/sci/ - Science & Math

[Anonymous No.10955552]

Someone I know claims to have panic attacks, but they look like psychotic episodes to me. How do I tell them apart?

>Why isn't this on /adv/?
Because it's a medical question.

>Patient background
The person is a 26 year old man. He's complained of depression since he was around 17 and subsequently had interruptions in his education and career. Nonetheless, he managed to complete his bachelor's at the same time as his peers and was placed on the Dean's list. Despite this, he's failed to hold a job for more than a year.

>Description of the episodes
The episodes started after he was fired from his last job. The episodes typically last a few hours and can occur several times per week, most frequently during the night or after a stressful event. He typically appears anxious during an episode---He breathes quickly and seems to have difficulty paying attention. During the worse episodes, he suddenly screams as if in reaction to jump scare in a movie---This is what makes me wonder if it's psychosis. It's almost as if he hears or sees something disturbing. He also typically jerks his arms and legs when in his anxious state.

Another worrying thing happened as I was driving him home once. Before driving, I noticed him becoming agitated. As we were driving, he screamed fearfully and hit me, but immediately apologised. I wonder if he briefly saw me as a demon, or something like that.

The episodes of anxiety with screaming have been occurring for about a year. They seem to have reduced in frequency and severity since they started, but still happen at times.

My concern is that he might have early schizophrenia but doesn't want to reveal that he's been hallucinating for fear of being considered crazy or kept in hospital against his will. If that's the case, I'd like to encourage him to get help before the condition gets worse.

[Anonymous No.10955620]

Anxiety and depression are symptoms of psychosis, they are only differentiated because the definition of delusion has taken on a subjective meaning, which accommodates for common delusions that are considered normal.
If you change the definitions of just a few words, you can destroy an entire society. Take the word "love" for example. For thousands of years, the word had only one meaning, to willingly sacrifice for the sake of another. Quite recently however, the definition has taken on a dysfunctional meaning, a subjective meaning, one that doesn't correspond with reality, such that it is no longer a verb but a noun. Happiness, for example, is quantifiable, and so should be considered a physical state, though most anyone will tell you that happiness is some subjective thing that can only be experienced and defined by an individual because of some hooplah or another. It's typical tricks, and it's just one of many examples. Your friend is going to end up institutionalized if there is not an immediate intervention, and in most states that is literally illegal without the consent of the delusional person. Absolute madness, total and complete clown world.

[Anonymous No.10955627]

>>10955620
quiet schizo

[Anonymous No.10955658]

>>10955627
You are a transsexual

[Anonymous No.10955924]

>>10955552
>panic attacks
>psychotic episodes
>>>/x/

[Anonymous No.10955936]

Do you feel like it would be good idea to try to molest others with your problems instead of simply seeking a therapist?

[Anonymous No.10955945]

>>10955936
No. Good thing I'm not doing that.

[Anonymous No.10957105]

bump

[Anonymous No.10957122]

Check with your physician and ask for recommendation on treatment. Might need a psychiatrist (drugs lmao). I personally don't trust the drugs too much, but it might help. If not properly taken care of, it might become worse where involuntary hospitalization might be required for your own safety.

[Anonymous No.10957150]

>>10955552
It could be introspective angst where he thinks about bad things until it overwhelms him. If it's declining give him a chance to recover, don't turn him into another American drug zombie.

[Anonymous No.10957866]

>>10955552
He has autism
/thread

[Anonymous No.10957965]

>>10955552
You are apparently in the right place.

[Anonymous No.10958067]

>>10957866
Reasonable answer. An autistic meltdown surely includes a lot of anxiety and it might look like psychosis. It's really just the guy being overstimulated and having something that resembles a mild seizure. OP saying
>he screamed fearfully and hit me, but immediately apologised
strenghtens the hypothesis that he isn't seeing things or having any delusions when he is in this state. I don't understand why OP then wonder if
>he briefly saw me as a demon, or something like that.
Nonetheless, I admire OPs concern for his friend. It is still not 100% clear what it is, and it could in the worst case be early schizophrenia, but I find autism more likely.

[Anonymous No.10958070]

>>10958067
Appending: I have asperger and I have a few times hit people that did something that I couldn't tolerate in a situation where I couldn't escape. One of the times was a guy that just wouldn't stop making loud noises even after I asked if he could stop.

[Anonymous No.10958071]

Sometimes certain stimuli are so painful for an autistic that it literally feels like being hit. To return the favour seems only reasonable in that moment.

[Anonymous No.10958072]

>>10955552
I have vaguely similar patterns
>feel good until suddenly feel a wave of anxiety washing over me and begin twitching, brain starts firing random thoughts sporadically, feel the need to do something self-destructive (punch a brick wall, drink, smoke, take heavy prescription meds (doesn't matter their effect) etc.) and I scream or talk loudly to myself.
I'm pretty sure it's anxiety and I don't think much about it, I'm also an ADHD-riddled zoomer in my second year of CS - so I am constantly under pressure to work on some projects

[Anonymous No.10958092]

>>10958072
I have a similar thing except instead of physical outbursts I'll tear up randomly, particularly when I'm around groups of people (e.g. on a bus or at an event). Then it spirals as I worry about people judging me for looking like I'm crying. It spirals to the point where I have to stare at something while averting my vision and I'll often become very self aware and physically I'll freeze. It's a pretty recent phenomenon, and happens seemingly randomly (although it happens more often when I'm hungry). Other times I'll be perfectly confident around others and interact normally, but when these meltdowns happen it's always around others and I have to wait until I can escape to somewhere quiet. One of these days I'm going to actually cry in public by accident before I can escape. Well, thanks for reading my blogpost, I just had to get that out there.
(Also, I'm fairly certain I have mild asperger's)