Hello there. About a year ago my son was diagnosed with schizophrenia. He came back from the middle east and as he tells us, thats where he became paranoid. After his diagnosis my issues got a lot worse, I did not know I was bipolar, I just thought that thats how “normal” people felt. Thank God for the Army because we both got permanently retired with full benefits. It is very difficult to understand my son, he is extremely lazy and he can not make any decisions. He took one class at a community college and barely completed it. After reading posts here now I understand that this is normal for the decease. Im under control and he goes to the gym everyday and thats it. I have a few questions: he tells me that he’s never heard any voices or seen anything (is that possible?) and sometimes he thinks that he is also bipolar because of mood swings, can that be? and one last question, is it true that the older people get the better they feel?..also how could he tell a girl friend that he is sick. Thanks and God bless you all.
That’s not really fair. Schizophrenic symptoms rob people of their motivation and make it very difficult to get things done. He’s not lazy.
Who diagnosed him? What were their reasons for thinking he has schizophrenia? Can you get a second opinion? Sounds like it could be PTSD.
It is not PTSD, I was in the Army (before I was dignosed and medically retired) and was hoping that is was PTSD because you can be cured from that, the two are similar. I also thought he had PTSD. he was seen by 4 doctors and the diagnosis is correct, he is on respiridon and he seams under control. I feel so angry…
I was just reading about that perticular issue. I hurt for him and I feel like I’m responsible because I’m Bipolar. Thank you.
Maybe he not telling the truth or he does not have scitzophrenia, Imyself believe different to diognozes,but let me tell you its horriffic punishment every day, and have to stay away from people, cause they zap me, but have good bad days, to my knoledge these symptons called scitzophrenia Dr diognoze aything thats not the norm, but your son has no symptons of scitzophrenia, what they class as symptons link, Symptoms - Schizophrenia - NHS some people are so intellegent they know truth but they put the word scitzophrenia and some see truth and can handle it like me x
Delusions are positive symptoms too, you can be diagnosed without hallucinations.
and i slept for 3 weeks, and i do not want to bath or shower i hate it, but its not called lazy, if your lad has read link man thats all x
You’re not responsible, no more than if he had diabetes or epilepsy.
My carer motivates me but so hate it, i just need to sleep to recharge to handle the mind, that is invaded by another story, just need to rest x
My doctor who treats me for Bipolar told me that it is possible that he does not hear anything (Right after being diagnosed he was put respirodone and it is day and night. I’ve also have sometimes think that maybe he is not schizo but the more I read the more sure I am that he does have the decease. 
Thats exactly what my sicologist tells me. Im so heart broken for him. He talks about having kids and I and just feel like crying…
Awww so sorry, We can be best we can, maybe needs injections if can not handle his experiences, to make sure he is medicated, we all on a journey, life is for learning, and hope good comes frome experiences xx
I was diagnosed with paranoid schizophrenia in 1980 when I was 19. I won’t get into everything I went through but suffice to say my case was severe and I suffered a lot for the first two years. I have never had visual hallucinations and I have never heard voices. I’m not bi-polar but my mood often changes dramatically from day to day or even hour to hour.
I’m 54 now and I have had troubling symptoms for most of my life and I often felt like I was one step away from relapsing and being hospitalized. But when I was in my mid-forties some of my symptoms disappeared and others became noticabley less intense, and I know other people on here can say the same thing. I still have symptoms that are troublesome and interfere in my life but I thank god every day (well, I actually don’t, but I know that I should) I should.) that my symptoms are not as bad as when I first got sick.
So again, what are the reasons for him getting a schizophrenia diagnosis?
Thank you for your for your replies. looking in back to high school my wife and i know that he was schizo but we didn’t know, after he was diagnosed we realize that he was sick. Once he was deployed the doctor said that this event caused his illness to get a lot worse. When he came back home (to Fort Lewis) my wife and noticed all this issues (like him closing the windows etc). I was sure that he had PTSD. We now know that he was born that way. He was 22 when he came back from deployment and from what we understand thats about the age when young people get diagnosed. The Army considers this as that “due to deployment” the Army is responsible because it made condition worse. I tell you one thing, veterans complain about the VA, but they have been wonderful to my son and I.
77nick77, thank for your reply it gives me hope for his life. 
AKER. I do believe my son also tries very hard to keep his mum and I happy, we know him so well that we know when is suffering. I want to learn as mush as possible. Thank God I found this forum.
Hi antonio. With all due respect, some people find the term 'schizo" offensive. I’m sure you used it innocently but I thought I would give you a friendly “heads up”.
Hello Antonio. I am the parent of a 21 year old who is just recently diagnosed with psychosis. He is also now taking Risperdal and I see a big improvement in just 9 days since he began the medicine. As far as I know, my son does not have hallucination, only delusions and paranoia. He still works, goes to the gym daily. He doesn’t socialize much and is not enrolled in college right now because his symptoms of lacking concentration, difficulty communicating were too intense. That has improved since beginning medication. Your son has been treated early which is a good thing as this has been associated with improved outcome. I do understand your feelings…it is so sad to see our beloved children have to suffer and endure challenges that none of us expected.
thanks for giving him the heads up @77nick77
There are people on here who have been diagnosed with out experiencing psychosis. I’ve been called lazy because of this illness before and I hate it. I’m schizoaffective, it’s schizophrenia with a mood disorder. My brother is bipolar so I get the illness running in families thing. But it’s no ones fault it just happens.