When does severe anxiety turn into paranoia and then Schizophrenia?

Hey Hannah. I was sure that this can happen, just like you, but I also know one person who told me that her husband have this issue as well and that this is very hard for the whole family. I was talking with her about this a little bit, and she told me that the main problem in their case were because they didn't understand anxiety at all. It looks like to me that anxiety and paranoia are two totally separate conditions, but in some ways they have a lot in common. Both represent fear, and cause people to dwell on negative experiences that otherwise may not be as big as they seem. If you don't learn what is axniety and what it can cause to you, you can easily become paranoid and this can lead to schizophrenia. At least, she told me this.

Hey Guest. I am totally aware that anxiety can change your thoughts, but I never believed that it can lead to paranoia. But when I think a little bit better than I did usual, I think that sometimes because of anxiety I think about things that don't happen.

That is called paranoia, right? 

An important component of anxiety is that anxiety has the ability to genuinely change thoughts in a way that you may not even notice and I am totally aware of this, but one thing I really don't know - how anxiety can even create paranoia? How is that possible? 

I totally understand what you are telling me. Me neither. I couldn't believe this as well, but as you can see, it seems to me that it is very, very possible. I will try to answer on your last question. If you are too worried about certain things, it can happen as well. Also, people should be aware that anxiety is not only psychological - it is biological condition as well. So, when you have anxiety, your brain chemistry is changed and you sometimes can't think clear, like you should. Even so, paranoia and anxiety are completely different conditions, but there are some similarities as well. And that is why it can lead to it. I don't know when and what has to happen, but it can.

No, anxiety can never turn into schizophrenia. I don't know about paranoia, maybe it can, I don't know, I don't know anything about paranoia, but one thing is for sure, anxiety cannot be the cause of schizophrenia. Although these two conditions have some similarities and a few same symptoms, these are two completely different conditions and therefore, anxiety cannot lead to schizophrenia. I am not making this up, there were studies done and it was concluded that anxiety and schizophrenia are not connected to each other in any way and that is about it. I hope that someone will give you more info regarding paranoia.

It cannot turn into either of these. These are three completely separate and different conditions. It is true that these things have some things in common, that's for sure, they are quite different and therefore neither one of these can lead to the other one. I know a lot of people who are especially afraid that their anxiety can turn into schizophrenia, and all of them tend to go to the doctor and talk to him about it. Then he tells them that it is impossible to happen and then they feel better. I know about so many cases like these.

Well, I always thought that these things were connected somehow, you know. Not just thought about it, I was actually sure that these things can lead to one another, but I guess I was wrong. After the things that you wrote here about these things not being connected to each other, I did a little research on the internet and it appears that you were completely right. A lot of people were afraid that these are connected but they appear not to be. There is not a single connection between the three of these and they definitely cannot lead one to another.

It doesn't, it can't. A very close friend of mine is suffering from anxiety and during a couple of days he kept saying that his anxiety was getting worse and that he was afraid of ending up with schizophrenia. Because I was seeing a psychologist at that time because of some of my problems, I told my psychologist about this. He told me that it is impossible for schizophrenia to be developed because of anxiety. These are completely different things and schizophrenia is something that is passed on genetically. I explained this to my friend and he felt a lot relieved actually.