This was interesting as I am of a scientific mind. There is a lot of MI in my family going back as far as the 1850's that I can trace. Everything from depression to what probably would have been called bi- polar to schizophrenia. Great aunts in state hospital in 1920's. Aunt diagnosed in 1960's as schizophrenic. Further back in time there was just what was called "nervous" or melancholy.

I know my schiz aunt had a lot of visuals, I'm not sure about delusions or voices. She isolated a lot and had suicidal ideation.

My illness manifested not as severely. Not sure that I have ever had a typical hallucination.... just my name being called a couple times, and objects in my peripheral vision.

I isolate and get paranoid and suspicious, at times. I guess I have been delusional at times in that I was convinced my b.f. was unfaithful.---but nothing more than that.

So for me I see similarities in that there's a lot of mental illness in my family history but our symptoms differ.

Studies and science interest me very much, I just wish it was exact and definitive when it comes to psychiatry.

Did a person even really describe what they were experiencing 100 yrs. ago if they were psychotic? Did Dr's even know what questions to ask?