Can OCD cause schizophrenia? Or a chemical imbalance in the brain? Please help!!!

[Megan99]

Can OCD cause schizophrenia? I unfortunately looked up a study that may have found a link between the two mental ailments and now I am freaking out. My grandma's cousin's husband's son had schizophrenia and I know that I am not related to them by blood, but I am still terrified that I may develop this illness sometime in my life. And that my OCD will somehow cause a chemical imbalance in my brain and give me the illness? Is that possible?

[viking111]

I doubt anxiety can create scitzophrenia, I believe it has to do with something more.

[clarisse]

The answer is no.

[Dave1]

I believe that anxiety and depression tend to latch onto people with mental illness. My problem is low self esteem but I have now acquired some OCD symptoms which I think have come about because of the difficulties that low self esteem has caused in my life. So I'm guessing that people with schizophrenia are more likely to get OCD (rather than the opposite way round that your looking at it).

BTW It's doing my head in trying to work out what relation your 'grandma's cousin's husband's son' is to you!

[MyNameIsTerry]

No, it doesn't.

I've read about this and it's like Dave says, it's a comorbidity issue. Many with schizophrenia also have OCD and there are issues where OCD has overlaps in their case but not the other way around in that it can affect us, they just had OCD symptoms presenting earlier at times.

[AntsyVee]

Trust me, people with schizophrenia don't worry about getting OCD. The fact that you're worrying about getting schizophrenia is your OCD talking and that's it.

[Megan99]

Thanks for the replies! LOL! I don't even know what my grandma's cousin's husband's son is to me! I just know he is a relative of mine that had the mental illness and I freaked out!

[MyNameIsTerry]

Yes, I think I would need a sheet of A4, a pen and a ruler to draw all that out!

[Brad10]

I had the same fear and no it can't nor will you ever get it, I use freak out about it but you will never get it so don't worry

[C4therine]

Don't worry, it's just the anxiety from your OCD that's making you think this! No basis in reality hope you feel better soon