Does anyone have any experience with this? I'm really starting to worry about my friend... Even tonight she was eating her dinner, she stopped suddenly and said she wasn't feeling well, then she "spaced out" (was staring at nothing), stuck her hand out, put it down, looked around like she wasn't sure where she was, then she got up and cleared the clock on the microwave. When I asked why she stuck her hand out she looked at me like I was crazy (actually, I'll add this to the list of possibilities). And when I asked if she remembered saying she didn't feel well, she said "No, I just said I'm hungry" and continued eating. To top that, her mother has also said a couple times that she thought her daughter might be schizophrenic, though I think she was kidding, or at least half-kidding, tonight's incident actually worries me. I'm beginning to think either she is or I am. I know what I saw and heard, unfortunately no one else was in the room... I don't know. I love her to death. I'm looking up what I can via google, but if anyone here has any advice or "Hey, you're stupid, it's nothing"s to say, I'd like to hear it. Thanks guys. Edit: reading up more... Her father has MS (Multiple Sclerosis), which has been linked by some doctors to schizophrenia... I'm worried... scared. I need some advice guys. Anything.
I don't know much about schizophrenia, but I do know what it's like to live with a mental illness! Even if she does turn out to have it, then it's nothing she can't learn to cope with - especially with your help.
I know that no matter what I will be there the whole way... I just don't know what's going on, or what's going to happen. I think that's what scares me? I don' tknow.
Well unfortunetly I dont know anything about it. I sugest she goes for a checkup. And I am sorry to hear you are coping with this. Even tho I dont know you personaly or even remotly I feel for you. My best wishes. But as stated above there is nothing she cant do or learn withought your help.
I've had experience with it, had to help a friend deal with it a few years ago. I recommend buying a good book, a clinical one, not a self-help style, and having a very good read up on it. It's impossible to judge with just what you've said. A lot of things could cause her to behave this way, maybe just something as simple as anxiety. Does she suffer from epilepsy, or have you considered she might? It's a common problem and this sounds like it could be a small epileptic seizure.
That was my first thought too. It definately more symomatic of a fit rather than schizophrenia. One of my kids had febrile convulsions (a fit caused by overheating) when she was a couple of years old, he symptoms were exacly the same and she didn't remember anything about it afterwards. Encourage her to see the doc about epilepsy you'll need to convince her of what happened, but you care about her so don't give up.
It does sound more like a fit. *n (diagnosed schizophrenic since the age of 12, been off meds since the age of 16)
I think it is epilepsy I was speaking to a friend who has it he said he would just black out not for long and not have convolsions just not remember as for schizophrenia the only couple of people who I was close to that have it although theirs was bought on by drugs they where both vague most of the time or flying into fits of rage ..... I am not saying all cases are the same as I am no doctor and have limmited experiance soo???
It wasn't convulsions though. It was as if she was looking at a fly that wasn't there, and tried to put her hand on it. It was completely calm... At first I thought there was a spider web or something there that I couldn't see, it was just that calm... then she looked around, fixed the clock on the microwave, and bam, she was back. Either that or none of that happened and I'm the one with schizophrenia...
Is this something that has just recently begun and are there sudden mood swings between being very high to very low ? I ask because my son, who until this May was a perfectly normal guy of twenty years old, has been diagnosed with Bi Polar disorder. There are a few flavours of this disorder and left untreated it could get ugly. I have no wish to scaremonger but this needs to tackled as soon as possible. Certainly find out all you can about the problem via books, Web etc but firstly have proffesional advice sought. Problem number one is getting her to realise she needs to go to a Doctor who will then, if he/she feels it warrants further investigation, will refer her to a Psychatric examiner possibly at her home. Note, she may be asked to volanteer to go into hospital. Again, I don't want to create a scare but if, and I sincerely hope it does not come to this, she is asked it is important for a variety of reasons that she does go of her own accord. Basically I ought to just shut up and say, if you have reason to fear for her metal health then start the ball rolling now. If you have a connection that you can maintain with her then use it - you could be the rope that ties her to reality. I wish you both the very best
Actually, my bipolarism has been an utter arse lately...Normally, I go through episodes of 2-3 months in duration, which allows me to adjust between the depression and mania. The last month or so, I've been switching every few days...combined with stress and insomnia, its left me rather drained. Ask her to see a doctor. I would not recommend stays in hospital because once in it is very hard to get out. I was too young to be asked when I was diagnosed and my parents made the decision to have me admitted. It took a long time to get back out and, once I was out, was placed on a succession of drugs with little apparant effect. I found that, while they made me more 'acceptable' to others, they always, without fail, made me miserable within. When I turned 16, I took myself off all meds and I have been for the last four years. I am happier than I have ever been. Alwayz Dead - please be careful with your son. *n
My son spent time in hospital but we got him released into our care fairly soon - took some talking but it worked as we were close too the hospital and Lee, son's name, and I have a close bond, more like damn good mates than Father and son. He is slowly having his medication reduced now and is much more stable in his mood and is doing his best to make his life more structured. I agree that the meds do tend to subdue the individual and he was initialy full of misery but this has rounded out and as I said the Meds are now being slowly withdrawn. I'm awe struck that you stopped your meds. I had learnt that stopping dead can be instumental in bring about a pretty bad epsiode. How do you gauge yourself mood wise as one of the symptoms, especially when high, is that there is nothing wrong with you. Oh hell, I didn't mean to hijack the thread and I'm being too personal in asking. What we are all saying here is get some proffesional avice - find out what she/you are dealing with first Ubermich.
