- Hi, everyone, in today's video,
I'm going to be taking two different tests
to find out whether or not I have schizophrenia.
(light music)
Hi, everyone, and welcome back
to the Living Well With Schizophrenia channel.
If you're new here, my name is Lauren
and I make videos about what it's like
to live with Schizoaffective disorder or schizophrenia.
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All right, so I have Schizoaffective disorder
and a lot of people have been asking me
to, you know, film a video
taking a typical schizophrenia test
because these seem to be very popular on people.
They like to, you know, find out
if they have attributes in line with schizophrenia, I guess.
So I am going to be taking these tests,
but I just want to say
that the main reason why I'm doing this video
is just kind of a PSA against self-diagnosis.
You know, I think it's very compelling
to look to the internet for these kinds of diagnostic tests,
but that's the thing,
these tests are not accurately diagnostic,
they're not proper diagnostic methods or models.
And so, you know, maybe it's helpful to take these tests
to see if there are things
that you should be bringing up with your doctor
or your psychiatrist, if you have one,
and kind of discussing with them
some of the symptoms that came to your attention
through taking this test.
In that regard, it might be useful.
But please, please, please
do not go and look at one of these tests, take it,
and it tells you you have schizophrenia
and you go on thinking that you have schizophrenia
because it's just not an accurate way to diagnose yourself.
You know, it takes a skilled clinician,
oftentimes several years,
to make an accurate diagnosis of schizophrenia.
And, you know, I was misdiagnosed
for about three years or so,
and you know, that's not an uncommon experience.
So it takes a very long time, usually,
to obtain a correct or accurate diagnosis.
And so thinking that you can just take
a quick two minute test off the internet
is probably not true.
All right, so with that little disclaimer out of the way,
I guess you can kind of watch this video
as a bit more of like a reaction
to taking one of these tests,
because I know I have schizophrenia,
I have Schizoaffective disorder,
but Schizoaffective disorder
is a combination of schizophrenia
and a mood disorder, for me, it's bipolar.
So I know that I'm going to have some of the things
that this test talks about.
So this video is kind of more me reacting to this test
and I'm going to answer the questions
as if I was not taking my medications,
or as if I was answering it
before I was being treated for schizophrenia.
So the first test that I'm going to take
is from PsychCentral.
It is titled Quiz: Do I Have Symptoms of Schizophrenia?
So I appreciate that that they do a little disclaimer
in terms of, do I have symptoms of schizophrenia,
rather than being, do I have schizophrenia?
Okay, so it says, answer the questions below honestly
based on how you currently feel
or have felt in the past month.
So I'm not gonna answer it like that,
I'm gonna answer it based on how I feel
when I'm off medications.
So I believe that others control what I think and feel.
I would say quite a lot when I'm not medicated.
I hear or see things that others do not hear or see.
Quite a lot, it's primarily voices when I'm off medication
that I'm hearing that other people don't,
but it's also some perception stuff
that I know is not necessarily
what other people are experiencing.
I feel it is very difficult for me to express myself
in words that others can understand.
I would say moderately.
Sometimes I really, really struggle with this
and it's very hard for me to communicate with other people,
especially when I'm in the throws of psychosis,
but I can also still function at a level
that isn't too alarming for other people
that they don't necessarily completely know
that I'm struggling.
I feel I share absolutely nothing in common with others,
including my friends and family.
That's not really something that I experience
when I'm feeling psychotic, so I'm gonna say not at all.
I believe in more than one thing about reality
and the world around me
that nobody else seems to believe in.
I would say moderately, I get very wrapped up
in, you know, simulation narratives and whatnot,
and I believe that, you know,
we are kind of living in like a big brother state
or at least I am, where there are cameras on me all the time
and where the police are looking for me and out to get me,
and I'm being surveilled or, you know, stuff like that.
I feel like people are watching me.
And that's, I guess something
that nobody else really believes in.
Others don't believe me
when I tell them the things I see or hear.
I don't really tell the other people
what I'm seeing or hearing.
It took a very long time
to reach that level of comfort with Rob, my partner,
and I still don't tell him everything that I see or hear
that I know isn't real,
so I don't really have that problem
of others not believing me
so I guess I'm gonna say not at all.
I can't trust what I'm thinking
because I don't know if it's real or not.
Yes, all the time, definitely.
I have magical powers that nobody else has or can explain.
