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Little advice? Please? I'm so lost.

Discussion in 'Coming Out Advice' started by GirlNextDoor, Oct 4, 2012.

  1. GirlNextDoor

    GirlNextDoor Guest

    Sorry this is so long... :help: I'm really stuck here.
    Okay, SO... I have a really close female friend whom I recently came out to. She didn't freak out or anything, just went "whatever we're still best friends" and life went on.
    After about a week, however, she steadily began to hint that she was a schizophrenic, before openly admitting it through text. She acted like she was... bragging, almost. Problem is, I'm not sure I believe her. :confused:

    [I know I shouldn't be judging like this, and I understand the hypocrisy of the situation, but just hear me out please?]

    She is much younger than me, at 13 y.o., and (as far as I have seen) she has never shown signs of the disorder. These include inability to track conversations, short-term memory loss, depression [lack of energy, sloppy appearance, eating disorders], and the stereotypical talking to people who aren't there [hallucinations]. My friend has not experienced trauma in an early period of life (that I know of), which is the main cause of schizophrenia.
    My mother is a nurse, and she took the time to explain to me in detail the nature of the disorder. Based on her explanation, I am pretty sure my friend is confused.

    To get to the point: I wonder if my friend invented her diagnosis in order to be on "equal ground," or something childish like that? Maybe she thinks I'll like her better if she was different, "like me?" (Because I don't consider myself different, better, or worse than anyone else. Just making that clear.)
    Or does she think my sexuality is a joke? "See which of us can invent more things about themselves that make them different from the crowd?"
    No. If she thinks I'm kidding about my sexuality, she is SORELY MISTAKEN. I don't joke about stuff like that. If she does... well, that's a little pathetic.

    Anyway, I believe my friend is truly a nice person, but she has backed me into a corner. A very awkward, uncomfortable corner.
    I can only think of two choices I can make from here:
    Talk to her about it, which would probably end in total disaster because I have no idea what to say and I'm a social nightmare. :eusa_doh:
    Or, I could continue to play along, and pretend I believe her. It's a band-aid solution, but better than the alternative... for now. :icon_sad:

    I am SO SORRY about the length of this thread, but I am so completely, utterly lost. Friendship is still kind of a new thing to me, and it didn't come with instructions. :dry:

    Thanks for advice, personal experiences, anything!! (*hug*) Please help!!!
     
  2. lilbitlost

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    Maybe you could just not mention it unless she does? If she is faking it then not giving her attention about it will hopefully urge her to change tack.
    Or if she does mention it, maybe try asking her about medical appointments etc? If she thinks you know more about treatments then she might drop the facade.
    This is presuming that she is faking it.

    Also i found your post mildly disturbing as other than the hallucinations the other symptoms you listed just described me to a T.
     
  3. GirlNextDoor

    GirlNextDoor Guest

    Thanks for the advice. ^^' I'm glad someone actually bothered to read all that... o///o
    And the symptoms? Same here, minus the hallucinations. At least, I don't think I hallucinate... O-o
     
  4. Pyrotactick

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    Happened to me ._. I came out to a guy and he started acting like if he was gay with me. Ticks me off. I just think you should talk to her, but first give her a pinch of salt. I hope she got it confused, you could start there and try to help her solve it, that'l help see if it's a lie or it isn't. Good luck!

    Quick question for you, if you'd kindly answer it :slight_smile:
    After I get sick or sometimes in the night, I get this really bad dream, that makes me wake up, but the dreams still there, and I end up running around screaming and i swear to God I see flesh all over the place. So...am I schizo (sure as hell hope not, I already have too many problems)?
     
  5. GirlNextDoor

    GirlNextDoor Guest

    Uhh... ( ._.) I'm not a psychologist person or anything, I'm just writing down what I learned from my mother.
    But if you think there is an issue, I would talk to someone who knows what they're doing. I do not, for I am but a lowly high school nerd.
    Good luck to you, and thanks for the advice! (*hug*)
     
  6. Waterlilly

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    DIAGNOSTIC CRITERIA FOR SCHIZOPHRENIA
    A. Characteristic Symptoms: Two (or more) of the following, each present for a significant portion of time during a 1-month period (or less if successfully treated):
    delusions
    hallucinations
    disorganized Speech (e.g., frequent derailment or incoherence)
    grossly disorganized or catatonic behavior
    negative symptoms, i.e., affective flattening, alongia, or avolition
    Note: Only one Criterion A symptom is required if delusions are bizarre or hallucinations consist of a voice keeping up a running commentary on the person's behavior or thoughts, or two or more voices conversing with each other.
    *
    B. Social/Occupational dysfunction: For a significant portion of the time since the onset of the disturbance, one or more major areas of functioning such as work, interpersonal relations, or self-care are markedly below the level achieved prior to the onset (or when the onset is in childhood or adolescence, failure to achieve expected level of interpersonal, academic, or occupational achievement).
    *
    C. Duration: Continuous signs of the disturbance persist for at least 6 months.* This 6 month period must include at least 1 month of symptoms (or less if successfully treated) that meet Criterion A (i.e., active-phase symptoms) and may include periods of prodromal or residual symptoms.* During these prodromal or residual periods, the signs of the disturbance may be manifested by only negative symptoms or two or more symptoms listed in Criterion A present in an attenuated form (e.g., odd beliefs, unusual perceptual experiences).
    *
    D. Schizoaffective and Mood Disorder exclusion: Schizoaffective Disorder and Mood Disorder with Psychotic Features have been ruled out because either (1) no Major Depressive, Manic, or Mixed Episodes have occurred concurrently with the active-phase symptoms; or (2) if mood episodes have occurred during active-phase symptoms, their total duration has been brief relative to the duration of the active and residual periods.
    *
    E. Substance/General Medical Condition exclusion: The disturbance is not due to the direct physiological effects of a substance (e.g., a drug of abuse, a medication) or a general medical condition.
    *
    F. Relationship to a Pervasive Developmental Disorder: If there is a history of Autistic Disorder or another Pervasive Developmental Disorder, the additional diagnosis of Schizophrenia is made only if prominent delusions or hallucinations are also present for at least a month (or less if successfully treated).
    *
    DIAGNOSTIC FEATURES
    The essential features of Schizophrenia are a mixture of characteristic signs and symptoms (both positive and negative) that have been present for a significant portion of time during a 1-month period (or for a shorter time if successfully treated), with some signs of the disorder persisting for at least 6 months.* These signs and symptoms are associated with marked social or occupational dysfunction.* The disturbance is not better accounted for by Schizoaffected Disorder or a Mood Disorder with Psychotic Features and is not due to the direct physiological effects of a substance or a general medical condition.* In individuals with a previous diagnosis of Autistic Disorder (or another Pervasive Developmental Disorder), the additional diagnosis of Schizophrenia is warranted only if prominent delusions or hallucinations are present for at least a month.

