I'm either dealing with a structural brain difference such as Aspergers in Autism, and I have very many characteristics of that: such as being a non-stop talker as a child, having a big imagination, being a tom boy, writing and playing on my own. But then I also am told, it could be Bipolar or Schizophrenia, which are chemical imbalances. My question is: how exactly do you or can you tell the difference between the three? Hallucinations, well that can be normal for some people I am finally realizing. And someone with Aspergers might agree to having hallucinations just because people like this are more prone to ideas influencing their perceptions and behaviors. Like if I tried, i could feign any diagnosis honestly. I am probably just being too overly obsessive about this, my brother tells me that a lot. I think too much "about thinking" lol. I also can't really recall the last time I was ever truly paranoid. But I have had bouts of extreme paranoia, where I thought bombs were gonna drop on my house and that the food was spit on. Nothing about being chipped or bugged, and I outgrew most of it. Could these paranoia symptoms be induced by stress or depression instead? Or is there even such a thing as paranoid schizophrenia, if I don't even hallucinate, and all other areas- I'm perfectly normal, just have had bouts of it on occasion. I also take medication but it gets rid of everything. Sometimes I wonder, maybe I do have paranoid schizophrenia and I just have to accept it. But it's safer not to think I do, because no one wants to apply that kinda label to themselves. I have had maybe three or four episodes, brief, where I thought crazy things. But they always went away and I could be talked down. I'm on the verge of the Bipolar label lately, not that it makes a difference.
spending some time not thinking might help you. maybe do some meditation that keeps the mind quiet for a little while. I hope that you can find something that helps!
I have Aspergers and it is terrible in most ways. I'm not certain if paranoia can come from depression. When I'm paranoid (most of the time) it's usually stuff that I allowed to get into my head and I blow it out of proportion. Like you said you grew out of the super paranoia that borders on the irrational. That's one step that you conquered and these things take time. If you're comfortable with it I would suggest at least talking once with a therapist. Nothing serious, just a friendly, laid back conversation where they give you options. From that they could help you once they understand all the aspects. I mean I don't know I'm not great with giving advice about this kind of stuff but I've been through it. I'm not bipolar even though I think I am sometimes because I'll just get depressed and it'll last all day.
a brain scan would show any structural abnormalities right off the bat. although i'm not familiar with autism showing in a brain scan? also, in your post, you used vague terms like hallucinations and paranoia (although with paranoia you mentioned things like spit in your food- i think we all think things like this from time to time)- please go into detail about your experience, rather than listing symptoms. it will help generate better replies there is undoubtedly such a thing as paranoid schizophrenia- i have seen many people suffering in hospitals i've been in. people who are visibly hallucinating, responding to complex delusions, and with generally very bizarre/disorganized behavior... that description is of someone who is floridly psychotic, and schizophrenics who are well managed/not in the midst of an episode may appear quite healthy, but functioning can be and usually is severely impaired from time to time (if not consistently) may i ask what medication/s you're taking?
I have aspergers according to a therapist I had and my current one doesn't disagree...haven't had it confirmed by a psychiatrist or one who specializes in those disorders though. I have the same issue of thinking non-stop a million different things at once, even thinking about thinking too much. So maybe that is an indication of aspergers though now it would just be diagnosed as autism spectrum disorder since they're changing up the diagnoses criteria or something. It really could be any of them or maybe even a combination really, it would be hard for anyone here to know what exactly your dealing with. I think lots of mental disorders can make one more prone to paranoia especially if it at all involves negative experiances with people to the point you have a hard time trusting anyone for instance. The paranoia you describe sounds like it could maybe be anxiety, not sure but I know sometimes its possible to come up with rationalizations for anxiety which seems a lot like paranoia...probably not much different since its worrying about something that isn't likely to happen before it may or may not happen.
If you cannot understand the situation, it is best to stop and somehow think thoroughly, do not haste cause most of the time, haste makes waste. Let your body and mind rest once for a while.