I would say just a little,
I think oftentimes I feel
like I can control things that are happening,
or sometimes other people with my mind,
or I believe that I'm capable of doing things
that maybe I wouldn't otherwise think I am capable of doing.
So I would say just a little
in terms of believing that I have magical powers
that nobody else has.
So Rob just reminded me about an embarrassing thing
that when I am, you know, having psychotic symptoms,
I 110% believe that I can will things to happen
during board games.
We play a lot of board games, especially in the winter,
and you know, I'm remembering back to this last winter
where I was trying to explain to Rob,
no, really like I can control what's happening right now,
and I just willed that to happen.
And you know, even talking about this right now,
I'm still like a little bit convinced
that I have that power.
So (laughs) do what you will with that.
Others are plotting to get me.
Yes, quite a lot, well, actually all the time,
I find it difficult to get ahold of my thoughts.
Quite a lot I would say.
I feel very, very scattered a lot of the time
when I'm feeling psychotic,
but then some of the time,
I feel like I'm thinking very, very clearly
even if I maybe am not
because it's like delusional thought that I'm engaging in.
So quite a lot, I find it hard to get ahold of my thoughts.
I am treated unfairly
because others are jealous of my special abilities.
That's not really something that I experience
so I'm gonna say not at all.
And I talk to another person
or other people inside my head that nobody else can hear.
Yes, quite a lot.
I usually don't verbally talk back like out loud,
but I definitely converse within my head.
And when I'm alone, sometimes I'll converse out loud
when I know that nobody else is around and can hear me
essentially talking to myself.
Okay, shall we find out the results?
Get results, your results, early schizophrenia.
So what does that mean?
Oh, I guess that's kinda the most severe thing you can get.
So you can get no schizophrenia,
possibility of early schizophrenia, or early schizophrenia.
So according to this test, I have schizophrenia, okay.
Now again, just a quick disclaimer,
that if I were taking this test
before I had sought treatment and gotten a diagnosis,
this might be providing things
that I can bring to my doctor to talk about
and let them know that these are some of the symptoms
that I'm experiencing.
So could be used as a helpful tool in that regard.
All right, so the second test that I'm going to take
is from an organization or a website
called Mind Diagnostics,
and they are less good about saying,
"Hey, find out if you have symptoms,"
they literally say, "Find out if you have schizophrenia."
So okay, let's find out if I have schizophrenia, start test.
Oh, here we go, okay.
So by clicking I agree below,
you acknowledge that this is not a diagnostic instrument
and is only to be used by you
if you're 18 years or older, okay.
Okay, great, you agree that this is application
is for information purposes
and is not intended to replace
a consultation with your doctor
or a mental health professional.
Cannot drive that home enough.
Take the information you learned from these tests
and bring it to your doctor.
Okay, sure, I agree.
Indicate the extent to which you agree
or disagree with each of the following statements.
Other people are unable to see or hear things that I can.
I would say yes, agree.
This is again, when I'm off medication.
Sometimes I am not able to speak at all.
Agree, there are quite a few times,
I don't know if this is called alexithymia,
I read about this before,
where you have an inability to communicate
your thoughts and feelings with other people.
And that is definitely something
that I experience quite strongly and prominently
when I am experiencing psychosis.
A lot of times I just completely retreat,
recede within myself, and just don't communicate.
I have a diagnosis for something
which I've been told may alter my behavior.
Okay, so if I'm answering this
before I was diagnosed with schizophrenia,
I would say disagree.
Organizing and getting on with my work
can be very difficult, agree.
So, you know, we're gonna do a video about schizophrenia
and its effects on employment and work and whatnot.
But, you know, I have found it
very, very difficult in the past
to maintain regular employment
and to work my way through schooling,
because it is very, very difficult to organize and function
in a work setting and work environment.
And so that is definitely something
that I find very difficult when I am experiencing psychosis.
I believe I have powers that regular people do not have.
So I kinda answered this in the last test
so I would say agree.
When I speak, the words come out wrong, or not how I intend,
or people tell me I'm not making sense.
I would agree with this.
It doesn't happen super regularly,
but actually not too long ago, I wasn't off my medication,
but I was experiencing symptoms a little bit.
And I was talking to Rob and I kept switching words around
and it would just come out of my mouth
and I had no intention of saying it like that,
but it would just come out that way,
and then I would think that I said it right,
or I would stop and be like,
whoa, okay, that's not what I meant,
or Rob would be like, that doesn't make sense.
