Schizophrenia or Something Else?

Updated on May 27, 2011
H.J. asks from Fairchild AFB, WA
19 answers

If anyone has some insight on this I would greatly appreciate hearing your thoughts.
My aunt has been married for 12 years now and we are just now hearing about problems in their marriage. But some of what my uncle is doing and saying sounds like a mental illness and the only one that comes to mind is Schizophrenia.
He has my aunt keep inventory on their food and makes her memorize the exact price on all their food like milk, eggs etc.
He just recently accused her of having an affair which just like came out of nowhere...and anyone who knows my aunt knows she would be the last person on the planet to have an affair. But he randomly just started accusing her and calling her a slut.
He also has been saying that he thinks all his co workers are against him and out to get him.
He will get really upset and say that no one loves him and that my aunt and their two boys are all against him.
And just recently he has been secluding himself and not coming around our family like he used to.
My aunt says that she noticed some weird things shortly after they got married but thought nothing of it but now its gotten so much worse and she really thinks he is mentaly ill, as we all do.
If it was Schizophrenia I would think he would have shown signs earlier in his early adult years but he is now almost 60 years old. Does anyone have any thoughts on this? anything would help.

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So What Happened?

I am not sure what medications he is taking but he just finished a round of radiation for prostate cancer not too long ago. However, this has been going on for years apparently. He has been seeing a therapist but im not sure what they think is going on. I think my aunt needs to get out of there and get my cousins somewhere safe. Im worried he will become physically aggressive.

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J.M.

answers from Boston on

Could be schizophrenia, could be dementia. It's possible that he has always had schizophrenic/paranoid tendencies and as he's getting older, they're getting worse.

Also, in older people, sometimes simple medical things can have severe cognitive impact. Often times UTIs and bladder infections present as dementia in the elderly. If it came on or worsened suddenly, physical problems should not be immediately ruled out. My MIL was completely hallucinatory and delusional when she had a bad UTI. That cleared up and she was fine again.

Whatever it is, get an intervention NOW.

Good luck.

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M.W.

answers from Boise on

maybe an anxiety disorder/OCD type of thing, which would explain having to memorize prices. It doesn't sound like schizo. Lots of people as they age and their mind deteriorates act paranoid and think everyone is out to get them. It is not so much a mental illness as the brain going, like dementia or Alzheimers can make people think everyone has it in for them.

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J.P.

answers from Boise on

Definitely see a doctor, but these can also be signs of dementia.

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K.P.

answers from New York on

If you are dealing with someone who is experiencing mental illness, he needs to get help. I just pulled my DSM (clinical diagnosis manual) off the shelf b/c schizophrenia is so incredibly rare that I needed to refresh myself on the criteria:
- delusions
- hallucinations
- disorganized speech (incoherence)
- grossly disorganized or catatonic behavior
- "negative symptoms" i.e. flattened affect, minimized movement, etc.

What makes me suspect that there is something else going on here is the age factor. Schizophrenia typically starts manifesting immediately after puberty and is most often initially diagnosed as "Bipolar". Typically during early adulthood, the delusions and hallucinations become overpowering to the point of loss of occupation (school, work, relationships) at which time most differential diagnoses then reflect "Schizophrenia".

More likely, your uncle is experiencing the onset of a psychotic disorder as a symptom of the onset of dementia or another underlying condition.

You describe symptoms often associated with a schizophrenic patient, but more accurately you are describing psychosis that probably has a different source. Either way, get him to both a psychiatrist and a neurologist immediately b/c he needs meds.

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D.F.

answers from Boston on

I would make sure he gets to the Dr. immediately. Mental illness is nothing to mess around with.
good Luck!

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S.M.

answers from Washington DC on

She needs to call the family doctor and speak about it. It sounds like a mental illness, but I think several different didsorders present with paranoia, so it may nto be schitzophrenia. Also a lot of things could be co-morbid, for instance he has had OCD but is notw depressed making it worse. He also could have been high functioning schitzophrenic or one who self-medicated with alcohol or something else and now with age it is worsening.

