Schizophrenia - General Discussion
in Psychology & Therapy ·
I have a few questions for those who are currently living with this, because I would truly love to hear from someone firsthand about how everything first started for them...
As the title suggests, I am terrified that I might be heading toward schizophrenia...
For quite some time now, I’ve had this nagging sense that something isn't right with me; I initially assumed I was just depressed (and for a long while, I certainly was), but now I don't know anymore... I just feel this pervasive sense of wrongness...😢
Regarding the symptoms often mentioned, I don't experience hallucinations or delusional thoughts, though I'm honestly not entirely sure what "formal thought disorder" entails—could someone perhaps explain that to me? And what exactly constitutes a "word salad"? Regardless, I feel like there is a significant disconnect occurring lately...
For instance, I’ll begin recounting an experience and then simply lose my way—I start speaking at light speed, watching my listeners' faces as they try to follow me, only to realize that the point of my story has vanished somewhere along the line and what is coming out makes no sense... I can actually hear myself talking and think to myself, "For heaven's sake, slow down," but it ends with people staring at me blankly because there is clearly no connection between my excitement while telling a story—say, something genuinely interesting—and the actual "nonsense" that escapes my lips...🤷... what could this be?
It doesn't happen all the time, of course; I am perfectly capable of communicating normally... but it has happened several times now, and the feeling is just wretched... I listen to myself speak and I simply cannot believe what is happening to me... and this occurs even with people I have known for decades...
It isn't just being confused; it feels something much more unsettling than that...😕
On top of this, I've realized that I can't remember half of the events I've actually participated in; for example, my friends will reminisce about our high school days, yet it all feels completely foreign to me, even though it turns out I was indeed present... I just have no memory of it...
I also find myself forgetting things people tell me; I'll even ask follow-up questions about something they just said, only to have no idea what they were discussing a few minutes later... and I was listening, or at least I thought I was...😢 (I'm not sure if that's related to anything, but I figured I should mention it since we are discussing cognitive processes)
And then there are these negative symptoms (though I wonder if they are just symptoms of depression)
Please, could someone share how things began for you, and based on what I've described, is my fear justified?
As the title suggests, I am terrified that I might be heading toward schizophrenia...
For quite some time now, I’ve had this nagging sense that something isn't right with me; I initially assumed I was just depressed (and for a long while, I certainly was), but now I don't know anymore... I just feel this pervasive sense of wrongness...😢
Regarding the symptoms often mentioned, I don't experience hallucinations or delusional thoughts, though I'm honestly not entirely sure what "formal thought disorder" entails—could someone perhaps explain that to me? And what exactly constitutes a "word salad"? Regardless, I feel like there is a significant disconnect occurring lately...
For instance, I’ll begin recounting an experience and then simply lose my way—I start speaking at light speed, watching my listeners' faces as they try to follow me, only to realize that the point of my story has vanished somewhere along the line and what is coming out makes no sense... I can actually hear myself talking and think to myself, "For heaven's sake, slow down," but it ends with people staring at me blankly because there is clearly no connection between my excitement while telling a story—say, something genuinely interesting—and the actual "nonsense" that escapes my lips...🤷... what could this be?
It doesn't happen all the time, of course; I am perfectly capable of communicating normally... but it has happened several times now, and the feeling is just wretched... I listen to myself speak and I simply cannot believe what is happening to me... and this occurs even with people I have known for decades...
It isn't just being confused; it feels something much more unsettling than that...😕
On top of this, I've realized that I can't remember half of the events I've actually participated in; for example, my friends will reminisce about our high school days, yet it all feels completely foreign to me, even though it turns out I was indeed present... I just have no memory of it...
I also find myself forgetting things people tell me; I'll even ask follow-up questions about something they just said, only to have no idea what they were discussing a few minutes later... and I was listening, or at least I thought I was...😢 (I'm not sure if that's related to anything, but I figured I should mention it since we are discussing cognitive processes)
And then there are these negative symptoms (though I wonder if they are just symptoms of depression)
Please, could someone share how things began for you, and based on what I've described, is my fear justified?