How can you tell if you have schizophrenia or Bi poler? - Schizophrenia Message Board

kbrand0554 · 11-30-2008, 03:54 PM

A lot of doctors confuse the two, plus my bf has a daughter that when she was an early teen experienced seeing chairs flying in the air chasing her,
as she got older, she lived on mountain dew, and candy bars, but also stayed up all night and the next day.
at 17 she could get so giddy like a little kid, by chasing her siblings around a grocery store with a rubber ball from the store.

At other times she out of the blue would walk in our house yelling about who knows what, usually its about something that she doesnt agree with about our adult feelings about one of her siblings and what they did wrong.

But she will yammer so fast, and then leave with a quickness.

the next time we will see her she willl be in a different mood, as if the other mood never existed.

she will take off out of the blue and walk an inhumane amount of miles just to escape those around her.

MSD607 · 11-30-2008, 05:18 PM

It seems to me that your daughter has some sort of bipolar disorder (excuse my lack of terminology- I have paranoid schizophrenia, and know more about that particular illness). Now mind you, I'm not a doctor, so I could be completely off, but this is just what I think based on what you wrote.

If she is on meds it will do a lot to help stable her mood; however, they sometime do take a while to start working. None the less, the meds are worth it.

dreams in neon · 12-01-2008, 01:53 AM

I'm not a doctor either, but I do have experience with bipolar since I have it myself.

It sounds like she cycles between mania and irritability which is a definite sign of bipolar.

The difference between bipolar and schizophrenia is that people with bipolar experience mania (high energy levels, euphoria, restlessness, rapid/pressured speech, difficulty making decisions, difficulty concentrating, depression, irritability, agitation, delusions of grandeur and paranoia) and in some cases, psychosis (only when manic) while some people with schizophrenia do not experience mania, but do have psychosis during a normal mood state.

If I were you, I would have your boyfriend ask for a second opinion regarding his daughter's diagnosis.