How to Diagnose Schizophrenia

[NoFew]

Ive checked in the FQA and read some of the other threads. But is Schizophrenia hard to diagnose just by symptoms alone. I'm starting to question if i have schizophrenia as some of the symptoms fit although it could be mistaken for having Depression. No social life and bordem. I only started becoming depressed after being socially withdrawn from society & being stuck in the house All day and now I'm finding it really hard to Jump back in with no confidence self esteem. there's no previous or current mental health problems in my family's history

The reason i ask because a tutor dismissed me from a learning course several months back because i was quiet & kept to myself, I didn't practically want to be there in the 1st place but felt as if i needed to so she dragged me to the side and said whats up. I just blanked her switched off and didn't listen and thats when she put Schizophrenia in my head so i left thinking i was a Psycho and kinda freaked/panic on my way home on the train. I don't hear voices or see things but I'm very secretive and discreet in everything i do & hate giving out personal info Its not a big thing But.. Idk It's effecting my everyday life as Ive just Given up i need to start looking for a job with in the next year but i have no idea what i want to Do or what i would do I'm 17

Edit: Stressed, Late Nights, Loss appetite, No Interest, Slightly Depressed, Negative Person, Anxiety, Senstive, Quiet & Insecure o yea And Isolated! I Don't self medicate or anything Ive practically watched the last 9Months slip away with in weeks i Feel DEAD

[Kaleidoscope Eyes]

Schizophrenia is impossible to accurately diagnose yourself because not only do you personally lack the medical training. To be honest, I see a lot of depression symptoms and very little which has anything to do with schizophrenia, so don't worry too much. I'm not a doctor either, though (and I won't pretend that taking a single psychology class makes me one xP), so I can't give you a diagnosis. It sounds like your tutor may have mentioned Schizophrenia specifically? Unless they have medical training, they don't have any basis for that assumption, so don't let that convince you.

There are several different types of schizophrenia, but the diagnostic critera include:
At least two of the following:
*delusions
*hallucinations
*disorganized speech (severe enough to significantly impair ability to communicate)
*very disorganized behavior or catatonic behavior
*"negative" symptoms (such as a lack of or decline in speech, motivation, or emotional response)
The symptoms must also be severe enough to interfere with everyday life, and signs of the disorder must occur for at least 6 months, with the main symptoms for at least one month.
Also, as with any psychological disorder, the symptoms must not be able to be better explained by a different diagnosis.
(info taken from what I learned in my psych class as well as internet research)

If you're worried about your symptoms, regardless of what you think it might or might not be, talk to your doctor. They can recommend someone for you to talk to who can help figure out what's going on and how to make you feel better. No one needs to feel so down and so "dead" all the time. I've been there, and I know how terrible it can be. The sooner you bring this up, the sooner you can start to fix it. :)

[INFERNO]

Schizophrenia needs more than the "popular symptoms" of hallucinations, disorganized speech, delusions, negative symptoms and such to be diagnosed. There is also social dysfunction, minimum duration needed, exclusion of mood disorder and schizoaffective disorder, exclusion of substance abuse and medication side-effects and relationship to a pervasive developmental disorder. From there, there are more specific diagnostic criteria for the different types of schizophrenia.

Based on what you said, I'm not sure why the tutor would suggest schizophrenia unless they were trying to scare you into participating or they don't know what the diagnostic criteria actually are. They perhaps thought that you may not have been participating because you suffered from psychosis. I'm not sure what put this into their head, although I'm sure that you not responding to when they pulled you aside to talk to you had something to do with it. But even then, it could be a long list of other possible disorders other than schizophrenia (or in the fancier psychological talk, a differential diagnosis).

[jckkeith]

If your GP thinks that you may have schizophrenia, he or she will probably refer you to a hospital or clinic, to see a psychiatrist. The psychiatrist will want to hear the history of any problems you've had. He or she may ask you:[2]

* What sort of symptoms have you been getting?
* When did you first start having these problems (such as hearing voices)?
* If you do hear voices, what do they say?
* Do you know that the delusions or hallucinations you have are part of an illness, or do you think they are real experiences?
* Do your problems come and go or do you get them all the time?
* How have your problems affected your life (such as your studies or your work)?

The psychiatrist will probably ask about any other mental or physical health problems you have had, and whether anybody else in your family has had mental health problems.

If a friend or relative has come with you to the hospital or the clinic, your doctor may ask them what they have noticed about your condition. This may be particularly important if your symptoms are making it hard for you to speak or for people to understand what you are saying.

[INFERNO]

If your GP thinks that you may have schizophrenia, he or she will probably refer you to a hospital or clinic, to see a psychiatrist. The psychiatrist will want to hear the history of any problems you've had. He or she may ask you:[2]

* What sort of symptoms have you been getting?
* When did you first start having these problems (such as hearing voices)?
* If you do hear voices, what do they say?
* Do you know that the delusions or hallucinations you have are part of an illness, or do you think they are real experiences?
* Do your problems come and go or do you get them all the time?
* How have your problems affected your life (such as your studies or your work)?

The psychiatrist will probably ask about any other mental or physical health problems you have had, and whether anybody else in your family has had mental health problems.

If a friend or relative has come with you to the hospital or the clinic, your doctor may ask them what they have noticed about your condition. This may be particularly important if your symptoms are making it hard for you to speak or for people to understand what you are saying.

If you're going to copy and paste word-for-word from a website, then include the website otherwise it's plagarism. Here's the website: CLICK (http://www.guardian.co.uk/lifeandstyle/besttreatments/schizophrenia-diagnosis)

[Asylum]

ask a doctor, i know this pot doesn't really help sorry, but they d diagnos, so they can help :D

[spirowilliam]

It is nice to know about the diagnose schizophrenia. I am really appreciated for your valuable information. The reason is that most of the people do not aware about it and fall into the high level of schizophrenia.

[georgiamay]

Please don't bump old threads :locked: