PTSD or Schizophrenia?

DX'd - Other
1

I just lost my best friend who I had for 18 years. She is my sister, but I found out she is also a traitor to me so I can’t be her friend anymore.
This triggered a psychotic episode in which I thought everybody, including my beloved mom was turning against me. I ended up in the hospital and I thought that the doctors were part of a conspiracy to control my mind and then abuse me. I thought that everybody in that hospital was going to join that plan one way or another. I was scared, crying, and super sad. I wanted to die.
The doctor diagnosed me with schizophrenia, but I still think it might be PTSD. Apparently patients with PTSD can be paranoid too.

So is it PTSD or schizophrenia?

2

you can have both. ive always heard schizophrenia tends to be triggered by something in genetically susceptible people, whether thats just coming of age or something traumatic. i started getting worse off after having my first close family death.

3

I am sorry you are going through this.
I suggest that you ask a qualified psychiatrist.

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4

Thank you! Maybe I do have both. That would be really bad if I did though:(

5

Thank you. The psychiatrist said I have schizophrenia but I’m still doubting it. I just don’t think if I lost my best friend, I’d be so psychotic… but then again, I was psychotic for along time… but I guess the trauma triggered my first psychotic episode. :frowning:

6

Listen to your doctor, or get a second opinion.

7

Alright, ty for the advice

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8

You can have both ptsd and SZ.

I’d bring up your concerns with your doctor maybe even show them this post?

9

Could be both. I have sz and my doc tested me for PTSD. Turns out szcs have PTSD. I think cause the disease sz causes alot of stress.

10

It sounds like you went through something seriously emotionally upsetting and that triggered your psychosis.

You can absolutely have both. There’s a thing called ptsd induced psychosis and also a thing called psychosis induced ptsd.

I have psychosis and ptsd and honestly the two are so tied together now I often can’t discern which set off the other anymore.

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11

Ty for your input.

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12

I think that might be accurate! I’ll bring that up to the doctor. Ty for your advice:)

13

For now, stay on the meds they gave you…are you still psychotic? How long have you been on meds? i have PTSD and schizophrenia…it’s possible.

14

I claimed Schizophrenia, PTSD, Depression and anxiety on my VA claim when I got out of the military but they will only rate you for one mental health disorder so everything got lumped into schizophrenia.

You can have more than one though.

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15

What type of testing did they do to determine your PTSD?

16

I have schizoaffective disorder bipolar type and PTSD, it’s possible my PTSD is from my first psychotic break when I was 16, the timing lines up but there are other things too which I don’t talk about.

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17

There are many things that could be a cause of PTSD for me too. I think the meds help with the symptoms.

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18

My symptoms get worse at a certain time of the year and that’s the time that I first became psychotic due to an extremely stressful situation. But I get flashbacks of other traumatic events, so PTSD can be very complicated. But meds are definitely helping me, this year I didn’t get one flashback and I’m on a med for nightmares so it went by pretty smoothly. But anyway I think psychosis and PTSD go together frequently from what I’ve read on this site.

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19

I’m not too psychotic due to the medicine, but I still do feel psychotic. I actually feel an episode coming on. I will continue on the medicine the psychiatrist gave me:)

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20

They just observed me in the hospital. I’m actually moving so I don’t have a current psychiatrist anymore. Unfortunately, hospital observations are usually accurate, more so than regular doctors appointments because they can see you 24/7. They observed me during a psychotic episode too. Why is it unfortunate? I guess just because I don’t want to live with schizophrenia. :frowning: