Sometimes on the forum I will see a new poster coming on here to talk about how they are trying to get their doctor to diagnose them with schizophrenia. I have to say, wtf?
Why seek out a particular dx? Your doctor went through years of education and training, let them do their job. A psychiatrist in particular would be able to recognize sz in you better than you could recognize it in yourself if you truly are sz, despite what you may think from having done internet research on the topic. For ■■■■’s sake, just tell the psychiatrist what is going on with you, don’t deliberately try to paint a picture of sz for them, and let the dx be what it is, and let them issue the proper treatment for said dx.
I was first diagnosed with sza in 2004 or 2005, don’t remember which year for sure, but I spent over a decade refusing to accept that dx. I insisted on my previous dx of bipolar with psychotic features, because I thought it sounded less bad. There is a ton of stigma surrounding that prefix schizo-. This is not a dx you want to have, though I have finaly accepted it, as multiple psychiatrists have diagnosed me with it, including my current psychiatrist.
Btw, if you have enough insight to do a ton of internet research on an illness, to analyze yourself and come to this forum asking all kinds of questions about psychosis, I question whether or not you are truly psychotic. When I am truly psychotic, gone off the deep end, I go completely batshit crazy, zero insight. Maybe that’s just me, though.
Ok, sorry for such a long rant, but someone had to say this stuff. This is not aimed at one specific person; I have not been on the forum much lately to know if there recently are new posters who are doing this. I’m on here every day, but mostly to pm and check a few particular threads. I imagine this post might piss some people off, but I have a feeling a lot of those who read it will agree with what I just said.
When I first got sick, I thought I was a demon, or that I was being haunted. When my friend told me it sounded like I had schizophrenia, I was almost relieved. Having a mental illness was way less scary than being a demon haunted by ghosts. Mental illnesses are treatable. It gave a name to this horrible experience and told me I wasn’t all alone. I was relieved when I got my diagnosis. Maybe that’s what those people are thinking.
@Ninjastar, I hear what you are saying, but i disagree with the message you are sending. You seem to be implicitly encouraging them to seek out the particular diagnosis that they want, whichever diagnosis will make them feel relieved (in this case sz), instead of just talking to their psychiatrist and letting their psychiatrist make the diagnosis. That may not have been your intent, but I think that is the message that your reply sends. I just think too many people on the forum try to diagnose themselves and treat themselves; it’s not good to do either.
Well, I did go to a psychiatrist and get diagnosed. That is the message I’m sending. It’s good to go to a doctor and get an answer for why you are feeling this way.
I’m just saying I understand the desire to have an answer. I also understand why they would want to join our community. We have built up a lot of support for each other, and we are a very accepting place. It makes sense that people who have never fit in anywhere would want to fit in here.
I suspect they want a sz diagnosis because sz is what they think they have and that is what will get them the treatment they think they need. I agree with ninjastar, I am relieved to realize it was just psychosis and not reality. Also for all there trainning some dr are truely hopeless (I should point out here there are also many good ones).
I have people in my life who, in the past, accused me of Wanting to be schizophrenic. Why on earth would I want that? It’s not that I seek to gain social points by being scz, I just want to be able to identify what I have.
And no disrespect, but I totally disagree with the “doctor knows best” angle. I have had downright abusive doctors in the past, and they’ve always pushed the angle that I was bipolar and pushed mood stabilizers on me and feigned ignorance about my hallucinations. Also, at least where I live, the psychiatrists are all about themselves and their delusions about your symptoms and what convienient for Big Pharm. now I’m not saying to anyone stop seeing your psychiatrist, but don’t let anyone tell you to trust them when there’s no basis for doing so. I just play along with mine cuz he never listens to me anyway.
And in the end the disorder isnt what matters in itself, it’s the symptoms you’re experiencing. Doctors can tell you what disorder they think you have or are told to tell you what you have but ultimately it’s not that you know what your disorder is but you know what your symptoms are, there are classifications for various sets of symptoms but only you truly know which symptoms you have
there are some benefits for a dx. One it’s an accepted mental disability recognized by social security. I’ve now been able to get monthly disability checks since my dx. Maybe that’s a reason
also I didn’t seek out the dx…it just happened after a run-in with the law. So now they (the govt) pay me instead…I thought of it as a financial settlement
I also don’t understand all the resistance towards the diagnoses of bipolar and sza. Why do people want to be sz so bad? They obviously don’t have sz because if they did, they would not want to have it.
