Schizophrenia - General Discussion

mellowwalker59 said:Honestly, just hearing a diagnosis of schizophrenia can be terrifying... It’s more than just a medical condition, though—it feels like a sentence. When people want to hurt someone, they wish a schizophrenia diagnosis on them. Someone carrying that label often faces a harder life than someone behind bars. But look, schizophrenia isn't an absence of emotion, or some kind of "evil" state, or a void where nothing exists. It usually shows up as a reaction—kind of a trigger response to the world around us. It tends to surface after trauma, injustice, or abuse. People living with this aren't stupid, and they aren't malicious or dangerous to others. If anything, they are most dangerous to themselves... They tend to withdraw because they feel unnecessary or misunderstood, and they're painfully aware of their diagnosis and how everyone else perceives them. People jump to conclusions about everything based on that label, but once you have it, you're stuck with it forever, even if the psychotic episodes don't happen again. These folks are suffering twice over. Is it truly their fault they ended up sick?
And if I could say one thing to anyone who's received this diagnosis: many of you didn't deserve to have that on your record. Just be certain that, eventually, it will be used against you. A friend tells a best friend, and suddenly the whole country knows. Anyway, thanks to the admin for at least looking out for us by banning those hateful comments and the stigma...

Sandra Lee2 said:A healthy mind requires a healthy body. Proper nutrition matters, and it might just help.

Eric Gray2 said:David Hall6, this is the third time I'm asking: do your parents actually have a schizophrenia diagnosis? Or were they just terrible parents, and you've decided to slap a bunch of mental illnesses on them just to be spiteful?

From now on, I’m going to flag any posts about "schizophrenics." Go demonize mental illness somewhere else.

David Hall6 said:

You aren't some authority figure, and you certainly don't have the right to try and blackmail someone just because they hold a different opinion.
It’s funny how everyone on this sub talks endlessly without anyone actually mentioning an official diagnosis.
It’s perfectly reasonable to discuss symptoms and the evidence we've gathered, whether we're talking about narcissism, sadism, or anything else for that matter.

So, according to your logic, parents should have a free pass to be abusive or violent whenever they feel like it? As long as some government agency hasn't officially diagnosed them or filed the paperwork, they don't actually have a disorder? It’s a pretty cynical way to look at things.


I have a family member with an official schizophrenia diagnosis. He isn't abusive, and I’m not trying to slap labels on everyone or make sweeping generalizations here. I’m simply looking at the reality of my own situation: some people are just inherently malicious, and they happen to deal with mental health disorders that strip away their ability to think logically or maintain a grip on reality. Those cognitive breaks are just part of the clinical picture.

I provided some specific examples. I'm honestly not sure if there’s a better way to label them.
Or let's just call them what they are: lunatics. It’s not enough. I’m actually posting about this over on the toxic parents thread as well.

Eric Gray2 said:Hey, I don't think we've officially met yet—I'm one of the moderators for the psychology subforum. 🙂

Now that we're acquainted, there’s really no reason for you to be rehashing your situation with your parents here, especially since you're already covering it in the appropriate thread.

The way you're throwing around terms like "schizophrenia" and "schizophrenics" as insults to describe all the crap your parents put you through—well, I won't allow that kind of demonization of the illness in this space. I am truly sorry you dealt with such terrible parents, but that doesn't give you a free pass to come into a forum meant for providing information and support—primarily for people living with schizophrenia—and insult an entire group of people just because you didn't win the genetic lottery. There are plenty of jerks out there without a single diagnosis; having a psychiatric condition isn't a prerequisite for being a complete asshole. Equating shitty behavior with actual symptoms, or trying to play amateur doctor based on nothing, simply isn't welcome here.

