My mom was diagnosed with schizophrenia when I was going into high school and it really destroyed my family for most of my adolescence. I only occasionally speak with her now as I still have a lot of trauma, and she's still unwell. The last several years, I've noticed I've been beginning to show similar symptoms. This terrifies me and I'm really not sure what's going on with me mentally. I'm trying to seek help, but for anyone who has faced similar mental health problems, do things get better?

Schizophrenia is a brain disorder. I worked with mental health my entire career. Worked on a psychiatric unit for 15 years. What signs or symptoms do you fear in yourself? Can you share? I agree with C1- see a psychiatrist or therapist and share your concerns honestly. You very well might be misreading the signs bc of anxiety. If not, better to get a head start and work on reducing your stress. Stress can exacerbate every physical health problem including those that affect your brain.

My mother was a late onset bipolar. Which is another brain disorder. She was considered by her psychiatrist as a ‘late onset’, diagnosed at 46, which is very unusual but it does happen. It affected us differently depending on who you ask in my family.
We too worried about the genetic component. One of my sisters had a hypo thyroid issue and it was severe, but it presented as manic-ey behavior and a few of my other sisters ragged the other sister about being bipolar. Come to find out her hypo-thyroid was so bad she needed radiation treatment that had to be done outpatient and not anywhere near another family member.

I’m sorry you’re going through this. But again, you really don’t know yet. I’ll pray for you bc it helps. 🙏🏼💖
you can also dm me. if you’d like

The trickiest part is being self-observant enough to see the signs. I hope this doesn't sound cheesy, but I'm really proud of you for that.

I had a similar issue, but with my dad and an undiagnosed mental illness. My therapist saw some signs in me and begged me to see someone. I would say step 1 is to get in touch with a psychiatrist (I see a NP who doubles as a psychotherapist because she had immediate availability). Tell them you have a family history and want to be informed. You can tell them if you are open to meds (and you don't have to try them immediately!!) and just talk. Just having that established relationship with a DR makes all the difference. 6 years ago I was straight up terrified of my own mind. Yesterday I cried because I couldn't believe how happy I was to just exist. It can and will get so much better.

Message me if you want to ask any questions, I'm very open about this stuff because it changed my life 🙂

Things always get better. Don’t let yourself lose hope or motivation. Unfortunately, mental health disorders are genetic more often than not. I began having severe and crippling anxiety at age 7. My mom had been anxious her whole life too. My mom, and various members of her family, suffered deeply from depression and bipolar disorder. I suffered my first severe depressive episode at age 16, had to take medical leave for a year in college to recover from another severe depressive episode, and then had it hit me hard again in my early 30s (where I was also possibly misdiagnosed as bipolar. still working through that issue.)

It sucks, and it’s frustrating, and it is absolutely scary. The good news is, you know what to look for and be aware of. You’ve noticed similar symptoms in yourself, and that’s important. You’re already more proactive and aware than your mother was. I am assuming you’re under the care of a doctor, preferably a very knowledgeable psychiatrist, but if not, make an appointment ASAP. The sooner you address the developing symptoms, the easier it will be to manage the issue AND the less effect it will have on you (and consequently, your loved ones/job/etc.). I am sure you already know this stuff due to your family history, but there are new medications out for schizophrenia that are a huge improvement on previous schizophrenia medications. Schizophrenia is also much easier to manage now, and it isn’t the “terminal health and life sentence” it once was. Schizophrenics can now function, live fulfilling and healthy lives, maintain relationships, work full-time consistently, go to school, etc.

Anyway, I am sorry this was so long. I genuinely feel for you and how terrified you must be, especially with seeing how your mom was growing up and how her illness affected your family and you. But I promise progress has been made on treatment, how you’re feeling is normal, your proactive attitude is a huge positive and will set you up for success, and your willingness to ask for help is going to be such a huge benefit to you and your mental health journey. You’re surrounded by love + people who want you to succeed, including us on this Bowl. And if you ever need to talk, vent, advice, whatever, I am happy to chat privately.

