How delusional can you be without psychosis?

You’re right, I was asking myself that very question. :face_with_raised_eyebrow:

Its been my experience that the more a person goes on about how much insight they have the more delusional they truly are.

The fact is, you’re not the co-creator of the universe,

You aren’t more enlightened than the rest of us.

You’re just an average person with some delusional thinking.

Do you take medication or see a therapist?

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Average people don’t suffer from sz, or write cult novels, it’s a simple statistical fact. And yes, I do see a doctor or two. No offence intended, but how could you possibly know that I am not the co-creator of the universe? It might sound implausible, but is it really impossible? I understand that in your own struggle with sz you should have come up with some pretty hardball resolutions and ontological committments, but there are other paths, as implied, for instance, in Helen Back’s more constructive and neurodiverse approach

You clearly don’t want to let go of this delusion,

So why are you asking for help?

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I think you’ve misunderstood the intention of my post. Clearly we don’t understand each other. Let’s leave it at that.

Without knowing your clinical history, if any, it looks like you are suffering from a delusion rather than being full-blown psychotic. Delusions are aspects of psychosis and psychosis needs more than a delusion to be defined as psychotic (f0r example, you’d have to be so detached from reality as to not be able to function; have fits of rage with homicidal ideation, and so forth).

According to WebMD, delusions standing on their own (without comorbitity) are pretty rare.

Thanks for asking.

Maybe you just have delusional disorder. That’s a mild psychotic illness that doesn’t cause much disruption in life. Most people don’t even get treated for it.

I was diagnosed with that before I was diagnosed with paranoid schizophrenia.

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A lot of times, conquering this disease or at least having as decent recovery is more about what you do , rather than what you think. If you have a few lingering delusions but you are functioning in a reasonable manner than yes, then go on with your life and use your potential. After all, no one is stopping you from making a life for yourself. Your delusions are your own business, no one else needs to know unless you tell your psychiatrist or therapist.

I’m 57 years old, diagnosed in 1980 at age 19 with paranoid schizophrenia. I’ve worked at many jobs and gone to college (still have a few classes to finish for my own satisfaction and my families) and driven and lived independently. But I have delusions, weird thoughts, weird perceptions. It made things difficult but I did a lot of things anyways. And right now I’m on the edge of what I am going to do with the rest of my life. But if you talk to me you would never know I have schizophrenia.

Anyways, delusions or not, just go ahead and put out an honest effort to achieve a goal or two (or three or four or twenty) and live your life the best you can Good luck.

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I appreciate the input. I have been diagnosed with undifferentiated schizophrenia on the basis of various supposedly 'psychotic; symptoms, plus negative ones. So-called delusions (philosophical positions in fact), a few visual hallucinations, self-disorder issues, ego death experience, brief full blown psychotic episodes etc. But I think you’re right about me not having sz. My docs are driving me insane with this

I don’t think I’m delusional, and at any rate it is my diagnosis of sz that I’m trying to debunk. My understanding though, is that delusional disorder (formerly known as pura paranoia) is not considered to be a ‘mild’ psychotic illness, and that often it can be very disruptive.

You are clearly delusional. No mortal being had anything to do with creating the universe. And you aren’t more than one being.

But I still believe my delusions. I think the government gave me schizophrenia and I can offer examples as proof. I think they manipulate things in my life to worsen my symptoms and believe they do this but some things have turned out that they weren’t manipulated. However, they still grossly affected me when they were happening.

And though I still believe these things my psychiatrist would call them delusions and I recognize that. I cope with it better now. They used to be really disabling and I will agree wasn’t a mild symptom. It very much impacted me.

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Thanks but I’m not delusionals

Normally if there is no evidence for it and it seems out of place it is a delusion. I used to do the same thing, especially with the ‘I am the only one’ things. The sooner you get good at spotting them the better.

I’m good at spotting other people’s delusions, but when addressing my own ‘oddities’ the philosophical assumptions -seeing I’m both the source and object of self-reflection- are necessarily bound to be different.

Yes but there is a difference between an ideal and a belief. You have no evidence for a reason, trust me all the experts on here are telling you it is typical behaviour. We all went through the ‘it is just real’ phase as well.

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I understand ‘rationally’ why my beliefs might come across as delusional to others, but the prospect of taking the blue pill remains a dismal one.

There is no blue pill red pill only facts. I just realized if I was trying to do this to myself when I was like you I am not sure if I would have got through either. If you admit they are not real your life will get a whole lot easier. All I have got to say.

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I dunno man. I think your just really good at tricking yourself. Justifying. The delusions are indicitive of self importance. Not self reflection. Your using dated religious ideologies. Someone who is enlightened isnt raving about these things. They have strategies. If you want to know whats really going on you have to accurately bring back knowledge from other layers of reality and develop the tools to do so. A foot in both worlds. Your good at talking ill give you that though. But my honest opinion is right now your burning up your photonic reserves. Which is used to communicate every day. And you only have so much throughout a lifespan.

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Why did I get flagged?
Delusion is something that is not your religion or your culture.

I didn’t mean to support his delusions.
I just said that if it’s your religion or culture, probably it’s fine