Can people who are schizophrenic know they are schizophrenic?

Question

For example,

Bob sees signs that he is schizophrenic and he looks into it and decides to go see a doctor and is diagnosed. Can that happen?

(i don't know if this makes sense or not so i'm going to try and clear it up)

Can Bob consiously know that he is schizophrenic without anybody telling him?

Answer 1

I've been schizophrenic for several years. When I was at my worst, I was homeless and very aware that I needed psychiatric help. I heard voices and they were very real to me but I was aware that no one else could hear them. I saw red snakes trying to possess me and I was aware that other people couldn't see them.

I had no health care insurance and was turned away several times because I had no money. Then one day I was sleeping under a tree and I realized I was across the street from a homeless medical clinic complete with food, showers, psychiatrists, the whole works.

They got me a place to stay, psychiatric help, medication and even applied for SSDI for me. I stayed in homeless shelters for 3 years until my SSDI was approved.

When people find out I'm schizophrenic, they are surprised because I am fully functional due to medication. But I know there's no cure and at any time I can have a relapse.

Medication gave me a second chance at happiness.

Answer 2

I want to answer this question in order to "second" the account given by misskathleen.I believe her and have known many schizophrenic people. I know there are many types of schizophrenia and the cause of none of them is known. I think most of the answers given here are from heresay and not from any knowledge or experience with real people who have the disorder.The layman's opinions on the disorder are usually wrong and reflect an unwillingness to get to know any real patients as well as a stereotyped distrust of accounts of those who have it.

I have been schizophrenic paranoid for over 40 years (since 1960). The disorder came on suddenly while I was succesfully attending a university. I dismissed the first physical symptoms as being due to stress but when the voices started (violently) several years later I knew that I had schizophrenia and that to tell anyone about them would likely ruin my life, marriage and career. I resisted all the voices as they were very unwelcome and when I was finally forced into hospital tried my damndest to act normal and not get diagnosed with what I knew I had. I was diagnosed anyway after a 10 minute interview and put on medication which med's I dumped for the first few months.

The discomfort of the symptoms became such that I had to rely on something so took the pills finally. When my mother told me I was a different person when on medication I was finally convinced they helped. The voices ceased. But the voices were soon replaced with poltergeist like symptoms (like those I first experienced) and they continued for years, even with med's. They then suddenly quit just like the voices had.

I think any explanation a schizophrenic patient may come up with to explain to him/her self what is happening to them would be considered a delusion, but what is a person to do? He/she has to have some explanation, no matter how illogical it may seem, for what is going on in his/her head and in the environment.

Good luck understanding the disorder, good mental health, peace and love!

Answer 3

From my understanding...no.

However, you can hear voices and hallucinate without being schizophrenic.

I went into my psychiatrist's office complaining of voices and hallucinations. I knew I wasn't supposed to be hearing voices and I knew my hallucinations were just that - hallucinations.

That indicates more of a medical problem that a psychological one - I was referred to a neurologist to test for a seizure disorder before going with any further psychological treatment.

So Bob can hear voices and see things and wonder if he's schizophrenic, but if Bob knows enough to realize his hallucinations aren't there, Bob probably has something else going on.

Answer 4

I had a crisis of 7 years and the voices stopped after I was diagnosed and given medication. After the voices stopped I realized that it was true I'm schizophrenic but I would have never knew or found out by myself. I think that is super hard.

Answer 5

I would say that it is possible but unlikely. They are more likely to believe in their delusions, halucinations and voices, lets face it if they've always been there why question it. It may be possible to realise that something isn't right if you keep seeing things or hearing things that nobody else seems to, and this keeps happening with different people.

Say Bob keeps hearing and seeing a flock of birds in the sky, and turns round to the person next to him 'these birds are lovely', if the person next to him keeps saying 'what birds' at some point Bob may question whether or not these other strangers see these birds or is it him.

Answer 6

Depends on the severity of the disorder. Someone entirely psychotic (or not on their medication) are not capable of grasping reality and this will include coming to the realization they are schizophrenic. Schizophrenics truly believe in their delusions. So, to say that they know they are schizophrenic would be hard to determine in such individuals.

Answer 7

Usually no. Because what they see and hear is real to them. It's a normal behavior to them so they think nothing of it. Watch the movie a beautiful mind and you'll see what I'm talking about. Dr. Nash, the character in the movie, had to figure out who was real and who wasn't. He finally realized it after noticing something in one of the people he could see. Hope this helps.

Answer 8

No he would not realize it, yet if he receives treatment for the
disorder, then he would know.
psychosis can be of varying degrees.... People who are in a psychotic depression for example no that their thoughts are not quite right.... But can't control it.
sometimes a person with Bi polar disorder or borderline personality disorder will also struggle with psychosis at times.

Answer 9

He can or he might just sense that something is different. But alot of truly crazy people might not know/admitt they are because they think it's normal and is used to the way they are. It's the not too crazy ones who know they have a problem that needs to be solved that usually take themself to doctor.

Answer 10

Usually people that are schizophrenic are in a denial of the their condition. Not if he/she is a nurse though...