View Full Version : Paranoid Schizophrenia
Made the huge mistake of watching a Dr. Phil episode on schizophrenia and now the fears came rushing back. I keep checking to make sure I am not hearing things or seeing things. I am terrified to lie in bed alone. The thing that terrified me the most is that they said the traits of the child with the illness kept rubbing their hands together as a way to exhaust energy. I do that all the time! And they also said that the child couldn't keep her mind on one thing at a time. She would be doing one thing and the next she had to do something else. I have a huge problem focusing on things ever since I developed my bad habit of daydreaming and got anxiety. I am also concerned that my suspicions of strangers and always thinking the worst about people I meet sometimes categorizes me as paranoid?As a child I was always concerned that people were going to poison me if I ate at their house or do something bad to my family.... Could I be a paranoid schizophrenic?
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For example once we went to a restaurant and they gave us this almond soup. I remembered reading a book that said cyanide smelled like burnt almonds. I refused to eat the soup thinking someone had poisoned it. The waiters and others were sneaking around and whispering and I really thought they were plotting to do something to my family. It then turned out that they were planning a surprise for my birthday. I felt so awful afterwards. And when I am at the airport or airplane, I am always people watching to make sure no is acting suspicious and will commit acts of terror. And when I was little I would always think someone was standing behind me and keep turning around and checking compulsively. Are these characteristics of paranoid schizophrenia? Or could my OCD and anxieties be causing this too?? Please help!
MyNameIsTerry
18-04-17, 06:55
Can that not also be a function of fight or flight? Just that it is on a higher alert for too long? Which happens in anxiety disorders.
Paranoia also accompanies anxiety disorders, I had more at the worse stages and found it went as the constant high anxiety reduced.
And all human beings can experience paranoia just like they can experience anxiety. Irrationality is part of anxiety.
In schizophrenia you are getting into far more complex disorders where not only the intensity is increased but also the reasoning skills won't allow them to see outside of the context of their episode. They believe it, without question.
Delusion & psychosis means you are totally sucked in and refuse to believe it is flawed or wrong. A common example in delusion is the patient believing they have 3 arms. No matter the evidence, they stick to their view that they have 3 arms.
This lack of reasoning means they tend not to know they are experiencing an episode and it's friends & family that alert their doctors.
Schizophrenics experience anxiety, because anxiety is present in us all, but it's part of their disorder and not an anxiety disorder.
They can even speak differently. Part of diagnosis means investigating their speech to look for clues like broken trains of thought or bizarre answers to questions.
I'm not sure on the hands thing. But what I do know it's that increased adrenaline means you just can't sit still if it's high, something those of us on here know from our agitation (one of my worst symptoms). It's even one of the questions in the agrees anxiety assessment standard form -do you feel restless and unable to sit down? You can often see my legs shaking when agitated and at the worst of it I've clawed at things, clenched, wanted to bite things, etc.
So, whilst the hands thing may be seen in schizophrenia according to that doctor, did he exclude it from every other disorder including anxiety? Beware Confirmation Bias, it's one of our struggles.
WoodChucker
18-04-17, 07:37
You certainly are a bit paranoid, but this is very likely due to your anxiety. The anxiety for terrorism is a pretty realistic one and the waiters were actually acting suspicious. The stranger danger campaigns can scar people for life that are sensitive for it. Like the ALS/MS/cancer campaigns are absolutely horrible for hypochondriacs. You seem to have been scared into or have valid reasons to be paranoid/anxious, be it a bit to the extreme.
The fact that you know these things could be because your anxiety means you are not schizophrenic. Schizophrenia does something to your brain which makes you absolutely convinced your delusions are true. They don't think they are (unrealisticly) paranoid, they KNOW for sure that people are out there to get them. Most of the time it is accompanied by some form of hallucination, like a voice in your head (like someone is talking to you, not the normal inner voice) or bizarre visual hallucinations.
And these people can't function normally anymore because of it. You seem to be fine in these areas :)
If it really bothers you you should seek out a psychologist or psychiatrist to talk to to find the root of your paranoia. But it certainly is not schizophrenia, so you can check that one off :)
You know when you are daydreaming and when you're not. There's a big sign you're not schizophrenic. You know there's a real you that you resist operating from by daydreaming you are someone else. You haven't merged the daydreams and your true identity together unsure of what is real and what was imagined. That's how you sound to me.
If there were malicious scary voices to hear and wild hallucinations to see you would've seen them already.
I thought someone spat in my food before seemed suspicious they were kind enough to make me something to eat. You're probably just a bit scatter brained which is fine. Flitting from one situation/subject to the next never really following through.
Thought is complicated in some people. Do you have interests, things you like to talk about that you think other people would find strange??
If you had Paranoid Schizophrenia you would not have been able to write the post that you wrote. The condition is a certain condition. No paranoid schizophreniac worries that they 'might have it'. Their world is as real as it comes.
