I’m terrified of developing schizophrenia (dementophobia)

[JakeyV]

Hello guys,
For the past year or so I have been dealing with fairly average/minor panic disorder and anxiety. One night while on vacation I suddenly had a panic attack related to the IDEA (notice just the idea, Nactual symptoms) of developing schizophrenia/having some sort of psychotic break. Now multiple times a day I TERRIFY myself with these thoughts.

This has been super hard to deal with because I’m scared to talk to my parents because they will think that i am having symptoms when I’m not.

Every time an out of place noise or shadow or something I notice happens it sends me into a 30+ minute tailspin. I’ve tried to watch the simulation videos of schizophrenia on YouTube and now that’s exactly what repeats over and over in my head when I am peaking in panic.

I’m in my early 20s which also scares me to death because that’s when something like that would happen to someone.

If anyone has any coping strategies or has had similar thoughts before PLEASE reply/reach out. I’ve been able to deal with my anxiety before but this is the most serious anxiety I have ever felt by a MILE.

THANK YOU if you can help me out at all! You are all loved,
JV

ps... I never have anxiety/any terror/panic related to this when busy, with friends, or with my S.O., and that’s the most effective strategy is to tell myself “you were fine 20 minutes ago” or something like that. This usually gives me a small reassurance that this is a panic episode and not aomething

 

[Tawny]

Plan for the worst
Hope for the best

That is what i live by now.

 

[manicmonday]

I used to have anxiety about this and then it actually happened to me, though I have bipolar not schizophrenia. I used to think I was going crazy when I had panic attacks, but having suffered psychosis for three months it puts a lot of the anxiety in perspective, and a lot of the fears I carried about it before. I’m on antipsychotics now and my life has pretty much gone back to normal, as it was before it happened.

So while it’s not a walk in the park, psychosis isn’t the end of the world. If it does happen to you, and who knows whether or not it will, there are treatments and recovery is a possibility.

 

[whatamivutterfly]

I know this is radically late, but I google searched for anyone going through similar results and found this.
This, for me, started to develop late 2018, and basically peaked around Jan. 2019. I’m on meds at this point, but for reasons more to do with gad and panic.
with that said, fear of developing schizophrenia is a top fear for me, and the advice that i would give is somewhat of a mixed bag; i still experience this, but less frequently, less intensely. i meditate, exercise (somewhat vigorously), journal, eat somewhat healthier, etc. I think observing and jotting down the thought-process when you’re spiraling has some merit; accompany that with Martin Seligman’s ABCDE model, and maybe there’s a chance you’ll be less reactive to the thoughts; the caveat to that is that you have to basically catch yourself in the thought-process that you’d rather not have, so definitely an exposure-therapy element but i think worth it.

 

[squizofrenia123]

I understand how you feel. I sometimes have psychosis with mania. I would not wish this upon others. I think unless you have some risk in getting schizophrenia such as a family member who has it, I would not worry about it too much. It is not contagious or caused by anxiety.

 

[HiImAnn]

Stay away from psychedelics and weed. Limit the booze. Talk to a psychiatrist and get on some anti anxiety meds. Wish you the best!