Schizophrenia

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Dear Doctor,
I am a graduate student, 24, female, south asian descent, studying psychology at PCOM (Phila college of osteopathic medicine), but even my knowledge cannot treat what has been going on in my home for the past decade. My mother is 48 years old and from the time i was a teenager, she has exhibited what seems to be clear symptoms of the preliminary stage of schizophrenia. She is paranoid (questions where certain food came from if we brought home restaurant leftovers), delusional (i'm renting these properties because i want us to be drug free and free from evil spirits), disorganized/irrational (cashed out my entire college savings to rent these properties out to delinquent tenants, putting her in 30,000 debt). My brother and I just cannot watch her suffer and cause suffering to our family any longer, but she is UNBELIEVABLY defensive and in denial. I don't want to wait until her symptoms progress... she needs help NOW. How can I convince her to seek psychiatric help? Everytime I try, she attacks me and views me as an enemy. I'm so stuck. Please, help. thank you.

Ok, now I'm a little nervous about posting and I'm not quite sure what to say. I haven't really told a lot of people about this because well, it makes me sound crazy lol or so I think at least...

Since I was 14 I've been able to hear these voices. 3 to be precise and I've always just thought it was normal until I mentioned it in passing with my sister once and she gave me the weirdest look...they talk to me, comment on what I am doing and tell me what they think I should do. They never tell me to hurt anyone or myself which is why I haven't been too overly concerned with it I guess. Now, the few people I have told about this have always asked me if I was certain I wasn't just hearing myself, and I am absolutely certain I am not because sometimes I will want them to be quiet and they won't, they are also male voices and I am a female and hear myself as a female.

But like I said I haven't been overly concerned with it, but now that I'm 18 I am also starting to realize I am getting very overly paranoid. The other day I sat down with a bowl of cereal and suddenly I had a horrible feeling that it was poisoned. Now I tried to rationalize with myself, but no matter what I did I just couldn't eat it anymore...so I threw it out. Is that normal thinking? Sometimes when I am walking outside I will get this horrible feeling that someone is following me and the rest of the trip is spent in anxiety and fear. I'm horribly afraid of people randomly killing me as well, not sure why. And of large groups of ...anything really haha.

Another thing that has been concerning me recently is that the voices have recently started to chant things at me like "you are disgusting" and "do it, cut yourself do it" (I cut from ages 14-16, needless to say this isn't my only run in with a possible mental illess. I have been diagnosed with Major Depressive Disorder)

an example of my paranoia:

So the other night around 4 am I get in the car to go put gas in it because it's my sisters car and she asked me to. I have insomnia if you are wondering why I was up and can't stay on a normal sleeping schedule for more than a week. But anyway, I get in the car and immediately feel like there is someone in the back seat. I look back and see nothing there and try to rationalize with myself but instead of going away the anxious feeling like someone was there grew until I was driving down the road shaking, glancing in my rear view mirror every few seconds. I just knew that someone was behind me or following me and it felt like if they caught me they would hurt me. I never saw anything but the feeling kept getting stronger and stronger until I swore to myself I would never go outside at night again by myself...

what does that say about me? Anyone have any suggestions or opinions?

You don't say how old you are now but quite frankly I feel you need the help of a professional. Mental illness is so misunderstood and has such a stigma that many people are unwilling to get help or even admit there might be a problem.

The brain is an organ just like your liver or your heart and has the same capacity for not functioning properly like any other part of your body. The voices and paranoia you are experiencing could be the result of a chemical imbalance that could very well be treated and managed with medication.

You seem to be very high functioning, even with these problems, and in my unprofessional opinion stand a great chance for recovery.

I have a son with these types of problems and I only wish he would admit to feeling the things you do. He has in the past but now he has gotten to the point of denying all of it and yet his bizarre behavior and violence signifies he is becoming worse.

Please get help a.s.a.p. and I wish you the best of luck.

i've expereince all those things.. sctiz mate, or you've taken illegal drugs and got scitz offective disorder...

not a pro opinion, but go eek help if they give it you..