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Mental Health Is there such thing as "mild" schizophrenia?

nuttynutskin

nuttynutskin

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May 15, 2011
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Whenever I hear the term I always picture a person who can't function without medication and is clearly unstable when they're off their meds, but can schizophrenia be milder? The main reason I ask is because a family member of mine can seem totally normal to someone who doesn't know them but at the same time think that the FBI is spying on them and hacking their emails. Although the more I think about it their behavior might seem a bit odd to the average person. Either way can schizos "hide" their illness when they want, or does my family member suffer from something else. I'm thinking it's probably more likely delusional disorder but not schizophrenia but IDK. Thoughts?
 
There are literally hundreds of varieties of schizophrenia and bipolar 1 is often misdiagnosed as schizophrenia, as well as borderline personality disorder, all have some similar symptoms but are all very different diseases.
 
Yes, of course there is. Health and illness are on a spectrum. One is ill if they fail to significantly function in their daily life due to issues with their mentality. One might say that those who experience hallucinations after taking a bunch of psychedelics has a symptom of the "positive" type symptoms of schizophrenia, but if it doesn't hamper their life, they are less likely to have a diagnosis. We see more sick people because they are sick enough to warrant outside assistance.
 
Yes, I think people who suffer from a mild form of schizophrenia can hide their illness. And only tell of their paranoia to certain ppl. There are different types of schizophrenia so a mild one can be easily more manageable I think. I don't suffer from schizophrenia, but I've had drug induced psychotic breaks which are just like being schizophrenic, and I was able to manage it.
 
Some people with the illness are able to hide their symptoms more easily and thus their condition is relatively mild by comparison. In fact, a lot of people with milder cases of schizophrenia are able to hold jobs and function relatively well, especially if they are taking medication. Also, schizophrenia is never just one symptom. While the paranoia about the FBI spying on him could be a symptom of schizophrenia, one would need more than a single paranoid belief to be considered schizophrenic. There could be a myriad of issues that could cause one to have a paranoid delusion like this. For instance, bipolar disorder could cause these types of paranoid delusions in the manic stage. Also, one could suffer from delusional disorder where the delusion is really the only psychotic symptom. If a doctor said that he is schizophrenic as a result of a single symptom, either you need a second opinion and there is another cause behind his paranoia or he is experiencing other symptoms that he is not aware of.

Because one can't have schizophrenia as a result of a single symptom (e.g. his paranoid delusion about the FBI reading his emails). Especially if he is able to function in spite of this belief. Again, if this is his only symptom, he really should get a second opinion because schizophrenia requires a person to have multiple symptoms that are apparent rather than just one.
 
As a person who spent a week in a mental institution specifically at a schizophrenic ward (and got out with papers proving I'm not insane, so good for me)... Nooooo, not really? Schizophrenia is a serious condition if you have it, it's already very severe.
 
That's really harmful to people with the disease. There is a spectrum, you were there with those that can't function on thier own, there are many that can. I had a friend for years that you couldn't tell unless he told you, he took his meds everyday and had a very good job.
 
LandsUnknown said:
Some people with the illness are able to hide their symptoms more easily and thus their condition is relatively mild by comparison. In fact, a lot of people with milder cases of schizophrenia are able to hold jobs and function relatively well, especially if they are taking medication. Also, schizophrenia is never just one symptom. While the paranoia about the FBI spying on him could be a symptom of schizophrenia, one would need more than a single paranoid belief to be considered schizophrenic. There could be a myriad of issues that could cause one to have a paranoid delusion like this. For instance, bipolar disorder could cause these types of paranoid delusions in the manic stage. Also, one could suffer from delusional disorder where the delusion is really the only psychotic symptom. If a doctor said that he is schizophrenic as a result of a single symptom, either you need a second opinion and there is another cause behind his paranoia or he is experiencing other symptoms that he is not aware of.

