How long have you been living with SZ?

My first episode was late 2016. So its been 10 years.

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I was put in the hospital and diagnosed with psychosis at age 11. That was 24 years ago. Then officially diagnosed with schizophrenia at age 16. 19 years ago.

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My first episode was 2016 too…

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20 years. I am surprised I am still alive. Once I was caught shop lifting and beaten by the police as an example.

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Ive not been beaten up by police but i have been manhandled into cuffs on two occasions. Hope you werent traumatised

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Me too. Once police swung me by handcuffs while i was cuffed. Fell at hit my head and got knocked unconscious. That and being on extremely high doses of multiple antipsychotics and benzodiazepines at the same time, im surprised too. I got lucky with that.
I cant even remember what i was taking at the time. It was about 25 pills a day. 3 of em being 20mg haldol each for a total of 60mg plus max dose risperdal consta. Plus 6 or 8 mg xanax. Plus a tons of other stuff. Maybe even chlorpromazine at the time. It was bad.

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Not traumatized but more reason to keep my distance from people and be a loner. I don’t get in people’s way.

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Same, i dont get to know people either. I have huge trust problems that im only now figuring out i have

Socialising is good for self repair, i just hope the forum continues to help me go at my own pace in regards to that comfortability with other people

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That sounds horrendously bad. Glad youre safe, but sad you had to go through that

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Since forever because I had those racing thoughts, paranoia and other symptoms since a kid. Still . Depressive break at 23. Psychotic break at 29 in 1999. So officially paranoid sz for 23 years and a few months.

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I had my first episode in March 2011 and hospitalized. So, 12 years ago.

I agree with @rogueone mine started at age of eight, so that’s 49 years ago

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At what age did you get diagnosed sz? I can’t imagine they would diagnose a 8 year old.

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I had a provisional diagnosis at age 13. But I started having symptoms at the age of 8.

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That’s really young. I’m sorry you had to experience that at such an age…

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Thanks. I do appreciate that.

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Seems like other people like @rogueone also experienced symptoms since they were a kid. Same for @irrelevant I just read.

Is it rare? Does anyone know the percentages?

I have to be too tedious but late 2016. Is 6.5 years …

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I had my first suicide attempt at age 14, first diagnosis at 16, so 32 years of an actual diagnosed illness. I am so fortunate to still be here. It’s almost been 8 months since my last hospitalization so I’m doing really well lately.

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It will be 10 years in 2026

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