I think I might be schizophrenic, but I'm afraid if I bring my concerns to a doctor, they'll tell me there's nothing wrong even if there is, because I already think I have it. What do I do?

It is very difficult to 'predict' what a new psychiatrist is going to ask or say. They are just people with some special training: doctors who have specialized in Brain Chemistry Disorders, and Behavioral Disorders. A good Psychiatrist would ask you to fill out a questionnaire, or answer questions about your symptoms, just like a regular doctor would. As long as you are honest and give complete answers, you have a good chance of getting good information from a doctor, of any kind. At least that is the attitude that improves one's chances of getting good information from any person, doctor or not.

Hi, I understand your concern. You are afraid that a physician will write your concerns off and treat them as trivial. I am a medical student and will graduate and receive my MD at the end of this year, so I can speak from experience when I say that any good, empathetic physician will never write your concerns off as trivial. From my experience on psychiatry rotations, when we have diagnosed someone with a disorder such as "schizophrenia" they use DSM-V criteria which require specific guidelines before someone can be diagnosed, including very technical things. All of these criteria are based on a great deal of evidence-based and case-by-case research. You might not have schizophrenia per se, but you may have other similar conditions such as schizoaffective, schizotypal personality, or another mental health issue that would require the expertise of an experienced doctor to diagnose. Or maybe you are right and do have schizophrenia. However, usually a good psychiatrist will not confirm what your diagnosis is in one visit, due to the complexity of these conditions. In your case, I would strongly advise you to seek the help of a physician. If they tell you there is nothing wrong, you have my full support, a future physician, to change physicians until you find a physician willing to acknowledge your concerns and provide you with the appropriate therapy that may benefit you. Good psychiatrists such as the ones you are looking for exist because I have had first-hand experience with working with them. Best of luck to you :)

It's not a bad idea to go to a doctor anyway and get a second opinion about it. If they say you have it but it's not at any bad extremes but you feel as though it is or could potentially be, that's when you two can speak of what if's on it. But, you never want to be unsure about things. It's always best to see someone who knows what they're talking out and just verify those, and you have every right to believe them or deny taking any medication or other treatment if offered. But, I do strongly suggest if you can, see someone about it just to make sure you're not missing something you shouldn't have.

If you think you might be a shizophrenic, the best thing is to give it a try and talk to a doctor no matter how afraid u are. Every illness is equaly serious and you shouldn't wait until it gets worse. However, although schizophrenia can be upsetting and frightening, this doesn't mean that your life has to come to a stop. Approximately 1% of people will develop schizophrenia at some point during their life, meaning you are not alone in having the condition. Just like anybody else who has a long term or recurring illness, you can learn to manage your condition and live the life that matters to you.