help please

I dated/lived with a girl who had it. I was 19. So this was 4 years ago.

She woke me up one night by talking to herself. She had stopped taking her medication because she felt fine (unknown to me at the time she even had a medical disorder, I found that out afterward), and talked herself into committing suicide. She was sitting there, yelling at herself as loud as she could. I called 911, but yeah. Anyhow.

It isn't something you want to play around with, think you may be okay, convince yourself you will be fine, etc. It not only affects you but everyone else in your life as well. If your doctor said that you have it, please seek medical professional help. Not advice on a reptile forum. Thanks.

Agreed, I know a couple of schizophrenics--with proper medication, the symptoms are truly minimized, and they're able to live normal lives, hold down a job, and interact with others without any issues. Early diagnosis is so important--as another person mentioned, if you have an actual breakdown, you never come all the way back from it. Get stabilized on proper meds before that happens, and the condition may never get so bad that you can't function.

Schizophrenia seems to be largely a physical problem--the brain's structure itself is not normal. It also sometimes subsides once a person is older, age 60 etc. Don't delay starting treatment--it will take a while for the docs to find the correct combinations and doseages of medication that will work for you. Not a pleasant time period, but it doesn't have to be adjusted too terribly often from what I understand. Treat this like the physical challenge it is--they will likely also offer counseling to help you understand it and cope with it. Delaying treatment is dangerous, because it can quickly get to a point where a person is no longer rational enough to seek treatment.

In short--listen to your doctor, and grit your teeth through any unpleasant parts--you'll be glad you did it.

One of my best friends in the world is a paranoid schizophrenic. When he is taking medication he is reasonable. When he is not taking medication it is a really bad thing.
I strongly suggest you get with your doctor and be seen by a good psychiatrist. schizophrenia often begins in late teens and twenties. It can be one of the most severe mental illnesses and although much more understood than it was even 10 years ago, it is still baffling.
My friend was an incredible pianist. All he had to do was walk into a recording studio and usually got recorded for free. It was 99.9% his doing that our band almost got a contract with Virgin Records. The reason we didn't get the contract had much to do with my friends mental condition. Style was much like Tori Amos, but he was doing his thing long before any of us had ever even heard of Tori. Not treating his schizophrenia resulted in several severe injuries that have robbed him of the ability to play like he used too.
Please follow up with your dr and your psychiatrist, get medications to control the disturbing symptoms and STAY ON THE MEDS no matter how good you feel.