I think i am developing schizophrenia

I have some of the negative symptoms like lack of interest in socializing,i never was the most extroverted person but i had some interest in socializing when i was younger,now i have none.I also feel kind of emotionally numb and indifferent to everything and i think i have a flat affect,a mask like facial expression when speaking.I also have cognitive symptoms like memory problems and problems paying attention.These could be symptoms of depression,but i think i am slowly developing schizophrenia.I think i am in the prodromal phase now before the illness fully developes and i develop positive psychotic symptoms.

The reason i'm so sure i'm developing it is because the last time i seen my psychiatrist,he asked me to take a low dose of the antipsychotic drug seroquel immediately after i told him my symptoms.He said at such a low dose (25 mg) it wont act as an anti psychotic but will help me sleep and help with my anxiety.He assured me i do not have schizophrenia after i asked him but i do not believe him.I think he is secretly treating me for schizophrenia and disguising it as a treatment for insomnia and anxiety.I think he is not telling me i am developing it because he knows it would exacerbate my symptoms and make the illness come on much sooner.

I know seroquel does not act as an anti psychotic at low doses,it acts as an anti histamine,but i think he is planning to slowly increase the dose till i'm on a high enough dose to treat schizophrenia symptoms, while feeding me some bull crap like " this will work better for insomnia and anxiety at a higher dose " or something like that.

Whats making me even more worried is the fact my brother has schizophrenia.This makes it much more likely i will develop it also.I am completely worried out of my mind that some day sooner or later i am going to completely lose touch with reality and be hospitalised and force fed powerful neuroleptic anti psychotic drugs for the rest of my life.

Do you guys think i might be developing it ? I have been having these symptoms since my late teens or early twenties,i'm in my late twenties now so about ten years.Would it take that long for it to develop or would it have happened by now ? Maybe i am not really going crazy and this is just anxiety making me think i am but i don't know.

Hello John: I'm sorry I cannot address your concerns. However I see this is your first post here on PC. So... to PsychCentral… from the Skeezyks! May the time you spend here be of benefit.

PsychCentral is a great place to get information as well as support for mental health issues. The more you post, & reply to other members’ posts, the more a part of the community you will become. Plus there are social groups you can join & chat rooms where you’ll be able to connect with other PC members in real time (once your first 5 posts have been reviewed & approved.) Lots of great stuff! So please keep posting!

If you want to be sure, you can just ask your therapist/doctor.. he's the only one who can properly diagnose. I know he has already said you don't have it, but since you're not sure, ask him to be honest. Good luck

Seroquel is often prescribed for insomnia. My daughter was prescribed it for that purpose during a recent hospitalization. Her regular proc took her off of it about a month after discharge. I wouldn't read too much into it. Express your concerns to him.

You sound paranoid, I relate to that feeling. I think your doctor is trying to help you and he's not jumping right to a diagnosis of schizophrenia. Doctors typically rule out any physical problems and then look at mental illness. It's normal to rule out other mental conditions first.

I've taken Seroquel for mania and psychosis. My psychiatrist hates that many doctors prescribe a low dose like yours for sleep. He hates it because it's not for sleep. It's sedating but it's an antipsychotic- serious meds.

My doctor was slow to diagnose me with bipolar disorder. I had brain scan, blood work and when I got a clean bill of health physically, he then turned to examine mental illness. He starts off with the least serious and ruled those out....mood disorders aren't a picnic. Your doctor needs to be thorough, that's best. Family history is relevant, my brother has bipolar disorder. If your doctor doesn't know, tell him.

Seroquel has been approved in the USA to treat depression. I think the starting dose is 300? I wanted to mention it in case of MDD.

Anyway, try to relax but I agree you deserve concrete info on what is going on with your diagnosis and treatment. If I were in your shoes, I'd express my concerns and tell him you need to know what your diagnosis is and what your treatment plan will be

A therapist can support you - I'd get one. They can also dialogue with your psychiatrist if you sign a release for both parties to discuss your health. A therapist can help you get your doctor to get with the program, so to speak. Advocate for you.

I can't diagnose it you sound very coherent, lucid. Your paranoia may or may not be psychosis, ask your doctor. Trust him. You do sound anxious. Do try to relax. Live in the moment, not yesterday or tomorrow. Hang in there. xo

That's why my daughter's PDoc took her off of it. She was prescribed it while inpatient and tends to be a night owl so I'm guessing they used it to get her into a more normal sleep schedule, and possibly for her depression too. Her regular PDoc didn't think she needed it and took her off of it after she was discharged.

Diagnosing a Mental Illness is like a mystery. You have to look at all of the facts, rule stuff out, and it can take a lot of time.

I have a similar problem, my mother has schizophrenia and I have a depression that doesn't get better with meds. Anyways seroquel is really used in treating depression so you shouldn't worry about that. Sadly there is no cure for the negative symptoms of sz, we can only hope that it is only depression.

I have schizoaffective and take 500-600mg Seroquel plus mood meds. My brother takes anti depressants but he is nowhere near as bad as I ever was so just because a family member has it, you can have different and less severe forms of MI.
Seroquel is used for more than psychosis. You just have to cross the bridge when you get to it.

I thought there were meds for the negative symptoms? Lack of interest in things like anhedonia or motivation is often low mood and needs mood stabilizers or antipsychotics that are mood altering. I think some people just don't react to certain medication. Or the right therapy can get you back on track eventually. There must be something, am I just naïve and envision a glass half full??