Schizophrenia - if you have this disorder or someone you know does, when did you first notice something wrong?

Question

Basically I'm wondering what age something started to be wrong or different, and how did you know?

This is a serious question for people who actually have close personal experience with this, whether it's yourself or your family.

The main reason I am asking is because my mom has been diagnosed with paranoid schizophrenia. I know it can be hereditary, and I have a very slight, probably irrational fear that it could be passed down to my son.

All helpful answers so far - thank you! Wouldn't mind hearing more people's experiences though.

Answer 1

Hi there my father was diagnosed as a paranoid schizophrenic at the age of 30 before that he seemed fine after which he was a totally different person he would hear quite disturbing messages after medication he seemed "normal" again he thought he was ok so stopped medication unfortunately when medication is stopped symptons come back with ten times worse. My father hung himself at the age of 36, 7 years ago now. I too have a fear of this happening to me or my son but you can not consume your life with worrying about this, you just have to deal with these things if they happen.

Answer 2

The onset of schizophrenia can occur at various ages. Mine did not start until I was 40. Even then I was unable to see what was happening to me. I was in denial or lacked cognitive ability to discern that I had it for approximately 2 years. Most people do have it occur earlier than that. What made me aware that I did have schizophrenia was the constant commitments into hospitals and then chatting with others who had the same symptoms. The first sign of the illness I remember was extreme stress, my brain going far too fast continually day and night and then seeing words on signs and paper highlighted in a white glow. Then the voices started. I watch my daughter for signs but all she has had so far are anxiety attacks. I think you should stop worrying about it and live the life you have now to the fullest extent of enjoyment possible. Odds are you will never have it.

Answer 3

Schizophrenia just like other mental health disorders is being discussed more these days than ever in the past. It is a common disorder and can be very upsetting and hard to deal with in any form. Whether it is yourself or someone close to you. Schizophrenia can occur in teenage years or early adult years. Paranoid Schizophrenia is particularly disturbing. The person always thinks that he or she is being spyed on or followed or someone is going to kill them, etc.

I first came in contact with this disease when my good friend started to act funny. He was jumpy and nervouse and afraid of windows. He didn't want me to have any lights on and he was rambling with his words and very unsettled. He stayed at my apartment for a day or so, even though he had his own apartment. He refused to go to the doctor or to the hospital to get checked out. He was always saying "their going to kill me in cold blood!!!" I wasn't sure who "they" were, because he said that over and over again. I got little to no sleep that night and he insisted I stay with him in my livingroom all night long. By the next morning I convinced him to see a psychiatrist and from there he has been on medications.

Schizophrenics can hear voices and see things that are not there. It is frightening to witness, but if you keep your wits about yourself, you will be alright. I myself don't have this disorder, but I know a good bit about it.

I hope I was of some help to you!

Answer 4

I first knew something was wrong when Eric was found wandering the yellow line in the middle of the road, in the middle of the night and he was totally lost in his own neighborhood. He then started to carry a butcher knife whenever he left his apartment. A few days later, he bombarded himself in his apartment. He put mattresses up against the windows and blocked the doors with furniture. On top of all this, when we did get him to the emergency room the doctor said that by the looks of the toxicology report, Eric had gone into the bathroom and swallowed just about everything in there, including rubbing alcohol. Eric's symptoms were made worse when he overdosed on poisonous mushrooms. He will never be the same
again. He still stops taking his meds and takes off in the middle of the night.

Answer 5

It's no longer schizophrenia. The onset of schizophrenia is younger maturity, frequently round age 21-25. OCD does not simply depart with a couple of months of counseling. You nonetheless have nervousness and a few typical teenager angst. The teenager years are very difficult on a few youngsters, you'll be able to anticipate to be irrational, emotional and really moody.

Answer 6

I know that schizophrenia has the ability to be passed on. If your mother wasn't diagnosed until she was older, I am curious: Did she manifest any symptoms while she was younger?
While it is possible, it's not incredibly likely that it will be passed on to your children. Knowing it's in the genes will probably make you hypersensitive to symptomology. Get checked normally, but don't rush to diagnose yourself or your family with an illness as serious (and rare) as schizophrenia.

Answer 7

My son who is an identical twin is was diagnosed with paranoid schizophrenia many years ago but has been reevaluated several times & each time the diagnosis changes. Now he's "bipolar with schizoaffective disorder with paranoid tendencies". This happens frequently with people with mental disorders as new knowledge comes along, just as in any branch of medicine. No one else, including his twin, in either my family or my husband's, has a mental illness. Many schizophrenics go off their meds when they feel better, just as many people with physical probs do, but it is a lifetime problem with no cure as yet. Usually manifests between ages of 17 & 25 but is individual.

Answer 8

Usually you will notice in males at the start of puberty, and you will notice that the person suffering starts to get real jumpy, demanding with mood swings. MORE often than not drugs will come to play as a desperate attempt to ease the mind's turmoil. make sure the hard drugs are NEVER available as that can searously make it worse ( i am assuming your son is a child or teen)

Answer 9

I do not know I was always a bit normal and strange or something my doctor thinks I am on the section of Schizophrenia or something. I find it hard to think anyway.

Answer 10

IT CAN HAPPEN AT ANY AGE , BUT SCHIZOPHRENIA ALSO HAS VERY CLOSE SIGNS TO DRUG SICOSIS AND DEMENTIA . IT IS GOOD IF THE DOCTORS KNOW ALL THE FACTS BEFORE THEY MAKE A DIAGNOSIS BUT SAYING ALL THAT MY FRIEND JAMES TRIED TO KILL HIS WIFE IN HER SLEEP WHEN HE GOT A MESSAGE FROM THE ALIENS , THEY ARE NO LONGER TOGETHER EVEN THOUGH HE IS TAKING HIS MEDICATION AND IS BACK TO HIS "NORMAL" OLD SELF