Ask someone with Schizophrenia anything.

reply to post by unityemissions


I dont know about the hearing your own thoughts thing.

I suspect that people really do not. If you did, it would be like standing next to someone chattering away all day long. It would be a distraction and would probably endanger you by blocking out real sounds, and it would probably be an incredible survival disadvantage. I cannot imagine for a moment that hearing a running monologue as actual sound in your head could be selected for in nature. It would be far too easy for something to creep up on you and kill you while your brain was talking away and masking the sound of twigs snapping, etc.

I personally suspect that because your thoughts provide the exact same understanding that spoken language does, that you assume you are hearing language, and that most people never really think about it in enough detail and precision to realize they actually are NOT "hearing" it. I totally could be wrong, but thats my suspicion. It would be interesting to see if the use of an fMRI could definitively show one way or the other.

To the OP, its interesting you were born in winter. There is some really interesting research going on that involves the role retroviruses and infection may play in certain illnesses.

discovermagazine.com... 0Virus%3B%20Giving%20Sight%20to%20the%20Blind%3B%20and%20Morecontent&b_start:int=2&utm_content=alyseal%40gmail.com&utm_source=VerticalResponse

The first, pivotal infection by toxoplasmosis or influenza (and subsequent flaring up of HERV-W) might happen shortly before or after birth. That would explain the birth-month effect: Flu infections happen more often in winter. The initial infection could then set off a lifelong pattern in which later infections reawaken HERV-W, causing more inflammation and eventually symptoms. This process explains why schizophrenics gradually lose brain tissue. It explains why the disease waxes and wanes like a chronic infection. And it could explain why some schizophrenics suffer their first psychosis after a mysterious, monolike illness.

reply to post by Illusionsaregrander


Forgive me, but I can't understand what you wrote. It's not even close to what you said. I can hear SOME of my thoughts, and it doesn't interfere with hearing outside whatsoever.

Can you reproduce a song in detail after hearing it before...just from hearing a split second of the tune?! I can. I will recognize it and play it, speed it up, change lyrics on the fly,...any of it. Do you honestly not hear music or at least a single internal voice?! I'm well aware there's no actual auditory stimulus. Its all an internal recreation. That doesn't mean I don't hear it and it doesn't mean I can't simultaneously hear the outside world. Why would you think this would be the case?! Can you not hear two conversations at once and keep up?!

How accurate is this video?

Or how about someone internally visualizing and not being able to see the outside world.. No no ... Not an evolutionary advantage in TODAY'S world... No no evolution is super slow.. The terrain isn't changing... Science is set in stone... We know everything with our incredibly small minds

Hi i don't have schitzophrenia i can't even spell it. Im glad you started this thread as i am glad
im not the only one who "hears" there own internal voices, why must they argue so much??
Any way i was told by a shrink after a review that i have psychosis with insite. Anxiety and some other things bla bla bla. I often wonder what that means psychosis with insite can any one shed any light on this for me please.
Also i was also told i am one of the ten percent who medication doesnt work and am sort of lost at this point.
I feel i need to sleep for ever.
Regards

I'm taking a break from this forum for a while. When I return I'll answer whatever questions are waiting for me.

Take care everyone, be back in a couple days.

reply to post by heyJude


Hey.

I have a question about your "trips" I don't know what to call it when someone with your condition starts seeing/hearing things.

I sleep walk(and other things) I have my entire life.
When I do this I am out and about moving talking and seeing things that aren't there.

When you "trip" do you actually interact with things/ people that aren't there physically.
IE, you physically move your body? to touch a book that isn't there.

Or is it more like a movie, your real body is sitting down but you are experiencing things as if you were really walking around.

Or something in between?

Schizophrenia runs in my family.

I am a lucid dreamer as well. I am able to have OBE's and I have experienced some of the things you speak of but only in the "dream" state. I have had psychic attacks, shadow attacks, energy draining and weeks outside of what people would consider reality. In my opinion "reality" isn't what people think it's what they agree to. Reality is understood through many senses.

The occult and schools of enlightenment teach that there are eleven senses. The five physical and the six "inner" or "spiritual" senses. I had seen madness and been lost in drugs and dreaming coupled with depression for about six years. That was seven years ago and during the first four years of madness I really wish someone had put me on medication.

But here I am strong whole, healthy creatively fulfilled with successful relationships. Something unimaginable at the time.

I believe in a personal power, an ultra-intelligent dynamic force within. The psyche is an interesting place for personal investigation. For me the most dangerous and rewarding experience an individual can have is untangling that mess. But we are born into a tangled mess which makes the trip very difficult.

Shaman's are akin to schizophrenics. One cannot go beyond mind until that mirrored box is broken. There is great power and untapped senses in the psyche when it is fully unfolded and the "bridge" of madness crossed.

