I got diagnosed in the hospital. It was my third trip. When they told my wife and I that I had paranoid schizophrenia I didn’t know what that was. It took me another four years to accept it.
I found out at the hospital while I was in Psychosis, I thought the whole ward was set up to trick me, I just went a long with them, even though I knew they could not fool me.
Doctor diagnosed before I knew I had it. As a coincidence, in 2005, I just started curiously looking into SZ definitions online and then I believe my next appointment she then brought up schizophrenia and began putting me on anti-psychotic. Definitely was clueless until receiving the SZ diagnosis. I’m still amazed they can make a SZ or SZA diagnosis just by talking to me.
I remember once I attended this public meeting/presentation thing about ADD/ADHD out of curiosity, I guess. Afterward, I went to talk to the doctor there and just after 2 - 6 minutes of verbal conversation she mentioned I had Schizoaffective (underlying Bi-Polar). Not just Schizophrenia.
I think now: Hmm, that obvious, huh? Okay.