Hi there
I’m just wondering if there’s such a thing as high functioning schizophrenia? When I’m well (all things being relative - I’m never without some symptoms) I probably appear fairly normal and I have a job as a manager. ( i’ve been off work a lot in the past nine months mind you)
When I’m ill there’s no doubt that I have a problem…
Thanks x
Some people say there is. Some people say there’s no such thing as high and low functioning.
I don’t know what to believe.
Well I mean you can categorize anything, It does seem a bit like it puts some people on a pedestal and emphasizes the lower socioeconomic status of others. But you could categorize people with any disability in such a way I suppose. I think it has more to do with circumstance than anything else, how well people do with Sz or Sza. I wouldn’t be possibly looking at volunteering and maybe later working myself if I hadn’t finally found meds that work.
My current psychiatrist believes in ranking the different functioning levels, but she admits that it is difficult to rank, because there are so many layers to it.
According to both my psychiatrist and therapist, I am considered high functioning.
But I would consider myself more mid level functioning.
I would be considered high-functioning for a person with schizoaffective disorder.
I normally teach part-time and work a part-time side job in addition, though right now I am completely out of work. I have no choice but to work.
Some people think I’m weird, even when I’m relatively healthy.
Same here. I have cognitive problems and negative symptoms that prevent me from living a productive life.
When I’m delusional and paranoid I’m totally numb.
It’s a spectrum disorder
I discovered this year that I’m considered high-functioning compared to many neurotypicals, let alone compared to SZs. Got some social deficits, but have learned how to hide them or work around them.
Yeah highly functioning schizophrenics is a real thing. I am one. It’s an awkward role in life at times.
It’s too easy to wind up feeling to strong… and when faced with adversity… too easy to develop a superiority complex.
Cause at the end of the day… 99.9% of them have no clue at all when regarding psychosis as a factor in life.
I keep getting told I don’t have schizophrenia… that maybe it’s this or that… It’s still very much there… It’s still totally convincing sometimes… I’m just good at rebounding and knowing the moment will pass… That I will have higher comforts ahead of me that are worth living for.
And on normal levels of life… I get a whole helluva lot of respect for me being me… ethically and all that.
Sz is bad … its a no functioning disease. But with right meds…life circumstances…social help(gov specialists)…the quality of life of a szphrenic can be very good.
I was high functioning when I was on Lurisdone (Latuda) for about 18 months. That drug worked well for me until I got unbearable side effects.
Ever since I have not been stable, it’s been a whole year of upping this, changing that and adding something else. I cannot seem to find a drug that works as well as Latuda did for me.
Now I am stuck on Diazepam because I cannot come off it because of withdrawals as been on it for over a year and I need to work. It takes the ■■■■■■■ piss, now I have to drop 2.5mg every three months from 30mg a day, which is going to take ages. I am already getting memory problems from it now, that I read online may be permanent so this 2.5mg drop is unacceptable to me.
I am not able to cope well with working anymore and I think I am on the verge of having to quit my job, as things have gone to ■■■■ in terms of being able to function to the level I need too. I have had my drivers license taken away from me, and I am ■■■■ out of options and have a pdoc considering Clozapine and I basically told him to ■■■■ off in the nicest possible way… But he could force the issue ‘in my best interests’?
Being high-functioning for a period of stability is fine, but when that rug gets pulled from under your feet every thing is a ■■■■■■■ mess. Not only health, but financially as well as you get into a position where you’re reliant on the wage to pay the bills and not being eligible for benefits, so there is no safety net other than burning through whatever you have accumulated before you become able to get support.
idk
What I guess I am trying to say is that if you’re high functioning and hit a problem with meds, it ■■■■■ you over and I still don’t know whether I can recover from this or whether things have gotten to a point now where they’re worse.
I am so ■■■■■■■ sick of living now I am considering walking into the clinic and demand that they put me back on Olanzapine so I can be a ■■■■■■■ zombie and not give a ■■■■ - seemed to reach that point when I was on that one for two years. Couldn’t give a ■■■■ anymore I just hope I don’t do anything stupid.
I dropped diazepam in one month, from 20 to ten a week, then 5 a week then 2.5 two weeks after that I drop it.
No sides effects, and I’ve been on it for more then one year. For me it was a med which did not gave me complications
We tried that, it didn’t work well at all. The pdoc said I am just unlucky that I get the withdrawals as it depends on the person.
My mum said to the pdoc it was like I was having a relapse when I got down to 10mg, so she told me to go back on what I was on.
Then stick with the docs plan. Only a few gets windrall symptoms
Not for all.
Thanks all for the thoughts and information. I don’t feel very high functioning a lot of the time but I know I’m lucky compared to some. But the symptoms, especially the negative ones keep poking through my medication, and I feel like I’m in last chance saloon on clozapine - what comes next if this stops working…
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