I'm surprised nobody's commented on this - Yes! It's hugely common in schizophrenics. One of my friends has it under control with medication, but without it she becomes certain her friends are trying to kill her. Some people think aliens are visiting them.

Have you ever asked him how he knows these things?

But it isn't a disease at all is it.

Just stop calling it a disease, it's really annoying.

I've seen other schizophrenics do this, but it isn't a disease.

I wish I could tell you if I have done this or why it's done but I can't seem to know what I want to.

Woops
Medicine defines Schizophrenia as a disease because of it's characteristics so that's what we call it on a health forum.

maloren
Young children have a very intact connection with fantasy so we can get used to them having imaginary scenarios. Once your son hits their teenage years they should be firmly grounded in reality or at least be addressing it rationally. If your son is making statements that conflict with reality, test his theories, ask him why he thinks New York is gone, Open up google earth and show him a real time photo of NYC. If his delusions are persistent when confronted with evidence to the contrary, he needs help.

Yes, but do you see how that could annoy me?

Thats like saying if you are run over by a bus, you've got a slight case of beingrunoverbyabusitis.

I do suppose though that if there are effects on the brain that occur it could be medicated, but it still isn't a disease.

But being run over by a bus is an external force. It's an injury. Schizophrenia isn't an injury.

Yes, I think it fits better to call it a condition or disorder, but the line isn't always easy to draw. Is diabetes a disease? Is cancer? Is asthma? What about autoimmune conditions not caused by viruses? Anything that signifies abnormal functioning of the body can be called a disease. If you look up the definition, you will see that. It's not only things caused by pathogens (viruses, bacteria, etc).

I think that when you said it wasn't a disease, it sounded like you either thought it wasn't real or that it wasn't serious or something like that. Kind of like how people sometimes say that addiction is not a disease. What they mean is that people use that to avoid taking responsibility. That's not really the case with schizophrenia.

No, I was actually saying that it is caused by external forces, kind've like somebody walking up to you and beat the living horse poop out of you, it's just like that.

It is principally the same as getting run over by a bus.

It isn't your body messing up and it isn't a virus.

I however can't explain fully what does happen, Im sort've a stoopid face, but it isn't a disease.

That would be like saying if somebody walks up to you and punches you in the face, you've got a case of punchinthefaceitis. And instead of stopping the guy punching you you are given pills to treat it.

What do you mean it isn't your body messing up? It's a chemical imbalance in the brain that can often be genetic. Yes, external forces like drug use, trauma, the mother having the flu during pregnancy, and other things can trigger it in some people, but not always. Most of the time, they have no idea why it happens to one person and not to another, but it is defiantly biological, not an injury or anything of that nature.

How do you think people get schizophrenia? I don't quite understand.

Well, I hate to assume that I know everything about it.

But it's principally no different than "somebody" walking up and punching you in the stomach. Thats essentially exactly what it is.

It isn't biological at all. And it isn't a chemical imbalance either. Although I admit that perhaps things can happen in the brain when it occurs.

YOu should look into it a little more.
I can't believe how it looks to others, it would actually appear that we are sick would'nt it.

I suppose they are never going to cure it either, they can't even see what is causing it.

Simply put, someone is there, talking with me, they have been there for ten years this halloween. And wowza the things they have to tell us. Wowza.

They can really put the fear in you, down right terrifying really, they can control you also, make you think things, make you do things. seriously screw with your perception, even make see and hear things.

i cant make it any more clear than that.

living with schizophrenia is very painful, starting with the medication which can control episodes of dilusions, hearing voices and even seeing ppl who aren't really there. there is more to it though, its an everyday battle, at least it is for me.

OK I hate to take sides here, but taking schizophrenia with an all too serious attitude (if ur 1) can make the nonserious delusions appear Very serious, so serious they look real. But I take myself lightly. And perhaps this is a spiritual lesson of schizophrenia, if you believe in spirituality or spiritual lessons at all.
Therefor, entertaining someone who is schizophrenic by agreeing, yes it is not a disease! It is a true feeling and the world has many people with many feelings... this could make them more proud of who they are and also take themselves more lightly.
Take yourself more lightly if you see things from a schizo's point of view. Because the world is liable to change, and reality doesn't always have to be reality, things can change. And this is a lesson we can learn from schizophrenics. How to deal with Love as a Law. And not always being right... Although being right is a part of Everything and has it's place. It is also your journey.

This is in response to Woops.. Just gonna throw in my two cents here. People with schizophrenia shouldn't be treated as if they are diseased, but it IS a disease and it IS a problem in the brain that isn't always caused by external forces. Unless you count genetics as an external force.

This isn't always the case, but it has been proven on numerous accounts that schizonphrenia can also be a hereditary problem that skips generations. Not always, but it happens enough for it to be noteworthy.

Also, when it comes to external forces being the cause, why would that change it being a disease? It's not a bruise on the brain, it's not a broken bone. It's an unfortunate reaction that can be caused by something like stress, but what about all the other sicknesses people get from their stress? Are the colds, flus, and fevers not to be recognised as an illness? People who get diseases from drugs, are they not really sick? Your body can break down from many things, but these causes and effects don't change what the end result is refered to as.

Also, you said Myrahu needs to look into it more. Assuming you have, where did you get your information?

Woops~
Thank you for your insight. Maybe you can help me, please. I have an 11 year old with a diagnosis of autism (since 18 mos). He is very high functioning, with the exception of socially. He has very explosive behaviors and can become aggressive. Recently he has been having difficulty with sleep, talking to himself and has informed us about the man in his brain who is telling him to do very violent things to us.
Several years ago he talked about monkeys in his brain telling him to do things, we sought the opinion of a psychiatrist who prescribed risperdol and diagnosed psychotic disorder nos.
When I ask my son about this man, he said he has been there since birth. I am having trouble deciphering between the real possibility of schizophrenia or a very active imagination.
Here are my questions:
1.If this man exists, how can my son control when he listens and acts on the voices demands?
2.Should I ask questions? if so, any ideas on what?
3.My son states that he wants to be good and thats why he doesnt listen to the voices. Is this possible.
Thank you in advance.