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Years ago after some terrible things happened to a friend, she was "diagnosed" by a social worker in Los Angeles as schizophrenic and prescribed (I think it was abilifi). I called bullshit, so she skipped the drugs and has never had another "episode" (because that terrible thing that happened didnt happen again!)

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A friend's son was about to be diagnosed Schizophrenic after more than a few nights broken sleep due to night-horrors. Fortunately his Mum could recognise schizophrenia and she managed to get sleeping pills prescribed (with much difficulty) instead of antipsychotics and he got back to normal over a few days with a few nights good sleep.

I don't think a doctor would work off of a social workers diagnosis, but I don't know LA. I have personally talked with the Attending Dr. at two of SF's psychiatric wards and they were emphatically opposed to making any kind of schizophrenic or even bipolar diagnosis for a patient without a significant history of psychotic episodes.

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