[thomaskurian89]

I suffer from OCD but I've been (mis)diagnosed with schizophrenia more than once. If I listened to those doctors and took their meds, I'd be a zombie today.

Let's take a look at some famous people who were diagnosed with schizophrenia:

• The Norway suspect Anders Breivik was initially diagnosed with schizophrenia until a second group of psychiatrists concluded that he is sane.
• Unabomber Ted Kaczynski was diagnosed with schizophrenia because the doctors thought that his apprehension of technology is a delusion. However, his arguments against technology, if you've read his manifesto, are reasonable. Many people including himself think he is sane.

In 1973, the Rosenhan experiment concluded that psychiatrists cannot distinguish the sane from the insane in psychiatric hospitals.

I'd wager that at least 50% of people with schizophrenia are perfectly sane. What do you think?

[Sabertooth]

So because a few sane people have been misdiagnosed that means the majority are misdiagnosed? Non-sequitur.

[Akkuz]

If you can prove it with solid and extensive empirical evidence..

[superwolf]

I'd say we need to get a proper working definition of the word 'sane' first myself - I know plenty of mentally ill people (including myself ) who I'd still say are no less sane than the next man.

[PsychoHamster]

To my limited knowledge sanity and insanity are more legal concepts than scientific one's. At least in recent years anyway.

Regarding the accuracy of diagnosis of course false positives and negatives will happen. That's just a feature of pattern recognition and hypothesis testing/model selection. Error happens. This includes objective tests hence why physicists use error bars when plotting graphs and talk about levels of statistical confidence in their results.

Any argument about the discriminatory ability of psychiatrists to diagnose people who lie on the schizophrenia spectrum (its a spectrum disorder, which many people don't know) should use recent (within the last 10-15 years at least) peer reviewed work, preferably without too much confirmation bias (psychology is full of it). Anecdotal evidence does not cut it I'm afraid.

[KatiePanicPots]

right, for one, those who have a mental health illness are not considered "insane" they just lack in capactity. I have depression and i am not insane thanks.

[AnyOtherHeart]

Have to say I strongly disagree that anywhere near 50% of people diagnosed with schizophrenia don't actually have this illness, or as your use of the word sane in this context implies, any mental illness.

[Sabertooth]

I should add, it's extremely irresponsible to tell people regardless of diagnosis to stop taking their prescribed medication. Psychotic relapse really isn't funny.

[OU Student]

Whilst misdiagnosis does exist, I doubt it's that high.

[thomaskurian89]

(Original post by Sabertooth)
I should add, it's extremely irresponsible to tell people regardless of diagnosis to stop taking their prescribed medication. Psychotic relapse really isn't funny.

Nor is taking antipsychotics for no reason. If my docs had their way, I'd still be on them.

[Sabertooth]

(Original post by thomaskurian89)
Nor is taking antipsychotics for no reason. If my docs had their way, I'd still be on them.

Just because you were misdiagnosed doesn't mean that everyone is, or even a majority are.

I dunno where you're from but in Britain psychiatrists do not take diagnosing psychotic disorders easily. It can take months or even years of observation to come to a diagnosis, although I realize back in the US often it is come to a lot easier.

I have a psychotic disorder and for me the antipsychotics have been an absolute life saver. In the past, and more recently, I'd be dead without them it's as simple as that. It's ridiculously irresponsible of you to tell people to stop (although thankfully that's been edited out of your OP).

[Guy Secretan]

Sanity insanity are part of a spectrum and not necessarily definable.

I agree with what he said.

[thomaskurian89]

(Original post by Sabertooth)
I have a psychotic disorder and for me the antipsychotics have been an absolute life saver. In the past, and more recently, I'd be dead without them it's as simple as that.

Care to ellaborate on how you'd be dead without them? Could you also describe your psychotic disorder? It might give me some insight into why I was misdiagnosed. (You can PM me if you wish.)

[Sabertooth]

(Original post by thomaskurian89)
Care to ellaborate on how you'd be dead without them? Could you also describe your psychotic disorder? It might give me some insight into why I was misdiagnosed. (You can PM me if you wish.)