Using Terry's example but reversed, imagine somebody telling you that you had three arms. To you and the general population that is absolutely absurd. But they insist that you have three arms no matter what you think. You end up ignoring them because what they are saying is just lies.
That is how convinced somebody with Paranoid Schizophrenia is. No matter what you tell them, nothing can convince them of anything they are seeing/hearing/feeling with their condition. They can't think outside of their condition which is why it is a terrible condition to treat.
You do not have it. Paranoia is a natural occurrence, especially with anxiety.
That is incorrect.
You need to see a doctor and get a referral to see a psychiatrist. There are no mental health professional here.
That is incorrect.
You need to see a doctor and get a referral to see a psychiatrist. There are no mental health professional here.
True we are not professionals here. Megan99 please hurry up and go!
MyNameIsTerry
18-04-17, 12:39
That is incorrect.
You need to see a doctor and get a referral to see a psychiatrist. There are no mental health professional here.
But we can read the guidance our health service gives us which advises when to consult a doctor. If you have none of the symptoms on the list, they won't tell you to see see a GP just to rule out something that you don't have that your anxiety is twisting into.
In the UK, this would be a waste of public money. But in the US, I guess it fills a psychiatrist's pockets with money. You wouldn't get to a psychiatrist here without a preliminary diagnosis.
Like everything else in this board, it's see a doctor for everything as we are not qualified. But our country has put in place systems to prevent the need for it e.g 111 service, NHS Choices, etc. I have no idea if the US do the same.
If someone asked if they had a cancer and then gave their symptoms which were not even on the list, people are usually comfortable in pointing that out.
I don't get your point Terry. Are you suggesting that we can prevent wasting public money by diagnosing someone as not having a mental illness? That is ridiculous. Based on what the OP has written she should be getting the opinion of someone trained in the mental health field. You and I have had this type of discussion before. You know what they say about a little knowledge being a dangerous thing...
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Megan I highly doubt that you are paranoid schizophrenic. However the fact that you believe your irrational thinking could be due to some type of mental illness is reason enough for you to seek help. Make an appointment to see someone.
MyNameIsTerry
18-04-17, 13:13
I don't get your point Terry. Are you suggesting that we can prevent wasting public money by diagnosing someone as not having a mental illness? That is ridiculous. Based on what the OP has written she should be getting the opinion of someone trained in the mental health field. You and I have had this type of discussion before. You know what they say about a little knowledge being a dangerous thing...
My point is, if your lymph nodes are normal size but you worry they aren't, why see a GP? If this were cancer, would we be saying "best check out that fatigue & weight loss as none of us are trained to say it could or could not not be cancer"
If I go NHS Choices and none of of my symptoms are mentioned in the "when to see your doctor" section, why would I go to see them?
If you disagree, then every thread on here should be answered "see your doctor, we can't say either way" which Venus clearly states in the sticky. But I don't see people doing that, I do see lots of people saying it's anxiety and no complaint about this.
Clearly the angst which is being generated by the OP's irrational thinking is cause enough to seek help.
btw I usually tell people to see a doctor if they describe symptoms that have not been evaluated by a medical professional. If someone comes here complaining of chest pain and palpitations which have not been evaluated by a doctor it would be irresponsible of anyone to say "it is just anxiety".
MyNameIsTerry
18-04-17, 13:46
Yeah, swajj I can honestly say that you are the most consistent person on here for steering people to their doctor. And it's a given the OP should be seeing a doctor about their anxiety to me, although I tend not to say it much myself.
I think many do the opposite of you on here on a daily basis. Strictly speaking, it's wrong and I agree with you because of the consistency that says we can't say it's anxiety as that's a diagnosis (although I do say myself, I know).
I understand where you are coming from. Many people wouldn't consider asking a forum, they just see it as the right thing to do is to only consult a doctor.
I guess it's always tricky. Even an anxiety diagnosis is meaningless in the event of a later symptom of anything since it could still be something else and only someone trained should be saying either way. But perhaps forums like this have veered off track into members, including myself, overstepping that mark as these forums progress?
And you Terry I can honestly say are the most consistently patient person here. :) I think there is a tendency by some people here to put everything down to anxiety. It's a board for Health Anxiety sufferers so it's understandable. As you know I have experienced HA but I am recovered. One of the hardest things for HA sufferers is determining when their symptoms are indicative of some sort of medical problem or when they are due to anxiety. I was one of those people who would say to my doctor "but how do I know when something is real? I never felt that my doctor or my psychiatrist had a deep understanding of Health Anxiety. I sometimes wonder if anyone does.
WoodChucker
18-04-17, 14:05
That is incorrect.
You need to see a doctor and get a referral to see a psychiatrist. There are no mental health professional here.
There is. I have my university master in clinical psychology and I have seen countless people with schizophrenia. The OP shows no signs of schizophrenia. There are other possible causes though of her paranoia and that is why I told the OP to see a psychologist or psychiatrist if it really influences the OP's life.
