Obsession becoming worse. wanna kick this

[wilcb003]

OK so for ages now as part of my health anxiety, i have been obsessing over schizophrenia. I read about it somewhere a couple of months back and since have become hyper aware of everything, sight, sound, smell etc.

I have posted a couple of times and got some really great advice about it but it seems anything will trigger my fear. I was worried about hearing things, and managed to get passed that. On the whole, i've managed to accept a lot of visual and sounds disturbances as part of my anxiety, e.g. eye floaters, after images etc...

However recently i looked outside a murky window and for some reason thought i could vaguely see it raining, this was only for a second, and when i looked back and looked closer i realised it wasn't. It doesn't sound like much at all but it was enough to set my anxious mind racing, thinking omg was that some tiny, subtle hullucination.

Just wondered if anyone had any similar issues or any advice :/

Thanks!

[saab]

People experiencing schizophrenic breaks aren't able to question what they see or hear as far as I know. We all see 'things that aren't there', just everyday optical illusions, visual tricks of the light. I have terrible eyesight and even with my specs on I am constantly mistaken about things.

Schizophrenia is rare and I think if you had had it for a few months, it would have shown up by now big style, not just in a subtle way like thinking it was raining.

[xvolatileheart]

I get a lot of thoughts like this too. I see things out the corner of my eye that I think are something else. I think this happens to everyone, but most people either laugh it off or take no notice! Because we're hyper-aware of our every observation, we try to apply some meaning to it when really it doesn't mean anything at all. The fact that you are observing these thoughts and are concerned about them shows that you are not schizophrenic, as schizo people do not have this awareness. Just anxious obsessive thoughts, very common.

[wilcb003]

Thanks guys. This is what i try to tell myself and really i know is the case. Helps to hear it from people who get it though so thanks!!

[nomorepanic]

You don't have schizophrenia at all to be honest.

[Freddiemercury]

Hello, you might remember me from before when I replied to your previous post about this (I work with individuals with schizophrenia). I think it's important to mention something I didn't mention before, that research has shown that symptoms we associate with schizophrenia are actually extremely common. Most people will see, hear, smell, taste things that aren't there at some point. Most people will have a paranoid thought someone is against them, and most people will even have magical thinking (just look at a superstitious baseball player who won't wash their socks all season because they think they will bring them luck). The theory is that people with schizophrenia interpret these experiences in a pathological way and the areas of the brain that say "okay maybe I'm being paranoid and that person isn't really against me" are not working. Of course this is a very complicated disorder and I'm not trying to dumb it down, I'm just saying that the very fact that you have this insight goes against schizophrenia.

When I was a student we saw a patient who was very worried they had schizophrenia because their father did and they became very anxious about it. I remember my supervision saying, "Ok let's go over the reasons I do not believe you have schizophrenia. #1 - you think you have schizophrenia". Everyone in the room just burst into laughter and I always think about that now.

I also just want to say that although I am just about 1000% sure you do not have schizophrenia, I know that when we have health anxiety, it is very hard to get over these things and our thoughts are just so irrational. I mean I can have a test from a doctor that proves I don't have something and I will still wonder if I do. I know it is hard, so I know how you feel, but hopefully this info will make you feel a little better. :bighug1:

[helphelp]

hi i m new to this forum i know this is isnt related to the topic being discussed but i need to know that there is someone out there i m in the uk and theres noone online that i can see or in the chat room its 3.30 in the morning here and im feeling pretty awful hope you can reply

---------- Post added at 04:29 ---------- Previous post was at 04:20 ----------

hi im new to the forum not very good with computers and have posted replies and then cant find them i know this isnt related to topic being discussed justed need to talk to someone its the middle of the night and finding it difficult no ones in chat room do people use the chat room frightened of everything hope you can reply

[wilcb003]

hanks again! really is a huge amount of help. To hear from other people is reassuring as my problem is i go round and round in circles in my mind with this. Much appreciated, i will take it all on board!

---------- Post added at 13:46 ---------- Previous post was at 13:43 ----------

To helphelp, i would post on 'introduce yourself' if you haven't already :)