hello again,
I want to tell you that yes you are right schizophrenic people have anxiety and Ocd symptoms for sure but, heres the big difference my mom for example who is schizophrenic NEVER EVER once thought that she was mentally ill she thinks she is just someone that no one listens to. When she is on the right medication she will realize that she has a mental illness but , she still claims that all of her pcyhosis is real. Thats the HUGE difference!! I just met with my Therapist this week and for exposure she read to me the diagnostic criteria for schizophrenia and in the finer print it said any patient suffering from a anxiety disorder such as OCD does NOT meet the criteria for schizophrenia since OCD mimics some symptoms of schizophrenia they are clearly very opposite. with anxiety disorders such as OCD, GAD and Panic disorder these are anxiety disorders and are not even considered to be a mental illness in the Diagonostic book. My therapist showed this to me in print. Hang in there I suffer with the same idea!My anxiety is through the roof! I know how you feel. Bottom line poeple that are schizophrenic dont post questions on DS worring that they are!! Hang in there this too shall pass!!

Chance are that you are not going to become schizophrenic. You are suffering intrusive thoughts that schizophrenia is going to hit you. Chances are that isn't going to happen. Schizophrenia does however hit people at different ages and females at a much later age than males. Often in the mid to late twenties, Therefore the outside possibility is there. Outside possibility mind you.
OCD as with any mental illness can lead to a psychotic break, but a psychotic break doesn't mean you are schizophrenic. There is a lot more to it than that.
OCD, GAD and Panic Disorder are most certainly in the DSM and are mental illnesses; debilitating mental illnesses.
Schizophrenia is a mental illness with a very strong genetic make-up therefore you may find someone with a strong family background of schizophrenia posting a concern on DS with a concern that they may be in the pro-domal stage. No sugar coating here.
Morning sadness you will get over this and chances are you won't have a psychotic break. It's brutal having the wacky worrying zooming at Mach 2.

I have worried about this as well, but I would recommend you stop researching about OCD. I don't say this in a mean way but since I stopped researching my problem. I have not had as many worries about developing different symptoms or diseases. There are lots of things out on the internet that are not always based on fact or are not backed by the medical community. My therapist says reading those things will only add extra stress for me. Hope I helped.

Amen Kaity! While the Internet is great in many ways....it is not so great when it comes to us curious anxiety sufferers. I have many time tortured myself with tons of information and whether it was fact based or not....bottom line it was to much information and it was making everything so much worse. The best thing to do when we're feeling the need to look up something is to at least put it off, and maybe put our attention on some sort of funny You Tube video or game..so we can gain perspective. All the information on the internet can be mind numbing.

I HAVE HAD OCD FOR 38 YEARS. I HAVE A LOT OF EXPERIENCE WITH OCD. I WM NOT QUALIFIED TO GIVE YOU ADVICE. ONLY A GOOD PSY DOC CAN DO THAT.

BUT I CAN TELL YOU MY OWN EXPERIECE WITH OCD.

IN MY OPINION IS THE FOLLOWING.

OVER THESE 38 YEARS I CAQN SAY TO YOU THAT WHAT YOU ARE FEELING IS NORMAL WITH THOSE WHO HAVE OCD. FIRST YOU ARE NOT LOOSING YOUR MIND AND YOU WILL USUALLY NOT DEVELOP OTHER MENTAL DISORDERS, I WOULD LIKE TO SUGGEST A BOOK THAT HAS BEEN VERY HELPFUL WITH MY OCD. THE NAME OF THE BOOK IS "BRAIN LOCK." IT IS EXCELLANT.

TAKE CARE

ROGER YOUR FRIEND