u/AcceptableClaim9426

Hi, my brother has been diagnosed with schizophrenia back in 2022.. since then he’s been in the hospital on psychiatric hold twice and recently he went on his own accord. Anyways, he’s my little brother and I’ve always been his idk protector. (Our childhoods were shitty and I was his main caregiver when I was 7 and he was 1, when our mother was occupied with her relationship at the time). Before his first psychosis he was very ambitious, social, had goals like college, much more popular than I was, and funny. Like the cheeky confident kind of funny. After his first episode it’s like he’s a completely different person. I love him so much but I feel like I’m grieving my brother I had before. Even with his medication and him being “stable” I still don’t see any glimpse of the him before. Has anyone experienced this? Any tips? Or am I just a shitty sister and need to do better? He’s been living with m, my husband, and kids since getting discharged and waiting for the renovations in his apartment to be done.

Hi everyone.
I honestly just need to know if anyone else has experienced something similar because I’m feeling a little discouraged.
I was recently diagnosed with ADHD and started on 20 mg of Ritalin twice a day. Those first two weeks were incredible. For the first time in years, my brain was quiet. I had patience with my kids. I could actually start and finish things. I felt motivated. I felt present.
The biggest thing though… for the first time in years, I was genuinely happy to be alive. That realization hit me really hard because I hadn’t realized how much I had been struggling until that weight was suddenly gone. It didn’t feel like I was “high.” It just felt like I could finally breathe and enjoy my life.
The only problem was the crash around 5 p.m., which is literally the worst possible time when you’re a mom of six. That’s when everyone’s home, supper needs to be mad, someone is crying, someone needs a snack, someone can’t find a shoe… you know the drill.
My doctor suggested adding another 20 mg of Ritalin at 5 p.m., and it worked really well.
Then my brain started convincing me I was becoming addicted because I was taking medication three times a day. Even though I was taking it exactly as prescribed, I couldn’t shake the guilt that I was somehow abusing it.
I talked to my doctor again, and now I’m taking 54 mg of Concerta in the morning, another 18 mg at lunch, and 20 mg of Ritalin at 5 p.m.
Since switching to Concerta, I just feel… flat.
I’m functioning, but I don’t feel like me. I miss that calm, peaceful, genuinely happy feeling I had with Ritalin. I wouldn’t say I’m depressed, but I definitely don’t feel the joy I felt those first couple of weeks.
I’m also still really struggling with motivation. I can sit down and crochet for hours without a problem, but trying to start or finish my work tasks feels like climbing a mountain. So now I’m sitting here wondering… is the medication actually helping enough? Am I just hyperfocusing on the things my brain enjoys while still avoiding the things I need to do?
Has anyone else experienced something like this?
Did Ritalin make you feel different than Concerta? Did the flat feeling eventually go away? Did you have to try different medications before you found the right fit?
I’m not looking for medical advice. I have a great doctor and we’ll keep working on it. I think I’m just looking for reassurance from people who’ve been through this because right now I’m feeling pretty defeated. I finally got a glimpse of what life could feel like, and now it feels like I’ve lost it.