Sunday, August 17, 2003
MENTAL ILLNESS
I was having an argument the other night with a friend as to what "schizophrenia" is and what it is not. And distinguishing it from "multiple personality disorder".
I live with people who are "schizophrenic" and have interacted many times with them. When I was told my definition and understanding of schizophrenia was wrong I was greatly distressed as this undermined my ability to identify a disorder that I have been working for years with among many clients. I was upset at the definitions I was reading and therefore have now set out to define "personality disorder."
I'm going to attack this from alot of angles. It may seem like random dispersed thoughts but I'm hoping they will connect and form a picture by the end.
Disassociation
Personality-what is the persona? What is the individual?
Characteristics of schizophrenia:
Voices: who are these voices from? Are they from within? Is this a struggle with their own conflicting thoughts and inner struggles/obsessions or is there a separate entity involved as in demonic possession? Are these the voices from another controlling human you are under the spell or care of-or domination? A sexual lover?
Causes: breakdown of the brain. I.e. as in Alzheimer’s- brain cells dying. Which areas of the brain are dying causing certain malfunctions?
Hallucinations/perception-hearing/seeing things that aren’t "real" -aren’t there. Are these images coming from past memories or confused with the present? Is the brain playing tricks or is another "individual" involved?
Chemical imbalance-are signals being transmitted improperly? Does the body have an imbalance of essential elements? -Drugs
Brain being responsible for: speech, memories, performing tasks, planning/assessing, analyzing, and recognition
Mood
Anxiety
Fears/Phobias and Paranoiacs
I'm going to go back to 'what is the persona' and defining personality. Do you have more than one personality? We all have mood swings. We all shift into different modes (i.e. modes: we dress up for 'housewife mode' 'going out' mode 'church mode' religious denomination mode-we put on the face to perform for the individuals we are expecting to meet) and act differently. We change. How do you know if you have 'multiple personality disorder'?
STABILIZATION -I believe this is the key word. The most important word in organizing and defining what a healthy personality is all about. And the key to stabilization is healthy RELATIONSHIPS.
How do you act when you are beginning a new relationship? Does it thrill you? But what are the conflicting thoughts and anxieties that go hand and hand with relationships? Maybe struggles with abandonment or betrayal. Maybe this person will not hold you on that pedestal shattering your self-esteem.
What about those relationships that ended abruptly without any explanation? What about those individuals who made your heart soar and made you 'believe' only to find yourself dashed to pieces later on? Who is left to deal with the damage when no one else can truly appreciate the investment you may have put into another especially if you kept your emotions in silence?
When working with patients I let them know initially by tone of voice that I am their friend for the day. We begin acting towards one another in friendship mode exhibiting and manifesting a pleasant personality. Our relationship is put to the test throughout the day as they can sense whether or not I have the backing of the staff and how I deal with introductions and interactions with their visiting family and friends. In order for my client to continue 'believing' and holding onto our initial friendship mode and tone-I have to live up to their expectations and my asserted claims.
I am trying to fit this into explaining the persona. Our persona is very complex and is dependent upon our relationships-our ability to handily them-our ability not to misplace trust-unreal expectations and beliefs. Complicating this too is this frustrating world which separates loved ones in so many unfair and unpredictable and unexplained ways. Also too acting on this is our childhood traumas that we may not even remember due to 'blocking out' certain events and with it too alot of other stuff surrounding the event. How do we deal with devastating relationships? -We change. We change our personality. We adapt in order to survive.
NEEDS
Physiological: air, water, shelter, food, clothing,
Love and belonging: touch, intimacy
Security: free from threat of harm to oneself or loved ones
Self-esteem: a healthy view of oneself
We also have the need for recognition. The need for truth. The need for discipline. To know there is a hand over us. That we cant continually go "to far" and walk away unpunished. We have a desire to be accountable to know we are cared for. The need for release. To identify and find identity. The need for resolution. The need to realize the fruits of our labor.
If these needs are denied we fall apart.
What my intentions are in all of this: I have worked in many institutions with many patients. I have been a patient myself and struggled with extreme internal battles (as most individuals) with the help of a great psychiatrist. I have seen and felt the response in patients by being that 'stable friend' reaching out a hand and giving them dignity. I have seen the reverse with impersonal doctors who throw around their diagnosis and write up their charts and fool around with medication doses. When all the patient really needs is for you to toss the books aside and say, "Look, I really care. Talk to me and tell me what your problem is. I really want to help you." And show a tender side.
Everybody is an individual with individual needs and their own individual history of traumas and experiences. A person my be exhibiting characteristics of what some define as 'multi personality disorder' and others the personality traits of a 'schizophrenic' definition. Our problems are complex and deep-rooted. We can’t just slap people in categories until we really take apart the real problems and their struggles with identity and relationships. Instead of reinforcing the lies of the institutions and labeling people with definitions-why don’t we help these people by giving them release to all the lies they have been forced to swallow? Are we afraid that their mental health just might improve? You know it will.
