Do YOU Have Schizophrenia?

We so often are asked to provide a diagnosis for people who describe their symptoms to us and so we wanted to address that in this video. The main thing we want to convey is the importance of NOT SELF DIAGNOSING. We describe why it's so important to go to a doctor or a psychiatrist if you have any concerns about your mental health, and why it can be dangerous to self diagnose. We then also provide some of the diagnostic criteria for schizophrenia based on the DSM-5. This information is intended for you to compare to your own experiences and bring this to your doctor.

Timestamps:
00:00 Introduction
01:56 Why you shouldn’t self diagnose
05:39 The DSM-5
06:15 Diagnostic criteria
06:46 Delusions
07:34 Hallucinations
09:43 Disorganized speech
11:34 Grossly disorganized or catatonic behaviour
12:10 Negative Symptoms
13:30 Track your symptoms in a journal
14:20 Summary of diagnostic symptoms
15:27 What to do if you suspect you have schizophrenia?
16:25 Why early treatment is so important (early psychosis intervention)
18:42 Seek professional help!

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SOCIALS

#schizophrenia #livingwellwithschizophrenia #schizoaffectivedisorder #mentalhealth #diagnosis

[LivingWellAfterSchizophrenia]

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[Imtrying_girl]

It's also important to note that you can have hallucinations and delusions without having schizophrenia. It can come with depression, bipolar, and some personality disorders.

[snuffyscorner]

I feel very certain that I don't have schizophrenia, I watch your videos to support the channel and I love your bravery and openness about your mental illness. I'm so inspired by your grace and generosity it helps me with the battles with mental illness that I struggle with. Thank you.

[shieh.]

Anxiety disorder here and my panic attacks were so severe that they caused some mild delusions and audio hallucinations while waking or falling asleep. But....once addressed and treated, those things disappeared. Do not self diagnose. My psychologist was certain I didn't have schizophrenia, but my anxiety was preventing me from reason.

[catfission]

Thank you so much for stressing 'the self diagnosis is bad' point. I've been diagnosed with schizophrenia for 10 years and I found it very hard to come to terms with my diagnosis at first. After many hospitalizations and many years working to come to terms with my illness I am finally at a place where I can accept myself and my symptoms 🙂.

[ToEKnee]

Lauren, that sweater looks GREAT on you! ❤️

[india]

When I was doing my nurse education I thought I had everything

[vanessaluna]

You are so brave for sharing your experiences and speaking your truth. Thank you so, so much.

[alexispaigerevilla]

My grandmother had schizophrenia. I’m trying to educate myself about what she experienced, and a lot of the things she said or did make a lot more sense now. Thank you for spreading information and awareness💜

[Moshmn]

Even mental health professionals don't diagnose themselves. Psychologists HAVE psychologists.

[aspenbogner]

It took me two years of active psychosis to get the official diagnosis, during which I was studying, ironically, psychology.

[lynedc]

I actually have found that my adhd causes a lot of word fumbling and the lack of working memory before I got back on my meds made me embarrassed and frustrated to try and communicate with people.

[sunnykobe]

Around the 18:00 min mark you mentioned about professionals being there to help. For the longest time I thought I was going to be arrested or taken to a hospital if I told anyone how I was feeling. I’ve been working with someone I trust and have been put on medication. I’m hoping to one day be able to go to school. I’ve tried before but I had unaddressed ‘stuff’ that kept me from being able to focus.
Thanks for what you do.

[caseyblau]

I live with Schizoaffective disorder, bipolar type. I am hypo manic right now and I love feeling this way! I just hate going full blown manic! I really appreciate your page as it has helped me come to terms with my diagnosis and see that life beyond the diagnosis is truly possible. Thanks!

[bigwillie]

Lauren...thank you for providing information for this much misunderstood ailment. You are contributing to breaking the severe negative stigma of the diagnosis. I have learned so much through your channel.

[youarenowawarepodcast]

I know this is stupid, but I’m so afraid of having Schizophrenia. My dads brother had it and apparently a lot of his side was full of other mental illnesses. Everytime I think I see something in the corner of my eye, or think I hear a voice or see something- I get too terrified.

My sleep paralysis recently has went from nothing happen, to voices, people jumping and trying to beat me up, and creepy satanic imagery and wow... hope that goes away.

Videos like this are important, thank you for making stuff like this! My mind constantly cherry picks out of fear for the worst, so videos like this make me feel a bit more relaxed and at ease.

[peternolan]

Hello Lauren and fellow viewers,

I had delusions and that connection to the TV and national and international news. However I also had anosognosia so that when I had the delusions I didn't know what was really happening to me. It was only after I was committed to hospital May 1987, October 1988, November 2007 by others my family and one of my closest friends and his new wife who could see I was unwell and then recovering from the delusions that I could see what had happened to me.
I'm 67 and I have never felt as well as I do today recovering also now at long last from having severe irritable bowel syndrome IBS since November 1971 that was no less than mind altering. All of us here have different life stories and each one of us is a unique case to use the word a psychiatrist would more likely use - case.
Just today for example and lately I was thinking that the sexual abuse I was subjected to at age 11 by another 11yo might just have ripped me apart that led to my having serious mental illness from age 15 onwards. The problem is this is not clear to me in the way other things are crystal clear to me. Over the decades I paid no attention to that sexual abuse. A psychotherapist, who used to be a bank manager whom I was seeing around 2009, told me to think about what sexual abuse would do to a child from my point of view as a 56yo. She understood this far better than I did even though I had been sexually abused myself.
I could continue but let me stop there.

All the best and many thanks,

Peter Nolan. Ph.D.(physics). Dublin. Ireland.

[bhabhutiji]

How I confirmed that Im schizophrenic:-
1) I was great at communicating, but suddenly I noticed that I'm not able to express my feelings and words properly, people have difficulty understanding what I'm trying to convey.
My vocabulary also became terrible, earlier I was great and now I have started making spelling mitsakes too...

2) I was an extrovert, but after getting schizophrenia I became an introvert and I dont like spending time with anyone.
I like being alone.

3) I feel that I become a werewolf at night and I have killed 100 people by now... (Might be true)
I also think I posses some superpowers which other don't have.

3) I can frequently hear someone talking at night, even when there's no one there, I can see hallucinations of cats, dogs, zombies, people etc... Around me.
I sometimes hear weird sounds like a child laughing at night, I'm the only kid in my house and I'm 17...

4) I always feel someone is stalking, creeping or watching me and I'm gonna be murdered by someone, I am always suspicious of everyone ( also called PPD disorder)

This thing is ruining my life.

[rfmatss]

Hi.
I dont have schizophrenia but last week I had been diagnose with depression with psychotic symptoms. I dont feel very comfortoble with that because it all so new to me and sometimes I get really scared. But I came across your channel and I love the way you talk about things, it gives me hope that things will get better. Thabk you

Love from Portugal

[adamjacobrogers]

As someone managing schizophrenia I find these videos a valuable resource. Thank you!