# difference between...?



## junkinmahcranium (Jun 29, 2010)

What is the difference between schizophrenia and depersonalization? Like how can I tell if I actually have dp or if I'm a schizo. fuck. Is there any similarities anyways?

This comes up because I was describing the symptoms to somebody and he said that sounds a lot like schizophrenia, which worries me.


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## septimus (Jun 1, 2010)

Why is everyone so scared about schizophrenia?


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## junkinmahcranium (Jun 29, 2010)

Bear said:


> Why is everyone so scared about schizophrenia?


It sounds a helluva lot crazier than "depersonalization."


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## Guest (Sep 23, 2010)

junkinmahcranium said:


> It sounds a helluva lot crazier than "depersonalization."


"sounds"

People are afraid of what they don't understand.


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## Guest (Sep 23, 2010)

Schizophrenia is when people lose touch with reality and "invent" a new one. We who are DP/DR'd haven't lost touch with reality. The fact that we feel disconnected/removed/lost touch with reality means that we are still experiencing reality. That's a really hard idea to convey so I'll try again. We EXPERIENCE a loss of reality. But the fact that we are SO AWARE of disconnection, means we still experience reality, just in a DISCONNECTED way. People with Schizophrenia, however, are NOT AWARE of their disconnection. I really hope this makes sense for you to understand it.


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## Guest (Sep 23, 2010)

ThoughtOnFire said:


> "sounds"


It is a hell of a lot scarier than DP, anyone who thinks otherwise is an idiot to me. But the main difference is that with DP your seeing things that arnt there and your not thinking straight, even though it may seem our thought pattern is weird your not delusional, you know what is real and not real.

Trust me when i say your not schizophrenic.


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## Guest (Sep 23, 2010)

Auldie said:


> It is a hell of a lot scarier than DP, anyone who thinks otherwise is an idiot to me. But the main difference is that with DP your seeing things that arnt there and your not thinking straight, even though it may seem our thought pattern is weird your not delusional, you know what is real and not real.
> 
> Trust me when i say your not schizophrenic.


Oh I didn't mean to say it's not worse. I'm just saying people are afraid of what they don't understand. You mention the word Schizophrenia to somebody and they have this idea come up in their heads of something they don't really understand. They get afraid like it's contagious or it's something they should avoid at all costs.

No offense to anybody here.


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## insaticiable (Feb 23, 2010)

To build upon what ThoughtOnFire said...

The main thing that distinguishes schizophrenia from depersonalization, is that with DP, your ''reality testing is still intact" unlike schizophrenia. You can distinguish between what's real and what's not, as someone else mentioned. The two main components of schizophrenia are: Hallucinations & Delusions...which means seeing/hearing things that are not really there, or thinking/believing things that do not make sense. For example, my mom always thinks that the police are going to somehow arrest her and put her in jail, although she has never committed a crime before.

One more reassuring thing: When you TIHNK you are going crazy, you probably aren't. Those who go crazy are not aware that they are "crazy" or have lost touch with reality...something that although we are hanging onto by a thin thread, still EXISTS for us. The disconnection experienced with depersonalization/derealization makes reality hazy and distorted for us, but just like ThoughtOnFire said, since you are SO AWARE of the disconnection...you are still aware of what is going on, and thus, reality still exists for you.

Hope this makes sense. Oh, and also, screw whoever said your symptoms sound like schizophrenia. There is a big line between DP and schizophrenia. Most people who experience DP, will not go and develop schizophrenia out of the blue.


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## junkinmahcranium (Jun 29, 2010)

ThoughtOnFire said:


> The main thing that distinguishes schizophrenia from depersonalization, is that with DP, your ''reality testing is still intact" unlike schizophrenia. You can distinguish between what's real and what's not, as someone else mentioned. The two main components of schizophrenia are: Hallucinations & Delusions...which means seeing/hearing things that are not really there, or thinking/believing things that do not make sense. ... you are SO AWARE of the disconnection...you are still aware of what is going on, and thus, reality still exists for you.