I have lucid dreamed chanting mantras that call for the soul's power and for incredible healing. This is one technique that has helped me immensely. I met madness halfway with the sword of curiosity and it has made me strong and confident in my inner world and in my outer world. These days however I only do dream work with intention and I meditate often to go beyond dreams, visions and sounds.

That's just me I'm no doctor. But then you don't get a doctorate for conquering your psyche you get strength and knowledge.

Peace

Is social interaction something which you crave, and if so, how frequently? Under what conditions would you find it possible to go outdoors? You have stated that you find certain aspects of your perceived reality to be simultaneously frightening and comforting. What effect does this emotional dissonance and the stress which must invariably be produced by it have on your day-to-day functioning?

Thank you for your reply, this is a truly compelling thread.

Originally posted by saphic
Hi i don't have schitzophrenia i can't even spell it. Im glad you started this thread as i am glad
im not the only one who "hears" there own internal voices, why must they argue so much??

Do yours argue?

Originally posted by saphicAny way i was told by a shrink after a review that i have psychosis with insite. Anxiety and some other things bla bla bla. I often wonder what that means psychosis with insite can any one shed any light on this for me please.
Also i was also told i am one of the ten percent who medication doesnt work and am sort of lost at this point.
I feel i need to sleep for ever.
Regards

I'm sorry but I can't help you! Also, what kind of medication are you talking about?

Originally posted by Pigraphia
reply to post by heyJude

 

Hey.

I have a question about your "trips" I don't know what to call it when someone with your condition starts seeing/hearing things.

I sleep walk(and other things) I have my entire life.
When I do this I am out and about moving talking and seeing things that aren't there.

When you "trip" do you actually interact with things/ people that aren't there physically.
IE, you physically move your body? to touch a book that isn't there.

Or is it more like a movie, your real body is sitting down but you are experiencing things as if you were really walking around.

Or something in between?

Yes I'm totally there when I hallucinate. I am a conscious observer of my subconscious. I haven't yet been able to manipulate any of my hallucinations physically, I don't believe they are physical.

reply to post by CourageousEyesoftheHeart


Thanks for that. And I agree, there are more than five senses.

Originally posted by mistermonculous
Is social interaction something which you crave?

Definatly not. But I do like to observe and analyze how society functions and how humans relate/interact with each other.

Originally posted by mistermonculous
Under what conditions would you find it possible to go outdoors?

I have to be comfortable, either by myself or with someone I like, someone who I am comfortable with.

I would rather it be night, and with nature.

Originally posted by mistermonculous
You have stated that you find certain aspects of your perceived reality to be simultaneously frightening and comforting. What effect does this emotional dissonance and the stress which must invariably be produced by it have on your day-to-day functioning?

I can't function. I have daily panic attacks, constant anxiety, and derealization. It's very stressful and it's taken quite a toll on my mind, and my body..

Originally posted by mistermonculous
Thank you for your reply, this is a truly compelling thread.

Thank youuuuuuu for your questions.

HeyJude
thanks for this awesome thread, I've really enjoyed reading it and have never really understood much about schizophrenia. You stated that the voices you hear are external as opposed to internal?

Also I'm very curious as to the "multiple personality" side of schizophrenia that was briefly touched on along with other people talking about hearing internal voices.
This is kind of putting myself out there, but since you did it, I feel like I have the strength to do the same now. I have Dissociative Identity Disorder and so I can relate to a lot of things you're saying as far as the derealization/living in a dream type symptoms. I also experience mild hallucinations but usually it's from an alter personality bleeding over.

So I guess my question is, do you also have a diagnosis of DID, or just schizophrenia?
I'm almost thinking about starting my own thread now where people can ask about my DID.

Schizophrenia and DID get confused a lot even in the medical field and so I think this thread is great for people to become more aware and to help get rid of the stigmas attached to mental illness. I guess the only fear I would have about making an open questions thread on my DID would be the fact that people still debate it's existence and I wouldn't want it to get messy...
Thanks Again for Sharing OP Sending much love and support your way! (from all of us

Originally posted by matrixportal
HeyJude

thanks for this awesome thread, I've really enjoyed reading it and have never really understood much about schizophrenia. You stated that the voices you hear are external as opposed to internal?

Thanks. c;

Yes, my auditory hallucinations appear to be from an outside source.

Originally posted by matrixportal
Also I'm very curious as to the "multiple personality" side of schizophrenia that was briefly touched on along with other people talking about hearing internal voices.

It's complicated, but I don't think I have multiple personality disorder. There are times when I'll just shut down, and not say a word, and retreat within myself, as a defense mechanism, or following an episode of sudden odd, "hyper" behavior. I randomly become, basically frantic at times, and I make strange, evil grimaces, and I get the strangest look in my eyes, or so I've been told.

