Topic Tuesday // Let's talk about Schizophrenia // Tues 25th May, 7:00-8:30PM AEST

hello @Daisydreamer @TideisTurning

awww @TAB

hello @Bunniekins , @Emelia8

hello @Sandy1 , @Jordan94

@Shaz51 Hey beautiful Shaz51. Hope you are okay my friend. xxx

The clinical symptoms are hearing voices that no one else can hear, holding fixed firm beliefs not based in reality that are beyond one’s normal system of beliefs (delusions). Having visual hallucinations. Maybe tactile, olfactory and taste sensations that are strange. The social experience is one of isolation and rejection. Persecutory and disturbing out-of-the-ordinary experiences are challenging. To push away family and friends because of paranoia, an extreme fear of others and the wider world, can take you away from everything that holds you together. It is the most harrowing of experiences. And if negative symptoms are present, a person may become socially isolated and withdrawn. Howe can an unwell mind see itself as unwell? It’s hard to step outside yourself and see what is happening.

Stigma is a big one for me I was told by a psychiatrist that all "schizophrenics" were homeless drug addicts who were unable to do anything with their lives, unable to complete university or even write a single sentance. I was also told i was "too smart" to be schizophrenic or to have mental health issues by this psychiatrist.

Really loving hearing what you are looking to get out of the discussion @Shaz51 @Bunniekins @Emelia8 @Eden1919 @Lilaca

Please feel free to post any questions or comments you might have as we go 🙂

being here with you my awesome sister @Bunniekins xxxxxxx

Just a bit of introduction about myself.

I am not yet diagnosed with schizophrenia, but I do hear voices. They are usually of people that I know of and those same people will say pretty much the same thing to me later during the day or a few days after. Not sure if this could be intuition.

I also have a few episodes of seizures a few years ago, but neurologist cannot diagnose it as eeg is negative. At my worst, I was fainting 2-3 times a day. No hospital care. But seizure has reduced to once a year now. Hopefully gone by this year.

So I am just left to figure this out on my own as health care professionals are too busy...

Fortunately, it's mostly manageable. A bit of relapse here and there but life goes on. Work goes on, people revolve and evolve, life busy filled with hobbies.

Hope to learn from all of you through this forum.

@Jordan94 Hi Jordan94 I have a dual diagnosis of schizoaffective disorder and bipolar I given to me by two different psychiatrists. How common is this?

Hi Eden @Eden1919

Yes, clinicians can be just as captured by stigma as the rest of the community. Stereotypes are lame justifications to negate what we can achieve. It our job to defy them. And with support and care we can.