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Discussion of Alcoholism
Re: Alcohol-induced temporary schizophrenia?
Posted By: Sophie In Response To: Re: Alcohol-induced temporary schizophrenia? (Matthew Bernardo)
Date: Saturday, 20 August 2005, at 3:00 p.m.
I can't believe I've stumbled across this thread - after years of reading and searching the net and going to doctor after doctor for diagnosis, I finally find others who are experiencing similar symptoms! This is a huge relief and I truly thank you all for your honesty and bravery in posting your own experiences. Any episodes such as the ones you all describe are all the more scary when no-one can seem to tell you what's wrong.
Anyway, on to my story:
I have often experienced similar symptoms after drinking. The aptest way of describing it would be (and I have said this to many a doctor or friend when trying to explain what's wrong) that 'everything doesn't seem real.' I feel as if I am hugely out of touch with reality. Because of this, I have huge difficulty in any social situation (at my worst I wouldn't reply to questions, because I wasn't sure that they were 'real' - this continues to be so hard to explain!) and inability to concentrate. Terrible things to have in your final years of school! Along with this I was constantly exhausted, able to fall asleep at any time.
The scariest thing is, the symptoms seemed to have little rhyme or reason when it came to linking them with alcohol consumption. Sometimes after a night with just a couple of glasses of wine I would be 'drunk for a week' (as I had dubbed it, even though I didn't really feel like I did when I was drunk but the symptoms are similar I suppose), or after a huge night out I would be fine. It seemed to be worse if I drank quickly, so I have tried to avoid this.
One thing that I know I can rely on and stops me from doing anything drastic (because the symptoms are very distressing and during my first 'episode' - interestingly not connected with alcohol, which is the only one of its kind but strangely the most severe - I had an anxiety attack and was later taken to hospital) is the fact that the symptoms will only last for a week - exactly 7 days each time.
I haven't had an episode for almost 6 months now (the first was almost 2 years ago, and there have probably been 4 or 5 in total) and I am wondering if it is something I 'grow out' of - either with general physical maturity or increased tolerance to alcohol (the first few episodes corresponded with my early forays into drinking).
The only definition that I could find that somewhat fitted my symptoms was 'hypoactive delusions,' which were only ever written about in the context of dementia. I have seen several GPs, the hospital 'crisis care' team, and a neurologist, none of whom have been able to give me any answers.
It is upsetting that something that is obviously being experienced by other people at various times seems to have so little documentation. I am very interested in any further stories, evidence, diagnosis or other information anyone has on this subject - whatever the name may be!
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