Where Do Schizophrenics Get Their Delusions From?

Question

I've run into several schizophrenics who have come up with elaborate stories describing interactions they obviously didn't have with people they could possibly know. Are they confusing their dreams with reality?

Answer 1

Delusions are false beliefs or misinterpretations of events & their significance. For instance, a person may get accidentally bumped in the subway & may conclude that this is a Government plot to harass him. He may be awakened by noise from his neighbors apartment & may decide this is a deliberate attempt to interrupt his sleep. Everyone tends to personalize & misinterpret events, especially during times of stress or fatigue. What is characteristic of the schizophrenic however, especially during an acute period, is that the conviction is fixed & alternate explanations for the events experienced are not even considered. Usually attempts at reasoning or discussion about possible other meanings of the bumping or the noise in the night can only lead to the further conviction that the reasoner must be in on the plot, too. Arguing with a delusion only leads to further mistrust or anger. The beliefs are tenaciously held, against all reason, & they are characteristically not shared beliefs. They are held only by the person himself & by no one else.
Families & friends must first realize that delusions are a result of illness & not stubbornness or stupidity. Although fixed delusions can be irritating, emotional reactions should be avoided, as should taunts or threats. There is almost always something about the delusional belief that can be empathized with.

Answer 2

No Schizophrenics get thier delusions from a faulty defecit in
being able to normally socialize. They make up things to pretend to belong to society. They give their lives up to fear
of many things and arn't connected to anything in society.
They don't derivive delusions from the dreams they have.
In many instances they don't even sleep well enough to have
a rich dream life.


Robert B.
diagnosed with Shizophrenia

Answer 3

If they hear voices and have visual hallucinations, the elaborate stories might come from there.

I haven't read anything that states what the source of having delusions is, but we know that chemical imbalances and hereditary influences partially contribute to schizophrenia.


That's what schizophrenics do....not seeing reality the way how we see it.

Answer 4

Schizophrenic's view reality through a different faculty of perception. Your perception of reality is based on the preservation of your biological survival. A person with schizophrenia percieve's your reality on a secondary basis. They think and understand things outside your reality. The ability to determine between the two becomes skewed and the result is confusion. Most schizophrenic's i know are very smart people. There ability to communicate is at a disadvantage because our vocabulary does not allow them to explain their experience.

Answer 5

Of course they are confusing dreams with reality. Comparing their hallucinations to dreaming is a good comparison. I suppose they are like awake dreamers and the cause is chemical imbalances in the brain.

Answer 6

some of the delusions is an expression of abuse they suffered in childhood. it symbolized something that happened to them. genetics plays a role but it can be subsided by environment. check out: www.alice-miller.com

Answer 7

In schizophrenia the patient lose his or her insight.
they will live in their own world, they can't seperate reality from fantacy.they will have delusions & hallucinations.
the movie a beautiful mind explains it all.

Answer 8

its the doctor hypmotised them

Answer 9

Thanks to each and everyone of you guys for the answers.