Schizophrenia

**Posts:** 1123 · by **davidbanner99@** » Thu Jan 07, 2021 9:20 pm

I'm very engrossed studying Bleuler's early writings on Schizophrenia. I took this course as a progression. The further back you research Asperger's studies in wartime Austria, the closer you get to Schizophrenia. This is because the earliest accounts of Wing and Gould's former Asperger Syndrome were described as a form of Schizophrenia. Mainly as "Verschroben" or "Psychopathy".
Till very recently I wasn't aware how close Schizophrenia is to either Kanner Autism or Asperger's. There are still high-ranking researchers who claim these two latter disorders are, in fact, Schizophrenia. Moreover, the consensus tended to be they are very close.
Years ago I recall a psychiatrist ask me if I heard "voices". In fact, Bleuler stated hallucinations or mania or catatonia were not essential symptoms of Schizophrenia. The core symptoms he classed as autism, ambivalence and a fragmented personality. Intellect, will and emotion appear to be disintegrated. He describes a crisis of identity. Most of this makes sense to me. I am also aware in childhood I had a Schizophrenic swing that included extreme fear, some hallucinations and, of course, autistic withdrawel. This led to medical examination.
The fact this whole issue is highly complex is no understatement. I read theoretically you can have Asperger Disorder and comorbid Schizophrenia. Or, doctors may not be sure over concrete diagnosis and may differ. I do know for sure that Asperger autism is definitely related in genetic terms to Schizophrenia since it was found family lines have mixes of Schizoid and Schizophrenic types. Schizophrenia was stated to be recessive genetically.
At this time of writing it seems I do have many symptoms of Schizophrenia although no further hallucinations. I mostly fit Schizoid diagnosis - many believe the two are the same.
Reading Hans Asperger's own views on Schizophrenia he viewed it as more an ongoing process than Schizoid Disorder which he viewed as stable and constant. However, according to Bleuler there need not be hallucinations or delirium, or indeed a destructive outcome.
Must admit it's fascinating to dig ever deeper. I can very accurately identify all my symptoms or former symptoms but pinpointing an exact label is very involved.

**Posts:** 1123 · by **davidbanner99@** » Thu Jan 07, 2021 9:48 pm

Areas of contention by the world's specialists are:
Asperger's Autistic Psychopathy.
Leo Kanner's Early Childhood Autism.

Asperger believed his Austrian child patients differed from what Kanner described in his autistic children. Many experts felt it was one and the same.

Schizoid Disorder. Personally I view this as identical to Asperger's Autistic Psychopathy.

Verschroben. The earliest description of this disorder but classed under Schizophrenia.

In all cases I felt I identified totally with all groups of patients. In all cases symptoms are:

Inhibited social communication and poor non verbal contact with others.
Motor slowness and clumsiness.
Lack of emotional reaction and very weak facial expression. Poor eye contact.
Inwardness.
Obsessiveness and stereotypical movements, repetition.
Learning difficulties in groups due to inward attention span.
Foolish, childlike behaviour and overly upbeat mood (elated).
Lack of planned or purposeful activity but more a drift of seemingly automated engagement in narrow range of interests.
Sexual irregularity.
Abstract, associative thought.
Odd behaviour and weirdness.
Struggling to relate "self" in context to others and assuming other people process information the same way.
Manner of noticing details and patterns or association.
Often dominant linguistic and musical ability at the expense of spacial orientation (driving)

**Posts:** 2 · by **eye_spy_the_cia** » Fri Jan 08, 2021 3:06 am

What happens if u hav both ?

Schizophrenia and asperger autism

**Posts:** 1123 · by **davidbanner99@** » Fri Jan 08, 2021 10:18 pm

eye_spy_the_cia wrote:What happens if u hav both ?

Schizophrenia and asperger autism

"A lot of clinical characteristics of Asperger's syndrome are also present in schizophrenia, such as impaired social interaction, disabilities in communication and restricted interests. On the other side some clinical features may facilitate the differential diagnosis, such as the younger age at onset, family history of pervasive developmental disorders, pragmatic aspects of language use, lack of imagination, ect. It is known that symptoms of Asperger's syndrome have some overlap with those of schizophrenia, but less is known about comorbidity between these two syndromes. It is still a question whether autism spectrum disorders in young children can increase the risk for the development of schizophrenia and other psychotic disorders, later in life. Both disorders are of neurodevelopmental origin and genetic factors are prominent. "

**Posts:** 1123 · by **davidbanner99@** » Fri Jan 08, 2021 10:39 pm

I highlighted the age comment. Not sure if it makes sense. Much earlier research showed adults with Schizophrenia showed typical autism traits in childhood. Also not all Schizophrenics become delusional.
The best approach is personal description. What is it like?
In childhood I suffered extreme fear. Terrified of the dark. I would hide under the blankets and hear strange noises. I didn't eat properly. Doctors found no physical problem. I retreated into an inner world of my own and disconnected from the world. I didn't socialise. Emotions didn't seem to respond or function. Ability to be taught in class was limited. Most significant was the sort of screen whereby you can't seem to connect or belong. In the 1980s I suffered another major "swing" summarised by panic, withdrawel and paranoia. By the late 1990s I made slow and gradual improvement. Later on, my bond with my Shepherd dog and gradual introduction to psychology helped to control negative symptoms. There were always positive aspects too since psychological turmoil can make you creative in certain areas.

**Posts:** 1123 · by **davidbanner99@** » Mon Mar 15, 2021 10:04 pm

The key to understanding Schizophrenia is in its old term Dementia Praecox. This was a group of disorders such as Catatonia, Paranoia and Hebephrenia which had different symptoms but some core symptoms in common. The symptoms they all shared in common are called negative symptoms.
Swedish psychologist Eugen Bleuler eventually renamed Dementia Praecox as Schizophrenia. Its basis is that desire, reasoning and the will all divide and split. The personality likewise is not whole.
However, I still have many issues to resolve. And I have (or have had, quite a few symptoms of Schizophrenia. It is weird that the symptoms of fear, dread and hallucination I experienced only in swings up till mid twenties. Worse in early childhood. These no longer affect me. Normally the psychotic symptoms will come in the late teens and then in stages on and off.
My mother suffers clinical symptoms such as this so it must be genetic.

**Posts:** 1123 · by **davidbanner99@** » Sat Mar 27, 2021 9:42 pm

Haven't solved this yet. Been reading on and off Bleuler's thoughts that schizophrenics rechannel internally the emotions that aren't expressed outwardly.
I think my mother has had elements of Schizophrenia for much of her life, including abrupt personality change. And occasionally lack of emotion.
I also supposedly had a granfather on the other side of my family who was supposedly introverted.
Psychotic episodes I had mostly in my twenties but not at all now. Psychotic is where you totally lose touch with reality and imagine all sorts of delusions. Psychopathic is more just withdrawel from reality but reason and logical thought is intact.
Charlene Tilton was affected by Schizophrenia as her mother suffered it. Charlene played Lucy in Dallas.

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