Think my friend might be schizophrenic

[mb_ln13]

We've been friends for a couple of years now, we consider ourselves best friends. He's always been kind of 'odd'. He doesn't usually really show any emotion. No one can tell if he's having a good time but if you ask him he'll say he is.
When we have conversations he switches topics a lot and can kind of jump back and forth and just laughs randomly. I can usually at least keep up with what he's saying but none of our other friends will talk with him for very long because they can't keep up or understand. Or he'll just have blunt replies so everyone will think he's being an a**hole. It doesn't bother me, even if I don't know what he's talking about. he sort of amazes me.
He's pretty much never still, always tapping a foot, shaking a leg, fidgeting. Sometimes he stays awake for days. he said he doesn't like to sleep for more than 5 or 6 hours and wakes up all the time.
and he seems to have blackouts occasionally. He'll say something, then seconds later say it again and when I tell him he just said that he'll say 'I did? or, I wasn't sure if I did'. but it doesn't happen all that often. one time when we had hung out for a few hours one day, the next day he didn't remember at all and was asking me questions about what we did.
Sometimes when were sitting not talking, he'll either ask me what I just said or just talk out of nowhere and when I ask what he's talking about he'll say 'you just asked me yadda yadda' and things like that.
He doesn't like to talk on the phone or use instant messaging. Theres only about 3 people who know his number (i'm one of them) although a lot of our friends ask him for it, he won't give it to them.

Maybe he's just odd.

[Sapphire]

From what you have said I can see possibly 4 or 5 symptoms associated with schizophrenia. Those being emotional blunting or flat affect (lack of or inappropriate emotional response); jumbled thoughts; agitation (fidgeting etc); audio hallucinations and paranoia. I emphasise that the last two are not concrete as you are observing behaviour rather than experiencing it.

Try to talk with him about it, he obviously trusts you so he may open up to you. If through the course of time and/or anything he tells you, you suspect more strongly the possibility that he is schizophrenic urge him to seek help.

[mb_ln13]

I talked to him a little the other day
A couple of times he's said hes seen 'ghosts'. I never really thought much of it because I believe in ghosts, but I started with that. he said it's funny that I ask because he's been seeing them a lot but said he doesn't call them 'ghosts' that 'that's what people think of them as'. he told me he's talked to some of them (never would really tell me about what) and that they have physically woken him up.

I'm going to start paying more attention to things he says and does. I don't want to just jump to conclusions and ruin our friendship.

Thanks for your reply Tortured Beauty. I needed some kind of an outside opinion.

[Bobby]

Yea, look for Schizoprensic symptoms in him. When you finally decide that he might have it, confront him calmly. I would suggest for him to get it checked out by a doctor.

[mb_ln13]

Hey everyone, I've got another question:

When a schizophrenics speech is disorganized, do they realize that it is?

EDIT: Like if they leave words out of a sentence or say things that aren't even words.

[Sapphire]

I am not sure if they realise it or not.
Many schizophrenics have jumbled thoughts and this has been linked with the occurrence of disorganised speech. This can involve missing the odd word or changing the topic of conversation in mid-sentence because their thoughts are not organised.

[Ironic Infidel In England]

Speaking as a schizophrenic, when I say something that seems jumbled, it normally makes perfect sense to me at the time.