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I think I might be schizophrenic, but I'm afraid if I bring my concerns to a doctor, they'll tell me there's nothing wrong even if there is, because I already think I have it. What do I do?

103 Answers
Last Updated: 04/29/2022 at 8:40pm
1 Tip to Feel Better
United States
Moderated by

Brenda King, PsyD

Psychologist

I treat life changes, women’s issues, and issues of aging using evidence-based treatments with healthy doses of warmth, empathy and humor to enhance healing and growth.

Top Rated Answers
WeAreExistence
July 22nd, 2016 4:43am
I fully understand your concern and have been there (somewhat). If you don't mind me asking, why do you think you have schizophrenia?
peterc
May 14th, 2017 4:21am
Hmm; sounds like you are concerned your doctor might not be completely honest with you. But you are also wondering if you are schizophrenic; that's a big question to be carrying around. What makes you think you might be schizophrenic?
Anonymous
July 21st, 2016 7:00pm
You should go anyway or maybe go to a therapist instead and tell them what's going on. If they disagree with you, i'm sure they will have their reasons for it and maybe those reasons will convince you that you're wrong. And it's highly unlikely that they will say there is nothing wrong at all, in all likelihood if you think you have schizophrenia something is going on. Even if they do, no matter how unlikely it is does it really matter? People are wrong sometimes, even doctors. If you have that mental illness his opinion about it won't make it any less (or more) real.
PrismaticAngel
July 25th, 2016 10:01pm
Seeking professional advice would soothe your worries about your well being, and that's really important - your well being! You seem stressed because of the unknown, and that's understandable. Though, gaining clarity over someone who is educated within the field, like a psychologist or a psychiatrist, would definitely help - a professional will know if you have schizophrenia or not. Sharing your worries with psychologist will clear your doubts. Letting the worry linger might cause your stress to grow and become unbearable.
Greatlistener87
July 21st, 2016 2:19am
Get some tests done by professional doctors and get a few opinions to be sure. Thats the best that you can do.
Anonymous
July 21st, 2016 3:58pm
The best think you can do is ask for professional advise ,like consult a doctor, and after that you can work on trying to get the necessary help.
Anonymous
June 22nd, 2017 3:48pm
How frightening and confusing that must be for you. The only way you can really know for sure is to get a proper diagnosis. There could be other things that are causing you to have these feelings. A diagnosis and treatment plan can address your concerns and hopefully put you on the path to feeling much better. Hugs....
freshFriend18
August 3rd, 2016 1:51pm
Doctors are usually pretty helpful. Try to find someone you trust and can be open with them. They will test you to ensure you are or are not schizophrenic .. they can tell what the symptoms are and if you have any of them
Anonymous
October 5th, 2018 9:19pm
Well most doctors should take any mental illness seriously. Explain how passionate you are that you have this condition. Especially with schizophrenic situations, that is a very serious condition and I would not see why they wouldn't help you out. Most doctors will take your worries into consideration. Also bring up to your doctor why you think you have this. For example, tell him what you have been experiencing and why it concerns you. Be very honest and tell him every detail. Doctors will sometimes refer you to a specialist on your condition so you can get the best care or medication in severe cases.
Leopoldo
October 14th, 2018 4:42pm
If you have symptoms of schizophrenia, or any other mental health disorder, a professional will be able to easily identify them. If they let you know you don't match a diagnosis for schizophrenia, go ahead and tell them why you think you do and how this is affecting you, and they'll most certainly offer you more information or the option to continue therapy to figure out and cope with what it is you're struggling with. Even just the fact that these thoughts are concerning to you is sufficient cause to contact a professional, so that you may be properly supported.
Anonymous
February 10th, 2019 3:26am
You should see a doctor if you have medical concerns, if you express enough concern they should refer you to a psychiatrist. There are early interventions and way to help with the treatment of schizophrenia, it is better to be safe than to be sorry. There is no shame in asking for an analysis and taking charge of your health, it is your responsibility. You should not worry about the outcomes as long as you are getting treatment for the correct disorder.
Anonymous
February 21st, 2019 4:52pm
Thats a topic I can talk out of personal experiences. If you are already thinking about having it or even knowing about it, it’s already in a further stage. A normal doctor can’t help you much with it, he isn’t trained in psychology. But if you go to a therapist they’ll help you. When you are sure that there is a second sight of your life, or somebody is talking with you in your head they will all see the signs. You don’t have to be paranoid if it cause they can really help you to get rid of the problem. I wish the best for you and pray for you.