I was convinced that the government wanted me dead and was spying on me whereever I went with the ultimate purpose of kidnapping, torturing then murdering me. Therefore, I thought it was a good idea to kill myself and have a quick death rather than be tortured to death by the government. As you can imagine those kind of ideas don't end well. Thankfully, I was given antipsychotic drugs/the dose was increased during each of these episodes and I realized that actually the government isn't going to murder me. Last year I actually tried to kill myself, this time I just made the plans. That's why I'd be dead without the medication.

As for the description of my psychotic disorder, I hear voices, I get paranoid, I think people are following/spying on me, I get odd ideas about other people/the government.


I hope this gives you the insight you're after.

[thomaskurian89]

(Original post by Sabertooth)
I was convinced that the government wanted me dead and was spying on me whereever I went with the ultimate purpose of kidnapping, torturing then murdering me. Therefore, I thought it was a good idea to kill myself and have a quick death rather than be tortured to death by the government. As you can imagine those kind of ideas don't end well. Thankfully, I was given antipsychotic drugs/the dose was increased during each of these episodes and I realized that actually the government isn't going to murder me. Last year I actually tried to kill myself, this time I just made the plans. That's why I'd be dead without the medication.

As for the description of my psychotic disorder, I hear voices, I get paranoid, I think people are following/spying on me, I get odd ideas about other people/the government.


I hope this gives you the insight you're after.

Thanks. I have a possibly ignorant question: What happens if you stop your meds and try to will yourself out of thinking that the government is after you? After all, you're now sure they aren't.

[Sabertooth]

(Original post by thomaskurian89)
Thanks. I have a possibly ignorant question: What happens if you stop your meds and try to will yourself out of thinking that the government is after you? After all, you're now sure they aren't.

It all goes well for a while but then I start noticing things like people following me, people on the radio talking about me, people on the street laughing at and talking about me and it all seems very much to point to the government being after me again. Right now I'm medicated I can say they're not because my thinking is clear and I've spoken to friends who help me realize they're not after me, but if I stop the meds or, more likely, they stop working things gradually deteriorate again. My thinking gets very confused and there are so many bits of evidence that I'm sure that actually my thinking that they're not trying to kill me is wrong. I always think I was mistaken because of the new evidence.

I dunno though, that's what's happened the last 2 times. But maybe it won't happen again. I certainly don't intend on taking antipsychotics for life anyway.

[thomaskurian89]

(Original post by Sabertooth)
I certainly don't intend on taking antipsychotics for life anyway.

What do you mean? I thought you just said you need them.

[Sabertooth]

(Original post by thomaskurian89)
What do you mean? I thought you just said you need them.

At the moment, yeah, but that doesn't mean that I intend on taking them forever. I'm still kind of hoping the whole psychosis thing is a short term problem. Although, given it's been 4 years, that prospect isn't looking great.

[Squaresquirrel]

(Original post by thomaskurian89)
Thanks. I have a possibly ignorant question: What happens if you stop your meds and try to will yourself out of thinking that the government is after you? After all, you're now sure they aren't.

Trying to "will yourself" out of psychosis just doesn't work. Everything you experience is as real if not more so as the people telling yourself its all in your head, I've been suffering for a long time mostly with the idea that if I dont kill myself the world will end. Also I get the usual people following me etc.

I can safely say that it wasnt for anti psychotics I would be dead by now - they truly are life savers.

[mindful man]

This is a difficult one.

Because 'sanity' is a difficult thing to meaure really. There may appear to be clear cut cases, but if we're to trust the DSM (the book on which a mental diagnosis is made), then then a great deal of us are insane.

As someone who has a long term psychotic illness - and I'd say it's very much long term - it's been 6 years, I think there are very much times where I have been 'mad'. Perhaps I wouldn't consider myself mad at the time, but with reflection and time, I've realsed that I have been mad.

I don't recommend anyone stop taking there anti-psychotic medication suddenly. It's a very bad idea. I did this 6 months ago. Ended up in a mental hospital, and it could have been the end of my University career.

But I have ended up with a permanent movement disorder from anti-psychotics. These drugs shouldn't be taken lightly. They are dangerous.

It's good to be able to speak to other students with these sorts of problems. I've never really encountered many during my time at university.