Insight? Why is this bad

Why can’t doctors understand that you can have insight as to what they believe are the reasons or cause, but still not believe that is the truth?

Why does insight mean you are better to them?

I have had enough treatment from pdocs to know everything about my illness. I also research a lot so I know what they think the reasons are. That doesn’t mean I agree or believe it.

You can tell me the sun is really blue or the sky is red. I know that is what you think, but I don’t have to agree. But docs don’t understand that - they just say “you have very good insight”. So what that doesn’t fix me - that doesn’t help my symptoms go away.

Give me something that will fix this ■■■■ and then I can say I have insight that what you prescribed actually worked. I want to get better, I don’t want to be scared and paranoid of everything. So far insight isn’t worth ■■■■ to me.

Maybe it’s different with your situation but I believe sz was a disease of lack of insight for me. That’s how it started, that was the first sign, the most debilitating factor and a sign I’m getting better is I have better insight now. But that’s just me.

But maybe he’s comparing you to other patients where insight played a big role in their recovery. When I was at my worsts I had ZERO insight. It was tough to live. The meds have given me insight, and other things.

1 Like

Doctors do treat patients as a mass, but we are still individuals. I didn’t have insight when I was a kid but living in an institution for 2yrs changed that for me. I gained knowledge of what they wanted me to believe, but that didn’t change my symptoms or how I believed. So insight has never been the issue.for me.

What are your current symptoms??

@turningthepage I still hear voices at least 10-12 at a time some more prominent than others which I know are spirits I am supposed to protect some are mean and talk bad about me but others are not.
I see shadow people, demons, spirits, sounds and smells no one else hears or smells, bugs crawling on me
Paranoia and suspicion is big symptom with me -where I know people talk about me, can read my mind, can control my mind, I don’t trust anyone cause they are trying to kill me or hurt me
I don’t watch tv much really because the people start talking about me or to me,
I say thing backwards or misuse words when trying to say something like tonight once I said “it had an scratch to itch” or “their thorns are trong” meaning horns are strong.
I have no motivation or laziness(avolition) to do even daily stuff like take showers,
I have visions of horrible events happening to people I know and to people in general like world destruction,
I have spiritual type beliefs that others don’t, conspiracy type beliefs,
I don’t really have emotions except fear and anger

The docs say because I know they call all these delusions, hallucinations and such that means I have insight. And docs say if you have insight then you are better. I am not better, Knowing what they believe does not stop anything.

I can see why that’s frustrating @mjgh06

I’m sorry you experience all that.

I think they often do treat patients as a mass and see why that could be especially frustrating for you.

From how I hear doctors say “you have insight” to me is saying everyone of us here are not schizophrenic and do not suffer because we have been informed of what the medical community calls our symptoms. It’s just BS. So I am supposed to lie like no omg no doctor has ever told me in 30+yrs that these were delusions and hallucinations.

I think insight doesn’t necessarily have to ONLY mean you know you are diagnosed, just insight into reality, you know? Like awareness of your surroundings and people and life in general. Like I got insight into my illness at 21 but it wasn’t until I was 23 when I heard an owl in the woods, and stared at the skies, and had spiritual revelations that I gained insight into reality and what life really meant. And I’m still figuring that out and will continue til the day I die. But I think that’s what he means by insight. But I still could see why it’s frustrating that he says “you’re cured!” (exaggeration) because you have insight, when you experience so many symptoms.

I totally see where you’re coming from with this. I’ve gotten the insightful/intelligent comments before, and just kind of thought to myself “So what? It doesn’t relieve the symptoms.”. I think it is worth considering, though, that doctors know that people with our illness often suffer from self-image problems, and they may be doing their part to give us a needed element of confidence and self-esteem.

maybe I am thinking too much which I do, or I don’t really comprehend what they mean by insight. I know what I believe as truths and what they believe. I know I am not well by their standards, I have delusions, hallucinations, and odd beliefs. By my standards I am not well because all this ■■■■ I should be able to control and can’t. I have this purpose in life to understand the visions and to protect the spirits but until I figure out how to do that I am left in this tortured soul. I can’t just turn it off and I think that’s what they are trying to say - but I don’t get it. If I could stop it I would, I want them to help me stop it but I think they won’t because “I have insight” so where am I left. Still trying to defend myself against all this crap with no end in sight, no control, no remedy. What is the point in trying then? Man this is getting me down…

It isn’t giving me self-confidence. Just the opposite - I am more depressed thinking no one can help me or even try because I should know how to control it, to stop it and I don’t.

So are you saying the doctor is trying to tell me what I believe is correct? I don’t understand.

Insight simply means that you are aware that your voices and delusions are symptoms of your illness, that they are not real. Medication can help give insight, but it can also help remove some or all of these symptoms. In my own case, I have some voices and delusional thinking left over, but my insight has allowed me to recognize them as ‘not real’ and helped me develop habits to push all the noise and weirdness into the background.

3 Likes

Sorry I don’t know your situation fully enough to say. All I’m saying is finding reason aided me in my recovery. I could still be hearing voices and have reason and insight. And that’d be a slight positive to being “zonked out of my mind” as I always call it. Like when I was a teen and a young adult I was “zonked out of my mind” I always say. I don’t think you’re “zonked out of your mind” like I was,but you could be suffering from lack of insight somewhat judging by some of your delusions. Honestly I’m Not really sure what you’re trying to get at here either. i don’t think we’re on the same page right now. No hard feelings though obviously. You’re one of my favorite posters if that makes you feel better. But no I will not show you a picture of myself without the hat :wink:

1 Like

Well that wouldn’t be me - I know they say they aren’t real and just a symptom. But knowing what the say is not the same as believing them. I know they are real and are spirits. They have different personalities, different voices. It is just not logical that they aren’t real when the evidence says they are real. I guess that is where it came from then when I asked her if she wanted me to tell her what the docs say or what I know.

Thanks, but one day, one day I may see you without a hat.:stuck_out_tongue_winking_eye:

1 Like

That’s not insight.

2 Likes

Hey mj, it’s not insight if you believe them to be real. It’s just recognition of a symptom, but you dismiss it in order to accomodate other not so real thoughts. That’s delusional thinking.

The reason they say insight is important, is because, once you have it, you can turn away from the delusions or hallucinations and develop coping mechanisms, and they’re very important for a recovery process.

If you believe some weird thoughts to be true, that’s the opposite of insight, you’re not developing coping mechanisms, you’re allowing your mind to go wild.

Meds help, but you also can help yourself. I know that some unmedicated people here have a lot of insight, and even if they slip now and then, they can apply those notions to keep themselves grounded.

Also, if a thought is widely accepted by the neurotypicals community, it doesn’t mean it’s not delusional to believe it.

2 Likes

Half the people with schizophrenia are unable to have self-awareness for the disease because it damages part of the brain responsible for that. Though that doesn’t change the symptoms and such. My psychiatrist actually bragged about me once because I’m so knowledgeable about schizophrenia, which I thought was funny. rofl

1 Like