iwishuwell
February 13th, 2020 8:54am
Bring your symptoms to the doctor and not your diagnosis. If youbuse drugs tell them. They will believe your symptoms so tell them the truth. If you dont hear voice and tell them you do they will believe you. You should not worry they will believe anything you tell them. Unless it is unusual. So if you tell them your mother ate your brother they will consider you delusional because that they won't think it happened. But if you tell them you see monsters they will Believe you are hallucinating. Why? They dont see monsters and decided there are none. They will believe what you say based on that they will decide if it is real or not but they always believe what you say is what you actually think. It will never cross their minds you will say things you know are false. So be careful.
LaurenAbashevaLMHC
April 1st, 2020 12:57am
Even if a doctor does tell you that there is nothing wrong. You are more than welcome to get a second, third, even fourth opinion. People can be wrong and make mistakes, even doctors. You can also discuss this with a Licensed therapist who can walk you through the signs and symptoms under the diagnosis and discuss if you meet criteria schizophrenia. I'm not sure if you have looked into the signs and symptoms but reading up on it, as well as even talking to others about it. Even going to a psychologist or psychiatrist can be helpful as well.
Anonymous
July 7th, 2017 2:30am
Talk to a licensed therapist or psychiatrist, If you do have schizophrenia, it gets much worse if left untreated. You need to be running to their office. I have seen this disease completely destroy healthy people's lives. If you have it, it needs to be diagnosed and treated. If you don't have schizophrenia, it could be something else. A diagnosis is the first step in the treatment process. But please get help before it gets worse.
fabiolagarcia
June 14th, 2017 1:10pm
It is always best to go to a doctor, if not, a therapist. They will find if there is anything going on with you that is out of the ordinary.
Aniqa1
April 27th, 2017 8:13pm
For starters, you relax. I believe you should tell yourself that it's okay to feel the way that you do. I'm no one to advise you but how about you tell the doctor all the symptoms you're facing, ensure that you don't fabricate anything honey as it'll do you no good. They're professionals, if they come to diagnose you, you may share them how you feel about all the symptoms. Just believe in yourself, and know that no matter what happens, it's always meant to lead you to something good.
mayodibari9
July 24th, 2016 4:23pm
Even if you feel doubtful about it, you have to seek professional help so you can get the help you need.
kurrentWillow
November 2nd, 2016 9:24pm
I would just tell the doctor the symptoms you're experiencing, asking him for his opinion on what that could be, without telling him your thoughts on it in the beginning. After that, if he doesn't talk about shizophrenic, I would ask if that might be a possibility. If you're still not happy with his answers then, you could go to another doctor, see if he says something else. I'd say you might want to be open for other explanations, maybe it is not what you think.
Anonymous
October 22nd, 2016 9:08pm
Since schizophrenia is a serious disorder, it is very important to bring it up to a doctor. A well-trained and qualified doctor will be able to tell you if what you're experiencing is schizophrenia or another mental health disorder (many times, people think they have schizophrenia when they are actually experiencing an anxiety disorder, which exacerbates the fear). If you are experiencing symptoms such as paranoia and hearing voices, it's best to make that clear to a doctor. And if it turns out that schizophrenia is not what you are experiencing, try to accept that and resolve the actual underlying issue. Best of luck!
cal1860
April 3rd, 2020 12:12pm
Your doctor is there to address your health concerns, whatever they mabe - physical or mental. It's very wise to get anything you're concerned about checked out. When you have, or think you have, a mental illness it's difficult to have personal insight into your condition. Your doctor will be able to take an objective view and refer you to a specialist if he thinks your concerns warrant a referral. I would suggest making an appointment with your doctor and take a written list or letter setting out why you think you may be schizophrenic. Once you've seen him/her you'll have taken the important step towards a diagnosis or not. Being proactive in addressing concerns about mental illness is very important.
littledragon420
December 12th, 2019 3:46pm
Well self diagnosis can be very comforting, but isn't always the best route of action, for mental health's sake. Have you talked to anyone else in your life about your worries? As someone who experiences auditory and visual hallucinations fairly often, talking to a loved one or a friend helped me a lot before I ever even considered talking to a doctor about what was going on. I'm very sorry that you have had to deal with this without medical help so far, I know that not being able to trust your own mind due to delusions and paranoia can be really trippy and difficult to cope with.
