Schizophrenia - General Discussion

Harold Anderson3, I’ve been chewing on what you wrote about how healthy, mindful people supposedly have higher dopamine levels, and honestly, I’m not so sure about that... If you ask me, I think they actually have higher serotonin levels instead. That would explain why they seem so centered, positive, and totally in tune with peace and harmony. On the flip side, take someone like me—if I had higher dopamine, I’d probably be constantly revved up, chasing extreme sports, obsessed with caffeine, and always looking for the next rush. And then, if I didn't stay active, all that energy would just spiral into anxiety and restlessness. You wouldn't get that sense of zen or bliss; you’d just be stuck in a permanent state of Fight or flight.

Adam Morris4 said:Harold Anderson3, I’ve been chewing on what you wrote about how healthy, mindful people supposedly have higher dopamine levels, and honestly, I’m not so sure about that... If you ask me, I think they actually have higher serotonin levels instead. That would explain why they seem so centered, positive, and totally in tune with peace and harmony. On the flip side, take someone like me—if I had higher dopamine, I’d probably be constantly revved up, chasing extreme sports, obsessed with caffeine, and always looking for the next rush. And then, if I didn't stay active, all that energy would just spiral into anxiety and restlessness. You wouldn't get that sense of zen or bliss; you’d just be stuck in a permanent state of Fight or flight.

That’s actually how it's explained in the book.
Both dopamine and serotonin play roles in how we feel good and satisfied, but there's a catch: having too much serotonin can lead to a good mood at times when it isn't really helpful, while excessive dopamine tends to drive people to escape from reality.

I’m not saying there isn't any writing here, but I can't help but philosophize a bit since dopamine really is the engine behind our motivation and reward systems... It’s like, if I accomplish this task or that goal, I feel a surge of satisfaction... whereas serotonin is more about that general sense of being okay, just feeling good in your own skin... Whoever cares, I guess.
But honestly, it's true that being on Zoloft right now makes me want to skip out on socializing, but then if I grab a strong cup of coffee, suddenly I’m all chatty again... It’s like when I hit that perfect sweet spot between serotonin and dopamine, I feel unstoppable. When one gets out of whack, everything feels off. Of course, there are tons of other neurotransmitters and complex biological gears turning under the hood too...

As for that serotonin thing, I really felt it firsthand. I realized it when someone was shot right in front of my house—three bullets to the head—and I just stayed completely stone-cold... or even when I walked away from a massive pileup on the interstate and felt absolutely nothing at all. 112 miles/h

Adam Morris4 said:I’m not saying there isn't any writing here, but I can't help but philosophize a bit since dopamine really is the engine behind our motivation and reward systems... It’s like, if I accomplish this task or that goal, I feel a surge of satisfaction... whereas serotonin is more about that general sense of being okay, just feeling good in your own skin... Whoever cares, I guess.
But honestly, it's true that being on Zoloft right now makes me want to skip out on socializing, but then if I grab a strong cup of coffee, suddenly I’m all chatty again... It’s like when I hit that perfect sweet spot between serotonin and dopamine, I feel unstoppable. When one gets out of whack, everything feels off. Of course, there are tons of other neurotransmitters and complex biological gears turning under the hood too...

As for that serotonin thing, I really felt it firsthand. I realized it when someone was shot right in front of my house—three bullets to the head—and I just stayed completely stone-cold... or even when I walked away from a massive pileup on the interstate and felt absolutely nothing at all. 112 miles/h

I totally get where you're coming from. You're absolutely right about the part in bold, though. Trying to pin everything down to just one specific chemical is a pretty one-dimensional way to look at it. We have about 30 different neurotransmitters in our brains, and an imbalance in any of them can cause issues.
Even if it isn't always the most extreme case, schizophrenia is probably one of the most complex mental health conditions out there, representing a massive disruption in the brain—essentially a widespread imbalance across many different types of those neurotransmitters.

I have a question that doesn't quite fit the scope of this forum; I am uncertain where else to direct it, yet it feels trivial to initiate an entirely new thread just for this inquiry.

Suppose an individual experiences nothing more than occasional auditory hallucinations without any accompanying symptoms. Once the hallucination subsides, the person acknowledges what happened and maintains a firm grasp on reality. However, these episodes are profoundly distressing. For instance, if someone perceives a burglar on a different floor or in a nearby room—someone who is shouting at them and throwing objects—it becomes incredibly difficult for family members to convince them that they are merely hallucinating during the heat of the moment.

The hallucination passes quickly, and the individual returns to their normal state almost immediately. There is no paranoia about being followed, no shifts in mood, and no disorganized speech or thought patterns; there are "only" the hallucinations themselves.

Is it possible for such a person to be involuntarily hospitalized if they aren't posing a threat to others or themselves? They might throw a spoon, a fork, a knife, or a plate at this phantom intruder, which inevitably leads to a lot of broken dishes over time. If you try to persuade them to seek help voluntarily, they argue that the symptom isn't severe enough to warrant a psychiatric stay, or they promise they will go just one single time.

