It took me almost 3 years to realize that I have a mental illness. During these three years I had been through a lot.
I think the most important part of SZ is that you must realize that you have SZ. Otherwise how much ever the doctors try to help you, you won’t be in a position to understand the gravity of the situation. The most common part of SZ is that people don’t agree to the diagnosis they have been given.
So again… how long did it take for you to come to terms with your illness?
It took me about 6 years to fully accept it but for the most part I figured it out in 4 years. So I guess you could say 4 to 6. At the 4 year mark my hallucinations got really bad and I knew something was wrong but I thought it was because somebody was drugging me.
I think I’m having the problem where I know I have a problem and am searching for the diagnosis. It’s taken me probably 10 years since I first got major delusional to seek psychiatric help for it, though.
For me, it was immediately. I always suspected that I had sz for many years before I was diagnosed. When I received my diagnosis of sza, my suspicions were just confirmed.
It was not until 4 or 5months or so when I finally ended up in hospital that I thought oh maybe I have a mental illness lol can’t believe it took so long that’s how real they felt to be spiritual rather than mental
It took me 6 months of meds to understand that my delusions about the world were false.
What took a long time was getting me on meds. Eventually I checked myself into the hospital. I just knew that something was wrong, and that they kept putting me in the hospital, so I figured there might be something to it.
I was diagnosed with sz in 2003 for the first time. Didn’t understand it but meds helped then I went into remission and denied ever having sz.
It was only in 2013 after I relapsed and was rediagnosed that I came to terms with it.
So it took me 10 years.
My abuser refused to diagnose me properly. I kind of found out through my own research but I was in denial I kept telling myself that it was just my situation I couldn’t actually be crazy.
It took me eleven years to go in to the doctor and finally receive a diagnosis. I was so afraid of losing my nursing career. I had already lost my nursing license by the time I got diagnosed.
I am glad you are alright now. 11 years without seeing the doctor could have done a lot of damage to you… but i am glad you came out of that situation.
I’m not confirmed sz (yet; still just schizophreniform), but it took me a couple months after being released from the psych ward to realize I was sick and not undergoing some cosmic test lol.