How to maintain logical thought with schizophrenia

Unusual Beliefs
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How do you maintain logical thought with schizophrenia, I was wondering because as schizophrenics we are so delusional that it hard to tell whats reality from fiction. I use grounding techniques and reality testing, but that only works to keep my most severe delusions at bay. What’s your guy’s way of telling what’s real and what’s not?

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When delusional I have no clue and no doubt about the reality of my delusions. Only when they are gone I can see them as delusions

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I guess I mean having on the fence delusions on meds

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If i have minor delusions, delusions with insight, I know they are not reality, but I still believe them

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Those are the ones I was talking about.

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I have plenty of them. You?

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I have tons of them, but sometimes I have ones that I have no insight in, like thinking there’s a bomb in the school. But on the fence ones are thinking that the government is probing my mind, I have a hard time telling if it’s real, any ideas?

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In my opinion, delusions don’t go away just because they are not believed by others.
Even if the whole world would say that I am delusional, I wouldn’t believe them

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I’m like that off meds too, but on meds I have a little bit more insight into my illness. I usually though tell a trusted person, usually my father, and I ask him if it’s real or not and he helps to talk me out of it. Maybe you could do something like that also.

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One thing that shows that I have insight, is the fact that I am embarrassed to talk about my delusions because I am fully aware of their illogical and ridiculous nature.

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Maybe I should do that too, thanks

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This can be very difficult. Some people with schizophrenia can “reason” or “logic” themselves out of believing their eyes, or in the case of delusions, their minds. Most can not. For example, a person who sees a devil’s face can remind themselves that he does not believe in the devil or can say to themselves that they know that the devil does not exist, therefore what they see can not be real. But it is very difficult. Delusions are even more difficult, because delusions are a matter of false beliefs and if one’s thinking is altered as to beliefs then logical analysis is precluded.

My advice is to try once or twice, citing evidence why the hallucinations are presenting can not be. However if after two attempts, the effort should be abandoned, as arguing with the person is only likely to damage the relationship.

There are three generally good alternatives, however neither will likely to have any immediate effect.

  1. Avoid talking about the hallucinations or delusions entirely, or as much as is possible. Instead try to change the conversation. Talk about concrete subjects, such as the weather.

  2. Talk with the person about topics of interest to them such as sports teams, popular music or the news. Or engage them in discussions of areas in which they have strengths, or had strengths in the past.

  3. Observe that, “If what you say is true, that must be quite stressful (or frightening, scary, upsetting, etc.) to you. No wonder you are upset.” Or something similar. Stress is normal, everyone has it, so anyone can empathize with the person without accepting that the delusion or hallucination is true.

Good luck.

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