Yes, thank you both, this makes a lot more sense. I was really worried for a moment. I mean, DP can still fucking suck it dry, but this calms me a lot. Thankyou.

And yeah the guy who told me that is kind of an uninformed asshat >.>


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## BlueTank (Jun 2, 2010)

I had a psychology class and wrote a paper with the guidance of an old teacher who worked with schizophrenics most of his life. He worked in a big camp with them helping them out. Stories included helping people back into bed when they would get up and go to the toilet thinking that the toilet was talking to them. At times schizophrenics hear voices or think particular things are talking to them. Many times they hear derogatory and self deflating commentary.

In rarer cases people will have hallucinations. I forget the ratio of audio only to audio/visual. But for instance one guy we read about would see heads rolling around telling him derogatory things. I have a schizophrenic friend who has had conversations with his cat. He is on medication though... So i've never seen much strangeness. He was just always tired.

You can youtube shizophrenia and see what its about. I wouldn't even think of calling schizophrenia until you lose touch of reality, and honestly _other people_ would probably point it out at some point. If you suspect it in others there are guides to see it and believe it or not one of the first signs is somebody shaving their head. Kids will buzz their heads. There are some ties (not fully conclusive) with schizophrenia and pressure in the head/brain. And hair is seen as like a neusance. Also a lot of day dreaming and "Delusions of Grandeur". Thats a big one. And ofcourse big suspicion of those around you.	You think other people are robots. You think your mother is poisoning your food. etc.... In DP/DR i think its more like you think YOUR the robot
















*A TON of things have overlap*. A ton do. Depending on how you describe what to whom you'll hear an array of things that overlap including Lyme Disease, MS, Schizo, Psychosis, PTSD and so on.
But the thing to do is look at the unique defining features of each thing if you want to not worry about it.

Schizophrenia: Hearing voices. Hearing objects or animals talk to you and berate you. HEAVY paranoia that you actually ACT on such as throwing away food other people give you. If you hear voices, Then get concerned.

PTSD: This includes FLASHBACKS. flashbacks are a particular thing and are mostly visual. If you arent in your head a lot and having true flashbacks. or if things dont "send you back" in a very heavy way then its probably not full blown PTSD. I think a lot of us probably have a level of PTSD. honestly. I'm sure I do. And I bet a lot of people on this site do. But i would just go with DP/DR and Panic Disorder etc.. unless when somebody raises to give you a high five you actually FLASH to a husband beating you.... or if somebody comes up behind you, you black out and take them down in a sleeper hold. Or you see a Blue 72 Chevelle and you almost fly off the road cause you had a flashback of a car accident when you were 12.

You can apply this to everything. Its always best to get fully checked out. But take all your symptoms (sanity check a few for googlitis, hehe) and then match them across with all the symptoms you find with a diagnosis. Give things "weight" if Feeling Detached is big for you and Hearing Voices would be big for schizophrenia... then there you go.


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## sirlee (Mar 5, 2014)

BlueTank said:


> And ofcourse big suspicion of those around you. You think other people are robots. You think your mother is poisoning your food. etc.... In DP/DR i think its more like you think YOUR the robot


I literally have felt like my mom was poisoning me and thought other people were robots, yet a part of me always always always rebelled to these thoughts. I really get angry hearing you say this because I think youre absolutely wrong, you're talking from opinion on these things. People on this site have told me multiple times its just my DP/DR and I'll be okay, and in fact I am okay. Ive been to so many doctors, and so many people on this site have shown me that its just not true what you're saying. And its more damaging to read these "opinions" online after having been dealing with these thoughts for so long (18 months) and not ever having had a psychotic moment. Its all just madness in my head, but no one has told me I'm crazy, not even my family. I know its not your intentions and im mad because in reality you saying that still has power over me and it scares me to think what if im actually crazy. But anyway. Just wanted to write on this.


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## *Dreamer* (Feb 18, 2014)

This was bumped from 2010. And at this point makes me furious.

Schizophrenia is NOT DP/DR. Not anywhere NEAR it.

