1. Community
  2. Mental health
  3. Anxiety Disorders

Please help I’m terrified of schizophrenia

Posted , 5 users are following.

Gettingthrough
Gettingthrough

Hi, I’m new on this site and I’m terrified of schizophrenia. I’ve been diagnosed with PureO and am on 100mg of sertraline - moving up to 150mg soon. But I am terrified of schizophrenia. I keep having really vivid dreams and remembering them , I also get so many mind pops and today had a random memory of something and I wasn’t sure if it was a dream or something so I had to call my dad to double check( I think it was a dream or maybe a memory I’m still unsure) Then I just got a random memory of something relating to a Fila bag?! Like an image almost (it’s so random I know) but I’m so so terrifed. I’ve read so much about schizophrenia that my head feels like it’s going to explode. I have several symptoms of the prodomal phase and I’m absolutely terrified that I’ll soon loose insight and slip into psychosis. I also have a fair amount of symptoms of what I believe is called depersonalisation or derealisaion? Very odd, and I get thoughts like “am I me” “are these my thoughts” and then I start to feel really odd and surreal almost like things aren’t real. I start to doubt whether conversations i’ve Had were real or whether I’ve imagined them or made them up. And it’s making me honestly petrified. I feel so awful. 

I’ve had several other OCD themes but this one is debilitating me so much at the moment and I genuinley feel like I’m verging on schizophrenia and I should go and see another psychiatrist. Can anyone relate to this or have any advice?? sad Thanks

0 likes, 9 replies

9 Replies

  • marcus72242
    marcus72242 Gettingthrough

    Posted

    I had this fear of getting schizophrenic for a long time but not anymore.

    Someone once told me a smart thing "if you are scared or afraid to become crazy or go schizophrenic that means that you are not going crazy" .

    People with Schizophrenia and people who suffer from a severe mental condition are not aware to themselves and they think that everything they experience is normal and okay, only because you aware to yourself and afraid that only means that you are not going mad.

    Im on 200mg Sertraline and i've been suffering from Derealization since age 17 (im now 22) 24/7 non stop . Its scary at the start but if it sticks to you you'll get used to it and wont pay any attention to it. You are not going mad and everything is fine.

    Calm down take a big breath from every day that passes your chances of having Schizophrenia are getting lower , life is beautiful and experience them as much as possible.

    • Gettingthrough
      Gettingthrough marcus72242

      Posted

      Thank you very much Marcus72241 that's a reassuring response. So you think the spacey feeling is from the sertraline?

    • marcus72242
      marcus72242 Gettingthrough

      Posted

      The spacey feeling is just a symptom of anxiety . Live your life , enjoy every second and dont look on what things you might have . I know its hard and im myself sometimes struggling with thoughts. Lets be honest , everything can happen to us in matter of seconds , so why schizophrenia ? What about cancer ? Bipolar ? Muscular Distrophy ? Everything can happen and thinking about what MIGHT happen wont change anything. Stop tiring your mind and enjoy your life !
  • Smalltowngirl17
    Smalltowngirl17 Gettingthrough

    Posted

    I have the same fear of being Bipolar. I feel like sometimes I have the "symptoms" of bipolar. Or the psychosis part of manic episodes. I have been to a psychiatrist, 4 or 5 different therapists, and my GP which all tell me it is Anxiety and OCD. It all just started happening one day after I had a panic attack out of the blue. I went to my GP who sent me to a psychiatrist after refusing to take any medicines and the psychiatrist mentioned bipolar to me during my evaluation. I did not really know what bipolar was and obviously she eliminated it pretty quickly, and too pinned it down to anxiety and OCD and Panic Attacks....That has been a year and a half ago, and even up to today I still fear being bipolar. Ive read up on it so much I feel like I could be an expert sometimes. For about 3 months I read on bipolar 5-6 hours a day! Its was crazy. 

    So I do not relate to you as far as being shizophrenic but I fear being bipolar for the same reasons (psychosis and stuff) 

    I just keep telling myself this too shall pass....Its bad! I read somewhere one time that when women wear "more extravagant" make-up the maybe in a hypomanic state....I have not wore make up since I read that over 6 months ago....my OCD tells me when I want to wear it i must be hypomanic....If I sleep any more than 8 hours a night my OCD tells me I am depressed.....stupid little things that our OCD latches on to and then we cause ourselves symptoms.....

    My doctors, therapists and psychiatrists tell me if I was really manic I would not think anything is wrong....then I read where people know when they are so I start believing "dr.google" rather than my doctor that went to school for this stuff....

    I feel likek we both have similar "OCD" .... I hope we all get better and learn how to beat this awful disease!!! 

    • Gettingthrough
      Gettingthrough Smalltowngirl17

      Posted

      having such a difficult time  [sad] I went for a walk to distract myself but if anyone looked at me I would start thinking "Omg maybe I'm only thinking they're looking at me because I'm developing schizophrenia and I'm paranoid that they are and will start believing it soon". Like it's honestly so exhausting and then I have to start googling all of this. I just lay on the sofa for ages because  Idk what to do!! I'm so drained!! 

    • Gettingthrough
      Gettingthrough Smalltowngirl17

      Posted

      Hi I know it's literally the worst, I relate every symptom to myself all of the time it's super exhausting. If someone looks at me in the street I start to think "omg maybe I only think he/she is looking at me because I'm paranoid or becoming paranoid sad( It's so scary.

    • Gettingthrough
      Gettingthrough Smalltowngirl17

      Posted

      Sorry, my computer crashed and I thought my comment hadn't posted it so wrote another. Apologies for the double comment!!

    • Smalltowngirl17
      Smalltowngirl17 Gettingthrough

      Posted

      I do the whole paranoia thing too! I HATE it. I don’t see many people with anxiety and panic talking about paranoia either. Which makes me think even more that I’m “loving” it or losing touch with reality or manic. It’s the worst feeling ever! 
  • austin71364
    austin71364 Gettingthrough

    Posted

    I'm going through this EXACT same thing right now I've been consumed with anxiety over the possibility that I'm developing schizophrenia. Are you guys still on here? How are you doing?

Back to top

Report or request deletion

Thanks for your help!

We want the community to be a useful resource for our users but it is important to remember that the community are not moderated or reviewed by doctors and so you should not rely on opinions or advice given by other users in respect of any healthcare matters. Always speak to your doctor before acting and in cases of emergency seek appropriate medical assistance immediately. Use of the community is subject to our Terms of Use and Privacy Policy and steps will be taken to remove posts identified as being in breach of those terms.