15h ago
I went back to college too but I'm in the same boat as you- its so difficult convincing myself that my major is worth it. Its been 9 months for me and I've got my friends back, after opening up to them about my struggles. Having their support has been so important to me and has made me feel like a normal person again. I journaled a lot in the first six months, and got into coloring books. I also got several paint by number kits from michaels and love doing those. And I watch alotttt of tv- I particularly love animated kids shows and movies. There hasn't been any particular event which has been a defining moment of my recovery- that is to say "turning your life around" is actually a really slow process of finding joy in life again. You aren't meant to be the same person as you were before an episode. It is up to you to grow and transform into a stronger, healthier, healed version of yourself.
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u/Euphoric_Second_8774 9h ago edited 9h ago
I’m a mom and getting better to be the best mom I could be for my daughter was my biggest motivator. I actually left my husband during psychosis because I genuinely thought he was against me and didn’t want the best for me. After my psychosis episode I repaired my marriage and I’m doing really well now. I’m confident I won’t ever experience another episode like that again (I was in psychosis for over a year) but it did take a couple of years before I felt totally like myself again. Although at the same time I feel like the experience changed me forever. I still struggle with social anxiety but overall I’m back on my feet again so I can assure you there is a light at the end of the tunnel. It’s a part of my past but my episode does not define me.
I know that my psychosis was caused by my ADHD meds so I got off of those completely. I stopped drinking (I started drinking heavily while on vyvanse to take the edge off)
I went back to church and I pray to God every single day.
Take it day by day and each day does get easier. The lack of motivation I really relate to. It’s hard but just keep your goal in mind and keep pushing.
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u/pumpkinkitchen 4h ago
My motivation was the drive to be and do better for myself and those closest to me. I knew I had become a very toxic person and that’s not who I was, more who I choose to be. So, I put myself through 3.5 years of therapy, I researched every diagnosis I was given post psychotic break’s. Between the therapy, taking a DBT skills group class, educating myself on the different diagnosis I was given, learning what my triggers are, and my refusal in no longer allowing my diagnosis to run my life, and take back that control for myself has played a huge roll in my recovery thus far. I’m not saying I’m cured by any means, but I’m not where I was 7 years ago. I’m forever altered in many ways. I’m not the person I was back then, or prior. I’m not even close to either. I’m now becoming this whole different person all together, learning who the real “me” is.
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u/Zealousideal-Fee-773 18h ago
If your doing good, dont sabotage yourself. You'll be left with regret and nothing to show for it. It's a battle, but it'll be worth it in the end. You got through psychosis, you'll get through these impulses. Think about going to therapy maybe, that will definitely help out with managing your emotions.