Also, I don't know where people get the concept that they are paranoid, or what the definition is, as paranoia in schizoprhenia is a real distortion of thought. DP/DR has no criteria that connects it with paranoia.

This hurts me as I have friends who HAVE schizoprhenia, "they aren't schizoprhenic." It is a MEDICAL disorder which affects the brain in many different ways. And each case is unique. Most of these friends are high functioning. You would not know what they have been through.

I also know of others -- a few family members -- who are so sick they cannot function at all. They do not bathe, eat, work, interact with anyone. And this is not depression either.

People constantly confuse terminology.

There are a number of individuals here who also have schizophrenia. Somone wrote about his/her experience, and I don't recall who ... does anyone remember?

DP/DR is only the symptoms of feeling detached from one's body, feeling the world looks unreal, and I would add possibly dizziness (which is not mentioned -- and a focus on existential thinking (NOT THE PHILOSOPHICAL VERSION) -- in my experience those thoughts come from feeling completely disconnected from myself and the world. I don't count it as one of the Dissociative Disorders either as we have no amnesia for events.

(Also, though not delineated as a symptom of DPD -- many describe static vision, etc. I don't have this, but it seems to come up frequently.)

All other symptoms people discuss here are NOT part of DPD, but of comorbid disorders such as severe anxiety (I have this), clinical depression (I have this) and then other disorders. For example sore muscles -- that is tension/stress.

I wish to goodness someone would spend time with someone who has schizoprhenia. Such individuals can have episodes which pass. When they are thinking properly, they recall how illogical their thinking was.

People should not depend on what they BELIEVE schizoprhenia is, but read about it, or more importantly meet someone who has it and talk with them, when they are sick and when they are well.

This type of ignorance really gets my goat.
I'll search for the post about someone's actual experience with schizoprhenia when I get a chance.

Meantime -- this information and speculationis SO innacurate.
NO DPD is NOT schiopzhrenia.


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## *Dreamer* (Feb 18, 2014)

I have heard descriptions here where people say, "I am paranoid about what people think of me." EDIT: "I am paranoid."

Consider the fault in this description/definition. Say I am a young person who has terrible acne. (This is the simplest thing I can come up with), or I have a scar, or a birthmark. I may DREAD going to school or going out. I may think, "OMG, EVERYONE is staring at me. I am so ugly." This is NOT paranoia.

Perhaps some truly rude people ARE staring, but as you get older you notice everyone has flaws.

In these cases you are overly SELF-CONSCIOUS, that is you are so aware of your "terrible flaws" that you are thinking "everyone is juding me." You could become very shy, and withdraw from people because of this. That is NORMAL. You would need help with building self-esteem. Probably talking with others, maybe seeing a therapist. But you are NOT mentally ill. This of course could hurt your confidence, and you might even get depressed.
THIS IS NOT TRUE PARANOIA either.

An exmample of extreme paranoia that is a serious illness would be that someone thinks he/she is being spyed upon by the governemnt. They believe their house is bugged (when it isn't), that they are being watched (which they aren't), that people can read their thoughts (which is impossible.) EDIT: also thinking things -- TOO MUCH thinking -- is not the same as BELIEVING, 100% that something is true.

These things are VERY different.

The internet is the worst place to get information. And "a little information is a dangerous thing."

Or other people who now NOTHING about what they are talking about.
It is truly a shame.


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## sirlee (Mar 5, 2014)

*Dreamer* said:


> I have heard descriptions here where people say, "I am paranoid about what people think of me." EDIT: "I am paranoid."
> 
> Consider the fault in this description/definition. Say I am a young person who has terrible acne. (This is the simplest thing I can come up with), or I have a scar, or a birthmark. I may DREAD going to school or going out. I may think, "OMG, EVERYONE is staring at me. I am so ugly." This is NOT paranoia.
> 
> ...


can you read what i posted about my thoughts recently, prior to you adding your thoughts here dreamer? I have been told by many psychologists that no im not crazy, not schizophrenic. But you said that those who have episodes that pass them and can thinking logically have realized it afterwards... I have felt like that during these past 18 months. I don't know if I have ever truly lost my head, but when the thoughts about people being robots and the paranoia stuff happened it sure as shit felt like that. I'd like to think its just because I have really really really bad Obsessive thoughts, and slowly i have recovered from that, and its just comorbid with DP, which would make it so much easier to feel like I am crazy cause the worlds doesnt feel so real. Anyway, hope you can give me some of your insight.