However, he clearly is becoming less and les functional, and need help. And frankly, your aunt really need help.

The one thing that came to mind immediately was actually dementia. How old is he? 50s?

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M.F.

answers from Spokane on

I advise your aunt to talk to a doctor. For his age, it could be a sign of early dimentia or alzheimer's.

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S.T.

answers from Chicago on

I agree with SM- this could be dementia. Please have your Aunt or if she can have you help call the doctor for an evaluation.

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S.S.

answers from Seattle on

I would suggest dementia of some sort rather than schizophrenia. My grandmother had a series of strokes when she was about 70 & started acting really weird, too - she started accusing people of things & imaging there were people in the bush out to get her. Seriously. Because she was keft-handed, the strokes didn't show up the way they normally might (long story, but strokes in left-handed people don't always affect language...). Anyway, she should really mention it to his doctor & see if she can't get him checked out. Could be a number of things, even a brain tumor...

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B.P.

answers from New York on

I think he needs to see a doctor. Anytime "quirks" start impacting your life in a negative way its time to seek help. Feeling persecuted or otherwise extremely paranoid when there is no reason to be can be a sign of schizophrenia.

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J.M.

answers from Seattle on

I have a friend who developed schitzophrenia at 37 -she did have little signs before that that we didn't think much of b/c she was very functional.

Your aunt should definately meet with a mental health professional to help her through this.

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C.T.

answers from Denver on

In response to the discussion around schizophrenia, you might be interested in “Living with Schizophrenia: A Call for Hope and Recovery,” a half-hour documentary film that tells the story of three people who are living meaningful lives with schizophrenia, a chronic and potentially disabling brain disorder. The film sets out to increase understanding and to reduce the fear and stigma often associated with this mental health condition. About one percent of the US adult population, or 2 million, and approximately 24 million people globally are living with schizophrenia.

View the trailer here: http://www.hopeandrecoveryfilm.com/videos/trailer.swf

C. (Living with Schizophrenia)

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A.J.

answers from Portland on

It might be dementia or Alzheimer's and he might have had early signs but as he ages it's progressing. If possible, get him into see a specialist because there are some medications that might help slow the progression. I'm so sorry to hear about this...it sounds heartbreaking:(

I wish you and your family well:)

A.F.

answers from Miami on

HI Haj :-)

That was my first thought.. as you wrote below in you "what happened" response... some kind of potential lesion in the brain... not ruling out some sort of mental disorder BUT.. could be either a blood clot or lesion secondary to the prostate cancer... someone should notify his attending physicians and oncologist of this behavior.
hugs,
A. R.N., Energy Medicine Practitioner

A.S.

answers from Detroit on

Sounds like my ex fil... He was diagnosed with dementia and post traumatic stress disorder. He's not 60 yet.

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G.B.

answers from Tulsa on

Schizophrenia usually doesn't happen after a person hits their mid 20's. It's very, very rare to happen after that.

This sounds like something else. He does need a mental health check up and she needs to fill out a questionnaire at the intake interview too. It could be he has had this and been managing it and is just having a really severe episode but still it'snot likely it's been undiagnosed by this age.

I am assuming he is over 30 because they have been married 12 years, let's say they dated for 6 months and he was at least 16 at that time. He would be almost 30 in this case so it would still be possible but not likely.

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D.M.

answers from Minneapolis on

is he taking an medications? My friends husband was taking aderol (sp?) and was having a lot of these same symptoms, he was taping all her phone conversations, thought he was being followed, thought the mas she was 'cheating' with was sitting in his parking lot at work, it was bizarre. It turned out to be the aderol and they changed medications, and he was/is fine.

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L.S.

answers from New London on

Have him get an MRI, could have been a stroke or something.

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A.S.

answers from Denver on

Dementia does weird things with the brain. Antibiotics also affect the brain in Seniors in ways you wouldn't expect either.

Have him see a Dr.

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