I have serious delusions, like every minute of every day I’m convinced I have a life threatening illness (STD’s even though I’ve never been sexually active, heart problems even though i’ve had a heart appointment and given the all clear and cancer because i’m paranoid) I HAVE HAD SERIOUS HALLUCINATIONS FOR THE PAST 4-5 YEARS THAT I AM CONVINCED ARE TRYING TO KILL ME. I jump to different trains of thought mid sentence quite often, and I change subject, leaving the other person wondering what the first one is about, which is VERY irritable. My moods are extremely spontaneous, compulsions have become slightly harder to resist and there is sometimes certain patterns that I must have in the right order. I constantly rock back and forth, until I’ll just stop and be completely still for hours. If I was to describe what being deprived of rocking was like, it would be an insatiable ache. If I can’t rock in whatever situation I’m in and I have to (because of that ache) I tend to get anxiety, and I know some of this sounds like an obsessive compulsive disorder but it is definitely not OCD. Also just wanted to see what I should do and whether or not you can be committed for schizophrenia because that is a delusion I also have, that someone will take me away in a matter of time. Also, the hallucinations have been going on for so long that I have developed an emotional attachment to them and as well as getting SEVERE anxiety when they are there, I get anxiety when they’re not. So I just want to know what I SHOULD do. I promise you none of this is fake or a lie.
An individual’s diagnosis typically has no bearing on whether or not they will be committed to a hospital. Involuntary commitments occur when an individual poses an imminent danger to themselves or to other people. For instance, an individual might be involuntarily committed to a hospital if they threatened to harm a specific person or described a detailed plan to commit suicide. Clearly, you are suffering, but the question is: Do you pose a threat to yourself or others? If so, you should welcome the safety and help that hospitalization will provide.
Diagnosis is impossible based solely upon a letter. I can only provide general information. Some of your symptoms may be characteristic of health anxiety obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD). Health anxiety is also known as hypochondria or hypochondriasis. People with health anxiety believe they are sick despite benign test results and reassurance from medical professionals. It’s important to avoid self diagnosis. It is best to meet with a mental health professional, in-person, who can determine what might be wrong.
Schizophrenia and OCD commonly co-occur. Some research suggests that up to 50% of people with schizophrenia have obsessive-compulsive like symptoms. In other studies, approximately 25% of people with schizophrenia disorders also have an obsessive-compulsive disorder. Though there is a co-occurrence between OCD and schizophrenia, the relationship between the two remains a mystery.
The best solution is to seek treatment. During your first appointment, a clinician will collect information about your life circumstances and symptom history. He or she will utilize that information to determine a diagnosis. A treatment plan will then be created. Treatment will likely involve both medication and psychotherapy. You should expect to feel better as your symptoms dissipate with treatment. Please take care.
Dr. Kristina Randle