If someone is experiencing hallucinations, they undergo involuntary hospitalization, provided they actually validate those hallucinations as real.

Rebecca Rivera3 said:If someone is experiencing hallucinations, they undergo involuntary hospitalization, provided they actually validate those hallucinations as real.

But what happens if they deny them entirely?

So, here’s a little thought I had today—kind of a deep one, maybe? If I’m just sitting there by myself, having a full-on conversation where I’m talking to an imaginary version of myself... you know, playing both parts, responding to my own points, making comments back and forth? But the thing is, I’m not actually *hearing* an external voice or anything. It's all just happening internally in my head. In that case, would that be considered schizophrenia?

Adam Morris4 said:So, here’s a little thought I had today—kind of a deep one, maybe? If I’m just sitting there by myself, having a full-on conversation where I’m talking to an imaginary version of myself... you know, playing both parts, responding to my own points, making comments back and forth? But the thing is, I’m not actually *hearing* an external voice or anything. It's all just happening internally in my head. In that case, would that be considered schizophrenia?

Look, if you're just having an internal monologue or even talking out loud to yourself, that’s pretty much standard human behavior—totally normal. It's only when you start hearing a literal stranger's voice in your ear that things get weird. Personally, I'm constantly running full-blown debates with myself in my head about random ideas and stuff. Nothing to worry about.

Carol Barrett2 said:Look, if you're just having an internal monologue or even talking out loud to yourself, that’s pretty much standard human behavior—totally normal. It's only when you start hearing a literal stranger's voice in your ear that things get weird. Personally, I'm constantly running full-blown debates with myself in my head about random ideas and stuff. Nothing to worry about.

It's not like I'm hearing an audible voice, though—you know, like in those movies about schizophrenia... It’s more like this *other version* of me—someone a bit tougher, maybe a little more cynical—is checking in. This "inner me" addresses me directly, almost like a coach, and we end up dissecting a situation or a person together. Or if I'm at the gym pushing through a heavy set, he’ll give me that mental nudge to hang in there. Honestly, I really hope I'm not dealing with some mild version of a mental health issue... I definitely don't want to end up being prescribed heavy-duty antipsychotics over some internal pep talks!

If someone denies they're experiencing hallucinations, they won't be forcibly hospitalized. Basically, involuntary commitment only happens if a psychiatrist observes the hallucinations firsthand or if the individual admits to them.

Adam Morris4 said:It's not like I'm hearing an audible voice, though—you know, like in those movies about schizophrenia... It’s more like this *other version* of me—someone a bit tougher, maybe a little more cynical—is checking in. This "inner me" addresses me directly, almost like a coach, and we end up dissecting a situation or a person together. Or if I'm at the gym pushing through a heavy set, he’ll give me that mental nudge to hang in there. Honestly, I really hope I'm not dealing with some mild version of a mental health issue... I definitely don't want to end up being prescribed heavy-duty antipsychotics over some internal pep talks!

So, are you experiencing any other symptoms? Because honestly, what you’re describing isn't particularly specific to schizophrenia, nor is it enough to warrant a diagnosis.

Adam Morris4 said:It's not like I'm hearing an audible voice, though—you know, like in those movies about schizophrenia... It’s more like this *other version* of me—someone a bit tougher, maybe a little more cynical—is checking in. This "inner me" addresses me directly, almost like a coach, and we end up dissecting a situation or a person together. Or if I'm at the gym pushing through a heavy set, he’ll give me that mental nudge to hang in there. Honestly, I really hope I'm not dealing with some mild version of a mental health issue... I definitely don't want to end up being prescribed heavy-duty antipsychotics over some internal pep talks!

I honestly don't know what to tell you. For me, it’s my own voice, but it feels like a simulation of sorts. Like, take a conversation I had with my psychiatrist recently—it was basically me having a mental dialogue with myself, but acting as if I were talking to the doctor, who is still just my own voice, not some stranger. It’s kind of like daydreaming or that whole "make believe" thing Americans call it.

As for different kinds of thoughts, I guess I should mention something else. Sometimes, when I'm watching a movie—to put it this way—I find myself having full-on conversations with people on an online forum. Like, I'll mentally draft exactly what I would write back to them.

People say it's totally normal to talk to yourself, sometimes even out loud. But talking to imaginary characters, or visual hallucinations, or—this is the part—talking to strangers in public and expecting a response when nobody is actually answering? That drunk guy rambling to the air? Yeah, that’s where things get problematic, at least in my book and from what I see with others. I mean, talking to yourself is fine, presumably, as long as you aren't doing it twenty-four-seven.

Rebecca Rivera3 said:If someone denies they're experiencing hallucinations, they won't be forcibly hospitalized. Basically, involuntary commitment only happens if a psychiatrist observes the hallucinations firsthand or if the individual admits to them.

