Schizophrenia, Bipolar, Depression, 13 year old girl...Do you think I'm mentally ill?

For a few weeks now I have been thinking I have a mental illness, and have been researching over the last few days.
I am now convinced I'm schizophrenic, am depressed, am bipolar or something like that.
I have asked a two questions on here already and someone gave me information about why I daydream to the extent that I do. They told me that it's a defence mechanism I learnt to master as a young child where everything in the daydream goes my way to make up for the bad stuff I had as a child, and still have now really. I felt like they totally understood me because that's exactly what I have been doing for the past few years.

I read alot about being schizophrenic online and it said that people with the illness would cut themselves off from the world a lot of the time. I do that at least once a day, usually more, in class. I suddenly droop off and just stare into space, mumbling along with the conversation going on around me, ignoring people if they ask me a direct question, or I work really really hard at the assigned work and dont talk to anyone (which is weird for me cos I've never been a hard worker), and if I get stuck on the work I do not ask for help, just stare at my book until the end of class.
At home I'm moody, my mood changes in a split second, one second I'm alright and being like a normal person, next I get in a mood and shout at people for no reason because it feels like they're irritating me.

I've realised that I have really bad paranoia. At first I thought it was normal, everyone gets paranoid once in a while, but now it's really bad because almost everything that someone says, I get nervous about it because i'm paranoid about something. Whenever I hear people whisper, or laugh in a little group I automatically think they're talking and laughing about me, and whenever someone is telling me something I automatically think they can read my mind and know stuff about me that I don't want anyone to know. It drives me nuts.

I have these weird moments where I start laughing for no reason, even if i'm in class and we've been told to work silently, the room is completely quiet and I burst out laughing when nothing is funny. At first I thought it was normal because I was just remembering something funny that happened earlier that day and laughing at it, but now I do it all the time before I think of something funny and there is nothing to trigger it anyway.

I also pay no attention in class anymore, and don't put much effort into finishing homework and classwork, even in subjects that I like and want to do well in. I just can't be bothered anymore.

I think i've mentioned anything, and I hope you can help me.

Thanks

x x

Just remembered.. this may have nothing to do with anything, but last night I was watching TV in bed just before I was gonna go to bed and the toe next to my big toe on my right foot kinda attached onto my big toe. It felt as if it had a cramp just in that toe. I pulled it off and a second later it just attached onto my big toe again and then I was scared that my whole foot would get a cramp (cos they hurt so much), I held it for ages and then it finally disappeared.

I thought i should say this because I read that muscle weakness and spasms can be related to mental illnesses.

Thanks again


x x

What you describe in your second paragraph is not weird at all. Schizophrenics really retreat from reality. And not usually just once a day. You zone out, like everyone else your age (especially in school). The paranoia thing is a little weird, but again, a lot of kids your age think that everyone is talking about them (maybe not reading their minds, but still). The muscle spasms are probably nothing mental to worry about, and the not paying attention thing isn't really a big deal either. You really don't sound schizophrenic or bipolar (take it from someone diagnosed as both and who knows a lot about both). As for depression, do you feel depressed? Don't self diagnose, ever. Let a doctor do that. And honestly, you sound pretty normal.

I don't think you're schizophrenic/bipolar/depressed but I think you're probably a hypochondriac! :-)

i think ur over analysing the situation try to relax and take things as they come rather than creating issues
take care try not to worry

Oh, boy or girl... commonn don't be so blue... I know what you mean and what you acted but it wasn't that so serious as what you thought.I still could remember that I was just like you in your shoes. And now I am still fine and happy... sometimes a bit grumpy when I stress out.

The way your personality and behave like freak, it is just becaus of the hormon at this age is reacting into your body and make you a lot of different emotions react. Which is normal as long as you know to pacify yourself, and listening to the people around you and do somehting what people expect you to do such as your parents or teacher who care about you and try to lead you back to the norm just like my parents did. What they said and did are just merely try to do your own good, if you step back and look yourself and them, you will see what I mean.

I used to think about running away or to make a suicide or very rebellious as well...I know that pressure and feelings putting yourself into an ivory tower.... common. There are plenty of funs in the world... and plenty of ways to unwind yourself. I like jokes, I like enjoying visual enjoyment from the changes of clouds, colors of sky, different greens, bugs butterflys, plants, clothes, hair...and so on, I guess you do too. So if you not happy, why not take your mobile phone with camera funtion or simplely take your digital camera to take a picture to make a memory for your unhappy 13 yr old face and stash it in somewhere. Then take another picture of yourself when you change yourself and life than before. YOu will see there are a big difference on your picture especially facial expression.
YOu are not schizophrenia,, cuz you got insight what your problems are.. just like riding your boat in a big sea, you know you diviate from your goal... so change it toward the direction where you would like to go. A schizophrenia are very happy cuz they do what they want and smile or cry without caring what people react. YOu are not. Bipolar... everybody will snap out... so what? From now on learn to train yourself be peace and calm to everything... or once your grown up, you know how to handle some stress even when you become someone's parents that they need an emotional stable parent rather a freak to poison their tender mind... right.?

Be happy and look around, look the other and yourself. Take your ears to listen the other.

Oh, do not forget take more sleep and nap. Nowaday, kids really do not have much their personal space and time to have a real fun with nature.

Definitely see a GP to get a referral to a psychiatrist. At least then you will know what you are dealing with. Mental illness is as treatable as physical illness, and the sooner you get on to it the easier it will be. Maybe you just need counseling to deal with what happened to you in life. But don't try to go it alone, get help now. I'm sorry you've had bad stuff happen, nobody deserves this, it's time for you to focus on yourself and begin to build the life you deserve. xx

I know this may not be what you want to hear, but, I don't think you have any mental illness.

When I was 13/14, I felt exactly the same way; I had the paranoia, blank-outs in class, the whole works. I would read about all types of mental illnesses online and diagnose myself with them...at first I decided I was schizotypal, then later I thought I had ADD. In retrospective, I don't think I had anything, I was just trying to find something to "blame" for all the weird feelings I had that nobody else seem to have. I also had this kind of warped idea that having a illness would make me more interesting...

Also, remember that you can usually identify with almost any illness you read about (which is why so many people are hypochondriacs!). *Most* people get symptoms of mental disorders...who hasn't been elated or depressed for no good reason? Who has felt paranoid that people are talking about them? It turns into a mental illness when these thoughts and feelings are so frequent that they're pretty much ruining your life.

Seek help talk to an adult who you trust about what's still happening in your life. Don't be affraid, nobody has the right to destroy your life.

Your 13
Every one goes though phases like this
Your reading could be fuelling your imagination and making you feel more ill then you really are,,which you dont really sound sick at all.

You know the story doctors tell about when a news story covers a rare or new illness and suddenly every one has it!!!!
because they Imaging or create the symptoms them self's