Posts by Kenneth Campbell

crimsonhound80 said:Hey everyone, I wanted to pull all our discussions about psychotropic medications into one dedicated thread. I’d really love for this space to be used primarily by folks who actually know their stuff—whether that's through professional training or just years of navigating these meds personally.

I think it would be incredibly helpful if we could pool our experiences, observations, and actual scientific findings here. That way, all this valuable "intel" doesn't get scattered across dozens of different threads where good advice gets buried—you know how it goes, most topics get pushed to page two so fast you can barely find them.

Since I'm kicking this off, I can definitely offer some guidance—I have a background in pharmacology and related fields, so to speak—and I genuinely want to help out. However, I'd really prefer not to get flooded with a mountain of private messages where half the problems can't even be solved through a screen anyway.

Thanks, and please, don't be shy about sharing what you know! 👍

Here is a question: Every psychotropic medication manual states that combining them with alcohol is strictly prohibited. I have a friend who, from the moment I met him until now, drinks at least two to four beers daily, along with hard liquor...
A few years later, I discovered he is taking certain medications, specifically antipsychotics like haloperidol alongside some anxiolytics. What interests me is this: why does the interaction between antipsychotics and alcohol not seem to alter his behavior, nor cause any noticeable somatic side effects? It appears to be a specific tolerance to alcohol; observing him from the outside, he looks the same whether he is drunk or sober. He doesn't complain about anything, and frankly, many people envy how quickly he recovers the next day. He always seems much fresher than most. Is there a scientific explanation for this? Thanks...

Donna Wood52 said:br.1: I was actually just about to sit him down and walk him through the nuance between schizoid and schizotypal personality disorders—you know, the actual clinical distinctions—but honestly? I think he’s
just playing the fool.

br.2: Kenneth Campbell, look, I don't see myself ever touching drugs, but I'll admit... during that whole adolescent identity crisis phase, I did dip my toes in.

That's good.

Any crisis can be overcome if handled correctly...

Hello🙂

Ronald Rogers27, that's excellent. I appreciate the support.

My previous comment was merely a rough outline. I was attempting to provide a brief overview of schizoid personality disorder, given the nature of the question...

If you want Melpy to provide more accurate answers—since the current descriptions aren't hitting the mark (to quote your "don't lecture me, Kenneth Campbell" sentiment)—one would actually need to observe the individual in question. A detailed assessment is required to understand who they are and what specifically drove them to withdraw from society. As I mentioned, there are several factors at play here.

For instance, a friend once told me, "The world is just incredibly dull. People bother me, going out to bars is a chore, friends are a nuisance... I just don't have the energy to see anyone anymore. It's all exhausting."
For years, her only source of gratification had been drugs. Once she decided to quit and attempt to change her life, she became hyper-sensitive and lost the ability to enjoy the simple things she once did. She simply became asocial.

That is one way someone might become asocial, apathetic, or develop a depressive personality. There are countless different triggers, such as an adolescent crisis...

coastalviper2 said:I find myself grappling with suicidal ideations on an almost daily basis, and I must admit, it truly worries me. Because my current circumstances and the environment I live in aren't exactly ideal, I frequently experience these moments where I wish I had never been born. It’s such a strange, conflicting sensation—I have this urge to end everything, yet, in truth, I don't actually want to die... It feels quite bizarre because, at the same time, I am deathly afraid of dying, yet I am equally terrified of living life as it is right now.
Despite my best efforts, I suppose I struggle quite a bit when it comes to my social life; people don't seem particularly interested in getting to know me, and I guess I don't feel much interest in them either. This carries over into my romantic life as well. Even though I am well-educated and possess a strong command of grammar and language, I seem to lose all sense of how to communicate effectively. My self-confidence is also quite unstable—it fluctuates constantly, rising one moment and plummeting the next... there just isn't any sense of balance
I was actually supposed to have a consultation with my doctor several weeks ago, but the appointment was canceled due to his other commitments. I certainly understand why that would happen, assuming he isn't being untruthful about his schedule, though I don't necessarily think he is lying.😁
So, I suppose I am left with nothing but to wait, while simultaneously trying to investigate the root cause of my struggles—provided I can find the willpower to do so—and perhaps hold those responsible to account (though, of course, I am not pointing fingers at everyone or every single thing).

Everything is surmountable if you can find a compelling purpose. Don't let yourself slip into passivity. Implement significant changes in your daily routine to build momentum, then layer in more activities to keep your focus firmly on the present.
If there's any substance use involved, stop immediately and seek the appropriate treatment. That’s really all there is to it.

Regards.