Its good that you have that bond, stay close. Do you mind me asking what he was on? I was trialed on a lot of stuff but nothing ****ed me up like Amitriptilyne. I hope he's not on that (its hellish to get off) I was extremely depressed for about two and a half days but then I was fine. My body is very strange, I heal and recover really quickly. Those who were at the Mods Meet know what I'm like when I'm manic; chatty, exuberant, have a stupidly high sex drive... My depression is just the complete opposite...kinda all-encompassing. Not at all - I have no qualms with letting people know things about me - I am a very open person. Agreed, 100%. *n
She wouldn't have had convulsions if it was a minor seizure. Alot of people think that an epileptic seizure always means fitting and convulsions, but in fact, in most cases this isn't true at all. They stop being aware of what's going on around them, look vacant or sometimes slightly scared, will not respond or may look at you as if they don't know you or even as if they can't see you, they may perform a ritualisted movement such as fiddling with there hands (or slapping a table). They often only last a minute or so, then the person "fades" back into full awareness and is often very confused as they can't remember what just happened.
look into absent seizures. before i knew a friend he used to space out for short periods. you could look into his eyes for three or four minutes and would not blink once. thats the only way he knew they happened, his eyes would hurt and the TV would be on commercial or something. the doctors said he would either get really bad or all better when he hit puberty. luckily he got better. he's 18 now and still not allowed to drive, just in case. i never heard of him moving around, but that doesn't mean he was always motionless. just what i heard of. has she been under a lot of stress lately? maybe a lost job (like me) or new job, school, boy/girl problems? could be stress related
I'm honestly afraid of the thought of her seeing a doctor though. For the reasons described above. I know how strong she is. I know that she's spaced out before. I just never knew she didn't remember that she did. And I'd never seen her move when she did. I thought she just spaced out thinking about something like everyone does... I'm hoping it's just stress from worrying about her father and starting uni, which has her completely drained. Either that or, strange as it is, I'm hoping I just imagined the whole thing and I have schizophrenia. I thought about it a lot last night and today and decided I would rather be the one to deal with it. Of course it would be better if it was neither of us, but I'd rather it be me if I had to choose.
A lad i knew years ago used to get these all the time. If i remember correctly they are called petty mal (spelling?) seizure's. The all out convulting fits are called grand mal seizure's. The former can sometimes last only a few seconds. The lad i knew would often ask you to repeat things you were saying as he would return from a petty mal seizure (in this case a vacant stare lasting only a few seconds) and not have a clue what your going on about.
I think it's french - Petit Mal and Grand Mal. My auntie suffers from epilepsy and I've seen her have both types of attacks a lot, although not for several years now. When ever she has a petit mal she stares off into space and just looks completely blank, she always complains she doesn't feel well, or looks unwell just before hand. It can sometimes only last for a couple of seconds and there are different levels of severity - sometimes including passing out. Afterwards she is none the wiser of what has just happened even though we watch her do it. I think that you should speak with your friends mother and bring up the possibility that it is something like epilepsy and definately get your friend down to a doctors as soon as possible. Most conditions like this are treatable with mediciation to make them un-noticable
Yeah, under some circumstances people can have epileptic siezures without actually suffering from the condition. Also, the medication, phenytoin will make the chances of a full seizure negligable, and cut down on the smaller "petite mal" frequency alot. It does have quite a few side effects, but most are trivial compared to what it works preventing.
