Waiting to be diagnosed

DX'd - Other
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HI everyone! I’d like to start off by saying that I’m new to this so if I do anything wrong please correct me.

I’ve been looking for a place where I can talk with people understand and will also talk back. I’m 26 years old and am currently working on getting diagnosed with what will most likely be schizophrenia. I had my first official breakdown when I was 22. I had had episodes before but I ignored them or chalked them up to other things like maybe I’m psychic. Then when I was 22 I began hearing voices more frequently and experiencing visual hallucinations. I kind of knew what might be going on because it runs pretty heavily in my family. So I went to see a psychologist. I was prediagnosed with schizophrenaform but they said it could take up to six months or longer for a diagnosis because if the symptoms continue after a certain period of time the diagnosis is usually changed to schizophrenia. Well I stopped going to therapy shortly after that. Now I’m 26 and the hallucinations haven’t gone away and I’ve slowly developed other symptoms as well. Intusive thoughts and bad urges, issues with memory,concentration and my ability to get things accomplished has suffered. I find myself having to make lists and use a planner and even that doesn’t always work. I finally opened up a little to my husband who informed me that what I was experiencing wasn’t normal. So I went back to my doctor and he told me I needed a psych appointment. Now I’m waiting to get the ball rolling. The thing is now that I’m not ignoring my problems I can’t stop thinking about it and I can’t help feeling depressed. If I’m diagnosed it means some changes for my family. Also it’s been difficult because although it runs in my family it’s treated like a big dirty secret that no one wants to talk about and I can’t really talk to my husband about this for a couple different reasons. Not being supportive isn’t one of them though. This is just difficult and I’d like to talk to somebody. So if anyone is willing to talk with me please feel free to.

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Hey and welcome! How are you feeling today?

A sz diagnosis is hard, but it’s tougher to live with it without treatment. I recommend being recovery oriented, this means leaving bad habits behind and starting fresh, even if that means stopping for a while to regroup.

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Thanks for responding. I’m tired and honestly don’t feel like doing anything except maybe painting. But I have a house to clean and two kids to mother so painting all day isn’t an option. I’m not sure how to really proceed on the road to recovery. I have to go to a walk in appointment first to do the intake before I get to see my pdoc. The only problem with that is actually getting down there. My doctor also proscribed me seraquel but I’m afraid to start taking that. I haven’t heard good things about it so I’m avoiding that.
Have you been diagnosed?

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Genetics isn’t always consistent marker of our illness,

for instance, most of my cousins, in the skipped generation, have depression.

If you feel they truly had schizophrenia in your family, and you were pre-disposed,

you may be doing yourself more harm than good, as they can’t determine the sz brain

any different from a normal brain, at least in my case, they never have suggested doing a brain scan

for a definitive.

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My sympathies, the wait is the worst. How long have you been suffering from voices and lack of concentration? Are you not on any antipsychotics? :frowning:
I’m taking abilify as my main psych med and sarcosine supplement powder for the focus/concentration issues you mentioned. There’s an interesting thread here on the positive, scientifically proven benefits of taking sarcosine for about six months every day. I’ve been on it since mid-February and I do feel a lot more warm and able to think.

Welcome! We’re all a hodgepodge of sz and non-sz from around the world who come to chat. It’s a good primer for the real world of chatting, I think.

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The disclaimer is People Diagnosed With Schizophrenia,

but yeah, what the hell.

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I have. Schizoaffective disorder bipolar type.
It’s not a monster being diagnosed, it’s actually a relief, you can start treatment and find a good med. Sometimes that road is not always easy, and it’s possible to encounter some setbacks, but for me for example it was extremelly easy, I responded well to medication from the start.

Yeah, paiting all day maybe not a good idea :smile: But find some time in the day to do it!

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I was worried when I started therapy when I was 22 that it could have been all in my mind and that I was making a mountain out of a molehole because I had preknowledge that my grandmother, some causing and at least one sibling were diagnosed with it. It was one of the reasons I stopped going to therapy. I figured if I just didn’t worry about it and pushed it out of my mind it would go away. But it didn’t, it just got worse.

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I’ve actually heard good things about Seroquel, so hope it agrees with you.

You have to find the right “cocktail”

I paint too, but mainly write.

You can raise your kids with this illness, you can.

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The only meds I’m on right now is vistaril which is a mix of xanex and benedril to help with anxiety and sleep. I’m afraid to start the other until I finally talk to my pdoc. What’s the difference between schizophrenia and schizoaffective? And thank you everyone for talking with me.

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Schizoaffective has symptoms of schizophrenia and a mood component, whether it is bipolar (manic depression) or depression.

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So far I’ve been raising my kids OK but I am really concerned about it. For one what if one of them developes this when they get older? I would feel like it’s my fault. Also some of the bad thoughts and urges concern my children and even though I would never hurt them it makes me feel like a bad mom.

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It wouldn’t be your fault if one of your children eventually developed it. Of course not.

And intrusive thoughts and urges are more common than people care to admit

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The component might be mixed between anxiety, depression, insomnia, or other issues,

but like my GP said, even a shot of tetanus can do something for the flu,

strange how it works. I take 3 meds for my conditions, but you might find one good agreeable anti-psychotic is enough.

Tell him or her immediately if you have reaction, though you can take some things to combat side effects, for the time being.

Some on here will prefer the older meds to newer, some not.

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But what draws the line between normal and common intrusive thoughts and ones that you should seek help for?

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I have no idea. Probably urges that you feel you can’t control anymore. Like harming yourself or another.

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When I was waking up with constant insidious angry rambling from my mouth, like a dead chant,

I knew it was time.

And after two days of meds, it was gone, and I woke up smiling, happy.

Some don’t realize though, and are stuck.

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Well mine come out of nowhere without any prompting. Like someone or something put them there. For example I could be out on the balcony of my apartment, holding my little girl up and enjoying the view peacefully together when a voice in my head says toss her over the edge. Listen to her bones cruch, toss her over, toss her over. This is accompanied by a visual image and a strange feeling in my arms like they are trying to be forced into completing the action but I can fight it off easily but it really shakes me up. I’m very non violent. Those are even worse to deal with than the hallucinations.

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thanks for your honesty.

Impulsive thoughts only last a small time.

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Oh I hope so. Do you think the meds would help with that part too?

Thanks everyone for talking with me I appreciate it. I’ve got to go get the little ones lunch. I’m so happy I found this forum.