I want a diagnosis to prove im not crazy. Too bad no one likes to diagnose 16 yr olds with schizophrenia. Dont blame em. Don’t want it, but ive got it.
you could always diagnose yourself 
just need to study for a few years and get a degree (maybe longer)
become a p/doc yourself and give yourself a diagnosis 
kind of makes sense i guess haha
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You want a schizophrenia diagnosis to prove you’re not crazy? 
I know it’s comforting to have a name for what’s happening to us, but as much as you can, try to focus on the symptoms and not the diagnosis.
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It’s just I hate when they say I have bipolar, and that its “not a big deal.” I have been fighting this illness for years and Im only 16. I like to think of myself as strong and brave to be able to handle this without going completely mad and they try and down play it. Its not that I “want” to be Schizophrenic, but I am and I want someone to agree with me.
See a MD - get a diagnosis
I have. Many times… No one wants to tell a teen they have schizophrenia. Theyre too afraid of “misdiagnosing” and theyre afraid of schizophrenia.
Well you’re in a schizophrenia website full of people that are diagnosed with schizophrenia that also wished they didn’t have it. All of us wish we didn’t have it.
You’ll get your diagnosis soon enough.
Edit: I misread this post… What I mean to say is that the diagnosis isn’t as important as the treatment. Ask your doctor about the accurate dose of abifily for your voices. Say you made your research and would like for the voices to go away.
There isn’t much you can do but wait. It can be other things other than sz. There are people here that don’t have sz and hear voices.
So, as hard as you’re pushing for this diagnosis, what if you’re not actually schizophrenic? There’s a lot more to schizophrenia than hallucinations. And there are a lot of causes of hallucinations that aren’t schizophrenia.
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Say what?
That’s basically all my schizophrenia has been - hallucination after hallucionation - audio & visual. On top of that, extreme tiredness and lack of motivation & mood.
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Yeah okay, but everyone is different. My schizophrenia is mostly delusions and some hallucinations, but mostly delusions.
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Yeah, on top of hallucinations there’s more. That’s my point.
Well, she’s a teenager. I don’t expect 16 years old to feel as aged or tired as a late 20 something that has been battling a strong form of SZ for over three years.
So you have zero negative symptoms? You’re just tired?
Apathy, social withdrawal, and low energy - those are all negative symptoms I face. My dreams (literal ones from sleep) are why I am even motivated to still live.
What part of California do you live in?
I used to live in Sacramento
Then I’m confused why you disagree that there’s more to sz than just hallucinations.
When unmedicated I didn’t have any other symptoms. Medicine is what caused all of my negative symptoms. Prior to that, I was lightweight & had only mania & positive symptoms.
Hallucinations are the majority of my diagnosis - something like 90% of what I deal with regularly. The other things are moot in comparison. But like I said, she is 16. Were you 16 during your first states of psychosis? Probably not.
Moot in comparison does not mean they don’t exist, though.
My buddy conor was 14, it can definitely happen.
I totally understand your frustration. I have been labeled psychosis NOS, because I once had a brain tumor. But it is obviously schizophrenia. Both of my brothers also have schizophrenia (although, they’re undiagnosed too, because they’re afraid of doctors).
There is some comfort in having a proper label, because it makes you feel like you fit in somewhere, instead of just being in some other category. I wonder though, have your doctors ever said bipolar isn’t a big deal? Because bipolar is a huge deal. It can be worse than regular schizophrenia, depending on the severity. There are a few bipolar people here who definitely have it harder than I do. A bipolar label is definitely not an attempt to downplay your symptoms.
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