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Originally Posted by costello
If I had had such a belief, then later realized I was wrong, then I started having similar beliefs and the people around me told me I was deluded - I have a hard time imagining the thought process that ignores the input telling me I'm wrong. I think that I would remember the previous incident and doubt myself a bit the second time. Particularly when the 'evidence' is just a thought that popped into my head. My son could literally mid-sentence "realize" some new information. It would just come into his head, and he'd believe it. A friend had died, for example. Or someone was being raped. Or he had a disease.
I mean, if I knew someone who was giving me really interesting gossip all the time, but most of the time the gossip turned out to be wrong, I'd stop believing that source of information. They're unreliable. This information that pops into my son's head is always wrong. So, why continue believing it?
I guess that's the part I can't wrap my head around. Having been done this path a few times, why be so sure you're right when everyone is telling you you're not?
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I can understand why it must be so frustrating for you to not understand how he can think things that seem so illogical. I've never been properly delusional to the extent where I've 100% believed my strange thoughts: there's always been a small part of me that argues with it, though usually not so successfully. For example, I can just glance at a stranger on the street and somehow KNOW that they've heard my thoughts. Now a small part of me knows that this can't happen, but that knowing feels less compelling and right than the KNOWING behind the delusion. It's in my gut - that feeling that everyone has when you know something seems to be very strong when accompanying the delusion. Even if there's a logical part saying 'hang on, people can't really read minds' that knowledge that people can't read minds doesn't feel as strongly right as the feeling accompanying the idea that they did just read my mind. I hope this makes sense; I feel like I'm rambling now
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Originally Posted by fishsandwich
Because when you're called schizophrenic, you get used to people not believing ANYTHING you say. Even when what you say is actually true, there's a good chance people will tell you it's false. (I had a doctor once try to convince me that I'm not Canadian, for Christ's sake.)
You can never rely on other people to tell you what is right, true, good -- anything. You learn to go it on your own, because even the people who try to help you end up torturing you (literally) much of the time.
So when you're sure you're right -- no matter how wrong you've been in the past, no matter how "unrealistic" it seems -- you keep going it on your own, because that's all there is.
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Not just schizophrenic or psychotic labels - I get the same with depression because I interpret things negatively, so nobody believes me. For example, I'll say "so-and-so said something", and I'll get "I don't think they would have meant it like that..." like I'm making it up. It's VERY frustrating! Got worse once the psychotic label was added though
Quote:
Originally Posted by fishsandwich
Also, I don't think you'll ever understand what your son experiences if you come at it so rationally. I've never believed anything quite so dangerous as what your son does, but I can see how he'll have some kind of thought process behind them that isn't all that irrational. It just leads him to an irrational result.
If he would bother, you should get him to figure out WHY he believes those things when he does. What is the evidence that makes him believe it so? It doesn't matter how bizarre the evidence seems to you. This is what Mr. Therapist does with my delusions. I have to figure out all the patterns, then I know what's going on when I have them -- even if I still believe the stuff, it's less compelling somehow.
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That sounds like a good approach fish, I might have to try that, thanks!
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Originally Posted by costello
Thanks for the thoughtful replies, fish. I'm so stressed today...
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Sorry you're feeling stressed costello
*Willow*