And so, you know, that's obviously a lesser example
because I was on medication and I was relatively stable,
but that's just an example of symptoms coming out.
And so when I'm not medicated, that comes out even more.
So agree.
I hear conversations between people that others cannot hear.
Well, not real people, but yes, I would agree,
sometimes in my head.
I can hear other people talking
or whispering about me so quietly others don't notice.
Yes, agree.
Not only is it voices, but sometimes I will believe
that I'm hearing like real people around me talking about me
and you know, it's a little self-involved
when I reflect on it
that I think that everyone around me is talking about me,
or observing me, or looking at me, or making fun of me,
it's very self-centered,
so that's maybe something to reflect more on in therapy,
but that is definitely something that happens
when I am in psychosis
because I just get very paranoid
about everything around me, and the people around me,
and I just feel like everyone is watching me,
or making fun of me, or out to get me.
So sometimes I feel that others may intend to harm me
or are planning to harm me.
It's usually not to harm me,
like that's not really something that I worry about,
although maybe because I worry
about being taken to the hospital
and then being harmed there,
but I'm gonna say disagree to this one.
Sometimes I completely lack emotion, like I'm a robot.
Yes, agree.
This is something that I've been working on a lot,
even while I'm medicated early on,
I had a very, very flat affect,
and that was something
that I complained a lot to my doctor about
was that I didn't feel
like I could feel the depth of emotion
that I had been able to feel before being diagnosed
and taking medication and all that.
And so yeah, the blunted affect is definitely something,
you know, while on medication,
but also something that I experience
while I'm off medication.
- [Man] Can you answer that one like yes, I agree.
- No (laughs).
- [Man] Okay (indistinct) affirmative (laughs).
- Agree.
Sometimes I believe that another person or thing
can take charge of my mind or body.
Ah, not really that they can take charge of my mind or body,
but more that they can like implant thoughts
or hear thoughts that I'm having.
So not really taking charge of my mind or body,
but just the aspect of like hearing my thoughts more.
So I'm gonna say disagree to this one.
Sometimes I am unable to tell
whether something I'm seeing is real
or whether I'm imagining it, agree.
For the most part, I'm able to differentiate
between my visual hallucinations, and what's real,
but sometimes I can't,
especially when I'm deep in psychosis.
So I'm gonna say agreed to this one.
I can tell what is going to happen before it happens
(chuckles) board game, and other things too,
so yeah, I would say strongly agree.
Sometimes I believe that I am able to read minds
or other people can read mine.
Yes, strongly agree.
Because I have experienced things
mentioned in the previous questions,
I have had trouble in my job, in my home life,
or just taking care of myself, strongly agree.
I have previously had a diagnosis for a mental disorder
which may explain some of the things I have experienced
in previous questions,
or I believe I could have such a disorder.
So I had no idea that I might've had schizophrenia
before I was diagnosed,
so I'm gonna say disagree.
Prescription medication,
which I have been told may alter my behavior,
drugs, or alcohol may explain some of the things
that I've experienced in the previous question.
No, not really.
I occasionally drank with friends or family,
but never excessively and not very regularly,
so I don't think,
and no prescription meds or drugs, really,
so I would say disagree.
No, I would not like a copy of the results
sent to my email, skip.
Your schizophrenia test results.
Your result is high risk.
Your results indicate
that you are at high risk for schizophrenia.
Okay, so I appreciate that again, they disclose this,
that these results do not mean that you have schizophrenia,
but it may be time to start a conversation
with a mental health professional.
Finding the right treatment plan
and working with a healthcare provider
can help you manage your symptoms.
So that's great.
So basically what I said.
So you can use these tests to kind of get a feel
for if there are things that you should be bringing
to your therapist, or preferably doctor,
but not to self-diagnose off of these tests.
All right, so in today's video,
we found out that I should definitely talk with my doctor
about the possibility of having schizophrenia,
which I have done,
and I have been diagnosed with Schizoaffective disorder.
So I hope you found that this video helpful in some way.
If you wanna see more videos from us,
make sure to subscribe.
And again, if you wanna help with,
support the creation of these videos,
make sure to check out the link to our Patreon page.
Thank you so much again for watching,
and as always, wishing you and your loved ones good health.
We'll see you in the next video, bye.