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Hey, all! I'm so glad this site exists. First, I was diagnosed Bipolar 1 with psychotic features a year ago. I recently just got out of the hospital for a psychotic episode and mania and my pdoc put me on Lithium right before the hospital coming off of Seroquel (FUCK that drug); I've been on 1800 mg of Lithium since mid March. I'm also on 250 mg of Lamictal and have had two injections of Invega once a month since April, 156 mg each. Two days ago, my pdoc lowered by Lithium dose to 1350 mg because I can't stay asleep at night from having to pee multiple times during sleep. He said we could try a diuretic, too, and said that my fatigue is probably coming from my high doses of Lithium and Invega. Lastly, he stated that one day I could possibly be fully stable on Lithium or Invega alone depending on how everything works out in my recovery journey. I've noticed some drastic changes with my emotions: I can't seem to feel sad or angry...like at all. Someone mentioned a mass shooting to me and I felt nothing, which would've elicited sadness in the past. My father isn't speaking to me right now because of his gross homophobia and I feel...nothing. Not angry. Not sad. Not hurt. Just...nothing. I hurt my friend's feelings the other day and I felt a pang of guilt which faded very quickly. I can't seem to be stressed about stuff and physically can't worry about things. I would call this disturbing but my med-induced apathy doesn't actually let me feel a lot of concern about it. Also, my hobbies feel boring to me, which majorly sucks. My stomach does not ever physically rumble to signal hunger but I do get really thirsty, probably from the Lithium. I feel dissociative a lot where I feel like I'm living in a video game or in a dream which never happened to me until I was medicated. The positive changes: no mania or depression! And I can still experience joy and happiness. Anxiety is mostly erased, too, replaced with calmness and apathy. So, after all of that, I have the option to toy with my meds with my wonderful pdoc but I don't know which medication is erasing some of my feelings. I think it might be the antipsychotic Invega but I just don't know. I'm telling my treatment team all of this ASAP and I'm meeting with my pdoc in 3 weeks. I really want to reach a baseline that doesn't sacrifice some of my emotions in the process. I'm not sure if what I'm experiencing is a "normal" baseline where before I was so used to feeling so intensely and now that I'm not...it feels flat. I think what I'm experiencing is a simultaneous mix of emotional stability and emotional flatness. I'm definitely missing some core emotions and I need some medication adjustment for sure. Does anyone have experience with these meds causing these side effects and/or have any advice on how to proceed? Thanks a bunch! <3 Alen

Hello, new here. I know we're supposed to go to our doctors but I was hoping to hear other people's personal experiences and if they know more about this than me. I'll cut to the chase - I'm prescribed adderall and have been on it for a long time. I normally take it and go about my day, but one side effect that I can't find any information on is irking me: after I take it, I feel as if people around me are upset with me, and I often feel a sense of guilt for no particular reason. For example, I can be watching tv and feel the urge to make sure everyone else in the room is not in a bad mood, or upset at me. Can anyone shed any light on this issue? Or is it just a me thing? Thanks for reading. Looking foward to replies.

I have trouble with emotions, especially ones that portray empathy. Now this doesn't happen all of the time but it does happen a lot. Someone (like my GF) will be telling about her problems and I can't connect with her at all. As in, I can't even fake being interested in what she's saying. I mostly end up saying things like "yeah," or "that sucks" and then nod and struggle to pretend to feel anything about it. It's not just with her, it's with everyone, even on tv. I haven't been able to feel anything towards what's happening. I used to be able to at least pretend, put on a frown or fake a smile. Now I just struggle to even recognize what I would be feeling if I was "normal". I don't know.... I need some help. I don't even know what this would be categorized as or if maybe I'm just broken.... TRIGGER: I often have to go hurt myself in some way just so I can feel something. It normally forces me out of what ever this is and lets me do some sort of facial expression.

People nowadays are so annoying. Everyone let's their emotions dictate their life and let pathetic things like jealousy take control and make them do things they don't want to do! as well as simple feelings like sympathy can lead people to letting in other people who will just manipulate them and use them. it bugs me that everyone around me is like this, and where they crumble and break i stay strong, but then get accused of being cold, yeah, well if i'm honest i enjoy being the heartless one. at least i'm not weak and let people control me. But then again, there's more to me than just noticing this things haha

I asked this question on chat earlier, and perhaps this is a bad section to ask this in, but if you could give up emotions, both positive and negative, would you? Why or why not?