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
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
Anonymous
March 2nd, 2017 11:34pm
Your doctor will take you seriously so don't be afraid. Take the first step by making an appointment and take it one step at a time. The doctor will not dismiss you. Your health is their priority
Anonymous
March 29th, 2017 5:47pm
I think you should go to a doctor and let it all out. Don't worry, doctors won't let you down. They're trained professionally to cure and make things better for you.
Getting in touch with a qualified doctor is the first step, preferably a good psychiatrist. Don't surf Google or rely on books to diagnose yourself. Doctors deal with this quite a lot and they'll know if you have it. It is worse to live with the fear of having something you arnt sure of than knowing the truth. So please do pay a visit to a good doctor, I'm sure they can help you out :)
First of all; breathe.
The first thing to figuring things out is by breathing, if you get overly excited and panicky you'll make whatever is going on worse; you can in a panic actually create full blown disorders that you maintain with your excitement and upsetness.
Next, look at how you're feeling and what's going on; What led up to feeling like this and does anything make it better?
Last; after being calm talk to someone you trust and be open to what they have to say, from there you can decide to visit a doctor and such you can do it with a positive constructive attitude. These things only become problems when people panic and cause themselves worse issues.
I know it can be a little difficult to bring stuff like this up to your doctor, but your doctor is really supposed to be there to help you, not judge you. It's important to be as honest as you possibly can be with your doctor, even if you're a little nervous about what they might say. And if you're not feeling comfortable talking to your doctor, maybe it'll help to find a different doctor that you do feel comfortable talking to. This is a person that has to know you inside and out, it's important to feel like you can trust them. They know this as well, I don't think any professional doctor will ever make you feel bad if you decided to go to someone else. But please, speak up.
Anonymous
June 29th, 2017 6:29pm
Doctors can give you ways on how to help you and support you if you do have schizophrenia. It's best to know for sure than be in the dark about it. They don't just diagnose you, they give you help and ways to help you through this. Don't be afraid to talk them.
I would make an appointment to see your doctor and have a chat. Tell them your feelings and fears. I wouldn't try and self diagnose because you could be mistaken
The best thing you can do is just to go in to the doctor and be as honest as you can. Don't try to skew your answers to their questions in favor of a certain diagnosis, and if it makes you feel better, tell the doctor about your fears. Ultimately, the goal is to help you manage whatever you're going through, regardless of the diagnosis. If you're just honest with the doctor, it will be much easier for them to help you find the right treatment plan. :)
A doctor will assess you and go through some options that may help you and support you. Try to explain the symptoms that you are having in the best way you can.
Anonymous
November 15th, 2017 12:44pm
There is no two ways around it, you just have to try. Start by finding someone you feel comfortable with :)
I am sorry to hear that and I hope it is just a thought and not the truth. But, it doesn't hurt to check isn't it ? Unless you are a medical professional yourself, I believe that perhaps it is not right to rush into such a judgement for yourself. I am not saying that they are always right, but it may reduce some weight from your shoulders. Also, I do think that no doctor will take chances with your health, especially if you have what you think you have. So the probability that they'll tell you you don't have it if you really do have it is pretty low. So don't hesitate ... Go visit a doctor.
Okay, so you believe you may be schizophrenic. But you’re fear is that IF you express your concerns to a doctor they may say there is nothing wrong with you at all....even if there IS...just because you are already believing you have it, is that right? So you aren’t sure what to do? Go or not go?
If you feel that there is something wrong then by that very definition there is something wrong that can and should be treated by a doctor. Your mental health is all about the way that you feel.
My mother suffers from paranoid schizophrenia and for a long time I had a fear of having it too. It's perfectly normal to fear things. If you have a big concern I would still reach out to a professional to evaluate you. If they turn you away get a second opinion or try therapy. I know therapy helped me a lot when I was terrified of having a mental illness.
Anonymous
January 4th, 2018 1:54am
Explain the way you are feeling about this to someone you trust, and ask them to help you think of a way to explain it to your doctor. If you're honest with your doctor that you think there might be something wrong, they should be willing to look into it.
Make an appointment with a doctor. If your still in school go talk to a guidance counselor. One thing I learned from personal experience from watching my friend suffer from this disorder is that people are there to help and I guarantee you that you will be heard. They will take you serious. Never be afraid to get help.
I recommend that you log your possible symptoms for about a week. write down when you felt it, how long it lasted and the severity of it. If they continue to persist, see a doctor right away because schizophrenia untreated can become progressively worse.
Find a doctor you can trust and try to give them the information, which made you think you might be schizophrenic. They are experts and shouldn't diagnose different if someone realized symptoms by themself.
Sometimes doctor's don't listen, it happens sadly. If you feel certain there's something going on, and a doctor doesn't listen, find another doctor who will. There are good doctors out there.
If you feel that you are not getting what you feel that you need from a certain doctor then maybe express you concerns to a different doctor.
Anonymous
February 1st, 2018 5:44am
Try seeking more than one opinion. Write down a list of reasons why you think you have it to show your doctor. Bring a trusted friend with you who can help you communicate with your doctor.
If you have the symptoms, it is fair to assume that you have something. Whatever it is, only a doctor can diagnose it. See multiple doctor if you have to but don't self medicate yourself.
Doctors are there to help you! Maybe you have another condition, one you may not know of. No matter what, they'll listen to your concerns and try to help you as much as possible. If they don't, speak to another doctor!
Anonymous
April 22nd, 2018 5:08am
You must believe in their judgment as health professionals. Most MD's won't be able to directly diagnose that and if you choose, they will probably send you to a specialist to get you evaluated closely.
self diagnosing yourself can be the worst thing for you don't stress id highly advise going to see a doctor and if you still feel unsure that his advice is not adequate book in with a phsychology doctor
Anonymous
May 30th, 2018 2:33pm
I understand how you could be feeling nervous about rejection. It's something that so deeply affects your life that you'll feel even more trapped if someone doesn't acknowledge and validate your struggle. I think this is a common worry specifically of people who struggle with mental illness. For no reason should you being open about your struggle ever make a professional say that it wasn't real. I think you should bring it up to your doctor and would also suggest telling a therapist and getting professional insight. Remember that you're not alone here on 7 cups, and your concerns are real. No one should have to go through that confusion alone. Good luck!
I can understand how you may be concerned with how a doctor might see you after telling her your suspicions, however, they are there to help. Your concerns are valid and should be shared with a doctor that you trust and respect. While I cannot tell you what to do, I will say that you know yourself better than I do. If you feel concerned, it may be best to share with a health care professional. What do you think about that?
I would say go to a doctor with your symptoms but allow them to diagnose you at first instead of immediately sharing what you think you have. If you can go right to a psychiatrist instead of your PCP you may have more luck. But most doctors do tend to get annoyed when patients are too adamant about their self-diagnoses, but if there is an appropriate time to share what you think you may have, that is fine. Just tread carefully.
Anonymous
July 25th, 2018 1:28pm
Well a professional is always a good option to go to so that you can be checked thoroughly in terms of your mental as well as physical concerns.
Please seek professional help! There is nothing wrong with checking on your wellbeing, especially if you believe in your concerns. Better safe than sorry.
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