Triggering: Schizophrenic???

[iwannabeme]

Umm, i dont know what to call them or what they are , but for the past 8 years or so ive been seeing these dark figures. They're like the shadows of people or animals or object, no faces, no anything but a black outline, i see them in the dark and the light, they come out at any part of the day, and sometimes i can hear people talking when im completley alone but i can never make out what they are saying... its scares me so much! am i schizophrenic??

[PSY]

It is highly unlikely that you are suffering from schizophrenia, primary due to your age. Schizophrenia generally develops in older adolescents or adults. That being said, if these images/voices are interfering with your every day life (which they seem to be, since you are scared enough to post about it on TeenHelp), I think it would be worth talking to your doctor about getting a referral to someone who specializes in schizophrenia or other "psychotic" disorders. Only a mental health professional can assess you and determine whether you qualify for a diagnosis of some kind, or if you simply have an "active imagination" and need to learn relaxation and cognitive techniques in order to reduce the number of instances where you experience these images/voices.

When you do see a mental health professional (such as a psychologist or psychiatrist), I HIGHLY recommend that you DO NOT go to your first session and say, "I think I have schizophrenia." This could influence the professional's assessment and lead to a diagnosis that is inaccurate! Instead of stating what you THINK you have, just tell the professional about your symptoms. Instead of saying, "I see things and hear voices, and those are symptoms of schizophrenia," just tell the professional about what you are seeing and what you are hearing... then let them make their assessment without any biased influence on your end. =)

I wish you all the best, and hope you can find relief for what's going on sooner vs. later!

[OMFG!You'reActuallySmart!]

Schizophrenia has been known to affect people at a very young age, however, the general rule is the earlier the onset, the more severe the symptoms and the more debilitating the disorder. Hallucinations are only a part of the diagnostic criteria and generally, you need more than hallucinations. One must also consider whether your sensory-perceptual systems are intact, particularly vision and hearing. Additionally, when people are alone in a room and scared, they pay more attention to sounds they usually would ignore. Last, you could simply have a very good imagination. Bottom line is, there's a good chance you do not have schizophrenia.

[TheBabyEater]

Schizophrenia is a very complex disability, I take medication for a mild form of schizophrenia myself. However, there is a lot more to schizophrenia than just some hallucinations, but I won't go into what, for various reasons. Long story short, I personally don't think you have schizophrenia.

There are many other diseases that explain visual and auditory hallucinations, including very common ones such as Bipolar disorder and sometimes severe Depression, and acute paranoia. But as has been said, we cannot diagnose you with anything. You're going to need to go to a doctor or psychologist if you really want a diagnosis and the best help. Some therapy would also help loads, trust me.


As for help with your actual problems? Like I said, I suffer from a mild form of schizophrenia, and often have paranoid attacks, or moments when the hallucinations and delusions get worse, similar to what you're going through. You need something to ground you back to reality, something to fill your senses. I suggest making a box of some sort, something to distract all 5 senses; touch, smell, visual, auditory, and taste. Get something soft to touch, something strong and sweet to smell, a picture of a loved one, a music box with a soothing song, and something sweet to taste. Something else that really helps me is calling up my boyfriend when I'm like this. His voice alone really grounds me, he doesn't even have to say anything helpful, just need to hear his voice.

Either way, I still suggest seeing a professional, whether it be a psychologist, psychiatrist, or even just a therapist to help deal with them. I think over time this will go away on it's own, but it doesn't hurt to get some help along the way.