In many cases the delusions become
more complex and integrated. Rather than simply being watched, the person
becomes convinced that he/she is being controlled by other persons,
manipulated, or even hypnotized. Such persons are constantly on the alert for
confirmatory evidence to support their beliefs; needless to say, they always
find it from among the myriad visual and auditory stimuli perceived by all of
us each day. A good example of this was a kind, elderly Irish lady who was a
patient on my ward. She believed that she had been wired by some mysterious
foreign agents in her sleep and that through the wires her thoughts and actions
could be controlled. In particular she pointed to the ceiling as the place from
which the control took place. One morning I was dismayed to come onto the ward
and discover workmen installing a new fire alarm system; wires were hanging
down in all colors and in all directions. The lady looked at me, pointed to the
ceiling, and just smiled; her delusions had been confirmed forever!
Delusions of being wired or
radio-controlled are relatively common. Often it is the FBI or the CIA that is
the suspected perpetrator of the scheme. In recent years, an increasing numbers
of delusions have involved the Internet. One patient was convinced that a radio
had been sewn into his skull when he had had a minor scalp wound sutured and
had tried to bring legal suit against the FBI innumerable times. Another man,
at one time a highly successful superintendent of schools, became convinced
that a radio had been implanted in his nose. He went to dozens of major medical
centers, even to Europe, seeking a surgeon who would remove it. . . .
Friends of the unfortunate people often try to
reason them out of their delusions. Rarely is this successful. Questions about
why the FBI would want to control them are deftly brushed aside as irrelevant;
the important point is that they do, and the person is
experiencing sensations (such as
strange noises) that confirm the fact. Reasoning a person with schizophrenia
out of a delusion is hampered by the distorted stimuli he/she is perceiving and
also by the fact that the thinking processes may not be logical or connected. .
. .
Paranoid delusions may on occasion
be dangerous. “During the paranoid period I thought I was being persecuted for
my beliefs that my enemies were actively trying to interfere with my
activities, were trying to harm me, and at times even to kill me.” The paranoid
person may try to strike first when the threat is perceived as too close. . . .
Delusions may be of many types other
than paranoid; grandiose delusions are quite common: “I felt that I had power
to determine the weather, which responded to my inner moods, and even to
control the movement of the sun in relation to other astronomical bodies.” This
often leads to a belief by the person that he/she is Jesus Christ, the Virgin
Mary, the President, or some other exalted or important person. . . .
A relatively common delusion is that
a person can control other people’s minds. One young woman I saw had spent five
years at home because each time she went into the street she believed that her
mind compelled other people to turn and look at her. She described the effect
of her mind as “like a magnet—they have no choice but to turn and look.” . . .
Ask me about Broken Minds!
www.heheartfeltmin.org
A reviewer
I'm Keeping It Real, and this book really educated me on Depression and the Stigma that the Christian Church has with dealing with mental illness. This is the 21st century, there is no need for intelligent Christians to run around with a 'Cloak and Dagger' mentality about BIOLOGICAL DEPRESSION. It's an affliction, and the author 'Reverend and Mrs. Bloem' have been there done that. Now they're giving back to the Christian Community so that other people DON'T have to go through the same torture that is Mental Illness. Remember, mental illness is NOT A DISGRACE! Give it a read, you'll LOVE IT!!!
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