Saturday, July 25, 2009 WaxwingSlain asks

Q: I am a physician under tremendous stress over the past year. I have been seeing a psychologist and

a psychiatrist for medication management. I was recently put on Cymbalta (from Lexapro) and shortly thereafter developed paranoia that certain people were trying to kill me. I started hearing things as well. I am worried that I am becoming schizophrenic, but maybe this is a reaction to the Cymbalta which I have recently stopped. I started Seroquel at night and it has helped me sleep although I feel drugged during the day. There is a little part of me that recognizes my thoughts are not rational at times, and I am also withholding information from my psychiatrist because I am terrified of being labeled psychotic or schizoprenic and losing my career.

I also have multiple sclerosis, although that has been under control for a long time. So... can someone become schizophrenic from stress? Or can someone under severe stress have psychotic symptoms without becoming schizophrenic?

- A
- A
- A

Answers (3)

Christina Bruni, Health Guide

7/26/09 10:09am

Hello WawingStain,

Stress can cause a psychotic episode. I was diagnosed with SZ after I had a breakdown when my beloved Grandpa was in a coma, hooked up to a respirator in the intensive care unit. My parents never understood me when I was growing up and they did everything wrong except when I had my break my mother drove me to the hospital within 24 hours so I got the right treatment right away.

If you read my profile, you will see I'm a librarian and have SZ and I choose to be open and honest about my medical condition to the people who would benefit from hearing my story. You, however, do not have to disclose and that is your right. My latest SharePost here touched on the self-stigma that often plagues people who are diagnosed with SZ or fear they have SZ.

One thing it will help for you to remember is that you are a person first with traits and quirks and a personality all your own. You are not your illness. Other psychiatrists and professionals have SZ and bipolar and they have successful careers, too.

Maybe you need a vacation if you are facing burn-out from your job. It is also possible the paranoia could've been a side effect of any medication you took, yet even if it wasn't, acceptance is the key to living with any mental illness.

Think of this as a red flag: that possibly something isn't working in your life and you're being asked to make changes to support your mental health. It could be exercise at the gym, running in the park, cooking good meals, clearing one day a week to do absolutely nothing except watch a video at home or listen to music, joining a support group, therapy or anything else that would bring you better peace of mind.

Work with your your doctors on your treatment and remember not to give up because there is hope you can maintain a good life.

A variant of SZ, schizoaffective, is the combination of schizophrenia and a mood disorder. Any number of things could be at play in your life. So the best thing I can tell you is to be proactive in working your recovery from whatever is going on.

Please I would refrain if I were you from buying into the stigma about the diagnosis of SZ. Even attorneys have schizophrenia, like Elyn Saks, who wrote the book The Center Cannot Hold: My Journey Through Madness.

So there is hope for you and for everyone going through a hard time.

I wish you the best.

Regards,

Christina

David Robbins

7/26/09 7:20am

I don't know for sure, but growing up, there was alot of stress at home. My father is an alcoholic and was verbally and mentally abusive and I was physically abused by my oldest brother. I believe, however, the causes of my SZA are three fold. 1. genetics. 2. Physical abuse and 3. drugs and alcohol.

Medications do affect people differently. Talk to a pharmacist or your pdoc.

Talking honestly and openly with your psychiatrist is necessary. The pdoc cannot help unless they know what's going on. HIPAA laws prevent the doc from disclosing medical histories. The only way anyone would know is if you tell them.The fear of people finding out is very strong due to the stigmas.

There are alot of very successful people that have SZ. Living with a SZ diagnosis is often difficult indeed, but a good life can be lived with it.

Take care,

Dave

Daleri

7/27/09 3:25pm

I have a friend that was actually diagnosed with sz around 22 years of age. It was quite severe case of paranoid sz (your symptoms don't seem to be as bad). He did not have a career at the time but he did eventually develop a career. He never did take any medication and is now about 15 years from retirement. He doesn't want to tell anyone either. You likely would not be able to put your career on hold but it would be good if you could scale back your goals somewhat if that would relieve some of your stress. The idea is to relieve the stress. Don't worry about saving the world. Try not to worry too much about any debt you might have. Don't fear your fears. Don't even believe in them. Ignore what ever symptoms you are having as much as possible and they will likely go away with time.

Q: I am a physician under tremendous stress over the past year. I have been seeing a psychologist and

Related Questions

Ask a Question