My daughter had some paranoid thoughts many years ago. It started with thinking bathroom mirrors had cameras behind them. I expressed concerns about the worries she had to her counselor at the time. The counselor was hung up on the word I used, paranoid. She completely dismissed my concerns and sternly corrected me and said to never use the word paranoid.
Well now she is 20 years old. She has more of these thoughts. She still thinks there are cameras behind bathrooms mirrors but she also thinks people can hear her thoughts. She also worries the government can hear her conversations on her phone.
She has a different counselor. This counselor wants her to see a psychiatrist. We had an appointment today and spoke about how a medication she is on is helping with her big mood swings and depression but she is still having these thoughts. The psychiatrist said her medication she takes now doesn’t treat these kind of thoughts but before treating her for them she wants to get down to the bottom of these thoughts. She asked about family history. She wants to talk to her counselor and she mentioned wanting to do an evaluation.
I’m wondering what she may be thinking. She has OCD. I’m not sure if these thoughts could be from OCD or something else.
Paranoid thoughts
Also when you say she has OCD do you mean actually diagnosed with it by a trained medical professional or just using it stereotypically? If she is diagnosed with OCD that could be what is going on.
I asked my husband because I remembered him telling me a story of his mentality I’ll uncle climbing a tree and screaming and acting weird. He said his uncle apparently had schizophrenia but he was also a vet so I wonder if he just had PTSD. I also have a niece who has bipolar but I’m going to have to talk to my mother and see what history I have on my side.
Not necessarily here is the DSM 5 for schizophrenia
Diagnosis
The DSM 5 outlines the following criterion to make a diagnosis of schizophrenia:
Two or more of the following for at least a one-month (or longer) period of time, and at least one of them must be 1, 2, or 3:
Delusions
Hallucinations
Disorganized speech
Grossly disorganized or catatonic behavior
Negative symptoms, such as diminished emotional expression
Impairment in one of the major areas of functioning for a significant period of time since the onset of the disturbance: Work, interpersonal relations, or self-care.
Some signs of the disorder must last for a continuous period of at least 6 months. This six-month period must include at least one month of symptoms (or less if treated) that meet criterion A (active phase symptoms) and may include periods of residual symptoms. During residual periods, only negative symptoms may be present.
Schizoaffective disorder and bipolar or depressive disorder with psychotic features have been ruled out:
No major depressive or manic episodes occurred concurrently with active phase symptoms
If mood episodes (depressive or manic) have occurred during active phase symptoms, they have been present for a minority of the total duration of the active and residual phases of the illness.
The disturbance is not caused by the effects of a substance or another medical condition
If there is a history of autism spectrum disorder or a communication disorder (childhood onset), the diagnosis of schizophrenia is only made if prominent delusions or hallucinations, along with other symptoms, are present for at least one month
Associated Features
There are a number of symptoms that contribute to a diagnosis of schizophrenia.
Inappropriate affect (laughing in the absence of a stimulus)
Disturbed sleep pattern
Dysphoric mood (can be depression, anxiety, or anger)
Anxiety and phobias
Depersonalization (detachment or feeling of disconnect from self)
Derealization (a feeling that surrounding aren’t real)
Cognitive deficits impacting language, processing, executive function, and/or memory
Lack of insight into disorder
Social cognition deficits
Hostility and aggression