Nicholas Bailey3 said:The guy is basically an ATM for some insecure girl—and you’re really sitting here wondering what her deal is?
Good grief...

slybison6 said:I’m posting this here because I’m really trying to wrap my head around what kind of diagnosis we might be looking at in this situation...
So, here’s the deal... my boyfriend met this woman about two years ago who, frankly, isn't his type at all—and I don't just mean physically, though she does struggle with severe obesity, a limp, and a stutter. Regardless, she fell head over heels for him instantly and hasn't stopped blowing up his phone ever since. Even after meeting me, she just keeps going, completely relentless.
To give you some context—my guy has a bit of a habit of spending money he doesn't really have, and she, thinking she can win him over, has been sending him cash quite generously. He’s actually taking advantage of her infatuation and her totally warped perception of him. It’s wild... like, if he sends her a quick text or even just hits a heart button on a Facebook post, she interprets that as deep romantic interest. It’s like when someone asks you out for coffee without any underlying tension, but they walk away thinking it was a full-on date. We've tried explaining to her multiple times that there is absolutely no chance with him, but nothing sticks, because one little "like" on social media just resets her whole delusion. My boyfriend keeps feeding into it, playing along as long as the money keeps coming, which only deepens this intense fantasy she's living in. She’s completely disconnected from reality... For instance, if she were to look at Brand Ask and Angelina DZ, she’d probably tell herself, "Well, if he can be with her, he can certainly be with me." She has zero self-awareness regarding how she compares to me or the kind of partner my boyfriend actually seeks out. Just one single message from him acts like a blindfold over her eyes. Everyone else avoids her because she’s just so pushy, annoying, and suffocating. Can you imagine how devastating it’ll be when she finally hits a wall and realizes the person she’s obsessed with is avoiding her? But he won't pull away because he’s pitying her while also enjoying the financial perks. Honestly, we used to laugh at her profile pictures whenever she changed them, but now it’s stopped being funny because it's clear she’s genuinely unwell. I know this sounds harsh, but it’s the truth. Can anyone explain what kind of schizophrenia this might be, and more importantly, how should we handle someone like this?

Edit: I honestly think she’s never actually been in a relationship before and has no clue what intimacy actually entails. It seems like she thinks a relationship is just going for walks and hanging out, rather than the reality of sharing a bed, a home, dinners, and everything else that comes with it.

Nicholas Barnes74 said:Man, you really missed the mark with this thread...
I mean, you're actually asking for a diagnosis here...
So, we've got this woman who weighs, what, 650 pounds? And she’s a total knockout—plus, she’s footing the bill (how does that work, though? Is she just sending cash or are they actually hanging out?) and you guys are blowing through it... I mean, something feels off there, right?
The best question is probably: "What kind of schizophrenia are we even talking about?"
I'm gonna head out...🙏

Brandon Foster7 said:The only real problem here is that you and your boyfriend clearly lack any sense of ethics.
Shame on both of you!

What’s it actually like being with a loser like that? He’s using her now, and he’ll do the exact same thing to you.

Sandra Lee2 said:Hello.
How are you all managing the drowsiness caused by antipsychotics?

I’ve been relying on caffeine pills and quite a bit of coffee. But I’d really prefer something more effective.

Sandra Lee2 said:Does anyone have any insight regarding disability benefits and schizophrenia?

Sandra Lee2 said:Does anyone have any insight regarding disability benefits and schizophrenia?

slybison6 said:Let me be crystal clear: this woman’s perception of reality is just completely warped. She’s under the delusion that he’s actually in love with her simply because they text all the time, and she’s out here voluntarily sending him money without him even asking. And what does he do? He blows through it in three nights flat. Personally, I would never touch someone else's money; I always find out about his spending after the fact when he’s out hitting up high-end steakhouses with his buddies. So, nobody is begging her for cash—she’s literally handing it over herself, fully expecting him to dump me and run to her. But guess what? That isn't happening. She is relentless. Honestly, she's acting crazy, but he isn't the one who's out of his mind. He isn't some pathetic loser. I mean, come on, if someone started depositing money into your bank account out of the blue, wouldn't you take it? I'm just stuck thinking about this whole distorted perception thing... I'm not exploiting anyone... at first, I thought the whole situation was kind of funny, but now it's stopped being hilarious and it's just getting sad and, frankly, pretty intense. Part of me thinks it wouldn't be a bad idea if she actually read this thread, maybe then she'd finally see things for what they really are, but I doubt it...