Ok. So I’m going to say my beliefs in order to understand something in regards to my therapist.
I believe I’m being followed and recorded by Navy SEALs. However, I do recognize that others find this strange and untrue.
My therapist says that means I have insight. Is that insight? I believe everyone is wrong and they just don’t understand since it’s strange and so I just don’t talk about it.
She told me at my appointment yesterday I’m no longer sick and just suffer from low self esteem. I don’t think I’m sick either, because I believe it’s really happening so this is kind of confusing for me. I feel really mixed up mentally about all this.
Yeah, I agree with everyone else that has posted thus far. That’s not insight at all. Recognizing that others dont believe and still believing it yourself is not insight. Sorry @LilyoftheValley .
I’m not so sure @Bowens , do you think insight is simply synonymous with ‘non-delusional’? In case of which insight into delusions is logically impossible
I was quite aware that others didnt believe me when I was in psychosis. Knowing that others dont believe you means nothing. No, insight isnt synonymous with “non-delusional” either.
Insight partially means being aware that you are sick. Now she thinks she is well despite her beliefs. It totally is the opposite. I dont know why her therapist is telling her this. Its ridiculous.
So what exactly is required to have insight while delusional, i.e., you do believe such and such, but on top of that there is also insight which supposedly requires more than being aware that others do not believe you. You say believing you are sick, does that specifically mean believing that you are delusional? Which would in sum amount to believing your delusion but also believing that it is false - which is a flat out contradiction.
It’s not a flat out contradiction. I have always said there is a stage inbetween full on delusional and having some insight and doubting your beliefs but still having them nonetheless.
Feel free to look up the definition yourself. You can still have some insight and be partiall delusional. It’s not a logical fallacy.
Sorry @Bowens but that is not very coherent what you’re saying there, but I won’t further derail @LilyoftheValley. The literature on this says that this is indeed part of insight, and I would trust therapists and research literature over strangers on the internet.
Lots of people here know that they have delusions but they nag at them nonetheless. But feel free to believe what you want. Its quite coherent. And if you want to point out to literature. feel free to post an example, so I know what you mean.
Her therapist told her she is no longer sick. I believe that is wholly irresponsible.
An example of insight would be feeling like youre being videotaped inside your home, but Knowing its not true. So its Feeling like something is happening (the delusion) but Knowing its not.
Well it does depend on the kind of insight. Many doctors have varying definitions of what insight encompasses. This seems to be the standard used by doctors.
Anthony S. David, 1990[1] defined concept of insight having at least three distinct dimensions:
The recognition that one has a mental illness (awareness).
The ability to re-label unusual mental events (delusions and hallucinations) as pathological (attribution).
The recognition of the need for treatment (action).
Thereby indicating that (Un) awareness, (Mis) attribution, (In) action either alone, or together defining impaired insight. All the three mental abilities seem to require a degree of executive functioning capability and could be considered an executive function in itself, thereby hinting that lack of insight is impairment of executive function.
Amador and David[2] expanded the concept of insight with five different dimensions for insight in SCZ:
Awareness of having a mental illness.
Awareness of the consequences of mental illness
Awareness of symptoms of mental disorder.
Attribution of symptoms to a mental disorder.
Awareness of the effects of medication.
Tbh, if you don’t talk about certain things with your therapist, they will misdiagnose what they think you have or have not yet achieved. If you speak only in a positive way, and not the negative stuff, they don’t know.
I once had a therapist tell me after the first meeting without even discussing most of my symptoms that I clearly was misdiagnosed and AP make me worse.
I went off meds last year with her encouragement
And I got way worse and haven’t even bounced back fully
You can both have some insight but still be sick
It’s a spectrum
Most of the time I recognize others find my beliefs weird but I believe them regardless
I hope that you don’t plan on going off medication because of this therapists “insight” on your mental well being. Talk to you pdoc. Don’t let this therapists opinion steer you in the wrong direction.
You clearly still have delusions and, I’m no pdoc, but I believe that would be disastrous in the long run. I was totally free of delusions, reduced my meds . This combined with stressful incidents sent me into a psychosis for months. It’s not fun. I dont want to see you go there.