In your opinion what is a high functioning schizophrenic? What can they do and can they function like usual if there is an actual usual? I’m still a little bit in denial of my sickness so I’ve loads to ask as I’m slowly accepting the title. Thanks for your reply in advance.
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I have a job and a family…(wife and daughters)…
I know many Sz’s don’t, so i guess I’m one of the lucky ones in that I’m still able to manage my affairs.
My employer has always been supportive when I’ve needed time off when I go psychotic.
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I think its being able to work full time and maintain healthy relationships without any symptoms while on meds.
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I may not work (and havent done so for nearly 27 years) but i reckon im high functioning - cos ive got the insight to know when i going downhill and up my meds or ask for help accordingly.
I know lower functioning junkies - that cant even maintain electric for the week or food.
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Personally I have a wife and two daughters.
I’ve not been well for some time and have to skip many events. But I feel I could fit in.
I’ve worked on and off for twelve years since I got sick. But all the pieces are finally coming together and begin to make sense.
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High functioning does not = recovered at all.
I am high functioning to the best of my understanding of the matter. I live independently, work and am relatively stable.
Actually I find that having something to do is useful, I struggle in the times when I am idle
I don’t have a healthy relationship with myself at all. Plenty to deal with in a psychology sense, but my referral to the NHS service for a second round was rejected
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Many high functioning CEO’s of these big companies are sociopaths…so there’s room in the tent for crazy people from all walks of life.
Sociopath definition-
“A person with a personality disorder manifesting itself in extreme antisocial attitudes and behavior and a lack of conscience.”
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Very good point.
With ASD there’s talk of seeing things in terms of ‘support needs’. That might also be better for those with SMI. Functioning levels can vary across employment,social etc. Even within employment etc there can be relatively good and relatively bad days of functioning.
I’m a person with moderate support needs. I have the adaptive functioning < intelligence level gap often, though not always, found with autistic persons.
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Ive been high functioning sz super introverted only focussing on your intellectual fascinations combined with over intellectualizing everything sometimes doesnt seem out of place if youre in university
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Probably mid functioning.
Unable to work or be normal for a significant
period of time.
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IDK, I work part time. I’ve been working almost steadily since I was 23 and I’m 60 now. I lived independently 20 years from 1995-2015. Now I live in an apartment run by an agency. We’re pretty much on our own except a counselor visits us every three weeks. I’ve driven my own cars since 1997 to the present. I pretty much take care of business whether it’s dealing with Social Security, the DMV, or doctors. I shop, cook and clean for my self. I pretty much do all the normal stuff it takes to live independently. Shop for clothes.
Go out to eat, drive wherever I have too. Just drove like about ten miles to get tested for COVID. (Turned out negative). IDK. Many of you can testify that when you live independently, just a ton of crap comes up often and regularly that needs to be done.
Am I high functioning? You be the judge.
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The psychiatrist that first diagnosed me said I was a high functioning schizophrenic but I don’t have a definition of that. I guess it means I can function and appear normal to people around me. They only suspect something if I tell them what I have experienced.
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I don’t work, but I am fairly stable 80-90% of the time. I love music, and I get to indulge that passion with my free time.
A friend of mine who was a social worker, and worked closely with schizophrenic’s in the past, said he had never met anyone with schizophrenia but myself who came across as completely normal
This isn’t acting on my part, I don’t try to be anything that I’m not. So I guess I’m high functioning in that sense
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Once I got on the right medicine I have been able to live abroad, travel the world, support myself as an English teacher, and do everything for myself for the last 10 years.
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I am very active, i drive and i’m a volunteer on 3 radio shows, despite all of these things i use to think i was high functioning but now i’m not so sure, i dont cope with stress well at all and i get overwhelmed/panicky sometimes, i feel a bit of a shambles atm tbh
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I’m either a high functioning schizophrenic (sza)
Or a low functioning bipolar person.
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I can hold a job and go to school but I’m in the hospital a lot so who knows?
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