How to Find Out If I'm Schizophrenic

Schizophrenia is a debilitating and often misunderstood mental condition which begins to develop in the late teens and early adulthood. Schizophrenics don't have multiple personalities. Instead, the disease is characterized by paranoid delusions, emotional flatness, hallucinations and jumbled speech. Not all sufferers of schizophrenia will have all of these symptoms, however, and a non-schizophrenic person may temporarily exhibit some of these symptoms after using medications or going without sleep for a couple of days. With the proper psychiatric care, a schizophrenic person may be able to hold a job and live independently.

Instructions

• 1

  Get a good night's sleep, and eat a full meal, if possible. Sleep deprivation or hunger can cause racing thoughts, confusion, auditory and even visual hallucinations. Eating and sleeping properly can bring everything back to normal.

• 2

  Research schizophrenia and other mental disorders. There are many less severe mental disorders, such as depression, avoidant personality disorder and schizotypal personality disorder that share some of the symptoms of schizophrenia. Read about these disorders in the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders (DSM) to see if your symptoms match with those of schizophrenia or another mental illness.

• 3

  See a physician, and tell him about your concerns. He will run a medical history and physical exam to determine whether your symptoms are due to a physical, rather than mental condition. He will usually refer you to a mental health professional if your symptoms suggest a mental issue.

• 4

  Talk to a psychiatrist about your symptoms. A professional therapist will have studied schizophrenia, and is likely to have had schizophrenic patients. She, more than you or your friends and family members, will be able to positively identify whether you have a mental condition.