Speaking as a retired forensic psychologist, which provides
me with only a marginally better reference point than most
when it comes to mental disorders... <g>
Psychosis takes many forms. While, in general, it is
presumed that psychotics all suffer some kind of
hallucinations (auditory, visual, or tactile), in fact many
only have delusions. They believe themselves to be people
they aren't, to possess powers they don't, or believe that
they are being pursued, persecuted, or harangued. Many
accurately hear what people on television are saying to them,
but believe that those images are actually talking directly
to them alone. Many believe that they are being given
directions by outside sources in the media, or in some cases
by animals or even inanimate objects.
Reid Meloy, one of the current golden boys in the
field of psychopathy, even maintains that psychopaths are
themselves psychotic, since their inability to accurately
perceive and empathize with the feelings of others means that
they are not in contact with reality.
I agree with an earlier post that maintained that
sometimes it is difficult to draw the line between psychosis
and severe neurosis. Extremely high states of mood disorder,
including anxiety and depression, and manifest as psychotic
states. So can substance abuse, heavy metal toxicity, and
some head injuries.
There are even mental disorders that mimic psychosis,
including schizoaffective disorder and schizoid personality
disorder. Don't get me started on these.
All of this makes it difficult to write characters who
are both mentally disordered and convincing, let alone to
integrate them into a cohesive storyline. I've tried with my
character Scat Boudreaux, in my Pat Gallegher books, to
present a picture of a man who really is delusional, but who
can maintain contact with reality when necessary in order to
get the job done. That's one of the really interesting things
about many people with psychoses. If you tell them that
they're being crazy, they can actually rein it in for a while
and appear 'normal'. Sooner or later, though, the voices or
delusions come back.
In one scene that takes place in the bayous of
southern Louisiana in my Pat Gallegher books, Boudreaux
actually has a psychotic flashback at a critical moment and
believes that he is back in Viet Nam, trying to escape from
the Viet Cong. Gallegher reminds him where he really is, and
he 'snaps' back to the reality of the moment.
Anyone who is thinking of writing a character with
psychological disorders is welcome to contact me, and I'll be
happy to provide whatever technical assistance I can. R
Richard Helms Two-Time Shamus Award Nominee CORDITE
WINE (0-9710159-6-1), the second Eamon Gold PI novel, from
Back Alley Books! website: http://hometown.aol.com/murdvoocarre
"Cordite Wine is tough, funny, exciting, and very good!"
-Robert B. Parker
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