Thursday, May 14, 2009 Alice asks

Q: What 'signs' did you notice in relatives with schizophrenia?

Sorry if this sounds stupid but my sister has just been diagnosed with schizophrenia and I am really surprised as I would never have suspected it. It's true we are not very close and I don't often see her but when I do, she just seems rather shy and quiet. I'm trying to find out more about this condition because i don't know much about it and to me SZ sounds really dramatic and I don't understand how I couldn't have noticed. I guess my question is what do family members usually notice in relatives with SZ?

Just to clarify, she has been diagnosed with paranoid schizophrenia. And maybe the only slightly weird thing I noticed was that sometimes she would sit on the edge of her bed, kind of hug herself and then rock backwards and forwards. When I asked why she did it, she said it was to help her go to sleep. Is that a common symptom of schizophrenia?

- A
- A
- A

Answers (1)

Christina Bruni, Health Guide

5/14/09 5:44pm

Hi Alice,

One thing my mother noticed a week or two before my breakdown was that I took her and my father aside, separately, and was running off at the mouth in a hyper-excited way about all the things I was going to do and it was a non-stop stream. I wasn't myself, so they knew something was not right.

Now, as for the symptoms of SZ, they can be subtle and a person can have a mild form, even a very mild form of SZ. With medication and therapy, friendship, family support and volunteer work, work, school or involvement in a day program or other activity during the day, a person with SZ can live a full, productive life, a happy life.

Close to 3 million people in the US live with SZ, and you can't tell by looking us who has this illness and who doesn't.

It is possible that someone who is in recovery or remission from SZ will not exhibit any 'signs' symptoms of the medical condition she was diagnosed wit.

For the record, you can't tell by interacting with me that I have SZ.

Regards,

Christina

Related Questions

See all questions

Important:
We hope you find this general health information helpful. Please note however, that this Q&A is meant to support not replace the professional medical advice you receive from your doctor. No information in the Answers above is intended to diagnose or treat any condition. The views expressed in the Answers above belong to the individuals who posted them and do not necessarily reflect the views of Remedy Health Media. Remedy Health Media does not review or edit content posted by our community members, but reserves the right to remove any material it deems inappropriate.

Q: What 'signs' did you notice in relatives with schizophrenia?

Related Questions

Ask a Question