Schizophrenia and the psychic mechanism

I have no doubt that there is some link between sensitivity and diagnosed mental disorders, but to what degree, I don't know. I have a sensitive family- my son and I are sensitives, my husband and daughter are empathic as well. My husband has been diagnosed as schizophrenic with borderline personality disorder, and my son has been diagnosed with ADHD. They have both been down the path of medication and therapy and have both decided that that was not the route that was helping. What has helped them cope with the "diagnoses" is opening themselves up to their natural abilities. My husband (who was also on disability for years because of his schizophrenia) began getting more into his spiritual side and has found balance. My son, who still has some hyperactivity and focusing problems, has been able to focus better than when we tried medication because he has found ways to block and filter some of the things he hears and sees.

I think that is the biggest issue with anything. Support is the key if you keep trying to seek someone that understands and is knowledgeable and that is willing to work and figure out what the problem is and not just dole out meds then that is the key.

I work with people who have problems with their mental health, have done for a good while now. I've read all of this thread and I guess it only confirms what a complex subject it is. One thought though - when I first started I asked what the difference was between a psychic and someone that I was working with that hears voices. The answer I got was that the person I was working with always heard derogatory/negative voices. Since that time I have worked with people that disprove that theory but of course we are all individuals. I guess though that in my experience the answer I was given does hold true in the majority of cases. The trouble is who decides about those in the minority and what if spiritual support was avaialble to help them develop?

For me, the original thought I had when I started this thread was sort of an open question. Open, because unless we have some psychic geneticists here, it won't really be answered, so its just here for discussion, really. My thought was that I wonder if when we are conceived, and the genes given to us by our parents start to develop into things like blue eyes and brown hair, that if, like with many things, a gene that would make us psychic could go awry and turn into something that would be recognized in the medical world as something like schizophrenia or even ADD.

My husband, his father, brother and sister all have ADD/ADHD. It's something that I knew was a possibility for my children. But, at least with my husband and father-in-law, I've also seen twinges of sensitivity. My father-in-law is very open about this. Though I don't think he'd go as far as calling himself a sensitive or psychic, if he has a feeling he needs to take a roundabout way to get home, he will, and don't question him about it. He has a bad feeling about something, he will act on it. Someone from the outside looking in may think that's crazy, but I see it another way.

I have no doubt that sensitive children are given the schizophrenia diagnosis all the time. Wait, you talk to people that aren't there? You see things that aren't there? Schizophrenia is hard to diagnose. It's vague, there are many kinds with a broad spectrum of symptoms. But I wonder where we can draw the line between the two, and if there were more natural ways of treating some of these disorders, just the way we train our own abilities.

I can honestly say that I have found this thread rather interesting. My son is 10 and has add and was put on medication for this as well as medications that help him sleep. I really didn't want to go this route but I felt there were no other options. You see I believe my son is a sensitive. He doesn't sleep because there is always someone there talking to him someone that we can't see or hear but that he does. I have often said that he is an indigo child. Of course this is something that most mental health care professionals decidedly frown upon. In my opinion most MHP's want to put everyone in a box, they like order and when they don't have that order they feel inadequate. That is not to say that there aren't people that don't need their services we have some MH issues that are common in our family that deal with chemical imbalances. I feel that some of the people that are considered" crazy" by most professionals because the professional is scared of the outcome of the exam could actually be a sensitive. There is just not enough known about these special,and gifted individuals.

Oh very true and I couldn't agree with you more on that.

Just because one person, or even 2-3 say something, if you have a strong feeling that its not the case seek a professional who may be more open to your views.

Well said!

Forgive me, I do suppose now re-reading this that I did not explain my reasoning as well as I thought I had. I was using my own experience to explain the fact that, as you said, many times it does appear that abilities get misdiagnosed.

I suppose what I meant to say in the first post is don't only take one person's opinion into concideration. Even if the person is a professional, I think that with something as important as mental health, a second opinion on everything is very important. Sorry for it seeming like I was branching off topic, I knew what I meant by posting it, haha, I just didn't tie it back in successfully.

Gothic,

I would agree with you in some part. Although I'm not familiar with your situation so I don't really know how it relates to you, but in general I would use caution about painting too wide of a brush in the opposite direction. I think this threat was discussing more situations in which medications were used to prevent things which clearly could be defined as sensitive abilities.

