is this schizophrenic?

I'm a playwright, and I'm trying to find out if certain symptoms correspond to behavior associated with schizophrenia. I'll describe the symptoms, and why this is important to me.

I once met a person in a hospital who alternated between believing she was a 34-year-old woman and believing that she was an Angel, or a good witch, or the Holy Spirit. She always thought the name of the Angel was "Cupid," and that this was her real name. She would then snap out of it, and remember who she actually was. Also, at times she knew that I was only a guy named Andy, and at other times she believed I was Steven Spielberg. I was concerned and curious, and I asked the doctors what her diagnosis was, but the rules prohibited them from giving out that information.

Later, I incorporated a character with similar symptoms into a play I have written that deals with a theme of delusion as manifested in a mix of mental health disorders. I think the common laypersons's language refers to such folks as "schizophenic" but I don't know if that's accurate. The schizophrenics I've met usually describe having heard internal voices, those voices having been stopped by anti-psychotic medications.

I had thought that these symptoms might be dissociative or delusional, but people have been suggesting otherwise. I'm really not sure where to go with this. For artistic and ethical reasons, I have altered the character significantly from the initial impression of the woman I met in the hospital, but I would still like to know what kind of disorder such symptoms might represent.

Thanks.

Thats a tough one because only a "professional" can correctly diagnose someone.

That being said, the person you describe seems to have some schizophrenic traits. Whether she be schizophrenic, schizo- typical, schizoaffective or whatever. Her delusions seem to correspond to some kind of schiz- illness.

I guess the common term would be a "Psychotic dissorder". If you used that term to describe her, I believe you would be correct because it envelopes most schiz- illness'.

Thanks for the information. And of course, far be it for me to diagnose anyone. I'm only hoping that within the context of the play, when a diagnosis is brought up in reference to that particular character, I won't be criticized for inaccuracy or for lack of proper research by those in the mental health profession. I think I can probably frame it so that, when the character appears, no one is exactly certain of her diagnosis, and I can use expressions such as "psychotic," or "perhaps schizo-affective" in the dialogue that centers around her appearance.

Thanks again.

lesserpope wrote:I once met a person in a hospital who alternated between believing she was a 34-year-old woman and believing that she was an Angel, or a good witch, or the Holy Spirit. She always thought the name of the Angel was "Cupid," and that this was her real name. She would then snap out of it, and remember who she actually was. Also, at times she knew that I was only a guy named Andy, and at other times she believed I was Steven Spielberg. I was concerned and curious, and I asked the doctors what her diagnosis was, but the rules prohibited them from giving out that information.

She is labeled "schizophrenia" because she is delusional. I was like in her situation a few years ago. I thought I was an angel, messiah, or god at different times. But here is the truth, it was only a delusion caused by believing in signs and religion! Not a disease at all. I had one hallucination that came afterwards. You would not believe the power of emotions. When the brain is overwhelmed with emotions, hallucinations can occur. This labeling thing done by professionals is a joke! There giving dangerous meds way too early. A lot of people recover from this so called disease " schizophrenia". If you want to protect yourself , put some extreme emotions to your characters. Also, she thinks you are sometimes Steven Spielberg because she looks at you beyond human form and she is using her imagination. In the play, show one of the characters committing suicide because of the meds. Read "mad in america". You will know more about psychiatry and THEIR mental illness.

Interesting.

Here is another thing you might find interesting. Meds function is to minimize brain activity. One time I overdosed, while I parked my car in a grocery store. Somehow, I drove two blocks with my manual car subconsciously! Later, I was brouht to the hospital and told what had happened. Meds can put you in a state of minimum brain activity that borders the subconsious. That is why some people like meds. They like feeling numb. Others hate it. I HATE IT. It is also very dangerous.

Although I personally dislike taking meds (for me, myself, that is) I don't want to make a blanket statement that all meds are bad. Some people like them, and many people claim that meds have helped them. Most often, I hear someone state that an anti-depressant has gotten them out of a horrible funk, possibly even kept them from suicide. In my case, I find that meds do limit my brain activity, so to speak, and I prefer to avoid them, if at all possible. I did take an anti-anxiety medication (a benzodiazepine) for some time, and it seriously reduced my intellectual capacity. I also took a couple other meds that were given me in conjunction with the benzo, both of which had adverse effects. But this is only my personal experience. I am not anti-psychiatry, per se, but I do have an insight into what works for me and what doesn't. Sounds like you do as well.

I believe meds are o.k. for short term but not long term. Psychiatrists should prescribe a therapist next. That's what I think the future should do. The results speak for themselves.

I sort of think it's not a good idea to take meds at all except in conjunction with therapy. That might have been part of the problem in my own case, in which my health plan didn't allow for therapist visits after a while, yet I continued to take meds and to see a psychiatrist approximately once every three months. It doesn't seem to me to be a good thing to be treating the symptoms with meds while not addressing the underlying issues in therapy.

Actually I changed my mine a bit. Psychiatrists should prescribe pseudo drugs and a good therapist at the very start. I really believe most of the mental illness is emotional related.