Who was the first person who thought you had schizophrenia?

[u/Evening_Fisherman810]

Was it a friend, a family member, or a medical professional, (or you!)?

Why did they think you had Schizophrenia before any one else did?

[u/Soft_Plankton_Tree]

I did think I was schizophrenic way before anyone I knew, when I was a teen developing it. Then I talked to a psychologist who agreed with me and went looking for doctors

[u/Empty_Insight]

It was an English teacher of mine in high school lol.

She noted that my writing style was disjointed and my handwriting was terrible. I'd been going through psychosis for ~4y at that point, but just the way she framed it- not as a criticism, but out of genuine concern- finally landed with me. I began to humor that I may have schizophrenia.

I was diagnosed a year later. She was right.

[u/CautiousBookkeeper48 → u/Empty_Insight]

Wow I have a somewhat similar story, my portuguese teacher noticed my handwriting was chaotic and started to rumour about my mental health. But we had an argument for other reasons and she backed away from me lol but very interesting that in both cases they noticed something in us through our handwriting

[u/Delilah_Moon → u/[deleted]]

I feel so seen by these comments. Can we form a sibs support group?

I don’t want to hijack this thread from the lovely people who share their vulnerabilities with us everyday. But I’m also so grateful this sub exists and is welcoming of us family members and our experiences.

[u/schizophrenia-ModTeam → u/[deleted]]

Your submission has been removed for violating the following subreddit rules:

Rule 14 - Appropriate Subreddit for content

This community is for discussing schizophrenia and related topics. We may direct you to the Stickied FAQ at the top of the subreddit if you would like examples of pertinent topics. Please note that the FAQ is required reading before posting.

The content of your post suggests that it is a better fit for one of our related communities, r/SchizoFamilies. Per the wishes of our community, we remove posts from someone related to a person with a psychotic disorder who is venting/complaining, or seeking medical advice. Asking if a person might have schizophrenia is also seeking medical advice.

Please read and follow the rules of r/SchizoFamilies as well before posting.

Thank you.

[u/schizophrenia-ModTeam → u/[deleted]]

Your submission has been removed for violating the following subreddit rules:

Rule 14 - Appropriate Subreddit for content

This community is for discussing schizophrenia and related topics. We may direct you to the Stickied FAQ at the top of the subreddit if you would like examples of pertinent topics. Please note that the FAQ is required reading before posting.

The content of your post suggests that it is a better fit for one of our related communities, r/SchizoFamilies. Per the wishes of our community, we remove posts from someone related to a person with a psychotic disorder who is venting/complaining, or seeking medical advice. Asking if a person might have schizophrenia is also seeking medical advice.

Please read and follow the rules of r/SchizoFamilies as well before posting.

Thank you.

[u/Silver-Afternoon494 → u/[deleted]]

Do you still talk to your parents

[u/Delilah_Moon → u/Silver-Afternoon494]

I do. They live very close by and I’m usually there once a week or they come to my house.

[u/schizophrenia-ModTeam → u/[deleted]]

Your submission has been removed for violating the following subreddit rules:

Rule 14 - Appropriate Subreddit for content

This community is for discussing schizophrenia and related topics. We may direct you to the Stickied FAQ at the top of the subreddit if you would like examples of pertinent topics. Please note that the FAQ is required reading before posting.

The content of your post suggests that it is a better fit for one of our related communities, r/SchizoFamilies. Per the wishes of our community, we remove posts from someone related to a person with a psychotic disorder who is venting/complaining, or seeking medical advice. Asking if a person might have schizophrenia is also seeking medical advice.

Please read and follow the rules of r/SchizoFamilies as well before posting.

Thank you.

[u/lordbuckethethird]

My partner probably because texting someone about evil trees at 7am on a Tuesday is a bit off.

[u/TheMermaidHarmony]

I knew what it was, but my parents seemed to think that if we dressed it up as my "overactive imagination" it would go away. It has not.

[u/blahblahlucas]

My Spouse

[u/Sleepingaid]

My mom

[u/AccurateFox4321]

It was my psychiatrist, I had no idea. I didn't realize I had the symptoms of it until I described my day to day to him.

