To DU Fristians, in defense of our schizophrenic brethren

[elehhhhna]

Jeez, DU. There's some interesting distance diagnosing going on around here. It's Frist-a-palooza.

Schizophrenics generally harm themselves, if they harm anyone. They don't execute diabolical plans like this. Think Anders Brevik. Not schizophrenic. More like fucking EVIL.

Let's layoff shittalking schizophrenics, please?

[leftstreet]

1. +1

Agree people need to stop Fristing

It's embarrassing

[elehhhhna]

2. fristing! i was actually going to call it that

ha! thanks!

[madinmaryland]

11. EWWW. That sounds like a santorum.

[HiPointDem]

3. +1. The number of trained psychiatrists with telepathy on DU is truly astonishing.

[MineralMan]

4. Long distance diagnosis via the Internet.

It's a favorite sport for some. When things like this happen, I just wait. Information becomes available and I find out the truth. Until then, I avoid the guessing games.

[elehhhhna]

5. My 16 y/o daughter has an acquaintence

also 16, who struggled w/ s'phrenia.

She hung herself last week.

[MineralMan]

6. How sad...

You're right. That illness leads to self-harm far more often than harm to others. A terrible illness.

[MoonRiver]

7. It does lead to harm to self more often, but harm to others occurs.

For the record, I am a licensed psychologist. I do feel this kid was psychotic. Could I be wrong: OF COURSE.

[elehhhhna]

8. psychotic doesn't = schizophrenic

[MoonRiver]

9. True, but that is the most likely scenario IF he is psychotic.

IMPO

[w8liftinglady]

10. Actually,I think schizoaffective disorder is more appropriate

I suspect he has recently stopped taking meds,and had a stressor.

http://www.schizoaffective.org/whatis.htm

[HereSince1628]

12. It's all guess work without interviews with the patient by trained and experienced clinicians

The way the DSM is written it has a lot of overlap and little that is strictly diacritical. So it takes a trained and experienced expert to work with it.

Worse, there is a new DSM coming out soon and the approach to personality disorders is being rennovated. Schizoaffective disorder has been on the list of dx's to be dropped. The suggestion has been to move patients with that diagnosis to schizophrenia with strong mood dimensions.

What point is there in assigning a schizoaffective diagnosis that won't technically exist in a matter of months?

[loyalsister]

13. + 1000

Thank you! I have a couple of friends who have Schizophrenia and I cringe at some of the things I have read here. News and entertainment media constantly portray them as violent and it leads to people making the dx assumptions we see here.