(no subject)
I think my dad was misdiagnosed, that he didn't have schizophrenia but delusional disorder. Age of onset is part of why, for schizophrenia it's between 18-24 years of age. For delusional disorder it's later in life, they say about 40 (they died when my dad was 36). Also, schizophrenia has "positive" symptoms like bizzare speech and movements or "negative" features like flat affect and lack of experienced pleasure. My dad was "normal" apart from being an alcoholic, angry, violent and at the end delusional. This disorder fits so much better.
https://my.clevelandclinic.org/health/diseases/9599-delusional-disorder
I'm learning that disorder and diagnosis classifications change a lot over time so I googled which version of the DSM was being used in 1987 (DSM-III-R) and ordered a thrift copy. I'll see what diagnosises were available at the time.
I've talked to schizophrenics now at peer support, one routinely. If a better, different, diagnosis would suit my dad, I no longer want to pair what he did with schizophrenia and inadvertently contribute to the discrimination and ostricism they experience. The one man who calls regularly is so tormented but so sweet.