I'm not a psychologist, nor am I an form of mental health professional. So please use this only as my personal opinion as one who has had friends who suffered from functioning schizophrenia. I know just how damaging it can be when left untreated, and I also know that the judgment of treatment can in most cases not come from the first-hand (from the person with the potential schizophrenic symptoms).

If the strictly has symptoms which are related to the senses. In other words if they see people, hear people, feel presences, or anything involving the senses, then there is a possibility it may be signs of a sensitive rather than a chemical condition.

Its my observation though, that if there are other symptoms such as paranoia, affect abnormalities, or cycling depression and euphoria then by all means do not abandon seeking assistance from a professional. As much as I believe that many instances of budding sensitives get misdiagnosed as a physical or chemical imbalance, I also think that both avenues should be explored.

I think likely the best course of action would be to attempt to seek help from a trained professional who is open to the additional abilities which sensitives have.

I believe here is probably the best place to explain this, so here goes.

I will say now that I concider myself an empath, a clairaudient, and a few other things. Although I am now fully capable of explaining these things to someone who does not understand, a few years ago, I was not. When I was younger, I had a rather good friend whose mother (unbeknownst to me at the time) was a psychologist. I was over at her house playing and for whatever reason, her mother decided that she wanted to , I suppose, "check up" on her daughter's friend. (Now, I do not blame the woman at all. If I was a mother, I imagine I would be just as concerned for my daughter's welfare as I believe she was. I suppose I would have done much the same thing if worried my daughter had friends who could be concidered insane.)

After, for lack of better term, psychoanalyzing my 8 or 9 year old self, she suggested that I go and talk to a psychologist such as herself. When I asked her why, she said that I would be very interesting for someone to get to know. I shrugged it off as a normal child would and went home.

Fast forward a couple of years to my 13 year old self. I had always been concidered a "morbid" child with "twisted interests", but that's just who I am. I have always been attracted to the odd, the bizarre, yes even the morbid. One day while in the 6th grade, my teacher asked me a question to which I responded with a customary "me" response (i.e. something with a very dark theme which I thought was funny). My teacher told me that I needed to see her after class, so I did. When she asked me why I responded the way I did, I told her that it was the first thing that came to mind. She decided that I was going to need to "see someone about this" and set me up an appointment with a guidence councillor.

Well after this, I was psychoanalyzed again and was told that I was a highly functioning schizophrenic. (Granted, this was by a guidence councillor and not a psychologist.) I ended up transfering out of that school district because of many reasons, but one that always stuck in my mind was the fact that they thought I was insane. I most honestly am not. Yes, I have some strange things about me, and yes, I will admit, not all of them can be grouped under a term I have yet come across. However, I am extremely self sufficient and can sustain myself just as well (if not better) than other adults I know.

I am truly sorry for the length of this message, I know it's a lot to read, but I just thought that this topic would be the right place to enter this. Very often I agree with the fact of medication ruining a large number of people. I'm not saying all cases, by any stretch. Believe me, I grew up with a bipolar grandmother and a mother with a strong chemical imbalance. However, I do not agree with most Western Culture that science is the only explanation for the mind behaving the way it does. (It may also be beneficial to mention that I was born an Indigo Child for those of you who know what that is.)

Okay, sorry, I'm done now.

Question::

I have a family member who has been diagnosed and rediagnosed with many conditions during his life. His is only 21, but has been labeled high functioning autistic, bipolar, ADD, paranoid schizophrenic, and probably more. He has been medicated at one time or another for all of these labels since the age of about 8. If one medication doesnt work...they just change his diagnosis. I feel it is more than even the Dr's understand. No disrespect intended if any of you are in the medical community.

He has serious anti-social behavior, says he hears voices that instruct him to do many things one of which is to kill, experiences fits of violence, and withdraws completely for days at a time. He has experienced physica effects as well such as massive weight losses, drawn face, dark circles under his eyes, wringing of hands constantly, etc.

Luckily he has never hurt anyone, but I fear for his safety, his future and the safety of the family members that act as care-givers to him.

I have been working with him lately and we seem to be getting him to redirect those powerful emotions and urges into more creative outlets. I have been sending healing energy to him as well to help balance. He seems a bit more involved and content, but i feel his condition may be more complex than what I am equipped to repair.

Does anyone have any thought on what I can do or suggest to help him?

I have often wondered throughout his life if he were not sick at all, but posessed. Wondering if he was in torment from a malicious entity. The criteria just fits so perfectly. Anyone have thoughts on that?

Thanks!