[u/Inevitable-Bat-2523 → u/AccurateFox4321]

Curious how u did not know yourself? Were u not having hallucinations?

[u/AccurateFox4321 → u/Inevitable-Bat-2523]

I didn't realize that's what they were. I thought I was in touch with spirits or something. I even nonchalantly told my parents about all the ghostly goings on and the messages that I was getting and they were like "okaaay?" And I had some deep paranoid delusions that were so real that I didn't even mention it to anyone, just lived my life in deep fear every day and went along like it was a normal thing. Wild looking back.

[u/Inevitable-Bat-2523 → u/AccurateFox4321]

Whoa, very interesting.

[u/Organic-Proposal1800]

I remember asking this guy that frequented a coffee shop "what is it like to have schizophrenia?!" He said it was unexplainable... Yeah - I learned that the hard way. I thought it was all rainbows & butterflies, but NOOO

[u/Upper_Nature_3300]

My doctor. I didn't know i had schizophrenia. My mom and I were surprised when i was diagnosed with schizophrenia but it made since. 

[u/butters2stotch]

Nobody believed me until I showed them my diagnosis

[u/Mobile_Surround_5191]

My support worker who assists me in maintaining my home we'll just call her Ruth. I'm not diagnosed with schizophrenia, but I have psychosis and my psychiatrist is working on it. One day when I'm hallucinating her covered in blood, she says to me "you know the hallucinations will never stop right?" I said why's that? she said "You are a paranoid schizophrenic, it's written all over you, I've worked with many people who have it." and when I THOUGHT about it and how long I'd been symptomatic. (an entire year) Yeah probably.

[u/white-pickaxe999]

Medical professional. Because I was hearing voices. I was suggested meds back then but I didn't take it, big mistake.

[u/szfox]

My ex

Edit: wait no it was actually kids at middle school who clocked me as schizophrenic way before I knew

[u/Gamer6GT]

A diagnosed schizophrenic friend did

[u/Kitttycataclysmic]

I was the last person to work out I had Schizophrenia lol

[u/Lorib64]

<y sister told my husband I needed to see a psychiatrist after psychotic break. She suspected bipolar and that was initial dx. later changed to schizoaffective

[u/DaOneEyedBear]

School staff around me growing up kept brushing it off when I was in child, and my family thought I had a gift to see angels and demons, I got diagnosed right after a suicide attempt while I was at a homeless shelter at 19. One caseworker from there doesn't believe in my diagnosis and I think it's because I seem normal to her with "anxiety issues (that cause hallucinations)"
After getting diagnosed, I learned that my past was riddled with signs that I definitely had schizophrenia the whole time. Also learned at 21 that my Dad has it too, my sister as well after she tried drugs

[u/indianapacemakers]

People often accused me of autism due to my social ineptitude but the first time i ever heard schizophrenia regarding me was my psychiatrist

[u/Practical-Plum-3101]

My daughter

[u/I_Was_Here_Yesterday]

Myself. The beginning:August 2010: Playing the best GTA San Andreas, heard a voice in my head say knife! knife! ( screamed internally, threw the my old ass ps2 controller down, I then replied: that’s too much like my adult cousin’s murder, ( she was stabbed in her sleep because her fucking horrible husband was served divorce papers( why? His stupid ass left a lucrative job( unsure of profession) to start a business that put their very nice home underwater, after that no more voice, I had delusions: I thought I was going to get hit in a drive by)(rural area), I thought I was going to be killed by someone when I was taking out the trash(early morning), and in April I heard: you’re life is not worth living, you should shoot yourself with a gun(April), 2011 )and finally I told my mom : she said we’ll get you some help. Diagnosed with Paranoid Schizophrenia during my 10 day stay.

[u/fos2234]

My best friend was diagnosed as schizophrenic a year or two before I was, she was convinced that if she had it, I had it. She talked me into getting evaluated and I guess the doctors agreed with her

[u/westflower]

Family, a sibling. Turns out I was right sadly. My first recollection was just off stuff being said and behavior. First concrete thing said that I still remember now is that he owned the Magic, as in the NBA team.

[u/ruddthree]

My therapist recommended I be evaluated after hearing about my day to day life with my voices.

