Over the last two days I binge watched a show called Atypical on Netflix. It is about a person with autism. I don’t want to spoil the plot. I really liked the show. It reminded me of growing up. I know schizophrenia doesn’t really start to show until late teen to early twenties for men, although when I think back to my early childhood, I don’t know, I may have always been different.
Anyway, so it got me thinking, for those of you willing to share, how was your childhood?
In retrospect, would you say you may have been “atypical” since the early years?
What are your thoughts on whether treatment should be administered during childhood if someday there is an accurate way to predict developing schizophrenia as an adult?
Lastly, some of our posters were indeed diagnosed in childhood. For those willing to share, how do you think it may have affected your upbringing?
The questions are more of starting discussion points, no one has to answer all of them or any of them if y
They don’t feel comfortable.
Please feel free to share. This isn’t meant for us to be judgemental of each other.
Well, when I told my pdoc that as a child I believed that everything is a video game with many levels, and that beings were fake created by God just to test me, he said “maybe you should be on antipsychotics since then”.
I don’t believe it though
Quite honestly, I think I was different. People passed it off as me just being and intelligent geek type of person. I mean I got good grades and was into geeky things, but at the same time I don’t think I was like the other kids.
In a way no two people are the same so being different is nothing out of the ordinary. I think I wasn’t normal though. Maybe that is the case for many of us. I did have a pretty normal childhood in comparison with my friends. It’s difficult to explain, I guess I was a weird kid that kind of fit in. People just viewed me being different as a form of intellect I guess.
Hah, I don’t know if I’d call visions and voices extraordinary anymore. Maybe when they first started. To answer your question, no I didn’t have visions or voices as a child. I did talk to the wind sometimes when I was alone. I guess there is that.
I remember the first day of school in 1st grade, the 3 rooms had connecting doors
and the teachers were saying, Where do you want to put Sheri? They put me in the slow class,
which was how they had it then, slow, intermediate, and smart, we all figured that out right away.
I had to take summer school one year, and then in about 6th grade I was put into remedial reading for a couple of months. It’s interesting because my mom had a dictionary I read and wrote in, in the back was Math and Science and Grammar, and I also taught the neighbor kids certain things.
But this is just my learning growing up, and probably has nothing to do with sz. In high school I was into sports and cheer leading, and my church (Catholic). So, overall, I guess my childhood was pretty normal.
Thank you for sharing Daze. Hah, I think sometimes talking about these type of things takes us back for a little moment. Hopefully, we’re able to see it as a positive. After all, you’re still the same Sheri. Maybe a few leaves have fallen, even some branches, yet the tree has grown strong, resilient, even protective, it still offers shade on those days when it is too hot, shelter when it rains. Some inexplicable comfort of just knowing it is there. Just don’t drop your branches on people’s heads.
Now this slightly concerns me. My four year old nephew has this habit of twirling his hair and pulling it out in some spots. Because he did this, they shaved his head so that the bald spots would not be noticeable and also in the hopes that he grows out of the habit. It is the second time they’ve had to give him a shaved haircut. I really worry that he doesn’t develop a mental illness as it is hereditary and seemingly has affected our family. I do not want him to have to experience life with a mental illness. He does have some behaviors that might indicate a behavioral health problem. Most of all, I hope he manages to have a “normal” childhood. Did anyone experience a psychiatric treatment in their childhood? Or if anyone else wants to add anything, please feel free to share.
Frankly, the reason why I developed complex PTSD is because of my long exposure to trauma. My mother had a rocky relationship with my father because my father did not care for the family but rather went to study. So, she was extremely stressed- she put the anger on me, and I was constantly lashed out and blamed for “acting like a child”. I was afraid of getting in the car after I went out with my mother because she would tell me all the bad things I’ve done at the outing after I got in the car.
After that, I was abused at school and bullied because I was a top A student.
That would make me at least 9 or so years with abuse.
I was diagnosed when I was 17, so yes I was diagnosed quite early. As a child, I was really distant from others but seen as a “kind child”. A lot of my identity was distorted by abuse so now I’m not even sure who I am.
Gosh, I really hope my sister never sees that video. Yes, similar to that except he sort of tugs it off over time and has a few bald spots because of it. Hair still grows but before having his hair shaved off, he had noticeable bald spots because he pulled out his hair.
Just don’t drop your branches on people’s heads.
