Would you feel comfortable answering these questions bassgirlplayer?

a.) Do you carry the diagnosis of PTSD?

b.) Does the thought that those around you might consider you to be "schizophrenic" make you highly uncomfortable?

Naturally, you are under no obligation to provide an answer. I ask those questions because I've noticed there is a strong desire on the part of many to distance themselves from those who have frequently been deemed to be the most ill, the most hopeless, the most flawed. I've wondered at times if this is a form of compensation, almost as if one is saying to themselves, "Hey, I've got some problems, but at least I'm not .... "

I've found that if an individual carries such a response within them then there is little I can say that might allow them to accept that trauma plays a significant role in the experiences of many schizophrenics. They hear/see that word and they want absolutely nothing to do with it.

"Psychosis Definition: Psychosis is a loss of contact with reality, typically including delusions (false ideas about what is taking place or who one is) and hallucinations (seeing or hearing things which aren't there). (http://www.healthscout.com/ency/1/001553.html)"

Individuals undergoing a flashback are experiencing a break with reality. What distinguishes this passage from psychosis versus a flashback is the depth of perceptiveness I can bring to my own observations. If I can understand the cause of the flashback, it no longer appears irrational to me. If I don't understand it, if I have no knowledge of trauma responses, it just looks weird and frightening.