Because one can't have schizophrenia as a result of a single symptom (e.g. his paranoid delusion about the FBI reading his emails). Especially if he is able to function in spite of this belief. Again, if this is his only symptom, he really should get a second opinion because schizophrenia requires a person to have multiple symptoms that are apparent rather than just one.
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He quit his therapist because he thought they might be FBI agents. lol
 
nuttynutskin said:
Whenever I hear the term I always picture a person who can't function without medication and is clearly unstable when they're off their meds, but can schizophrenia be milder? The main reason I ask is because a family member of mine can seem totally normal to someone who doesn't know them but at the same time think that the FBI is spying on them and hacking their emails. Although the more I think about it their behavior might seem a bit odd to the average person. Either way can schizos "hide" their illness when they want, or does my family member suffer from something else. I'm thinking it's probably more likely delusional disorder but not schizophrenia but IDK. Thoughts?
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Well, 2Pac said "I'm kinda schizophrenic". Hope that helps!
 
nuttynutskin said:
He quit his therapist because he thought they might be FBI agents. lol
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Unfortunately, people with psychoses of all kinds often come to the conclusion that therapists and/or psychiatrists are somehow against them and working with whoever they believe is after them. This isn't unique to schizophrenia. Unless he's been officially diagnosed like that, if this is his only symptom, it could definitely be something else. Regardless of the specific condition that he has, this delusion is causing him a huge amount of problems.
 
Not sure about schizophrenia but psychosis in general can definitely vary in terms of severity. So someone suffering psychosis could appear completely normal to the outside world whilst going through mental torture at the same time. I suppose it also depends on the amount of insight the individual has about their illness.
 
LandsUnknown said:
Unfortunately, people with psychoses of all kinds often come to the conclusion that therapists and/or psychiatrists are somehow against them and working with whoever they believe is after them. This isn't unique to schizophrenia. Unless he's been officially diagnosed like that, if this is his only symptom, it could definitely be something else. Regardless of the specific condition that he has, this delusion is causing him a huge amount of problems.
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I don't think he's schizo but definitely suffers from delusional belief and paranoia. 16 goddamn years he's held onto this but there's nothing I can do about it. I've tried.
 
My ex flatmate had audio and visual hallucinations that were not paranoid ones, not harmful as in telling her to harm herself or others but annoying to the point she couldnt interact with anyone as she was too busy having visions and being these peoples agony aunt.

It was mild enough but still bothered her and she needed meds
 
I sometimes think I'm schizophrenic but then I think it's my anxiety making me think I'm schizophrenic. When my anxiety was at its peak it definitely felt like something more serious than anxiety . So I may or may not be mildly schizophrenic?
 
bptubbs said:
That's really harmful to people with the disease. There is a spectrum, you were there with those that can't function on thier own, there are many that can. I had a friend for years that you couldn't tell unless he told you, he took his meds everyday and had a very good job.
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This ^^^^

Insight into their illness is a mighty precious understanding for a person with a schizophrenia diagnosis to possess and your friend proved it's entirely possible to live a normal life knowing what he needed to do to achieve that

Unfortunately, some of those diagnosed become so well and stable on their medication that they believe they are no longer ill & stop taking their meds and begin the heart-breaking merry-go-round of sectioning, hospitalisation & re-establishing/titrating medication all over again

(Even as a supposedly 'sane' person, I've sometimes thought about a patient, 'but what if you really are working for MI5 & they've disowned you & got you sectioned & what you're saying is completely true')

How frustrating would that be!
 
Trazodon't said:
I sometimes think I'm schizophrenic but then I think it's my anxiety making me think I'm schizophrenic. When my anxiety was at its peak it definitely felt like something more serious than anxiety . So I may or may not be mildly schizophrenic?
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Only a medical professional can tell you if that may be the case
 
it can range from mild to where you would never know the person sufferers from schizophrenia to server where it's very clear there's something wrong
 
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