RationalMadman

Living With Paranoid Schizophrenia

Because the experience of delusions and hallucinations can be so intrusive, confusing and unsettling, you may find it difficult to let anyone know what you are experiencing. It can be challenging when you are left feeling scared, alone, and unable to trust others. If you feel unsafe, it can be a challenge to build or maintain relationships, keep employment, or engage in tasks of daily living. Interactions with others can feel threatening and attend social events can feel risky, which can lead people to paranoid schizophrenia to become reclusive in an effort to feel safe.

Schizophrenia treatment specialist, Dr. Lisa Cowley, shares that one of the greatest challenges in reaching out for help for those with paranoid schizophrenia is a lack of awareness or understanding of their condition. Cowley shares, "To these folks, their symptoms appear like they are really happening. So, if they feel like the government is spying on them through cameras in their home, they wouldn't go see a psychiatrist or psychologist, they would try to contact authorities."

As symptoms progress, someone with paranoid schizophrenia may become aware that they have an illness and seek help. As Dr. Cowley describes, "Challenges to treatment may become things like lack of transportation or problem-solving skills when their symptoms are high and their thinking isn't as clear as it normally is. Usually, family members or support services, like social workers, can help with these issues."

on inconsequential matters such as this site.

The bans are justified. i am just telling people they need to grow thick skin bc thick skin moderation

The people who think there is nothing wrong with the site are the ones causing the problems.

Early symptoms of schizophrenia may seem rather ordinary and could be explained by a number of other factors. This includes socializing less often with friends, trouble sleeping, irritability, or a drop in grades.  During the onset of schizophrenia — otherwise known as the prodromal phase — negative symptoms mount. These negative symptoms might include an increasing lack of motivation, decreasing inability to pay attention, or social isolation.

Warning signs that psychosis may be imminent include:

Seeing, hearing, or tasting things that others do not.

Suspiciousness and a general fear of others’ intentions.

Persistent, unusual thoughts or beliefs.

Difficulty thinking clearly.

Withdrawing from family or friends.

A significant decline in self-care.

Displaying all these symptoms doesn’t necessarily indicate the presence of schizophrenia, but these are indications that a mental health evaluation is advised. If the person is experiencing the onset of schizophrenia, early intervention is the best chance of a positive outcome. 

The positive symptoms of schizophrenia — things like hallucinations and delusions — are less likely to go unnoticed. After the prodromal phase, the patient enters the active phase of schizophrenia, during which they experience debilitating thoughts and perceptual distortions. They may experience impaired motor or cognitive functions, including disorganized speech and disorganized or catatonic behavior.

The paranoia in paranoid schizophrenia stems from delusions — firmly held beliefs that persist despite evidence to the contrary — and hallucinations — seeing or hearing things that others do not. Both of these experiences can be persecutory or threatening in nature. A patient may hear a voice or voices in their head that they do not recognize as their own thoughts or internal voice. These voices can be demeaning or hostile, driving a person to do things they would not do otherwise.

Odd, untypical behavior flows as a result of these delusions and hallucinations. Someone with schizophrenia may be convinced that the government is surveilling them in an attempt to harm them in some way. This can lead to boarding up their home, blacking out windows, putting objects in front of doors to impede entry, and otherwise blocking or removing items they believe contain listening devices or cameras. They may stay up late at night to catch culprits.

Someone with active paranoid schizophrenia is consumed by their delusions or hallucinations. The vast majority of their energy and attention is focused on keeping to and protecting their falsely held beliefs or perceptual distortions.

The most common time a person seeks initial treatment for schizophrenia is during the active phase, when psychosis often makes a dramatic disruption in one’s life and the lives of those around them.

After the active phase, the patient enters the residual phase of schizophrenia. Much like the residual subtype, hallucinations and delusions attenuate at this point (usually with the help of antipsychotic medication and other forms of treatment), and the patient experiences primarily negative symptoms.