I was having an argument the other night with a friend as to what "schizophrenia" is and what it is not. And distinguishing it from "multiple personality disorder".
I live with people who are "schizophrenic" and have interacted many times with them. When I was told my definition and understanding of schizophrenia was wrong I was greatly distressed as this undermined my ability to identify a disorder that I have been working for years with among many clients. I was upset at the definitions I was reading and therefore have now set out to define "personality disorder."
I'm going to attack this from alot of angles. It may seem like random dispersed thoughts but I'm hoping they will connect and form a picture by the end.
Disassociation
Personality-what is the persona? What is the individual?
Characteristics of schizophrenia:
Voices: who are these voices from? Are they from within? Is this a struggle with their own conflicting thoughts and inner struggles/obsessions or is there a separate entity involved as in demonic possession? Are these the voices from another controlling human you are under the spell or care of-or domination? A sexual lover?
Causes: breakdown of the brain. I.e. as in Alzheimer’s- brain cells dying. Which areas of the brain are dying causing certain malfunctions?
Hallucinations/perception-hearing/seeing things that aren’t "real" -aren’t there. Are these images coming from past memories or confused with the present? Is the brain playing tricks or is another "individual" involved?
Chemical imbalance-are signals being transmitted improperly? Does the body have an imbalance of essential elements? -Drugs
Brain being responsible for: speech, memories, performing tasks, planning/assessing, analyzing, and recognition
Mood
Anxiety
Fears/Phobias and Paranoiacs
I'm going to go back to 'what is the persona' and defining personality. Do you have more than one personality? We all have mood swings. We all shift into different modes (i.e. modes: we dress up for 'housewife mode' 'going out' mode 'church mode' religious denomination mode-we put on the face to perform for the individuals we are expecting to meet) and act differently. We change. How do you know if you have 'multiple personality disorder'?
STABILIZATION -I believe this is the key word. The most important word in organizing and defining what a healthy personality is all about. And the key to stabilization is healthy RELATIONSHIPS.
How do you act when you are beginning a new relationship? Does it thrill you? But what are the conflicting thoughts and anxieties that go hand and hand with relationships? Maybe struggles with abandonment or betrayal. Maybe this person will not hold you on that pedestal shattering your self-esteem.
What about those relationships that ended abruptly without any explanation? What about those individuals who made your heart soar and made you 'believe' only to find yourself dashed to pieces later on? Who is left to deal with the damage when no one else can truly appreciate the investment you may have put into another especially if you kept your emotions in silence?
When working with patients I let them know initially by tone of voice that I am their friend for the day. We begin acting towards one another in friendship mode exhibiting and manifesting a pleasant personality. Our relationship is put to the test throughout the day as they can sense whether or not I have the backing of the staff and how I deal with introductions and interactions with their visiting family and friends. In order for my client to continue 'believing' and holding onto our initial friendship mode and tone-I have to live up to their expectations and my asserted claims.
I am trying to fit this into explaining the persona. Our persona is very complex and is dependent upon our relationships-our ability to handily them-our ability not to misplace trust-unreal expectations and beliefs. Complicating this too is this frustrating world which separates loved ones in so many unfair and unpredictable and unexplained ways. Also too acting on this is our childhood traumas that we may not even remember due to 'blocking out' certain events and with it too alot of other stuff surrounding the event. How do we deal with devastating relationships? -We change. We change our personality. We adapt in order to survive.
NEEDS
Physiological: air, water, shelter, food, clothing,
Love and belonging: touch, intimacy
Security: free from threat of harm to oneself or loved ones
Self-esteem: a healthy view of oneself
We also have the need for recognition. The need for truth. The need for discipline. To know there is a hand over us. That we cant continually go "to far" and walk away unpunished. We have a desire to be accountable to know we are cared for. The need for release. To identify and find identity. The need for resolution. The need to realize the fruits of our labor.
If these needs are denied we fall apart.
What my intentions are in all of this: I have worked in many institutions with many patients. I have been a patient myself and struggled with extreme internal battles (as most individuals) with the help of a great psychiatrist. I have seen and felt the response in patients by being that 'stable friend' reaching out a hand and giving them dignity. I have seen the reverse with impersonal doctors who throw around their diagnosis and write up their charts and fool around with medication doses. When all the patient really needs is for you to toss the books aside and say, "Look, I really care. Talk to me and tell me what your problem is. I really want to help you." And show a tender side.
Everybody is an individual with individual needs and their own individual history of traumas and experiences. A person my be exhibiting characteristics of what some define as 'multi personality disorder' and others the personality traits of a 'schizophrenic' definition. Our problems are complex and deep-rooted. We can’t just slap people in categories until we really take apart the real problems and their struggles with identity and relationships. Instead of reinforcing the lies of the institutions and labeling people with definitions-why don’t we help these people by giving them release to all the lies they have been forced to swallow? Are we afraid that their mental health just might improve? You know it will.