Wishing you all the best! You got this ❤️

I never saw anybody display any anxiety like I have . my grandma is a closet depression case she tells everybody she’s not, but she is and it might be mild. She takes her medicine. My mom takes antidepressants and my daughter has been diagnosed with everything but the bpd ptsd . so I’m in Texas in brand new place. Just moved there in the middle of nowhere , didn’t know anybody , it was like unincorporated town, etc. I got so depressed. I was crying every day sobbing just wishing I didn’t have to be here anymore and then then it got so much worse. My mind was just fried and it was scary. I had no idea why I was losing my mind, but I could definitely tell that everything was so off, It was probably the scariest thing I’ve ever been through mentally , and physically.I was never all the way fine. My mom said I was born angry and I’ve been angry since then. I’ve never been happy ,happy like people that I see that look happy. I couldn’t figure out what was wrong with me and in Texas they must not believe in mental health help because it was gonna take over a year to get me in to talk to somebody and that’s with me telling them that I was suicidal at that point. So another seven months go by and the feelings are all there they gave me Prozac and something else, but I’d rather not take benzos for personal reasons and they gave me a lot of trazodone .then I had a psych evaluation there and I was diagnosed first and foremost with borderline personality disorder which a year and a half two years later, I still don’t understand anything about it, I have been diagnosed with depression, anxiety, social anxiety, panic disorders, obsessive, compulsive, self mutilating type OCD I have post traumatic stress disorder . Some of those I understand I mean, I understand what anxiety is. I just don’t understand where it’s coming from at this point or any point I understand the panicking. I understand the depression. I don’t understand the suicidal thoughts and borderline personality disorder.

It is scary asking for that kind of help when you start feeling that feeling of spiraling down the rabbit hole . When you don’t feel like you’re in control of what’s happening to you, man, I can’t emphasize how scary that is. So I came back to Arizona where I got mental help right away and they gave me meds for my depression and some other meds for sleeping and what not and I was taking them and I was feeling really good like not happy happy but it was survivable. I don’t know why I’m not taking my pill pills because I realize they did help but no matter what kind of routine I’ve been trying to start to take them I never get up and take them. I I just silence my alarms. And every time I set an alarm or stack my chores with the pills it instantly disappears out of my head or I think man I should take him for the help and then I’ll take him like three times a week and that’s it. I’ll think man maybe I should just aim for one pill a day instead of two of each and I can’t even do that. I’ve tried just about everything I could think of . I know I should take them. It’s something in my head tells me not to or ignores it completely and now I’m spiraling again I knew I was spiraling five months ago and it took me five months to talk to the doctor and I’m going to talk to somebody after the holidays but it’s scary. I don’t know if I think that I’m better because I’m feeling better and I just forget to take my meds orwhat.

Sorry that’s so long. Lol I have adhd also. So I change topics fast.

My advice is to be you and make sure that you feel as comfortable as possible, telling a stranger, the bear truth, and that is hard to do very hard to do to open up and start making admissions of things that you feel shameful about it’s hard but you gotta do it and if you don’t feel comfortable with the first one, ask for another one, just you know we just didn’t melt. Can I see another doctor and talk and listen and practice?

Speak to a professional mental health physician.
Don’t be afraid. The fact that you’re noticing things is a good sign, not necessarily a bad sign. Find a good psychiatrist. Make sure their reviews are good too!

Seriously thank you all from the bottom of my heart. All of your responses have been so uplifting, I'm feeling much better today and that's giving me a little bit of hope ❤️🫂

I would try ACA. Adult children of alcoholic and dysfunctional families. You would probably fall into the dysfunctional part. It is incredibly helpful. It’s a lot of hard work, but you may be able to stop the cycle. It shows you how to look at the trauma, process it, and let it go-little by little. Be gentle with yourself.