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## *Dreamer* (Feb 18, 2014)

sirlee said:


> can you read what i posted about my thoughts recently, prior to you adding your thoughts here dreamer? I have been told by many psychologists that no im not crazy, not schizophrenic. But you said that those who have episodes that pass them and can thinking logically have realized it afterwards... I have felt like that during these past 18 months. I don't know if I have ever truly lost my head, but when the thoughts about people being robots and the paranoia stuff happened it sure as shit felt like that. I'd like to think its just because I have really really really bad Obsessive thoughts, and slowly i have recovered from that, and its just comorbid with DP, which would make it so much easier to feel like I am crazy cause the worlds doesnt feel so real. Anyway, hope you can give me some of your insight.


I can try to comment, but it's difficult. Always best if I've met you in person.

I'm not sure what you mean by this sentence:



> I'd like to think its just because I have really really really bad Obsessive thoughts, and slowly i have recovered from that, and its just comorbid with DP, which would make it so much easier to feel like I am crazy cause the worlds doesnt feel so real.


I don't understand what you're asking. Are you saying you would rather have a diagnosis of schizophrenia as it would explain how you feel? Difficult for me to answer that. Clarify if you can.

Re: what you posted earlier. Oh darn. I forgot to copy it, LOL. Wait.


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## *Dreamer* (Feb 18, 2014)

> literally have felt like my mom was poisoning me and thought other people were robots, yet a part of me always always always rebelled to these thoughts. I really get angry hearing you say this because I think youre absolutely wrong, you're talking from opinion on these things. People on this site have told me multiple times its just my DP/DR and I'll be okay, and in fact I am okay. Ive been to so many doctors, and so many people on this site have shown me that its just not true what you're saying. And its more damaging to read these "opinions" online after having been dealing with these thoughts for so long (18 months) and not ever having had a psychotic moment. Its all just madness in my head, but no one has told me I'm crazy, not even my family. I know its not your intentions and im mad because in reality you saying that still has power over me and it scares me to think what if im actually crazy. But anyway. Just wanted to write on this.


Well, now I see this is in response to what someone else said -- a LONG time back.


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## *Dreamer* (Feb 18, 2014)

This is getting confusing. I will simply make a few points.
1. If you have seen a number of specialists who say you do not have schizophrenia I would tend to believe they are correct. Schizophrenia and psychosis are pretty obvious if you spend time talking with someone.

2. You say you have felt your mother was poisoning you -- I'm not sure what to make of that ... and that people look like robots (well that's one way of desribing DP/DR). However you say in both cases you have fought against the thoughts. Having the thoughts is different from BELIEVING them 100%, and I mean 100%.

3. Thinking someone is poisoning you ... well, if you really believe that, that would be psychotic thinking. But I doubt you have that.
Someone with OCD can have THOUGHTS that give them tremendous anxiety about contamination -- but they KNOW the thoughts are illogical. Yet they will still wash their hands until they bleed. There is no time they DON'T know the thoughts are not real. But they CANNOT STOP. This is true of cutting one's self. I have heard people say, it's like an addiction. They don't happen to be pysychotic.

4. And finally, I still say that DP/DR are as I described them above. Feeling detached from self, seeing the world as unreal, BUT KNOWING THIS IS NOT HOW YOU SHOULD FEEL. Period.

If you have OCD, or anxiety, or depression, these are not PART of DP/DR, they exist alongside it. Individuals can have OCD, anxiety, and depression and NOT have DP/DR. Some can.