By some coincidence, we share the same US flag markings!

Donna Wood52 said:Have you ever actually crossed paths with someone like this? What’s your take on people who operate this way—I mean, what do you think drives someone to be completely antisocial and just... totally detached from everyone else?

There are certain studies regarding the hereditary nature of this specific temperament (E. Kretschmer).
Setting aside a deep dive into your question, there seems to be a straightforward answer:
These individuals tend to be incredibly sensitive and vulnerable regarding their inner lives, which leads them to retreat into isolation.
Because they often exist within an internal world of fantasy, they struggle to detach from it, prioritizing their subjective reality over actual social needs and the world around them.

If you're asking for the reasons? One factor is an inferiority complex combined with a sensitivity to criticism; they withdraw as a form of escape.
A second reason is pathological introversion—a preoccupation with the self where everything they observe is filtered through a purely subjective lens.

Not everyone with antisocial tendencies should be labeled as schizoid, of course. There are other classifications... 🙂

slypuma17 said:There’s a certain kind of paranoia lurking inside all of us... just waiting for its moment to strike. 😁

😁

Ryan Wood98 said:Jel'da, it does lean toward paranoia, I suppose. 🤷

And I think there might be a certain loss of touch with reality happening here as well.

To be honest, maybe I fall into that category myself.

If you lack a sharp sense of logic, intuition, or the ability to read subtle cues—like when diagnosing patients, for instance—you aren't going to be a good diagnostician.
You have to operate under the mindset of "considering every single possibility." That happens to be the hallmark of a paranoid personality.

Chess players, psychologists, mathematicians, detectives, lawyers, intelligence officers, scientists... you get the idea. They all fit this mold.

I'm not talking about actual paranoiacs here, just people with paranoid traits...

Ryan Wood98 said:I have stepped away from my professional field for a little while, so I am reaching out to my colleagues for some guidance.

I have been noticing a specific symptom appearing quite frequently in people lately, and I am somewhat unsure whether I should classify it under paranoid schizophrenia or if it perhaps falls into a different category altogether.

Specifically, I am referring to a tendency toward believing in various conspiracies.

It seems to involve individuals who are prone to accepting almost any vague claim they encounter in a book or online, provided that the information suggests we are victims of some sort of global conspiracy.

The pathology often becomes apparent because the individual doesn't just subscribe to a single theory, but rather accepts them all en masse.

Examples within this category might include: secret societies controlling the world, extraterrestrials managing certain governments, human-reptilian hybrids living deep underground, the so-called chemtrails supposedly poisoning us, clandestine military experiments like DARPA, conspiracies by dishonest historians seeking to hide alternative truths about human evolution, or various apocalyptic scenarios foretold by ancient civilizations, and so on.

How would we go about diagnosing this, colleagues?

Sacreus? Cocaine?

When it comes to diagnosing sch paranoid, even professional teams often hesitate to jump straight to schizophrenia. Even when suspicion arises, there is a tendency to label it as "psychosis acuta" instead. One must be cautious...

It is important to recognize that there are several distinct types of paranoid states:
1. Paranoid personality
2. Acute paranoia
3. Reactive paranoia
4. Paranoia
5. Paranoid sch
6. Paraphrenia
7. Paranoid presentation in organic brain disorders—chronic brain syndrome
8. Paranoid state in acute organic brain psychosis, etc.
So, when a presentation like what you described appears, the etiology can vary significantly.
Regarding your question on how to diagnose these people: I would suggest that an incredible number of people exhibit these tendencies without actually having schizophrenia.
Humans have always had a tendency toward mysticism; it’s part of our nature. What we are seeing is often just a delusion or a deliberate distortion of reality.
Consider a second example: I knew someone who always viewed himself as brilliant—highly educated, certainly—but he was perpetually drawn to fringe science. It acted like a magnet for him. If you tried to suggest that a patient's visual disturbances were merely hallucinations, he would take offense immediately; it would genuinely provoke his anger.
The takeaway: His schizoid character constantly steered him toward metaphysical themes and abstractions, which provided him with a sense of satisfaction. His interpretations were simply a reflection of his inherent inclinations.
One might categorize this as "schizoid character"—consult the ICD-10 or DSM-4 for specifics.
A second example involves an inferiority complex being compensated for through intellectual grandstanding. For instance, the type who insists, "You know nothing, you have no clue, *I* am the one who knows," jumping from the Freemasons to Area 51 in a single breath.

Usually, those who actually possess professional experience in intelligence, espionage, or similar fields remain silent. They are quite composed. It is those who claim to know everything who talk the most.