Schizophrenia Forum - Is This the Onset of Schizophrenia ?

Mental Health > Schizophrenia Forum > Is This the Onset of Schizophrenia ?

TOPICS DOCTOR QUESTIONS

Schizophrenia

Schizophrenia is a lifelong brain disorder. But how do doctors define it? And is there a cure?...

Q: Is This the Onset of Schizophrenia ?

asked by: recombinantgirl on July 28th, 2007

New User

My boyfriend has been experiencing delusional episodes for the last 8 months - they are paranoid and persecutory delusions. he believes that he is a pawn in a government conspiracy and tat he is being tracked/bugged/followed. When a special date is coming up - like 7/7/7 or his last birthday, he believes that they will come to kill him. And when it passes, he believes that they extended the date because of some deal he made with them previously

His delusions come in the form of memories of things that happened in the past but he will also take current events on tv and incorporate them into his belief system. It is a very sophisticated and intricate belief system.

He also believes that he can read people's minds and thhat he can fly if he gets a real eagle feather...among other weird things

It all started last November when he went to get help for depression. he started taking prozac and shortly after, he confided in me about some memories he was having from his childhood - when he was 16 and pissed off some very powerful people which put him on a black list.
At first, i believed him and became very scared because he told me that people were watching him and were going to come and get him. But the more i thougt about it the more i belived it was due to the antidepressant he was taking.

So i told him that and he weaned himself off of the prozac. It's been 8 months and he's still delusional. I can't convince him to get help because he thinks that all the doctors are in on the scheme.

He's 33 years old and has never had this happen to him before. I've known him for 7 years and he's always been a very "normal" person.

Prior to taking prozac, he was a heavy marijuana smoker to help him deal with his back pain. When started the prozac, he stopped smoking marijuana.

This is very hard for me to deal with because i know that his memories and thoughts are delusions and we argue all the time because i can't reason with him. I just read that this is not the proper way to deal with a delusional person.

My question is: Since he's been "normal" his whole life, is this the onset of schizophrenia? Can antidepressant cause delusions? Will they eventually go away if left untreated? How can i help him get treatment? He doesn't have insurance...

Please help!

Replies(5)

Philo

replied on July 29th, 2007

Experienced User

I know that depression can involve hallucinations. Ask yourself if he's still depressed. Also, smoking pot can trigger latent schiz. I don't know if antidepressants can cause delusions. I don't know anything about seeking treatment in your country.

Stan

replied on July 29th, 2007

Moderator

He's right. Untreated depression, can at times lead to delusions. However, it seems that since he isn't experiencing hallucinations (correct?) that this may be delusional disorder, because this is a common manifestation of it. These things can sometimes just come out of nowhere, but the drug use may have had an effect. However, I must ask, has he ever had any physical symptoms as well? Any family history of diabetes or other illnesses? Also check for physical problems first, you'd be surprised what certain diseases can do to the mind.

recombinantgirl

replied on July 30th, 2007

New User

Stan Stepanic wrote:

He has not had a job for 3 years, he's very socially withdrawn but that's always been part of his personality. He lives by himself and aside from me, doesn't really see much of anyone else.

He's not having hallucinations - at least not that i know of. As for physical symptoms, it's hard to say but there hasn't been any physical change in him since the delusions started. He's become deeply religious and he's cut out all unhehalthy behaviors to purify himself - stopped smoking, no soda or coffee, no processed foods etc... So he actually is eating healthy. He has very good hygiene. His sleep pattern has been off for the past 3 years.

The symptoms he displays are

delusions
memory problems - he's remembering a lot of things from him childhood
extreme paranoia
social isolation - but again this has been the case for the past 3 years

How can i help him? He won't even listen to me when i mention schizo or mental illness...

Stan

replied on July 30th, 2007

Moderator

Sounds like straight delusional disorder then if you say he's eating right and there doesn't seem to be any physical link. Unfortunately, based on how mental health law works, there is nothing you can do. He is free to live as he wishes unless it becomes a threat to himself and others, at which point he can be committed for treatment. There is nothing else that can be done and it's likely that any suggestions you make will fall on deaf ears.

sad_dad

replied on August 3rd, 2007

New User

Read This!

I'm currently in the need of a lot of advice myslef, but I'll tell you what I would do if I were you:

Run. You are young and single. Go experience the world a little more...meet more people, find a new boyfriend. I knew before I got married that my wife had a mental illness, but I was too dumb to run. Don't let yourself get sucked into a long life of living every moment "treating" your boyfriend's illness.

Learn About Us

Get Help

Join In

Do More

We comply with the HONcode standard for trustworthy health
information:
verify here.

The site is not a replacement for professional medical opinion, examination, diagnosis or treatment. Always seek the advice of your medical doctor or other qualified health professional before starting any new treatment or making any changes to existing treatment. Do not delay seeking or disregard medical advice based on information written by any author on this site. No health questions and information on eHealth Forum is regulated or evaluated by the Food and Drug Administration and therefore the information should not be used to diagnose, treat, cure or prevent any disease without the supervision of a medical doctor. Posts made to these forums express the views and opinions of the author, and not the administrators, moderators, or editorial staff and hence eHealth Forum and its principals will accept no liabilities or responsibilities for the statements made. Schizophrenia health sitemap.
This page was last updated on January 1, 2009.
© 2008 eForums, Inc