I guess, bottom line -- and if you read what I wrote before ...
DP/DR is not anything but DP/DR. Yes, we have existential thinking. But we know it is excessive and illogical. We may obsess over things. Worry too much about the worst case scenario. That I would say is part of being extremely anxious and/or depressed.

I have a thought that DP/DR is related to anxiety. My anxiety is MAJOR. It has been my entire life. Terrible. It has made my life very difficult. I will say the DP/DR however is my most disabling symptom. I could simply have serious anxiety. I also had depression as a child. So per my diagnosis -- I have three comorbid disorders, DPD, social anxiety and GAD, as well as clinical depression (which has also made me suicidal several times in my life.)

Each person is unique -- 6,790,153rd time I've said that! So whatever "combination" of symptoms you may have will vary. But a pretty clear diagnosis can be found. And certain things can be eliminated entirely. Someone has schizophrenia or they don't -- there is no "in between." It is a chronic condition, even when someone feels better.

For many here DP/DR is NOT chronic. It seems to pass, or go into remission for a time and come back years later (usually under stress). There is a similar pattern, but this could be said for many diseases such as MS where someone feels better for some time, then gets weak again.

I hope this answers something. Reread my longer post.
And say Happy Birthday to me. God help me I am 56!!!!!!
And I am still here.


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## *Dreamer* (Feb 18, 2014)

MS -- being Multiple Sclerosis. Someone can go downhill, then it goes into remission. This happens with many illnesses, and with mental illness.


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## sirlee (Mar 5, 2014)

*Dreamer* said:


> Well, now I see this is in response to what someone else said -- a LONG time back.


i didnt think it was that long ago. in fact i was angry at what the guy had said.... wait were you angry because of what I had said, or were we angry at the same dude who posted like he knew what schizophrenia was?

Anyway, I'd like to know what your thoughts are on my situation. Whenever I read about stuff with dealing with schizophrenia, like what you just posted and the symptoms, its like i get them, I start thinking about people being able to read my mind and shit and its just weird.


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## Guest (Dec 3, 2014)

*Dreamer* said:


> And say Happy Birthday to me. God help me I am 56!!!!!!
> 
> And I am still here.


Hey, Happy Birthday Dreamer.. Hope you had/have a nice day and an awesome year ahead!!


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## sirlee (Mar 5, 2014)

*Dreamer* said:


> This is getting confusing. I will simply make a few points.
> 1. If you have seen a number of specialists who say you do not have schizophrenia I would tend to believe they are correct. Schizophrenia and psychosis are pretty obvious if you spend time talking with someone.
> 
> 2. You say you have felt your mother was poisoning you -- I'm not sure what to make of that ... and that people look like robots (well that's one way of desribing DP/DR). However you say in both cases you have fought against the thoughts. Having the thoughts is different from BELIEVING them 100%, and I mean 100%.
> ...


Well the last psychologist said that my symptoms were "pre-delirious", something that he seemed to have made up on the spot by the look on his face when he couldn't diagnose me, but he said I'm not schizophrenic or even psychotic. My biggest fear is going crazy, being crazy, not feeling happy ever again. I think what sucks is not knowing whether I'm psychotic or not, if it comes and goes and no one can tell me that, not even myself. The thoughts are strange as fuck man, like why would I ever think that about my mom, its just... crazy. The way you described Ocd is how my thoughts make me feel. Like I can't stop thinking them sometimes, and the part where you said that to the point where the hands bleed is the psychic pain I feel when the thoughts try to make me believe them, if that makes sense. And the people looking like robots, I wrote a thing about that like 3 days ago here too, foe me its not as if they were robots, its like a part of me wants to believe in some psychotic thinking aobut these thoughts being real, and all these scenarios come into my head when i look at people about that. Again, most people stil say thats why because of the obsessive thoughts and have even thought the same thing. now I just think that I may have some chronic pre-delirious condition from acid and all the marijuana use, but ill always have that, like schizophrenics with their thing or with MS like you said Dreamer. What are your thoughts? Also how did you get out of your depression when you were a kid?

Well anyway happy freaking birthday!! thats awesome congratulations!!


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