My most recent hospitalization the doctor changed my diagnosis from paranoid schizophrenic to schizoaffective. He said "Well you can't possibly be schizophrenic. Schizophrenics are happy and you're very sad".

WHHHATTTT??

Is this true???

He said "well you have a mood disorder, major depression, look at you, you're sad".

But I was under the notion that MOST paranoid schizophrenics are very sad people, because of the loneliness we endure. Am I wrong?

Trust me when I say, that I could care less about the diagnosis. It's more like...I half wanted to smack the guy across his face, because I've met a lot of VERY sad schizophrenics inpatient, who would gag at hearing him say that they should be happy while having schizophrenia. It's a crippling disorder. Who would be happy about it?

It was like he was saying "schizophrenics are too stupid to know they're sick". Are you kidding. I may very well have a higher IQ then you doc. Yea sometimes I'm so delusional I don't know I'm nearly as sick as I am. But I'm not happy??? I'm hearing satanic men telling me horrible stuff. How happy can I be?

In all my hospital stays I only knew one man who appeared "happy" and schizophrenic. He'd enjoy his jolly little self and told everyone he wasn't really schizophrenic. He was in total denial.

When I got released I told my outpatient doctor and he didn't know what to say to compensate for the man's stupidity.

Is anyone here happy and schizophrenic? I know this is a bad place to take count, since if you are happy, you're probably not looking for support anywhere.

[likewater]

What a stupid thing to say. My mom is paranoid schizophrenic and i would not call her happy.
She that doctor made a huge sweeping statement. How can someone be happy when they think everyone is out to get them? When we give her flowers, she thinks they have poison gas in them etc.. the one schizophrenic i know that' s happy is on really strong medicine. It makes her pretty loopy. I dont think being happy or sad has anything to do with being schizophrenic. In the end, i dont care anymore what label they slap on me. What i care about is, does the medication or therapy work? If not, i find a different dr. Does the therapist or dr listen to me? It seems like the ones that helped me the most, labeled me the least.

[KUREHA]

That's weird the doctor would say that - I don't think that is right at all.

I'm glad my doctor doesn't say stuff like that, that would really annoy me.

[Janine180]

When I was hearing voices I was happy, sad, terrified...

[RunningEagleRuns]

I've been labeled / diagnosed schizophrenic. Im happy enough. It is a tough thing to live with. Sound like the doctor was just stereotyping. Good luck!

[mgran]

I've been labelled schizoaffective... but i must say it seems unlikely that a schizophrenic would be defined, in part, by happiness? weird...

[newtus]

Originally Posted by mgran

I've been labelled schizoaffective... but i must say it seems unlikely that a schizophrenic would be defined, in part, by happiness? weird...

I have schizoaffective disorder, too, and that definitely is what gets me. Those who are in the middle of psychosis, labeled something under the schizophrenia spectrum thats not schizoaffective, don't seem to be happy at all, for example. I can't speak for them all but I have seen many.

I always think about that. It gets me. Also partly because I am not that depressed anymore, if I am there's a reason. If there's no reason, I snap out of it in a few hours. I wouldn't fit the tight criteria for schizoaffective but still have hallucinations and am still extremely paranoid everyday. I feel myself slipping so I just went to see a therapist with the help of a loved one.

[hoping_for_a_cure]

I think the damn pdoc said that especially to you to put some fire under you. And he succeeded. I was dx'd bipolar for a few years then schizo affective, then parnoid schizophrenic, and now schizo affective again. When i was experiencing mania I definately was not happy. I was creating a world that did not exist b/c i didn't have one. In other words too much time to think and create in my head. I wasn't motivated to use my creativity with my hands.

Then I became depressed and the mania went away. I think it's when I started using seroquel that stopped my mania, and became the depressive type. Not happy of course either.

Now I'm not so much depressed anymore, as much as having a problem with anxiety. I'm attending school b/c I am stable now (since 2009) and thought to myself, I'm not going to go thru mania again. So in order to stop the vicious cycles, I'm doing something positive in my life. Instead of dreaming up things that aren't so.

I hope you find a new pdoc, or ask the one you have "does having mania mean being happy?" and if this is his perception of happiness, he doesn't have a clue.

Hugs,

Hoping

[davidgarrard80]

I've wondered the same. Maybe the doc is referring to the excess of dopamine in schizophrenics.

[Shoe]

Originally Posted by davidgarrard80

I've wondered the same. Maybe the doc is referring to the excess of dopamine in schizophrenics.

This sounds reasonable. I had this lady psychiatrist tell me once that I would know when I started to go schizophrenic because I would start to have a good time. Over all, I never did enjoy it too much though.

Ut Oh, I'm having the time of my life now... and I wasn't when I was psychotic. LOL

[sarek]

My gf has sz. I can attest to the fact she is not happy about that at all.