I should add that my psychiatrist helped me overcome my HA. But sometimes he would sit and look at me with complete bemusement. A bit like the look I'm sure is on my face when I read some of the threads here lol. HA is so irrational and ridiculous, but when your in it it makes complete sense, to you anyway. :wacko:
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And yet here you are...
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The latter was to woodchucker
WoodChucker
18-04-17, 14:47
I should add that my psychiatrist helped me overcome my HA. But sometimes he would sit and look at me with complete bemusement. A bit like the look I'm sure is on my face when I read some of the threads here lol. HA is so irrational and ridiculous, but when your in it it makes complete sense, to you anyway. :wacko:
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And yet here you are...
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The latter was to woodchucker
Yes? Because psychologists are supposed to be immune to psychological problems? I know I have it and I know how to control it. Furthermore I am just like the others here and it flares up from time to time.
MyNameIsTerry
18-04-17, 14:52
Yes? Because psychologists are supposed to be immune to psychological problems? I know I have it and I know how to control it. Furthermore I am just like the others here and it flares up from time to time.
We have others on here, doctors and nurses too. However, I think you have to accept that we can only go on what we see in the advice. And legally, professional advice is up to the owner. But experience is always welcome, of course!
It must be draining coming from work to a forum. It's nice to know people do it though.
I have a degree in psychology to post grad level, so I'm not suggesting that people with mental health training can't have HA. I'm not a practising psychologist though, I'm a school teacher. I do know enough about how mental disorders are diagnosed to know that no diagnosis would ever be made based on the scant information given by the OP.
MyNameIsTerry
18-04-17, 15:00
And you Terry I can honestly say are the most consistently patient person here. :) I think there is a tendency by some people here to put everything down to anxiety. It's a board for Health Anxiety sufferers so it's understandable. As you know I have experienced HA but I am recovered. One of the hardest things for HA sufferers is determining when their symptoms are indicative of some sort of medical problem or when they are due to anxiety. I was one of those people who would say to my doctor "but how do I know when something is real? I never felt that my doctor or my psychiatrist had a deep understanding of Health Anxiety. I sometimes wonder if anyone does.
Hah! You haven't seen me swearing at the screen! :winks: Thank you for your kind words. I try to treat this place like email at work, it helps to keep the emotions out of it.
We fall into the negative thinking traps. It's good to get objective opinions on here but with doctors trained to rule out rather than rule in, you get a more scientific approach.
I'm no HAer, swajj, but my OCD side has been highly irrational so I can certainly appreciate that in HA as you say about your experiences. I've got control of Jr now, even if I'm still battling to sort out some areas, but at the worst of it I felt like I had no choice like I was being pulled towards my compulsions. It had me in tears many a time. The first year post relapse was the worst of my life. I had many bizarre compulsions and irrational obsessions.
So you're currently a practising clinical psychologist?
Do you find coming here helps with your anxiety?
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Without going into detail I have had a couple of health issues lately. When I first had symptoms I immediately wondered if they were real or it was my HA returning. As it turned out they were real. I am happy to say that it's all good now. And even happier to say that my HA has not returned. So I think that anyone having symptoms should be checked out by a doctor.
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The last part was to Terry.
Without going into detail I have had a couple of health issues lately. When I first had symptoms I immediately wondered if they were real or it was my HA returning. As it turned out they were real. I am happy to say that it's all good now. And even happier to say that my HA has not returned
In all the time I've been on the boards, I've only known a few that actually faced their worst fear. All have done well and interestingly, as you're said Swajj, during the challenge of the illness their anxiety took a back seat and in every case, has remained there afterwards.
Even myself, not being a sufferer, my life perspective has changed drastically due to the health challenges I've faced and being a caregiver to my wife.
Positive thoughts
It's weird Fish. I don't really understand why but the fear of having an illness is actually worse than the reality, for HA sufferers anyway.
It's weird Fish. I don't really understand why but the fear of having an illness is actually worse than the reality, for HA sufferers anyway.
Because half of our fear is uncertainty. Plus when s**t gets real, you have no choice but to deal with it.
ServerError
18-04-17, 18:10
I like to think I'm pretty balanced on here. If someone has seen multiple doctors and had lots of reassurance, I'll tell them to take on board that reassurance that it's anxiety.
By and large, if they're worried but have never seen a doctor, I'll not post at all.
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Because half of our fear is uncertainty. Plus when s**t gets real, you have no choice but to deal with it.
A lot of it strikes me as existential angst. You think of all the things you care about or still want to do, and you know something's eventually going to get you, and you become vigilant for it, and then start to actually believe it's happening.
One of the reasons learning to accept the inevitable and the uncertain is such a key part of healing.
I do have diagnosed anxiety and OCD. And am taking therapy for it. It's just that I needed a bit of reassurance last night because I was stupid enough to watch that episode in the dead of night when I was all alone and I completely freaked out. Thanks for the replies! I feel much better this morning.
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