[SheilaKathy]

It has been a week since I got home from the Hospital and read my release papers. They confirmed my Schizoaffective Disorder finally. After all these years, I guess it is good to know for sure.

I really have to watch out for distorted thinking. That has been my problem a lot lately. How do you all handle that?

[Bbop]

I filter what I watch and listen to. My P Doc recommended this. If I get drawn into all the negativity in social media or watch scary shows or movies, it only increases my fear which can alter my thinking. Im glad you now have an official dx. Thats half the battle is knowing what your dealing with. Best of wishes to you!

[still_crazy]

sorry about this. at least the newer drugs for psychotic disorders are more tolerable than a lot of the older options out there. some people even find they need lower and lower doses of the psych drugs, as they stabilize and move on with life.

[Teddy Bear]

Find someone you can ask if your thoughts are real

[tecomsin]

I've decided to be more open with my Pdoc when I am having delusions. These are paranoid delusions that I have always tried to keep to myself but that hasn't worked out well.

I also agree with all the previous suggestions.

The hardest part for me is to recognize and accept that my thinking is distorted. But it is the same repetitive thoughts so it should be easy. I don't know why this has been such a problem.

I've also been keeping a journal.

What kind of distorted thoughts do you have?

[SheilaKathy]

Right now they are kind of worries that everyone at work knows why I was in the mental hospital. I cannot shake it. Someone, just one person, will say something that somehow seems to hint that she knows something, or someone will look at me for just a split second in a strange way and I will think, "Oh no! They know..." and I get lost in that fear. I don't want everyone at work to know all my personal business. I feel they would hold it against me, try to fire me for some other flimsy excuse because of it. Then I get anxiety. For days.

[tecomsin]

I used to go through a similar experience when I worked. I'm sorry for you.

[SheilaKathy]

Things were kind of crazy today, with mix-ups and such, but all in all it went better than yesterday and I did not much worry about losing my job. In fact, during the mix-up, my boss said she was worried about me! (I was late due to circumstances beyond my control). She complimented me by saying that I am almost never late, so that was why she had worried. This kind of made me feel loved and needed. I guess because my mom, who loved me dearly, used to always worry about me! LOL...

[DowdyTheFifth]

For some reason whenever I get a diagnosis, I feel as if so much weight was just lifted off my shoulders. It is great for me to know that my provider knows what is wrong with me, and that they can properly work towards making me feel better. Best of luck to you, I agree with the suggestions above me.

[SheilaKathy]

Yes, agreed. For starters, I do not own a TV. That takes care of a lot of it right there. After that, I rarely read the newspapers or listen to a station on the radio that has news. I am very limited on FB, like if someone does not send it to me that I trust, I rarely look at it. I do not look at my newsfeed, for instance.

Everyone on this site has been nice to me and I am so grateful for that. On another site, not so. I have limited my activities on that site by about 80% since that happened. And I am ready to leave it altogether, should something of the sort come up again.

As to honesty with my pdoc, doing the best I can with that. With my therapist too. They have commended me for knowing when I am in crisis and asking for help immediately. Everyone who takes care of me is being so good to me!

[neodoering]

My doc raised my Olanzapine dose to 25mg, and that gave me relief from the paranoia that has been pounding away for 12 years. Not completely gone, but significantly reduced. I've been SZA for 12 years. I hope you find relief, and look into Olanza-pine to challenge your distorted thoughts.

[Victoria'smom]

I'm on olanzapine also. I'm only on 10 mg and still have symptoms but would rather some symptoms with less side effects.

[tecomsin]

I've got different kinds of distorted thinking. One is the grandiose delusions and thoughts during psychosis and another kind is during depression and anxiety. The latter can be addressed with CBT and possibly meds. Sometimes I wonder though if some of my depressive thoughts aren't also a kind of delusion.

[twistypringle98]

I had much distorted thinking in the past. It drastically went down with some behavioral changes though. People have mentioned to me how much better I am and how much better I look, etc.

The changes I made were: less caffeine, no cigs, more exercise, and a multivitamin as well as Omega fatty acids.

Mostly I would have thoughts like there was a president of the whole world and that was JFK. I know, I came around to not thinking that at all. Thankfully I'm fully med compliant and have never resisted. I've thought about no meds, but don't want to risk it. Plus my meds are injected at the doc's office.

[twistypringle98]

Originally Posted by tecomsin

I've got different kinds of distorted thinking. One is the grandiose delusions and thoughts during psychosis and another kind is during depression and anxiety. The latter can be addressed with CBT and possibly meds. Sometimes I wonder though if some of my depressive thoughts aren't also a kind of delusion.

I'm not exactly sure what you mean by the last sentence.

Will you explain a bit more? Are your depressive thoughts delusional too, is that it?

[tecomsin]

Originally Posted by twistypringle98

I'm not exactly sure what you mean by the last sentence.

Will you explain a bit more? Are your depressive thoughts delusional too, is that it?

Thanks for asking twistypringle and happy to hear you are doing so well especially the no cigs part. Proud of you for quitting!

My depressive thoughts are not what is normally called delusional in the sense that lots of people have these kinds of thoughts. They are instead called cognitive distortions like black and white thinking, catastrophizing etc. When manic I have thoughts that are labelled delusions because they are strange and unbelievable but if I look at my persistent cognitive distortions whilst depressed, like I am now, then they have to my mind a certain kind of delusional quality too even though most people would not call them delusions.

For instance, I think no one will ever love me, or that I can't maintain friendships.

[twistypringle98]

Originally Posted by tecomsin

Thanks for asking twistypringle and happy to hear you are doing so well especially the no cigs part. Proud of you for quitting!

My depressive thoughts are not what is normally called delusional in the sense that lots of people have these kinds of thoughts. They are instead called cognitive distortions like black and white thinking, catastrophizing etc. When manic I have thoughts that are labelled delusions because they are strange and unbelievable but if I look at my persistent cognitive distortions whilst depressed, like I am now, then they have to my mind a certain kind of delusional quality too even though most people would not call them delusions.

For instance, I think no one will ever love me, or that I can't maintain friendships.

Thank you for explaining. I took a psychology class in high school from a college, and the teacher never explained anything that well.

[hartbroken]

Originally Posted by SheilaKathy

It has been a week since I got home from the Hospital and read my release papers. They confirmed my Schizoaffective Disorder finally. After all these years, I guess it is good to know for sure.

I really have to watch out for distorted thinking. That has been my problem a lot lately. How do you all handle that?

I have schizoaffective disorder, and have dealt with distorted thinking and false beliefs to a point where I am consumed with trouble, torment and turmoil inside me. I am doing much better than before, and I recommend thinking on good things to replace and rewire your brain of the false beliefs you've had. Anything that is true, pure, honorable, lovely, right, and of good report - think on these things. Immerse your mind with the good stuff.

[franz kafka]

I'm sorry to hear about your diagnosis but I hope it's the first step in getting better help.

As for distorted thinking, when I'm in the thick of it there's no convincing me otherwise. Like thinking the sandwich shop people have poisoned my food. Stuff like that. The best thing I can recommend is to drink a lot of water and find a quiet place to cool down.

[as83]

Originally Posted by Teddy Bear

Find someone you can ask if your thoughts are real

Exactly this. It takes the right kind of person to open up to though. Took me forever to find someone.