GoldenFury13
January 22nd, 2020 7:31pm
I have personally never gone through this experience before, and it sounds like you want help with what you are going through, but you are afraid that the doctors will think that it is nothing and you wont get the help you need. I am unable to give specific advice but I am curious to if you have asked you family, school counselors, or close friends. When you are going through tough times like these you really need a shoulder to lean on so that you know that someone else is there. I hope this helps and that you find the help that you are looking for. :)
blitheSun94
March 20th, 2022 12:41pm
Schizophrenia is easily one of the most difficult diagnoses to live with. It can lay dormant for years and finally appear in your late twenties and early thirties. Seemingly out of nowhere, my youngest cousin succumbed to this illness. She was able to receive intensive in-patient treatment and recover, but there were scary days for sure. I think it's very important to advocate for yourself in the medical setting. So often we think doctors have all the answers, but they don't. We, the patient, are the expert on our own experience. Instead, I think the challenge is learning how to articulate that in a cohesive self-reporting way, and also having the good fortunate of a sincere and compassionate provider. A good doctor will listen and honor your request for an evaluation. If he doesn't, get a second opinion.
Allie
March 7th, 2020 2:52pm
Being concerned about our physical or mental health, even to the point of taking the time to search for the answer to that question is a bothersome situation itself if persistent and recurring. You sound like you would like to know what's going on and whether your assumptions have a basis, so asking for professional advice for something that concerns you is a responsible way to treat and take care of yourself, and you have every right to! Go ahead and ask for that professional advice and if the doctor you see happens to be an incompatible one you can even have a second opinion by another one. No worries!
Anonymous
May 6th, 2020 1:07am
It would be a good idea to tell your doctor. If you think that you have it, then it is a good idea to tell a doctor. If I was in your shoes, I would feel the same way too. Doctors will take into account what you have told them and will tell you what is wrong. I know it can be scary going to talk to a doctor, but once you talk to a doctor you will feel so much better knowing if you are schizophrenic. Even if you don't have it, they can help figure out the problem.
BrianP843
May 14th, 2020 9:08pm
I know that you are afraid. It’s brave of you to be reaching out. If someone you knew were to ask you what they should do, even if they thought it was nothing, what do you tell them? I know it can be hard to trust someone when you open up about some of the things you are feeling, but it is important to seek professional help in mental health situations. If your doctor is a general doctor may refer you to someone who specializes in mental health to get you the best care. You don’t even need to state why, just ask if they can recommend a mental health professional. The first few steps can be the hardest to take, but you’ve taken a great first step just thinking about reaching out.
Anonymous
May 13th, 2020 6:52am
If you take your concerns to a doctor or a psychologist and tell them your symptoms, you'll have to undergo symptom testing and diagnosis. The tests will assess symptoms as they are defined in the Diagnostic and Statistic Manual of Mental illness. If your doctor dismisses you despite symptoms matching the condition then it would be best to go straight to a psychologist or try another doctor. Symptoms include hallucinations including auditory and visual ones, delusional thoughts and beliefs, and periods of low mood and a sense of being blank in your mind. You may not always have these symptoms.
romanticthi3f
December 9th, 2021 11:55pm
Hi, Thank you for your question! If you are worried about your mental health it's a really good idea to see your doctor. If you find your doctor isn't taking you seriously, then it's okay to find another doctor who will. You deserve to be heard and sometimes that means advocating for yourself a little bit. I hope the doctor you see will take you seriously- even if you do not have schizophrenia what you are experiencing is very real and you deserve really good care. I hope this helps! Best of luck to you :)
genuineFriend2015
November 16th, 2019 3:15am
The best treatment for schizophrenia is medication and therapy, I know this because my mother has it and is self medication with some substances that will make you raise your eyebrows. The only way to get a true diagnosis is and to work through those thoughts (with or without medication) is with an actual therapist. It is okay to be scared to speak with a therapist. It is ok to be upset if they do not believe you. As a patient you have the right to a second opinion and can always speak to another therapist. Maybe they will hear what the first one didn’t.