I don't know how to describe it but It's not MPD.

Originally posted by matrixportal
This is kind of putting myself out there, but since you did it, I feel like I have the strength to do the same now. I have Dissociative Identity Disorder and so I can relate to a lot of things you're saying as far as the derealization/living in a dream type symptoms. I also experience mild hallucinations but usually it's from an alter personality bleeding over.

So I guess my question is, do you also have a diagnosis of DID, or just schizophrenia?

I have read about Dissociative Identity Disorder, and I can totally relate to some of the symptoms, like depression, derealization, depersonalization, panic attacks, but I lack some of the key symptoms which rules that out.

Originally posted by matrixportal
I'm almost thinking about starting my own thread now where people can ask about my DID.

Please do!

Originally posted by matrixportal
Schizophrenia and DID get confused a lot even in the medical field and so I think this thread is great for people to become more aware and to help get rid of the stigmas attached to mental illness.

Mhmmm.

Originally posted by matrixportal
I guess the only fear I would have about making an open questions thread on my DID would be the fact that people still debate it's existence and I wouldn't want it to get messy...

Thanks Again for Sharing OP

Sending much love and support your way! (from all of us

)

Do ettt.

And thank you! Right back atcha.

reply to post by heyJude


Again if answered already sorry and disregard (i keep coming back and pick through threads) but do you have history of it in your family? I have a friend who's mother has it and my gf's ex's father has it and it drove him to be a violent (attempt to kill his family) schizophrenic so I was just curious.

I wonder how significant (or likely insignificant) the odds are raised with a combination of it being in both close family and exposure to toxoplasmosis which is considered a very likely contributor.

reply to post by heyJude


hey O.P can you tell me what you feel from this song ?

[yvid]

Hello there, I have read all pages of this post and I think you are very brave and with sharing your problems, you actualy like to talk to people, even if you said you are acting diferent and avoiding straight conversation.. Few years ago I had some bad experience with mushrooms and I woke up hearing voices, felt like I m hunted by some spirits or aliens, this lasted for two weeks and it wasnt a standard drug halucination, since that isnt lasting for so long. I was talking to myself (to them) I didnt slept and eat a lot, I was scared and behaved like a little boy, expecialy at night... But somewhere deep inside I felt there is something wrong and I wanted all the thinks to stop. All the symptoms I got were similar to schyzophrenia, but after two weeks it simply stoped, I didnt took any medicaments, but my mind "got tired" and I quickly started to realize, its all just my imagination and not real and at this point I broke down, since I wasnt now able to trust my self anymore, but slowly it came back.... I was at a spiritual healer two times, but I didnt came more, because he told me I m a miracle and he can teach stuff (maybe I m sick, but I m not stupid and will not give money to scumbags ) so actualy I passed it all alone and I feel much stronger, then I felt before. I stoped with drugs and all, I have read a lot of books about science, spirituality since then and I came to one conclusion - we live only once, and we have to enjoy it, every day and every second is a challenge, everything and I better do enjoy it than spend my life searching for god or watching the skies and waiting for something that will never come... It was hard to "rethink" everythinig that happend to me in those two weeks and some was realy more then my imagination, since my girlfriend confirmed she felt simliar thinks, when she was with me, like some energy waves etc... Well mind is incredible and powerfull and can trick us, but what keeps you connected to reality are the people around you and by the way they act and respond to situations and feelings you know what is real and "normal". I remeber once I was drinking outside with friends and one crazy old women in the middle of night stopped me and told me : "If you stop listen to "nature" it will stop exist.." and she is actualy right its like that movie (I cannot remember the name,but there was a big flying dog) when the boy was about to save the fantasy world, which was about to end, because people stoped to believe in them. This is how I passed those voices, since I figured out its not a word that I hear, but its just the window moved from wind and it was actualy true... Be strong and I wish you to have a good aproach in future, life is a challenge its not if you win or lose, but if you play

Srry for my bad english ,but its not my native language.

Originally posted by GogoVicMorrow
reply to post by heyJude

 

Again if answered already sorry and disregard (i keep coming back and pick through threads) but do you have history of it in your family? I have a friend who's mother has it and my gf's ex's father has it and it drove him to be a violent (attempt to kill his family) schizophrenic so I was just curious.

My grandmother was Schizophrenic. She got it in her 30's, and It was during the 60's, when psych hospitals were nightmarish places, and she was pretty much experimented on (shock treatment, experimental drugs, etc). She died young, unfortunately.

My uncle also has some sort of mental illness, I'm not sure what he has. He's strange.. just stares into oblivion and doesn't talk to anyone.

reply to post by Zixo1


Thanks for posting. Are you french? I'm french and by your English I think I can tell.

And what you described seems to be HPPD. Tell me what you think.

Again thanks!