Is It Schizophrenia?

If you are not sure of what it is, then how are you on medication for it? What medication are you on?

Yes & who put you on medication without fully diagnosing & explaining your condition???? One thing though were you on or had you just stopped taking any medication at the time of the episode you mention which might have caused or precipitated it??

This was my first episode in my life. According to the doctor this could be "psychogenic" (stress generated) disorder. The reasons are that I recovered relatively quickly-full recover about 19-20 days(is it quickly?)and I have not many of the typical schizophrenic symptoms like thought broadcasting, blunt affect, but just positive symptoms - persecutory delusions.I take rispolept (risperdal) which is for chizophrenia as well. This medication worked well for me.

I think the best/simplest thing you can do is to go to a couple of search engines & type in what is ..... Schizophrenia, a psychotic episode & a psychogenic disorder (check each separately!) & then again for each type in somethings like what are the treatments, therapies, natural alternative treatments for .......

This would allow you to see what the symptoms, research, treatments are & what tallies/fits with what a) you experienced & b) what your dr said.

I did all that stuff.Symptoms of the two disorders are alike.That's the problem.

Sometimes I have found (& this is bizarre in my opinion) that you can do exactly the same search twice running on the same search engine & get totally different lists of options to research!! So it may be worth trying again & also trying different search engines!!

Another thing is to contact organizations that offer support to schizophrenics etc as they may be able to give you further suggestions of where to get information.

Plus when you go to search engines sometimes you need to a) really plough through alot of garbage to get to what you want - which may not appear to be what you want at first & b) you can really alter the reseults of the search by even minor wording changes to what you search for.

Basically what i'm saying is that the information is out there - the problem is finding it - & sometimes you find it but don't realize it unless you really read stuff that may not seem relevant - also note any links etc in research etc.

So, yes, it could be chemical and or psychological ! You say it was situational stress so, that may very well be but, I would look to your psychiatrist who may or may not have had enough time to solve the problem himself ! Laura

The problem is that the episode lasted for 1.5 months (before the medication). For brief psychotic disorder the time of the episode is limited to a month. Therefore it seems to me rather like schizophrenia (unfortunately).

It is called a " transient " mental illness if it is due to a crisis and last < 6 months !!! Thanks people !!! Laura

Yes, you can get a mental illness that is purely transient but the other fact ignored in the previous post is that a transient mental illness can lead to or become long term due to such factors as a genetic predisposition to mental illness, stressors lasting longer or a number of stressors building up over a period(often unrecognised by self or others inc. Drs) & so a permanent mental illness develops. Also often people (even drs) think a situation/illness has lasted <6months but in fact they are wrong as they are unaware (for soooo many possible reasons)of other factors which preceeded but impacted on or which have continued & so impact on the whole situation.

According to some sources it would be transient if it has lasted at most for a month. More than a month it is labeled as schizophrenia. Is it true?

Look up the word pedantic - this is what you are being in obsessing over minute details in everything you are reading - the simple fact is that for any illness/condition (mental or physical) you will find many different views even from drs at the same hospital much less world wide.

So <6months, 1 month or 1.5 months any or all could be or are right - it just depends on the opinion of the author of the research paper you are reading at the time & even that person may hold a different view a short time later after doing more research.

Your diagnosis may or not be accurate & whatever meds work for you may not be right for another person, you may also respond to non-prescription meds & alternative medical treatments whereas another person may not.

One thing that won't help though is getting strung out & pedantic over every word & every bit of information you read or are given. What will help is for you to research & learn but relax

Says, " no " to your question ! They specify needing at least six months of frequent visits before making a definitive diagnosis of schizophrenia ! Thanks, so much ! Laura

Let's be realistic the american/australian/british medical associatins & all others have changed their views on everthing over the years & many individual members have different views to what those expressed byt he "association". So there is no one single absolutely correct undeniable answer all wrapped up in a neat little package to be sacked & swallowed like or by a lollipop.

Is the only one that 's right ! So, yes, there lies the rub or your answer or rub your answer and turn into a genie and wish you weren 't here ! Thanks ! " lollipop, lollipop ... Oh, lolly - lollipop ! " .

That is my point exactly - thereis not one right answer (not mine or anyone else's) *i do not have a right answer becasue there are many right answers depending on many factors specific to the individual.

If it were me, I would go wherever I needed to be to get in with the right physicians, and therefore, the right medications !!! Many people are dependent on their medications to make it thru each and every day . Say, you had problems with your blood pressure, you would then take " antihypertensives " . Or, say for instance, you had problems with your blood sugar, you would hopefully get on a diabetic diet, or, if needs be, an " oral agent " and, beyond that if you were more severe they would term you a " type ii " and, your doctor would choose from a vast array of insulins out there on the market ! You know, it 's like diabetics have a disease of the pancrease and schizophrenics have a disease of the brain . They have doctors and medicines for each ! Thank god !!! Now, go and learn ! Laura

Just as they have traditional drs & traditional meds for things inc schizophrenia - so they also have alternative drs (some traditional psychiatrists prefer non-traditonal or alternative meds) & alternative treatments & meds & so on for things including schizophrenia.

As you are seeking answers, options & information you should also look outside the "box" of western medicine (although there are also some good alternatives available in western medicine - unfortunately they're not promoted or advertised because the pharmaceutical companies don't make money from them!!) for answers & possible solutions. You have a long life ahead of you don't get hooked on a med now & find out later that there was a better healthier way.

Hello there everyone! I'm not schizophrenic, but I am a nurse who works in an acute care hospital and work on a very busy medical floor. We have a certain # of beds funded specifically for psych. Pts. We do have a psych. Dept. , but if the person is medically ill or unstable for whatever reason, then they will be admitted to our unit. So for 14yrs. That's were i've been nursing. Now I just wanted to let you know that to give you a bit of my background, i'm not stating to know all, I just wanted to give my opinion of what I feel based on my experiences, and I do have a good friend who has a son who does suffer from schizophrenia. Risperdal is a medication given for many reasons, some of which may be for no "ongoing" reasons at all. I have given this medication out on a daily basis due to that. One reason is for restlessness--often given to the confused elderly, or someone who needs help due to stress (either due to illness, or episode experienced) I just wanted to say to the author of the first posted letter that you may never experience (and sounds like you won't) anything like this ever again. So I have to agree to purple 333 to stop worring, and work on healing, and move on. < I don't mean that hastily, but sincerely!! Good luck!