Schizophrenics of reddit, what were the first signs of your break from reality and how would you warn others for early detection?

Haha been there done that. I struggle with anxiety and when i was younger it was almost like i had agoraphobia. I hated myself at that point and I developed anorexia while having a fucked up sleep schedule due to anxiety about going to school. I would stay up all night, never eat any meals except dinner, and sometimes take naps in the afternoon. I started to hear and see “ghosts” who I believed were communicating with me, would laugh/cry so hard that I had diaphragm spasms on a regular basis, I thought specks on dust on the black bathroom tile were bugs and i spent hours on my knees smashing them, my period stopped, and my hair started to fall out. My parents both worked full time and were enrolled in degree programs at the time. When they realized I wasn’t doing well, they put me in cognitive behavioral therapy and it saved my life. I have never cried harder than when I realized it was just dust. I got help six years ago and every year since has been better than the last. Fuck everyone who ever made me that scared or made me feel like I wasn’t worthy of kindness.

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