I get my dx after 6 months in a psyche ward. I’d do anything to not go back there. Even take my meds.
I was delusional for two years before a SI attempt brought me to ER and then the ward. Mom forced them to let me out after 6 months. Maybe I’d still be there. O.o
I can’t imagine why someone would want this crap. Guinniepig experiments before finding the right meds. I was shaking so bad from one med that I could not eat. Another made me go to ER in an ambulance from the psyche ward. Another one made the bones in my body itch. An itch that could not be scratched. List goes on and on.
I actually started to research it to prove I didn’t have anything wrong with me. Granted my situation was horribly abusive and absolutely bonkers. But I noticed a lot of things matched up with what I was experiencing.
But I continued to blame my situation which in hindsight definitely made my symptoms much worse. But there were other problems that I chose to ignore.
But eventually I came to the conclusion that yes I have a condition and I must do what I can to help myself. So I started looking into how other coped with symptoms like mine.
Now I have a diagnosis of sza and I’m still just trying to learn how to live.
A team called my wife into the psyche ward when they diagnosed me with paranoid schizophrenia. There were three doctors and a psyche nurse in attendance. When they told me and my wife the diagnosis I said, “What’s that?”
How does someone figure it out for themselves? I don’t see it. The first six years I refused to believe I was sick. I thought there was a conspiracy against me.
Maybe if you have insight you can have a better outcome.
I saw it, but it was way too long for me to read. I’m not saying that to be a dick; I seriously cannot read that much text all at once, I lack the focus, it’s why I never read books anymore.
I stand by what I said, especially what I said about being a bad idea to seek out a specific diagnosis, letting Dr Google diagnose you, rather than a real dr. I also truly do not understand wanting to have a high-stigma dx such as sz or sza. I think someone mentioned needing it to get SSI or SSDI, but I disagree with that approach toward diagnosis as well, not a good reason for a dr to dx you with sz/sza unless you really do have it.
The biggest problem with the mental health field is tourists and drugs.
Tourists want an answer to their lives. They feed off attention and aren’t diagnosed and won’t be because they aren’t really ill. You’d be surprised by how many there are and it’s good to feel doubtfull about certain people.
Drugs are the other. Newer street drugs like meth make for some seriously damaged people. They don’t have a mental illness but they do have damage for sure.
It’s always good policy to point towards a psychiatrist. You can’t diagnose but you can spot those who don’t suffer.
Tbh I think this is a really toxic mindset. Nobody chooses to have these problems. I believe that maybe some people look in to diagnoses to try and understand what’s wrong with them. And why they struggle in the ways they do.
It’s not because they are just attention seeking it’s not because they just want drugs. I believe people turn to self diagnosis as a way to try and understand themselves.
Now this doesn’t mean self diagnosis is the right thing to do. And people who do this should ask a psychologist for a solid diagnosis because they are professionally trained to help people understand and cope with a mental health condition. And they should work to better themselves as best they can.
I believe the majority of people aren’t just faking. In fact the “fakers” aka the undiagnosed even if they arent truly sz may believe wholeheartedly that they have this condition. Granted only a doctor can confirm it but if they’re just looking for some help I think we should be more willing to help them. Cause we aren’t qualified to diagnose either.
They should seek out and listen to a psych, but if they’re just looking for a little support or advice what’s the harm?
These people aren’t a problem, aren’t anything more than an annoyance. No doctor worth his salt will give them the diagnosis they specifically seek, but will look at their history, what they tell them, what they present, and make a judgement based on what knowledge and experience they have.
I would never choose my own wheelhouse of problems, which require me to take an antipsychotic just to stay stable at home and delusion free for the most part. Life is far from what I would want it to be for myself. I’m just glad to have the luck to have had people who were willing to help, in my life, online, and those who’ve moved on.
Regardless of what we think (And I dislike the whole clinging to labels habit.), these people at least should be given the benefit of the doubt. Ultimately, they’ll be held to account for their own business, like all of us. We’re all looking for a place to share anyways.