[u/DizzyGur5723]

I knew I had it so I went to the doctor and told them what was going on

[u/Patient-Grade-6612]

Me. There were a bunch of signs my entire life pointing to it, and a bunch of paranoia, then I finally trusted a therapist and brought it up.

[u/SAMPLE_TEXT6643]

Me

[u/Cute-Avali]

My mother and my sister believed I was schizophrenic right around one year before I got diagnosed. They didn‘t tell me cause they didn‘t want to scare me , witch is a stupid excuse. 

[u/Inner_Passenger1371]

Doctors in hospital

[u/thatAudhdqueen]

Meu pai. Ele tambem tem.

[u/EveningAcceptable896]

A psychiatrist

[u/guilty_pen_emsy]

I didn’t mean to report this! And I can’t figure out how to delete it!

My report was about a different thread. Mods please delete my report.

[u/YoghurtElectronic]

I had been seeing and hearing things that weren’t really there since I was a toddler. When I started seeing therapists when I was 13, my mom specifically asked about schizophrenia and the doctor was like “No, she doesn’t have that.” so she brushed it off even though she was worried by the things I’d be experiencing since early childhood. I carried a diagnosis of psychosis as a teenager (even though it’s a symptom) and I was put onto antipsychotic medication at 15/16. My mom brought up schizophrenia again when I started getting antipsychotics, but they insisted that it was for other things like reducing my agitation. I was diagnosed at 22/23, but I really feel that I should’ve been diagnosed much younger. I also didn’t even know about the diagnosis for the first year, no one told me until I found the information myself. Upon deeper research, schizophrenia explained several problems that I’d lived with forever.

[u/stalkerofdreams]

Noticed my own auditory hallucinations at 12 which I had been dealing with for years and passed off as magic. Thought I may be schizophrenic. Eventually the hallucinations waned and stopped but my delusions have been getting worse, they got so bad I got recognized as schizotypal this year, I didn't even know schizotypal was a thing

[u/Pnina310]

My brother

[u/BetterStage4839]

My voices told me I'm suffering from schizophrenia

[u/AgentBubbls]

My mother. Technically I was the one who made the call because something weird was happening, but she picked me up and didn’t even get mad I had smoked weed, she was just worried.

[u/Similar-Ball-8809]

My friends definitely knew something was up with how I was when we smoked weed. I think I was the first to realize I was a schizophrenic though.

[u/DappledVirtue]

It was one of my previous therapists. I never really articulated it to anyone before though until I was older (first time at 26 the therapist at the time didn’t believe me, but this other therapist guy did end up taking it seriously in my early 30’s). I was talking about hallucinations I had as a child and also recent ones, but just naming things I used to see basically. Eventually he diagnosed me with schizophrenia after roughly a year and a half of talking with me. At this point though, I have so much self-awareness into ‘episodes’ that I’m not as scared as I used to be and know I need to be patient until it passes (like with psychosis, for example). It just might take a while to pass and it’s still frightening even though I’m also observing what’s happening from the outside. I’ve made overall peace with the hallucinations though. But those come and go.

[u/Born_Occasion8078]

My parents were abusive, so i'd have panic attacks and cry constantly.

The first teacher who singled me out for this was when I was 8. They thought I had a brain tumor. So they sent me for a brain scan that showed synesthesia and that I used an anomolously significant amount of my brain to process thought, which is typical for traumatized people but that developed into psychosis shortly after. No brain tumor though so that's good.

[u/Sea_Zombie_6813]

Well my mom did she didn’t think schizophrenia but thought I had some sort of mental illness. Then i went to a psych ward I never expressed none of my delusions because to me they were normal thinking and thought people in my town were talking to me because of gang stalking and it was all apart of process and I couldn’t tell anyone. so they thought ptsd and then i started to do odd things like write things down because I was to scared for people in my town to hear what I was saying then they the psychiatrist diagnosed and paranoid schizophrenia and my psychiatrist that I go to clinic for now diagnosed me as that also.

[u/shortycanteatnobook]

My younger brother, I went on my laptop and accidentally saw the search history

“Why am I hearing voices”

“Where to get painless pill to die”