I've always been...a little off; not really crazy, just different. I don't look at things the way other people do.
I've been called crazy before, but I have some good friends, and now that I don't wear all the black eye-makeup and black clothes, nobody really says much about "how much of a lunatic that chick is".
But recently I saw a "early warning signs of schitzophrenia" thing, and I literally had EVERY. SINGLE. SYMPTOM. Out of a list of like, 30. I have a schitzophrenic aunt and cousin (not mother-and-son) that I know of, so it runs in my family.
I've never really believed in the medical excuses for things, (like ADHD and Bipolar and Depression and such..) but I can't help but wonder...am I crazy?
Does a crazy person know they're crazy? If not, would it mean I'm not crazy specifically because I wonder if I'm crazy, and a crazy person would be certain of their not-crazyness? ...what exactly is crazy? How do they draw the line between sane and not sane?
'Crazy' is a stigmatising, marginalising and alienating word, which some people here feel uncomfortable about people using. I know I do. It sounds like that word has been used against you a lot.
What feelings are you struggling with, exactly?
How do you feel about seeing a doctor or counsellor about these things?
There's a quote: "insanity is repeating the same thing over and over and expecting the same results"
I really wouldn't worry too much about whether or not you have schizophrenia (I do and was recently diagnosed) more noticing any issues or difficultnfeelings you are having.
What (not including the early symptom list) makes you think you might be unwell, I don't like to use the word crazy for the reasons Stellalata mentioned, it is stigmatized and not a word used in psychiatry or psychology.
What do you struggle with, what makes you worry you might be crazy?
I have paranoid schizophrenia so, like Rara, I have the experience. I had prodromal symptoms myself when I was 12-14, then I had my first psychotic episode at 15.
Could you possibly show me the list of symptoms?
Be careful with what you read on the internet though, it's not always reliable.
I am here if you need support.
Being called "crazy" is not nice at all, and like the others have said, its a horrible, stigmatising term.
Last edited by Steel Maiden : 09-07-2011 at 09:36 AM.
Reason: correction
PM me if you want a PDF copy of the ICD-10or the Mental Health Act 1983/2007. I ALSO HAVE THE DSM-V BOOK and am a pharmacology student.
I have a visual impairment / neurological problems so I need people to type in clear text and no funny fonts. Also excuse any typos, my vision blocks things out.
I have autism and have problems communicating, PMs included.
Just becasue I type well doesn't mean I speak well. I am only part time verbal.
I'm really sorry if I offended anyone: I'm also not a fan of the word "crazy", but I was panicking when I wrote this, and I didn't even consider how it might make other people feel...
I'm feeling better now, and not as paranoid as I was yesterday. But this is the site: http://www.schizophrenia.com/earlysigns.htm
^ to be fair aside from the delusions and hallucinations pretty much all of the listed symptoms are synonymous with other MH problems. As is the case with most things.
Like MeaCulpa says, these lists of symptoms can be applicable to almost anyone. They can be vague and up for interpretation.
You need to see a doctor about your worries. Medical diagnoses are no excuses, they are frameworks health professionals have come up with to try to help people. They are not always effective and may be detrimental for some. But suggesting to people who may suffer from certain medically labelled disorders and/or illnesses that this is merely an excuse is ill-informed and insulting.
I am all for the debate that mental illnesses are social constructs, it's a fascinating area, perhaps not one to get into here. But see a doctor about your worries, don't try to diagnose yourself on the internet, and no-one on here, medical degrees or no, would be able to diagnose you.
PM me if you want a PDF copy of the ICD-10or the Mental Health Act 1983/2007. I ALSO HAVE THE DSM-V BOOK and am a pharmacology student.
I have a visual impairment / neurological problems so I need people to type in clear text and no funny fonts. Also excuse any typos, my vision blocks things out.
I have autism and have problems communicating, PMs included.
Just becasue I type well doesn't mean I speak well. I am only part time verbal.
we sometimes call ourselves crazy and mean it.. or if we say it to someone outside it is strictly in a playful manner.. because truth is referring seriously to someone being crazy is just as wrong as using other racist or demeaning words..
Sadie (w/karma)
p.s.we 100% agree with msg above ^ there is no real crazy and no real normal.. it is only society trying to put classifications on anything and everything..
Last edited by hidingme : 10-07-2011 at 07:45 PM.
Reason: adding..
^ to be fair aside from the delusions and hallucinations pretty much all of the listed symptoms are synonymous with other MH problems. As is the case with most things.
Or it could be a symptom of other medication or a physical illness - on another thread someone said that Sudafed made them paranoid.
Like others have said, talk to a doc. They may refer you to a psych (which is what happened to me), who will be able to see if you have schizophrenia (or any other mh disorder), and may offer meds. They are the ones who can formally diagnose you, not us.
Wannabe CPN : -)
"He who is tired of Weird Al is tired of life." - Homer Simpson "I hear those voices that will not be drowned" Sanity is a nasty disease. The world would be a happier place without it. - Rilic
RIP Kat 4th July 1987- 11th June 2013
Pretty much agreed with everthing said. Mental health problems are considered to be deviations from the norm. The norm being what is expected, generally what society as a whole think, behave and react. However, this varies from culture to culture, hence why its hard to draw a line of normality and 'crazy' .
There is a mh group called early intervention that deal with prodomal psychosis etc. However, a doctor is our best bet as no-on can say hat you have or havent got.
I wonder whether what you are experiencing worries you? Do you find it disruptive in your day to day life? As those are the times when it is worth taking your experiences and symptoms to a Dr. Not a list you have found and think you fit - your actual experiences alone. Especially if they concern you.
I am not a great believer in normalcy. Nor am I a believer in Crazy or Insane. I have had all sorts thrown at me in derogatory ways so do not think classing yourself as either will help you in the long run. The question here is not are your crazy - but rather, do the experiences you have warrant reaching out for help?
Roiben x
If the Human brain were so simple that we could understand it, we would be so simple that we wouldn't.
I was told that "insanity" is a legal term. Crazy is a word used to degrade others who are seen as different. Just because you dressed differently didn't mean you were crazy, but because you deviated from what others believed to be a social norm, they called you things.
You shouldn't be reading up on mental illnesses on the internet because first of all they may not be reliable. Second of all, you are not objective enough to diagnose yourself, which is why only a professional can do this. And what you said about mental illnesses being an excuse is highly offensive. Would you consider having cancer or any physical illness to be an excuse?
Yeh I think the point is ..do you have symptoms that are causing problens in your life that you need a medical excuse for or did you just go through a grunge phase when you were younger?
