Issue with 19 year old with Psychotic Disorder Nos

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I'm really interested in it for many reasons, most of them personal. One of them, which I'd mentioned on another thread, is that I became an atheist after learning about my diagnoses (for Schizophrenia, and Schizoaffective). The doctors didn't do as much as explain to me I'm sick, but after reading some of my medical record by mistake, first of all I was sent by mum to a religious seminar, and that's where I started feeling their arguments for God and religion are bogus. Later, I was reading more in sceptics blogs and atheist forums, and I was able to filter a lot of my old beliefs through the use of reason and simply learning. When it was suggested I had a psychotic episode, I had asked 'Why?' about a lot of the things people (family, people I know etc.) had told me, but couldn't get anyone who'll actually talk back to me, even though I was willing to listen to other people's arguments. I just had a lot of forced silence and coercion thrust back at me, which is a pattern I grew up with anyway. So I think that for every example you gave, of a psychotic person who shuts other people out and will not listen to loved ones, friends etc., there might be people like me who WANT to be talked to, and in my case the use of strong sedatives (anti-psychotics) was also less effective in changing my perception. I think that maybe some doctors may think all psychotics are 'the same', while we're actually wired differently from one another, and that's the problem with some treatments.

What meds is he on? Some antipsychotics like Abilify can actually increase restlessness and irritability. I would keep an eye on him, and check for signs of akathisia, which basically means intense internal anxiety and restlessness. Akathisia can be dangerous to the patient as well as those around them, and has resulted in some suicides and murders.

Not to scare you or anything, but it might be something to look for. He may need a change in meds. When I was on abilify, I felt like I was going to implode, I couldn't sit still, everything irritated me to the point where I wanted to lash out either at myself or others. I didn't this thankfully, but it is something to be aware of.

Hi Bun, this is a really thought-provoking post. You do have a lot of insight about your situation. I have noticed generally that people do not communicate with people with a mental illness. Rather they treat the person AS the illness. So you do not generally get people listening to you or responding as if you are a person. This especially happens in the hospital environment where you become 'psychosis in bed 26' rather than 'Bun'.

Also, I highly recommend you pay no attention to your medical chart. Ideally this is a place where professionals communicate about your case. However, in reality patient medical charts are often places for the different professionals to have a battle of egos. It is really about them and not about you. The dominant professional will keep his thoughts and processes to himself or herself, and give directions. Others will use your medical chart to complain about their working conditions and what they have to put up with. Itinerant professionals will write long-winded spiels detailing their specialist processes, which nobody else will read.

"I think that maybe some doctors may think all psychotics are 'the same', while we're actually wired differently from one another, and that's the problem with some treatments"

This is also really insightful. We are all wired differently. Remember that our diagnoses are merely a diagnostic category decided arbitrarily based on observed patterns of symptoms. Each of us experience our mental illnesses differently. It sounds like, in your case, your psychosis coincided with the questioning of your basic beliefs about life and religion. Which came first? Who knows. It may be that during your psychosis it seemed to you that you were still on your journey of discovering your own beliefs, but things became a bit distorted for a while and you didn't realise. But I can't really answer that because I wasn't there at the time.

The other issue is that religious arguments are not like scientific arguments. Religion is based on faith and belief, while science is a means of understanding the universe objectively. My neuroanatomy professor has a saying - In religion you write with pen - in science, you write in pencil so you can rub it out later. If you firmly believe something religious, there is no point arguing with you either. As an athiest you know how pointless it is to argue with a christian (but people do it anyway). But two scientists can debate and it will usually be constructive. (by the way I am something like an agnostic myself. I do believe in God but do not follow any particular religion; I live and let live)

Think I stuffed up the quoting in this post, hope you can understand it well enough. Be well and I hope the communication improves with your family and friends.

It was also a social thing to me, I didn't believe on one hand, and on the other - I have stronger attachments with friends than with family, and I wasn't really explained social interactions, so I still try to please my friends. I never want to lose a connection with someone, and when they suggested something to me that wasn't in line with my belief system, I took it anyway. I thought your personal set of beliefs should be just about being in a place you're comfortable in and agrees with you, headspace-wise, but I got dragged into a mainsteam religion and simply forced some of these beliefs on myself, nevermind that the person who introduced us into her spiritual religion was an abusive woman, which was part of what f****d me up completely about it. It took me time to say to my friend 'wait a minute, I don't even believe in it', let alone believe I should have suffered an emotional trauma because of someone else's way of practising their religion.

Even i believe in many things like that i carry alien blood inside me because I am RH -ve and i have supernatural powers but i dont think I am delusional about that because i read tarot cards.

Anyways whenever a person is delusional you never know that person might be right how do you know for sure thats a delusion. why do you argue about something he/she believes in let them believe in it.

Last edited by namaste on 01 Mar 2012, 7:46 am, edited 2 times in total.