Well, they will if you check yourself in voluntarily, even if you deny the hallucinations part. Personally, I was right on the edge of being held against my will a few times because I was dealing with delirium or delusions—but I wasn't actually seeing things that weren't there. So, yeah, hallucinations aren't the only ticket to a psych ward. If you're being a nuisance to everyone else, losing your mind, or just screaming your head off, that's enough to get you locked up too.

I'm telling you, I acted pretty wild back then—twice, I think—and they definitely could have forced me into a facility. But I signed the papers for voluntary admission myself... at least, if I'm remembering correctly from the last time. Though, this most recent time, I wasn't even acting crazy; it felt more like my brain just short-circuited because of everything going on.

Look, let's be real—some people were out sick just to get those medical clearance papers, some were playing the system to score disability checks, and others were basically passed out after a drunken night of making terrible life choices. I didn't see a single person having visible hallucinations back then, either. There was this one guy talking to someone who wasn't there, but honestly, I couldn't tell if he was actually tripping or just being weird.

Most cases boil down to depression, substance abuse, or alcohol—it's usually the same old cycle of common issues.

So, one guy was having hallucinations—auditory ones, probably. You know how it goes with most people dealing with severe depression, alcohol, drugs, and all that mess. Some were retired, and honestly, some were just out there living on the streets.

Adam Morris4 said:It's not like I'm hearing an audible voice, though—you know, like in those movies about schizophrenia... It’s more like this *other version* of me—someone a bit tougher, maybe a little more cynical—is checking in. This "inner me" addresses me directly, almost like a coach, and we end up dissecting a situation or a person together. Or if I'm at the gym pushing through a heavy set, he’ll give me that mental nudge to hang in there. Honestly, I really hope I'm not dealing with some mild version of a mental health issue... I definitely don't want to end up being prescribed heavy-duty antipsychotics over some internal pep talks!

If you aren't presenting any other symptoms, as Mario suggests, then isn't it highly probable that what you are describing is simply the Super Ego as defined in psychology or psychoanalysis? Should you really be worrying about this when such a phenomenon is actually quite common?

Nicole Barrett76 said:If you aren't presenting any other symptoms, as Mario suggests, then isn't it highly probable that what you are describing is simply the Super Ego as defined in psychology or psychoanalysis? Should you really be worrying about this when such a phenomenon is actually quite common?

But what would "other symptoms" even look like? I mean, is it totally normal to occasionally play out an entire conversation in my head—planning exactly what I'll say and how the whole scene will unfold? Because that's what I do.
It could definitely be that Super Ego thing, especially since my self-confidence can be a bit shaky... particularly when I'm around my dad...
I'm definitely not having hallucinations where I see things that aren't there or hear voices coming from thin air...

I felt compelled to raise this question regarding hallucinations because my grandmother experienced them extensively before she passed away last Thursday. She had been quite disoriented for about a year leading up to her death. On one occasion, she believed she was being visited by a middle-aged woman with cognitive impairments who had been a longtime friend of hers. Even after the visitor had departed, my grandmother remained convinced she was still present in the house, shouting at her and scolding her for staying so long without resting. She wasn't being malicious toward anyone; she simply could not be reasoned with. We even turned down the television to create total silence so she might realize it was just my uncle, her, and me in the room, but nothing worked. For an elderly person in that state, one would certainly consider hospitalization, whether voluntary or otherwise. However, if a younger person were to experience such vivid hallucinations without any other accompanying symptoms, wouldn't the situation become much more ambiguous?

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On a different note, I am dealing with a separate issue... I have severe visual impairment, and lately, I find myself constantly talking or humming to myself. It has evolved into a sort of obsession or fetish, whatever you want to call it...

The context is that I am currently looking after my two young nephews. The younger one isn't even four years old yet. He used to love watching Spiderman on YouTube, and about a year ago, when he first started speaking clearly, he began asking to watch Palelet on YouTube. Being unfamiliar with the name Palelet, I asked his older brother, who explained that the child actually meant Spiderman. But if you could only hear the way that little nephew softly and sweetly pronounced the word Palele—it is truly indescribable.

Ever since then, I find myself frequently humming "Palele, palele" to a melody from Spiderman. I have found myself walking through rural areas, quietly humming that word "Palele," yet loud enough that someone passing within a few feet of me might hear it and suspect something is wrong with my mental state—though, due to my poor vision, I often notice them too late.

I fear that someone might tell my family that I have regressed or that I am slipping into a state of mental decline. If they were to believe such rumors, it would be devastating, as they don't always give me much credit to begin with. Such is the struggle when one cannot fight for their own existence alone.

Would anyone here be interested in joining a support group for "Hearing Voices"—specifically for people dealing with auditory hallucinations or intrusive thoughts?

There’s a real possibility we could get something like this up and running in Washington, D.C. over the next few months, so let me know if you'd actually show up.