Schizophrenia

@VVandy @Kafuller‍ 

Thank you for sharing and sorry to hear a bout the diagnoses of both your children, but glad they have supportive parents as you!

I will do my best to explain what I know in the definition of "Schizophrenia"

Shizophrenia Spectrum Disorder represents a recent change in the classification of Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders (DSM). Schizophrenia used to be classification, which had subtypes (paranoid, catatonic, etc.); however, these have been eliminated.

The DSM classifies now Schizophrenia spectrum disorder (a group of related mental disorders that share some symptoms) and Unspecified Schizophrenia Spectrum Disorder.

The DSM holds the idea that schizophrenia exists as a part of a continuum or spectrum of related conditions that share symptoms in common, and which may share causes as well. When viewed as a continuum of disorders, schizophrenia can be seen to range between "normal" at one end (with no schizophrenia present at all), and severe schizophrenia at the other. Most individual cases fall somewhere in the middle of the scale.

I would recommend speaking further with the doctor about where your children fall on this spectrum.

Thank you for explaining 

@Kafuller Did the doctors say a reason for the need to stop marijuana, out of curiosity? Does it affect or make worse the symptoms of schizophrenia?

@KwM0718 what medication are you taking? Do you have any update on your situation? I am in my mid 30's and facing a similar dilema as you.

@Lee__R John Hopkins Schizophrenia/schizoaffective reach center has said that schizoaffective is not a true diagnosis because schizoaffective can be identified with any other mental illness 

@Lee__R John Hopkins Schizophrenia/schizoaffective reach center has said that schizoaffective is not a true diagnosis because schizoaffective can't be identified with any other mental illness