I'm deceiving everyone around me

just_some_guy2 wrote:Can you provide a source for this? Because I very much doubt the word psychosis can have that meaning. The correct term would be psychotic disorder.

Schizophrenia and Psychosis - What's the Difference?

It is valuable to understand the difference between psychosis and schizophrenia. Psychosis is a general term used to describe psychotic symptoms. Schizophrenia is a kind of psychosis.

http://www.schizophrenia.com/diag.php#

Psychosis and Psychotic Disorders, in this case, can be used interchangeably.

The DSM-IV-TR avoids the functional/organic distinction, and instead lists traditional psychotic illnesses, psychosis due to general medical conditions, and substance-induced psychosis.

http://www.who.int/classifications/icd/en/bluebook.pdf
as well as: Cardinal, R.N. & Bullmore, E.T., The Diagnosis of Psychosis, Cambridge University Press, 2011, ISBN 978-0-521-16484-9

just_some_guy2 wrote:There is also this thing, prodrome phase of psychosis, which is when you have some symptoms but it is not full blown psychosis yet, so where do you put the line where schizophrenia starts?

Diagnosis of Schizophrenia is entirely based on observed behavior and the person's reported experiences.

"To be diagnosed with schizophrenia, two diagnostic criteria have to be met over much of the time of a period of at least one month, with a significant impact on social or occupational functioning for at least six months. The person had to be suffering from delusions, hallucinations or disorganized speech. A second symptom could be negative symptoms or severely disorganized or catatonic behaviour."
American Psychiatric Association. Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders (5th ed.). Arlington: American Psychiatric Publishing. ISBN 978-0890425558.

Essentially, Psychosis and disorganized catatonic behavior have to already be in place before one can be diagnosed with Schizophrenia. In place for at least six months, nonetheless.

just_some_guy2 wrote:It could be considered to start before or with the prodrome.

No, because Psychosis needs to be entirely present in order to be considered Schizophrenic. Hence why its considered a subcategory. You can have Psychosis without Schizophrenia, but you cannot have Schizophrenia without Psychosis.

just_some_guy2 wrote:I have read many times it is a lifelong illness, would that mean you have it from birth? There are also signs that show after birth and in early childhood, and not only in childhood-onset schizophrenia. So while you have to experience at least one episode to be diagnosed with schizophrenia, I wouldn't say you have to experience it to have schizophrenia.

I do not know enough about the intrinsic values of Schizophrenia, so unfortunately I cannot comment on them.

just_some_guy2 wrote:

Ghost147 wrote:This seems like a very unsafe way of thinking. Why would anyone take medication for a diagnosis which isn't factual, or not there in the first place? Medication, depending on what kind, can induce extremely harmful reactions in an individual. Especially if the medication is for something they don't have.

It's up to a doctor to decide whether medication is needed. And psychiatric diagnoses often overlap.

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Precisely, that's why it shouldn't be suggested to take medication that doesn't apply to a diagnoses on these forums.

ElKahn wrote:

An important variable to realize, when it comes to personality disorders, is that a person can have every single trait of that personality disorder, and yet still not actually have it.

However, I would appreciate a wider explanation about this particular statement, Ghost, if you don't mind.

Of course.

When it comes to Personality Disorders, everything is determined and diagnosed by severity of the apparent traits.

Take Psychopathy, for example.

DSM-IV-TR

The APA's Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders, fourth edition (DSM-IV-TR), defines antisocial personality disorder (in Axis II Cluster B):

A) There is a pervasive pattern of disregard for and violation of the rights of others occurring since age 15 years, as indicated by three or more of the following:

- failure to conform to social norms with respect to lawful behaviors as indicated by repeatedly performing acts that are grounds for arrest;
- deception, as indicated by repeatedly lying, use of aliases, or conning others for personal profit or pleasure;
- impulsivity or failure to plan ahead;
- irritability and aggressiveness, as indicated by repeated physical fights or assaults;
- reckless disregard for safety of self or others;
- consistent irresponsibility, as indicated by repeated failure to sustain consistent work behavior or honor financial obligations;
- lack of remorse, as indicated by being indifferent to or rationalizing having hurt, mistreated, or stolen from another;

B) The individual is at least age 18 years.
C) There is evidence of conduct disorder with onset before age 15 years.
D) The occurrence of antisocial behavior is not exclusively during the course of schizophrenia or a manic episode.

ASPD falls under the dramatic/erratic cluster of personality disorders.In the DSM-5, the diagnosis antisocial personality disorder is kept, but it is no longer on another axis as the other mental disorders.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Antisocial_personality_disorder#Diagnosis

Anyone can have every single one of those ASPD traits, however, those alone do not conclude an ASPD individual. One would have to possess severity in specific traits that would then be evaluated by the Psychologist/Psychiatrist.

