Do I have early signs?

@Rick147 Welcome.

You can ask your Dr for a mental health care plan. They should refer you to a psych.

I agree with @Krishna find another gp, if your current one won’t take you seriously.

I’m sorry you are struggling with these things at the moment.

Take care.

Hi Rick147

I would seek out another GP, one that will listen to you at least, it may mean that you haven't got a diagnosis of Schizophrenia, but it might get to the bottom of why you are feeling this way, anyway even if the diagnosis is Schizophrenia, this doesn't mean this is who you are my friend and there is always hope out there, if I can recover you can too.

Haystacks

@Rick147 You sound overwrought Rick. You weren't just extremely tired and half-asleep and the noise was coming from another source? Were you medicated?

I don't know what else to say. Thinking of you.

@Rick147

I hear a lot of noises.. it's physical, in my ears.

I have what is called percussive tinitus. Sometimes it sounds like thunder, sometimes like the ocean, sometimes like someone's scratchy radio playing in the distance and I can't quite make out what it is.

But it's not a mental health disorder, it's my ears.

Just a thought.

x

Hi @Rick147

I just wanted to reach out and welcome you to the forums! It’s great to have you here

I can hear how worried you are It’s such a difficult and scary place to be when we can’t make sense of some of the things that are happening for us

In addition to the great ideas suggested by other forum members, I just wondered if you would feel comfortable asking your GP to refer you to a Psychiatrist? This may provide you with the opportunity to receive some answers to your questions and if necessary, the Psychiatrist may be able to provide some ongoing support

Alternatively, you could ask your GP to refer you to a Psychiatrist for an ‘opinion and report’ (MBS item 291) which also attracts a Medicare rebate.

Basically, this is a one off appointment whereby a Psychiatrist completes an assessment and provides a written report to your GP which (if applicable) also includes a mental health diagnosis.

Although this is a one off appointment, it’s my understanding that you can attend two additional appointments if the Psychiatrist needs more time to complete their assessment.

If you would like to read some more information about this, you can visit the Royal Australian and New Zealand College of Psychiatrists.

Their website www.ranzcp.org

I also wondered if accessing some additional support through the Sane Help Centre may be helpful for you? Although the counsellors can’t provide a diagnosis, they can provide telephone and online counselling, information and referrals for people living with complex mental health issues and also for the people who care about them.

As such, you could talk through your experiences and concerns and explore some other ideas about how you could address these

The Help Centre operates Monday to Friday from 10.00am until 10.00 pm (AEST) and you can contact them on: 1800 18 7263.

Their website is: www.sane.org

I hope this helps

Take care,

ShiningStar

Hi again,

I have some more questions, these symptoms extremely bother me,

(on a side note I have seen a psychiatrist who has told me I don't have schizophrenia, however due to my health anxiety I don't believe her)

2 symptoms I currently have:

-my mind feels like it fires off thoughts that have no meaning, it's like I'm having a conversation and inside I'm battling my own thoughts about saying something completely irrelevant. It's like it has Tourette's.

-I feel like I disconnect a little sometimes, I have had this in previous years.

for me I'm terrified this is schizophrenia, I relate everything back to schizophrenia, it's hard at the moment as everyone is on Xmas holidays and I can't see my psychiatrist again for a few weeks

@Rick147 Hi there.

Things are sounding really hard for you at the moment. It is a tricky time of year.

Have you thought of talking to Lifeline? I’m not sure when the SANE helplines are back on, but it’s an option when they are.

Do you feel up to joining in some other conversations, just to get to know a few others here ?

Good morning

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Happy New Year 2021