    The characteristic symptoms of Schizophrenia involve a range of cognitive and emotional dysfunctions that include perception, inferential thinking, language and communication, behavioral monitoring, affect, fluency and productivity of thought and speech, hedonic capacity, volition and drive, and attention.* No single symptom is pathognomonic of Schizophrenia; the diagnosis involves the recognition of a constellation of signs and symptoms associated with impaired occupational or social functioning.
    *
    Characteristic symptoms may be conceptualized as falling into two broad categories: positive and negative.* The positive symptoms appear to reflect an excess or distortion of normal functions, whereas the negative symptoms appear to reflect a diminution or loss of normal functions.* The positive symptoms include distortions in thought content (delusions), perception (hallucinations), language and thought process (disorganized speech), and self-monitoring of behavior (grossly disorganized or catatonic behavior).* These positive symptoms may comprise two distinct dimensions, which may in turn be related to different underlying neural mechanisms and clinical correlates.* The "psychotic dimension" includes delusions and hallucinations, whereas the "disorganization dimension" includes disorganized speech and behavior.* Negative symptoms include restrictions in the range and intensity of emotional expression (affective flattening), in the fluency and productivity of thought and speech (alogia), and in the initiation of goal-directed behavior (avolition).
    *
    Delusions are erroneous beliefs that usually involve a misinterpretation of perceptions or experiences.* Their content may include a variety of themes (e.g., persecutory, referential, somatic, religious, or grandiose).* Persecutory delusions are most common; the person believes he or she is being tormented, followed, tricked, spied on, or ridiculed.* Referential delusions are also common; the person believes that certain gestures, comments, passages from books, newspapers, song lyrics, or other environmental cues are specifically directed at him or her.* The distinction between a delusion and a strongly held idea is sometimes difficult to make and depends in part on the degree of conviction with which the belief is held despite clear contradictory evidence regarding its veracity.
    *
    POSITIVE SYMPTOMS OF SCHIZOPHRENIA
    Positive symptoms of Schizophrenia appear to reflect an excess or distortion of normal functions and include the following:
    Delusions: Although bizarre delusions are considered to be especially characteristic of Schizophrenia, "bizarreness" may be difficult to judge, especially across different cultures. Delusions are deemed bizarre if they are clearly implausible and not understandable and do not derive from ordinary life experiences. An example of a bizarre delusion is a person's belief that a stranger has removed his or her internal organs and has replaced them with someone else's organs without leaving any wounds or scars. An example of a non-bizarre delusion is a person's false belief that he or she is under surveillance by the police. Delusions that express a loss of control over mind or body are generally considered to be bizarre; these include a person's belief that his or her thought have been taken away by some outside force, that alien thoughts have been put into his or her mind, or that his or her body or actions are being acted on or manipulated by some outside force. If the delusions are judged to be bizarre, only this single symptom is needed to satisfy Criterion A (noted above) for Schizophrenia.
    Hallucinations: Hallucinations may occur in any sensory modality (e.g., auditory, visual, olfactory, gustatory, and tactile), but auditory hallucinations are by far the most common. Auditory hallucinations are usually experienced as voices, whether familiar or unfamiliar, that are perceived as distinct from the person's own thoughts. The hallucinations must occur in the context of a clear sensorium; those that occur while falling asleep (hypnagogic) or waking up (hypnopompic) are considered to be within the range of normal experience. Isolated experiences of hearing one's name called or experiences that lack the quality of an external percept (e.g., a humming in one's head) should also not be considered as symptomatic of Schizophrenia or any other Psychotic Disorder. Hallucinations may be a normal part of religious experience in certain cultural context. Certain types of auditory hallucinations (i.e., two or more voices conversing with one another or voices maintaining a running commentary on the person's thoughts or behavior) have been considered to be particularly characteristic of Schizophrenia. If these types of hallucinations are present, then only this single symptom is needed to satisfy Criterion A.
    Disorganized Thinking: Disorganized Thinking "Formal Thought Disorder" has been argued by some to be the single most important feature of Schizophrenia. Because of the difficulty inherent in developing an objective definition of "thought disorder," and because in a clinical setting inferences about thought are based primarily on the individual's speech, the concept of disorganized speech has been emphasized in the definition for Schizophrenia. The speech of individuals with Schizophrenia may be disorganized in a variety of ways. the person may "slip off the track" from one topic to another ("derailment" or "loose associations"); answers to questions may be obliquely related or completely unrelated ("trangentiality"); and, rarely, speech may be so severely disorganized that it is nearly incomprehensible and resembles receptive aphasia in its linguistic disorganization ("incoherence" or "word salad"). Because mildly disorganized speech is common and nonspecific, the symptom must be severe enough to substantially impair effective communication. Less severe disorganized thinking or speech may occur during the prodromal and residual periods of Schizophrenia.
    Grossly Disorganized Behavior: Grossly Disorganized Behavior may manifest itself in a variety of ways, ranging from childlike silliness to unpredictable agitation. Problems may be noted in any form of goal-directed behavior, leading to difficulties in performing activities of daily living such as preparing a meal or maintaining hygiene. The person may appear markedly disheveled, may dress in an unusual manner (i.e., wearing multiple overcoats, scarves, and gloves on a hot day), or may display clearly inappropriate sexual behavior (e.g., public masturbation) or unpredictable and untriggered agitation (e.g., shouting or swearing). Care should be taken not to apply this criterion too broadly. For example, a few instances of restless, angry, or agitated behavior should not be considered the be evidence of Schizophrenia, especially if the motivation is understandable.
    Grossly Disorganized Behavior: Grossly Disorganized Behavior may manifest itself in a variety of ways, ranging from childlike silliness to unpredictable agitation. Problems may be noted in any form of goal-directed behavior, leading to difficulties in performing activities of daily living such as preparing a meal or maintaining hygiene. The person may appear markedly disheveled, may dress in an unusual manner (i.e., wearing multiple overcoats, scarves, and gloves on a hot day), or may display clearly inappropriate sexual behavior (e.g., public masturbation) or unpredictable and untriggered agitation (e.g., shouting or swearing). Care should be taken not to apply this criterion too broadly. For example, a few instances of restless, angry, or agitated behavior should not be considered the be evidence of Schizophrenia, especially if the motivation is understandable.
    Catatonic Motor Behaviors: Catatonic Motor Behaviors include a marked decrease in reactivity to the environment, sometimes reaching an extreme degree of complete unawareness (catatonic stupor), maintaining a rigid posture and resisting efforts to be moved (catatonic negativism), the assumption of inappropriate or bizarre postures (catatonic posturing), or purposeless and unstimulated excessive motor activity(catatonic excitement).
    *
    *
    NEGATIVE SYMPTOMS
    The negative symptoms of Schizophrenia account for a substantial degree of the morbidity associated with the disorder. *Three negative symptoms are included in the definition of Schizophrenia.
    Affective Flattening: *Affective flattening is especially common and is characterized by the person's face appearing immobile and unresponsive, with poor eye contact and reduced body language. *Although a person with affective flattening may smile and warm up occasionally, his or her range of emotional expressiveness is clearly diminished most of the time. It may be useful to observe the person interacting with peers to determine whether affective flattening is sufficiently persistent to meet the criteria above.*
    Alogia (Poverty of Speech): Alogia is manifested *by brief, laconic, empty replies. *The individual with alogia appears to have a diminution of thoughts that is reflected in decreased fluency and productivity of speech. *This must be differentiated from an unwillingness to speak, a clinical judgement that may require observation over time and in a variety of situations.
    Avolition: Avolition is characterized by an inability to initiate and persist in goal-directed activities. *The person may sit for long periods of time and show little interest in participating in work or social activities.
    * Although common in Schizophrenia, negative symptoms are difficult to evaluate because they occur on a continuum with normality, are relatively nonspecific, and may be due to a variety of other factors (including positive symptoms medication side effects, depression, environmental understimulation, or demoralization). *If a negative symptom is to be judged to be clearly attributable to any of these factors, then it should not be considered in making the diagnosis of Schizophrenia.
    *
    COURSE
    Schizophrenia involves dysfunction in one or more major areas of functioning (e.g., interpersonal relations, work or education, or self-care).* Typically, functioning is clearly below that which had been archieved before the onset of symptoms.* If the disturbance begins in childhood or adolescence, however, there may be a failure to achieve what would have been expected for the individual rather than a deterioration in functioning.* Comparing the individual with unaffected siblings may be helpful in making this determinatino.* Educational progress is frequently disrupted, and the individual may be unable to finish school.* Many individuals are unable to hold a job for sustained periods of time and are employed at a lower level than their parents.* The majority (60%-70%) of individuals with Schizophrenia do not marry, and most have relatively limited social contacts.* The dysfunction persists for a substantial period during teh course of the disorder and does not appear to be a direct result of any single feature.* Some signs of the disturbance must persist for a continuous period of at least 6 months.* During that time period, there must be at least 1 month of symptoms (or less than 1 month if symptoms are successfully treated).



    None of you a schizophrenic. It isn't schizophrenia unless it it so extreme it stops you from leading a normal life.
    GirlNextDoor, schizophrenia is usually diagnosed in people in their early twenties. It is extremely unlikely that your friend was diagnosed with it at 13. For that to be true she would have had to be displaying clear symptoms that were seriously effecting her functioning in every day life. There is almost no way that you wouldn't have noticed that there was something seriously wrong with her.
    Going along with what lilbitlost said, most meds for schizophrenia are incredibly strong and cause debilitating side effects. You could ask her about them and express concern until she is either caught in the lie or feels guilty that her lie is causing you to worry for her so much.
     
  7. Contact1111

    Contact1111 Guest

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    Well, somebody could have it at 13. I doubt she's lying about whatever symptoms she has, but it's possible she was misdiagnosed if she is functioning well without being on medications. Also, people who have hallucinations generally do not talk to them publicly. Usually, although the person very well may hear them while in public places, they will strictly have the conversations with them while they are alone in their room. Still, the person usually is not functioning well and not acting themselves. Often times, there is an undercurrent of severe paranoia (e.g. thinking the government is out to get you or other delusions).
     
    #7 Contact1111, Dec 16, 2015
    Last edited: Dec 16, 2015