Conversely, you can have one of these symptoms, and it doesn't make you any more likely to be a person with ASPD than anyone else.

The same concept would apply to every other Personality Disorder.

ElKahn wrote:When I'm depressed or highly irritable I wanna stay away from everyone, I'm agitated and tend to be more paranoid. But when I'm hypomanic, I assure you I'm much more self-confident, I think everything is beautiful and that I love everyone. I'm happy to see my friends and want to spend some time with them. So?!? Oh, I guess that's why I'm being treated for Bipolar Disorder and doctor prescribed LAMICTAL.
Generally, it's part of my nature and personality to be very individualistic and a loner. I just prefer being alone or in the company of one person. But when I'm euphoric, the need to share my thoughts and have fun with others increases. My hypomania is not usually exaggerated, but it can be. I definitely experienced pretty weird moments too....

Some time before I was diagnosed I was very sociable and talkative, talked about... very much. Then I became depressed, withdrawn, started to have hallucinations and delusions. After that I went to hospital, where I was diagnosed with schizophrenia. There definitely are similarities between bipolar disorder and schizophrenia.

I think medication choice is based more on symptoms than a diagnosis. For mood swings there are mood stabilizers. For psychotic symptoms there are antipsychotics.

Maybe what I suspect you to have isn't schizophrenia. You can call it pre-schizophrenia, predisposition to schizophrenia or whatever. My point still stands. I think you should tell your doctors about symptoms that could be related to this hypothetical diagnosis, so they can decide whether medication is needed, whether for a diagnosis (bipolar with psychotic symptoms or whatever) or without it (because AFAIK a doctor can prescribe any medication for anything). I don't know enough about meds and diagnoses to say whether antipsychotics would be prescribed.

And one more thing, I think your beliefs about cameras or police spying on you could qualify as psychotic symptoms (not full blown psychosis) even if you know they aren't real or doubt them. Based on what I read online. If you want, I can try to find a source. I think it's best left for a doctor to decide.

Actually, forget I ever said anything about schizophrenia. My point still stands.

I thought your point involved schizophrenia. Which point are you referring to?

That ElKahn should tell his doctor about his symptoms. It doesn't have to be schizophrenia. It could be something else with psychotic symptoms.

That ElKahn should tell his doctor about his symptoms. It doesn't have to be schizophrenia. It could be something else with psychotic symptoms.

Omg. He did see his doctor about his symptoms. His doctor prescibed him Lamictal.

I talked to my psychologist about the spying thing and she said I'm not psychotic because I am able to REALIZE that it's just a paranoid thing and not reality.

This ability to REALIZE that those thoughts ARE NOT reality automatically excludes psychosis.

And I get this fear of being monitored by someone because I'm paranoid about my paraphilias, but I don't do illegal stuff so I'm okay. Or I'm extremely paranoid about family finding out, but this is a JUSTIFIED fear, based on REAL facts, so this is not pathological paranoia.
I used to have pathological paranoia when I was in my early teens. I might want to talk about that to my pdoc but it's not something I am experiencing now so it's not causing me problems.

Social withdrawal is not always a sign of schizophrenia, and it's not always pathological. And sometimes I have very rational and good reasons to stay away from people.

Dude, if you come here and try to convince me and people here that I am a schizophrenic in denial then you're not helping anyone, it's useless, it's not appropriate and most importantly, it's off topic.

When discussions in threads totally differ from the topic of interest, it becomes an useless thread.
So I'm politely asking you, just_some_guy2, to end the schizophrenia discussion here.

I know what to tell my doctor and psychologist. I admit sometimes I might sound close to a paranoid schizophrenic, as one day, not a long time ago, I wanted to avoid going out because I thought a guy would shoot me and that people would kill me if they knew who I am, but it was related to pedophilia. I had a moment of intense fear and anxiety triggered by something my friend said about that guy. Since I'm attracted to his 13 (she was 12 at the time) year old sister, and one of their cousins know it, and my friend told me how that guy would have no problems harming people, I had a good reason to be paranoid about it. So I texted my friends saying weird things that might have looked like words of a schizophrenic guy trying to escape a danger that doesn't exist. The difference between my paranoia and a psychotic paranoia is that I actually have reasons to be paranoid, while psychotic paranoia isn't triggered by real facts.
I probably was a little bit psychotic as a teen, but that's not something that is bothering me now.

I hope this schizophrenia discussion ends. It's not the right place to discuss about schizophrenia-related topics.