INFORMATION TAKEN FROM VARIOUS WEBSITES LISTED AT THE BOTTOM OF THE PAGE.
S C H I Z O P H R E N I A.
Schizophrenia is a long-term mental health condition that causes a range of different psychological symptoms, including:
- hallucinations – hearing or seeing things that do not exist
- delusions – unusual beliefs not based on reality that often contradict the evidence
- muddled thoughts based on hallucinations or delusions
- changes in behaviour
Doctors often describe schizophrenia as a psychotic illness. This means sometimes a person may not be able to distinguish their own thoughts and ideas from reality.
Misconceptions about schizophrenia
Split personality
It is commonly thought people with schizophrenia have a split personality, acting perfectly normally one minute and irrationally or bizarrely the next – this is not true.
Violent behaviour
Some people mistakenly equate schizophrenia with violent behaviour, but people with the condition are rarely dangerous.
Any violent behaviour is usually sparked off by illegal drugs or alcohol, which is the same for people who don't have schizophrenia.
P S Y C H O S I S:
Psychosis is a word used to describe symptoms or experiences that happen together. Each person will have different symptoms, the common feature is that they are not experiencing reality like most people.
Some people only have a single episode and make a full recovery; for others, it is a longer process. As 1 in 10 people with psychosis commit suicide, it is important to recognise the symptoms of depression. A person with psychosis may:
- hear, smell, feel or see things which other people do not (hallucinations)
- have strange thoughts or beliefs which may make the person feel they are being controlled, persecuted or harassed (delusions)
- have muddled or blocked thinking (thought disorder)
- at times seem unusually excited or withdrawn and avoid contact with people
- not realise that there is anything wrong with themselves (lack of insight).
Early changes in the person’s behaviour
- has problems understanding reality and thinking clearly
- talks to themself and/or appears to be listening to something else
- has problems communicating effectively
- loses interest in their personal appearance and life in general
- is restless, irritable or tense and anxious
- avoids other people
- is aggressive or violent (in a minority of cases)
- be very high ‘manic’ or very low ‘depressed’, or swing from one state to the other (bipolar disorder).
M U L T I P L E P E R S O N A L I T Y D I S O R D E R.
Dissociative Identity Disorder (DID) is a severe condition in which two or more distinct identities, or personality states, are present in—and alternately take control of—an individual. The person also experiences memory loss that is too extensive to be explained by ordinary forgetfulness.
DID is a disorder characterized by identity fragmentation rather than a proliferation of separate personalities. The disturbance is not due to the direct psychological effects of a substance or of a general medical condition, yet as this once rarely reported disorder has become more common, the diagnosis has become controversial.
The official symptoms of dissociative identity disorder have been most recently defined by the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders, 5th Edition. The following are the diagnostic symptoms of DID:
- Two or more distinct personalities exist in one individual; one personality is always present (Understanding Dissociative Identity Disorder Alters)
- Dissociative amnesia including gaps in the recall of important personal information and everyday events
- Severe distress and impairment in functioning because of the disorder
- The disturbance is not part of normal cultural or religious practices
- The disturbance can't be explained but substance use or another medical condition
Mental Illness and Demons - Are mentally ill people demon-possessed?
- In the New Testament demons spoke in rational dialogue. Untreated people with schizophrenia speak in "word-salads".
- Demons have an aversion to Christ. Mentally ill people often want spiritual help.
- Demons might give supernatural knowledge to their host. Mentally ill people never exhibit clairvoyance.
- Assuming demons to be secretive, we presume those who claim to be demon-possessed are not.
- Supernatural phenomena are indications of evil spirits not mental illness.
- If medicine alleviates the problems, it was not demons.
- In the case of Mark 5:15 the restoration to a "right mind" may only mean the former demoniac was no longer suicidal or violent. There may not be any reference to schizophrenia. If a "right mind" does refer to a healing from insanity, then we still may not view all cases of mental illness as caused by demons. In the New Testament, demons cause epilepsy, deafness, blindness, muteness, and suicidal feelings. Would anyone want to diagnose demons in all modern cases of these problems?
SOME THOUGHTS ON DEMONIC POSSESSION VS. MENTAL ILLNESS.
In other words, we can think of someone with a mental illness driving a car but having trouble finding their way through thick fog and drizzle. Someone oppressed by a demon, on the other hand, is having to wrestle with the demon for control of the steering wheel to stay on the road.
That being the case, we may rightly suspect that an evil influence is at work to aggravate a mental illness. Even when it is not a situation of outright demonic oppression or possession, there could be demonic harassment. Throughout the centuries, in fact, many outstanding Christian leaders, writers, artists, and so forth have struggled with depression and similar mental illnesses. Beyond the natural medical causes, there may well have been spiritual opposition designed to discourage and disable these people from fulfilling their God-given vocations. Both the natural and the supernatural dimensions need to be kept in mind. But spiritual opposition is not, in and of itself, demonic possession.
- Reverent Dr. Christofer R Smith. from blog Understanding books of the bible.
This research has helped me to decide on the mental illness that I want to diagnose my character Claudia with. I have decided that she will have Multiple personality disorder as well as psychosis in order for the psychologists studying her to explain her change in characteristics and behaviour as well as neurotic tendencies and odd fits of rage where she will speak in tongues. I think this will easily explain the conflict between mental illness and demonic possession and how they can be mixed up. My character has mainly been inspired by the main character from 'The Exorcism of Emily Rose.'
http://www.healthyplace.com/abuse/dissociative-identity-disorder/dissociative-identity-disorder-did-signs-and-symptoms/
http://www.nhs.uk/Conditions/Schizophrenia/Pages/Introduction.aspx
http://www.schizophrenia.com/media/strength.htm
http://www.cmf.org.uk/publications/content/?context=article&id=619
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